Clive Hicks-Jenkins – Man Slain by Tiger – Original Screenprint – Colour Proof – Inscribed ‘For Sarah’ with Daniel Bugg’s Technical Comments Verso

Artist: Clive Hicks-Jenkins & (Parvin, Sarah)
Price: £1995.00
Publisher: The Artist & The Penfold Press, UK
Format: Original screenprint
Condition: Fine condition, unframed
Size: 56cm x 56cm
Edition Number: Printer’s colour proof aside from the edition of 35.

Description

Date: c.2015
Size: 56cm x 56cm

An exceptional and highly important colour proof for Man Slain by Tiger, the key preparatory work produced by Clive Hicks-Jenkins and master printer Daniel Bugg of the Penfold Press as the “dry-run” for the celebrated Sir Gawain and the Green Knight series.

Before the fourteen-print Sir Gawain sequence began, Hicks-Jenkins and Bugg used Man Slain by Tiger as the testing ground for palette, layering, and technical approach. Hicks-Jenkins wrote at the time:

“Dan and I will shortly be producing Man Slain by Tiger, a print inspired by Tipu’s Tiger / The Death of Munrow that we’re using as a dry-run for the Gawain series. After that, the great work will begin.”

He also made clear that the larger project originated with Sarah Parvin, writing:

“I must say that when Sarah mentioned the idea of a Gawain print, and then marched off to visit Dan Bugg and suggest that he and I work together…”

This places the present work at the exact moment of formation of one of the most significant contemporary British print collaborations of recent years.

This example is not a standard edition print, but a working colour proof, inscribed by the artist “For Sarah,” referring to the late Sarah Parvin (The Curious One). Parvin’s role in initiating the Sir Gawain project is extensively documented. Hicks-Jenkins described her as:

“the moving force behind this project, coming up with the idea and then teaming Dan and me”

and elsewhere:

“Sarah, your energy and enthusiasm fired this project… it quite simply wouldn’t have happened… You are the matchmaker!”

Verso, the print carries Dan Bugg’s original pencil annotations and technical working notes, recording proposed refinements to colour separation and stencil development, including:

“3rd proof… 2nd yellow, 2nd blue, grey, 2nd red…”

and:

“This one would be my choice…”

These annotations transform the sheet from a proof into a unique working document of the collaboration itself: artist, printer, and facilitator captured at the point where the visual language of the later Sir Gawain series was being resolved.

Bugg described works from this early stage to Sarah as a “real rarity,” and this example fully justifies that description. It stands simultaneously as:

• an original artwork
• a proof state
• a documentary archive object
• and a direct witness to the creation of the Gawain series

Copies with this level of provenance rarely appear on the market. Inscribed to Sarah Parvin and carrying the printer’s working annotations verso, this is arguably the most significant surviving example of the project’s earliest development.

A unique association copy of exceptional rarity, provenance, and art-historical importance.

Previously framed with old framer’s tab marks verso but in very near fine condition.

Clive Hicks-Jenkins: A Short Biography

Introduction

Clive Hicks-Jenkins is widely regarded as one of the most distinctive visual artists working in Britain today. His oeuvre spans painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, artists’ books, and design for performance. What sets him apart is the cohesive imaginative world he has constructed over several decades: a visual language grounded in myth, folklore, biblical narrative, and the psychological landscapes of the human condition. His work is both contemporary and timeless, combining a modernist sensibility with the narrative clarity of medieval and early Renaissance art.

Hicks-Jenkins’ reputation has grown steadily, earning the respect of curators, critics, and fellow artists alike. His handling of form, staging, and character owes much to his first career in theatre and choreography, yet his mature visual art possesses a contemplative emotional resonance that is entirely his own.

Early Life and Background

Born in Newport, South Wales, in 1951, Clive Hicks-Jenkins grew up in a post-war environment marked by close-knit communities and a strong local culture of storytelling. Welsh landscape, language, and folklore would later become central to his work.

Although he showed artistic promise early on, his path into the arts did not begin with visual art. Instead, he gravitated towards theatre and dance—fields that would profoundly shape his later visual vocabulary. His sensitivity to gesture, staging, costume, and expressive movement all stem from this formative period.

Career in Theatre and Dance

Before devoting himself to visual art, Hicks-Jenkins had a distinguished career as a performer, choreographer, and director. He trained in dance and mime, later creating and directing productions for stage and television.

Key elements from his performance background that carried into his later artwork include:

• A choreographic understanding of bodies in space
• A theatre director’s grasp of narrative structure
• A designer’s sense of stylisation, colour, and mood
• The physicality of movement, gesture, and tableau

This grounding in performance gave his eventual paintings and drawings an unusual clarity of staging. Figures appear poised in theatrical tension, animals seem imbued with personality, and even his landscapes feel like constructed spaces in which stories unfold.

Transition to Visual Art

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hicks-Jenkins turned increasingly towards two-dimensional art, developing a practice that would become his life’s principal focus. He worked initially in drawing and painting, though collage and printmaking later became major components of his practice.

By the mid-1990s he had established himself as a significant presence within Welsh and British art, with major exhibitions and acquisitions confirming his growing prominence. What emerged was a signature style characterised by:

• flattened yet dynamic pictorial space
• layered pattern and bold colour
• stylised figures, animals, and architectural elements
• a sense of narrative tension and interior psychology

His work often feels like an illuminated manuscript reimagined for the present day.

Themes and Artistic Concerns

Myth and Folklore

Hicks-Jenkins frequently draws on folklore, medieval romance, and storytelling traditions. His acclaimed Green Knight series, inspired by Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, is a notable example—combining medieval narrative with contemporary graphic invention.

Biblical and Moral Narratives

Works such as his explorations of the story of Saint Kevin and other hagiographic subjects reveal his interest in moral complexity, temptation, sacrifice, and transformation.

Animals and Anthropomorphic Creatures

Animals occupy a central place in his visual world. Horses, dogs, cats, birds, and hybrid beings appear frequently, often functioning as emotional or symbolic counterparts to human protagonists.

The Landscapes of Wales

Welsh topography, architecture, and folk traditions permeate his imagery. Hills, chapels, farms, and woods become stage-sets for psychological drama.

The Interior Self

While narrative is essential, Hicks-Jenkins’ work is deeply introspective. Many images operate as allegories for anxiety, compassion, courage, and vulnerability.

Techniques and Materials

Hicks-Jenkins is known for his versatility and technical mastery. His methods include:

Painting

Often using acrylics, gouache, and mixed media, he works in layers that give his compositions a luminous, graphic quality.

Collage

His collages—meticulously cut, assembled, and coloured—are among his most celebrated achievements. They have a sculptural presence, combining sharp edges with fluid storytelling.

Drawing

Drawing remains central to his practice, both preparatory and autonomous. His linework is expressive and economical.

Printmaking

He has collaborated with several notable printmakers and studios, producing linocuts, screenprints, and editions that extend the reach of his imagery.

Artists’ Books

Hicks-Jenkins has contributed to award-winning artists’ books, bringing together poetry, narrative, and visual composition. His collaborations with poets such as Derek Walcott, Marly Youmans, and Damian Walford Davies have been especially acclaimed.

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