In Memoriam Paul Neagu

Paul Neagu: sculptor, painter, poet, larger-than-life character.

Neagu settled in Britain in 1970 and embarked in a remarkable career as an artist and teacher. Laughing in the face of the Establishment, Neagu even formed a fictitious art group (Generative Art Group) which exhibited regularly. Influenced by Structuralism and philosophy, Neagu’s art worked with the Word for an even deeper impact.

Born in Bucharest in 1938, Paul Neagu grew up in the western Romanian city of Timisoara, and returned to Bucharest to study in the Academy of Fine Arts in 1963. By the late 1960s, following a relaxation of the isolationist views of the Romanian communist state, Romania had a thriving contemporary art scene, on the same level with that in the West, and dialogue was once again possible. Accordingly, Richard Demarco, a young Edinburgh-based artist and curator, organised a show of Paul Neagu’s work in 1969. In 1970, Paul decided to leave Romania and settle in Britain, receiving British citizenship in 1977.

In 1975 he had an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, where his work was brought, for the first time, in front of a much wider audience. In 1975 also, Paul created the first ‘Hyphen’ – a form in which was concentrated an entire philosophy, and an element which was going to be an integral part of his vision until the time of his death. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Paul kept on working on the development of his unique vocabulary.

After the Romanian revolution of 1989, Paul exhibited again in Romania, where, after the unfortunate revival and imposition of Socialist Realism in the 1970s-80s, his work was once again appreciated by the audiences. In 2001, Paul suffered a stroke. His great ability to communicate was greatly diminished, yet, through a long process of recovery, never complete, Paul continued to work and to distil ideas. In 2003 the Tate Gallery acquired a great number of his works and exhibited some of them at Tate Britain.

Nevertheless, his health was failing him and on 16 June 2004, Paul Neagu passed away.

By any standards, Paul Neagu was a great artist – indeed, he was a great architect of new frameworks for art. Influenced by philosophy, sometimes to a larger extent than by contemporary art, Paul wrote an entirely new language of forms and meanings, and pioneered a novel type of art/knowledge, paralleled by that of Joseph Beuys or Yves Klein. This vision is by no means easy to understand, demanding from the viewer an open mind paired with empathy and great dedication to art as means of expression.

When thinking of Paul in relation to other great Romanians, Brancusi is the first who comes to mind, and the time may come when Paul’s work will be seen as important as that of his predecessor’s. While developing his oeuvre, Paul also taught, starting in the late 1970s, at the sculpture department of Hornsey College of Art, and then at the Slade School of Art. His legacy can be observed in the works of Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley, Rachel Whiteread, Tony Cragg, Langlands & Bell. (To see article source click here)

The commemorative ceremony took place at the Romanian Embassy in London on the 25th of June 2004

Contributors:
Welcoming remarks on behalf of Paul's family Dana Armean, at the request of Toni Neagu
Host's Welcome HE Dan Ghibernea, Romania's Ambassador to the United Kingdom
"Heart of the Tornado" a film by Laurentiu and Agnieszka Garofeanu
"Remembering Paul" Sir Nicholas Serota; Paul Overy

Paul’s family would like to thank the following for their support in organising the memorial:
Mrs Sinziana Dragos, Cultural Attachée, The Romanian Embassy, London
The Romanian Embassy, for kindly agreeing to host the gathering
Laurentiu and Agnieszka Garofeanu, for agreeing to show an excerpt of their forthcoming film "Heart of the Tornado"
Dana Armean and John Denis-Smith, for their immense administrative efforts

RPSV: Romanian Embassy
Tel: 0207-9378125
Fax: 0207-9378069

daily telegraph, 21th June 2004 (UK): "Paul Neagu , who died on Thursday aged 66, was often called the most important Romanian artist since Constantin Brancusi. His sculptures, paintings, drawings and documentation of his performances are in numerous public collections, including the British Museum, the Tate, V & A and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art." read full article(en)

The Independent, 21th June 2004 (UK) : "Influential sculptor, painter and performance artist . 21 June 2004 Paul Neagu, artist: born Bucharest 22 February 1938; married 1965 Sibila Oarcea (marriage dissolved 1970), 1997 Monica Omescu (marriage dissolved 2001); died London 16 June 2004. It is always difficult for an artist to move from one culture to another, and to re-establish or develop a career in a new country is never easy." read full article(en)

Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RO): (original Romanian article version) "MAE a luat cunostinta cu tristete de decesul sculptorului Paul Neagu. Ministerul Afacerilor Externe a primit cu profunda durere vestea încetarii din viata, la 16 iunie 2004, în Marea Britanie, a sculptorului Paul Neagu, unul dintre cei mai importanti creatori români contemporani." read full article(ro)

GALLERY 49 (USA): (Romanian article version in "Ziua") "In Memoriam Paul Neagu. Marti, 16 Iunie, 2004 lumea artistica romaneasca a suferit o imensa pierdere. Renumitul artist plastic Paul Neagu s-a stins din viata la Londra, la varsta de 66 de ani. Nascut la 22 februarie 1938, Paul Neagu a absolvit Institutul "Nicolae Grigorescu" - sectia pictura (1965)." read full article(ro)

The Times (UK): "June 24, 2004 Paul Neagu Devil-may-care Romanian sculptor and teacher whose Hyphens and Starheads were intriguing, convincing, yet elusive. IN HIS later years Paul Neagu was known in Britain almost entirely as the man who had taught Rachel Whiteread, Anthony Gormley, Anish Kapoor and Tony Cragg." read full article(en)

The Guardian(UK): "Anish Kapoor - Monday June 28, 2004: Paul Neagu - Romanian sculptor and teacher in London art schools, who influenced a generation of students and British artists. The Romanian sculptor Paul Neagu, who has died aged 66, spent a life-time exploring the philosophical themes in sculpture. His work as both a teacher and a practitioner influenced a whole generation of British artists." read full article(en)

Goodbye Paul - last letter to a good friend by Maria Stoian (USA): "Dear Paul, when we last spoke, a few weeks ago, we were saying goodbye because you were planning on going to Romania to visit your family for a couple of months. You also planned to attend a conference about your art and that of Constantin Brancusi at Tate Britain, which holds works made by each of you. Who would have thought that you were headed for Eternity instead?" read the letter(en) (...) "Gandurile mele sunt alaturi de voi, Anton si restul familiei Neagu cu ocazia ceremoniei de vineri. M-am tot gandit si-am ajuns la concluzia ca pentru mine cel mai natural mod de-a scrie despre Paul in momentele astea triste e o scrisoare de ramas bun."(...)