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photo by T.J.Davies
. Cyril Ifold
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Cyril Ifold was born in 1922 in Ystradgynlais/South Wales; he died there in 1986. As one of the so-called 'Miner-Arists' he was mainly self-taught but took, when time allowed it, some lessons from Arthur Pawson as well as some evening classes under Alfred Janes. His mentors were Josef Herman and David Bell.
Like so many youngsters in the area, Ifold had to go and work in the pits at the age of 14; his father had died some 6 years earlier. He had always dreamt of becoming a painter, as his grandfather had been a successful portrait painter himself. So, at the age of 15 he went to have after-work lessons from Arthur Powson, a local artist of the old school, who used anatomy books for teaching purposes. Ifold was fascinated by Herman’s paintings, which “indicated to him the direction he should be going in his own work” as he and Herman shared an interest in both art and mining. Although Ifold never had any formal lesson from Herman, the latter’s influence has been considerable and can be seen even by the untrained eye. Yet, Ifold never imitated his role model; on the contrary he painted in a variety of styles which had interested him over the years. Throughout his life he occasionally painted portraits, imagined and real, of miners he knew and of local celebrities. Eventually Ifold turned to landscape painting which gave him the sensation of the sonorous colour and movement which he had been aiming at for a long time. His landscapes were not drawn from life but were composite images, which he had stored in his memory while walking the countryside.
Artist's Statement: "I see each work not just as a straight, almost photographic reproduction but as a synthesis of all aspects and attitudes of the times. The learning process for me has continued over the years as I perfect my technique by trial and error. I paint so that I can learn more about painting. Discoveries come about by accident; I stumble upon them, and it is only through experience that I have become able to make things happen. I always like to create new problems and challenges for myself. It has been my ambition all my life to be able to put down on canvas what I think and what I feel. I do not try to say something. They come not just from my hands but from my head" (quoted from the Neath Independent, 22nd May 1984).
Cyril Ifold's father died when the artist was eight years old, which meant that the boy was destined for a job as a pitman at the earliest possible age - 13/14. His grandfather, Frederick Ifold, who had studied at the Royal Academy and who was a regular exhibitor at the Summer Exhibitions, had made his living as a portrait painter during the second half of the 19th century (a speciality which Cyril engaged in too). Frederick Ifold's interest in painting was passed on to his grandson.
While working at a tinplate factory at the age of 15, Cyril took lessons from a local art teacher, an engagement that lasted for 8 years. His evening class attendance at the School of Art in Swansea, however, did not last very long because he felt that "the lack of commitment to art shown by the college's full-time students did not make for an environment conducive to learning" (John Harvey 'Miner Aertists' 2000, p.17). He was a regular visitor to the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in Swansea but also visited the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff and galleries in London. He absorbed a vast amount of information on these trips and became familiar with the styles of such painters as Cezanne & Gino Severini. His ability to switch from one style to another at this time, although unique, was also an expression of his search to find his own style. This eventually happened when he came under the influence of Josef Herman. Ifold now concentrated on landscapes and became a regular exhibitor at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. He was in the process of doing so again, when he died.
Awards: 1957 Winner of the Open Competition of the British Mining Industry (Nat.Coal Board).
Commissions: several portraits for public figures such as: 1957 the Merthyr poet Charles Jones; 1958 Ystradgynlais Rural Council Councillor John Morgan, and others.
Exhibitions:
First solo exhib. 1956 at the Queen's Cafe, Merthyr Tydfil; 1957 solo exhib. of portraits at Cyfarthfa Art Gallery Merthyr Tydfil; solo exhib. at the Miners' Hall in Ystradgynlais; mixed exhib. at the Swansea Festival of Music & the Arts; c.1958 two-man exhib. with Ogwyn Davies at the 5th Open Exhibition of Contemporary Welsh Painting & Sculpture; 1961 solo exhib. at Brecon Town Hall; 1986 solo exhib. at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery Swansea; 2000 retrospective part in the mixed touring exhib. "Miner-Artists" at the National Library of Wales/Aberystwyth, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery/Swansea, the National Museums & Galleries/Cardiff;