First of a new series of paintings of great British eccentrics. Eccentricity seems to go hand-in-hand with enthusiasm – a winning combination for televisual entertainment, particularly in the field of scientific communication. UK Television in the 1970s and 1980s was party to a number of these characters, the likes of which seldom make it to our screens any more.
Acrylic and spray paint on canvas 600mm x 600mm
Magnus Pyke was a hugely popular TV scientist from the 70s. He was in his 60s when he first appeared on the screen, all waving arms and gesticulations – the very picture of a ‘mad scientist’.
While researching him for this painting, I was struck by the dearth of images or video available online. There is a period of recent history which is woefully under-represented on the web. A period before digitisation, a period before even the adoption of the VCR which has simply never made the leap onto YouTube and it’s ilk. At his peak, Magnus Pyke was a more recognised scientist amongst the general population than Newton and Einstein – yet the only moving images I could find are from his appearance with Thomas Dolby in his hit She Blinded Me With Science which is embedded below.
how do you find so much time to do the things you want? you have a family, a career, your art… i don’t know, maybe it’s b/c i’m american. time just seems to slip by me. i admire what you have going on.