I’ve put up Turner’s 1844 Rain,Steam and Speed: the Great Western Railway in tribute to one of my oldest friends, Dave Cox, who sadly passed away on Wednesday night.
Dave loved trains and on several occasions went on trips to the U.S.A. to indulge his passion. I’m really glad that he managed to get back to the States in 2009 and travel on the trains with his Canadian friend Ellen, even though his health was far from great even then.
Dave was a systems analyst, a very brainy guy who had a very logical mind. This contrasted with my artistic, intuitive approach, making for some hilarious encounters. It’s actually thanks to Dave that I learnt more about computers; when I first met him all those years ago I was a Luddite as far as these machines were concerned.
Dave put up with my passion for renaissance and early modern art, and we went on a few trips to museums and exhibitions. He’d often phone me up to tell me about forthcoming art programmes on T.V. I think Dave’s heart was in the English romantic painters of the early to mid-nineteenth-century- Turner was definitely his favourite, which makes sense given that painter’s use of science in his art - and his love of such things as trains and other forms of transport. Dave also shared a name with one of Turner’s contemporaries- the Midlands water-colourist David Cox, which amused him.
One thing he was adamant about was modern art:: he hated it, especially Picasso and Pollock. When I used to put the case for Picasso, I was onto a loser from the start. He would never budge on that point.
Dave was hugely popular and loved to socialise; but his worsening health made that difficult towards the end of his life. Dave was the perennial optimist and although he knew things were far from well, he showed great resilience and courage when facing up to his problems. I learnt a lot from him about that.
We’re never really ready for things like this- and it was a huge shock when the news broke yesterday.
There will be many tributes as Dave knew lots of people. This is my small tribute to a unique person whose friendship lasted over 30 years. We all mourn the loss of a special person who will be sorely missed. Suddenly, the world seems a little sadder…..
Very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend. I know from experience that you are never ready for the reality of the event.
Posted by: Bob | 10/22/2012 at 03:06 PM
Thanks Bob.
Posted by: David Packwood | 10/22/2012 at 03:34 PM
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Tribute to a Friend: Dave Cox. - Art History Today
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Tribute to a Friend: Dave Cox. - Art History Today
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Tribute to a Friend: Dave Cox. - Art History Today
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