John Lennon, the art vandal, makes it to Liverpool art show

**Kev** · 04-21-2009

ONE of the pictures in a new exhibition by painter Yankel Feather isn?t quite perfect. In fact, it?s scratched.

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**Howie** · 04-21-2009

Wasn't that exhibition last year (03/06/08 - 20/06/08)?

See the Liverpool Academy of Arts website here.

**Howie** · 04-22-2009

Liverpool artist Yankel Feather dies aged 88
Apr 22 2009
Liverpool Daily Post

ONE of the most colourful characters of Liverpool?s 1960s arts scene has died.

Yankel Feather was 88 and had been suffering from cancer for some time.

Tributes were paid last night to the artist who was described as ?one of the characters of Liverpool?.

Nephew Paul Feather, who owns the Feathers Hotel Group, said: ?He was a very strong character ? openly gay in the days when society was draconian about it ? and always wanted to be an artist.

?He had such a varied life and was very fortunate to have the talent that was able to feed him for all these years. People paid thousands for his work.

?His paintings have gone all over the world but Liverpool was very influential in his work.

?As a young lad I could never understand ? I had this mad uncle artist. As I got older we became closer and he?d tell me about his and my father?s childhoods and how poor they were.

?People don?t know about poverty ? they had to borrow each other?s shoes.?

Academy of Arts? June Lornie, who became close friends with the artist when he had an exhibition at the Seel Street gallery last year, added: ?I?m really going to miss him.

?He used to call once, often twice, a day ? he was lovely and kind although he also didn?t suffer fools gladly.

?Although he had lived in London, Cornwall and then Brighton, he loved Liverpool and never stopped talking about it.

?He was one of the colourful characters of Liverpool. We won?t see his like again.?

In his time Mr Feather counted among his friends Brian Epstein, The Beatles and Cilla Black.

On the arts scene his contemporaries included Adrian Henri, George Jardine, Don McKinlay, Maurice Cockrill, Nicholas Horsfield, Sam Walsh and artists? model June Furlong.

Mr Feather, who was born in Toxteth?s Stanhope Street ? which was also the birthplace of legendary racehorse artist George Stubbs ? held down a myriad of jobs over the years including waiter, antique dealer, telephone operator, kitchen hand at the Adelphi and picture restorer to fund his passion for painting.

In the early 1960s he opened a coffee bar and club called The Basement, decorated with ship?s beams, iron gates, Elizabethan chairs and African images, in Mount Pleasant which became popular with those in the arts and beat scene including John Lennon, who scratched one of Mr Feather?s paintings after being asked to stop bashing out Roll Over Beethoven on the club?s piano.

Source: Liverpool Daily Post

bgkk.rock · 07-01-2009

Originally Posted by Howie

Nephew Paul Feather, who owns the Feathers Hotel Group, said: “He was a very strong character – openly gay in the days when society was draconian about it – and always wanted to be an artist.

At least, they conceded this.... I am a dracon