xxxxxxx   RICHARD DEMARCO’S .......

85th B-DAY PARTY! at Fingask Castle 

Can RICHARD DEMARCO really be 85?

Many of us have known RD for years, indeed cannot remember when he was not around making life more exciting, more vibrant, more international. Merely on the basis of introductions & friends found, he deserves all of the nearly 50 - that’s FIFTY - awards, honorary doctorates, fellowships & orders of Merit (Polish, German, French, EC,  Romanian, American, British - even Scottish dare I say it, .........  but where is his KNIGHTHOOD???)

So how did he spend his b-day?? As KING of the CASTLE of course, crowned with flowers, draped with presents, talking non-stop, & laughing merrily.  

As the pix tell, there was food, music, Shakespeare, & friends amid a glorious setting of Fingask Castle. The sun shone on children, dogs, 9 friendly puppies, actors et al. Along the way of the last 60 yrs Ricky has made many friends, who came from far & wide to celebrate. 

He has also made a huge archive of artworks, over a million photographs, (10,000 already digitalized) plus artworks, films, records & letters.  

Demarco calls his photos "EVENT  Photography". For many years we all believed there was no film in his camera. (Remember when film was scarce, expensive & a trial to wind on, off or mess up?)  

Hospitable Mistress of ceremonies Helen Murray

Since 1966 Demarco has masterminded valuable, pioneering, extraordinary if excentric art events, art galleries, art performances, art installations, art journeys - & all this long before any Turner Prize, any award system - indeed without any awards - or cash! How to work on an invisible shoe-string? Well, Demarco can do it.

Demarco is also a fast & furious draughtsman, his keen eye and spare penmanship capturing in detail all the magic of country roads, farm building, cityscapes,  rocks, trees, signposts, with a road underpinning many of his dynamic drawings & watercolours. 

The famous ROAD TO MEIKLE SEGGIE wends its way from Scotland to Italy, Malta, Romania, Sardinia, France, Poland Ireland to end on Rannoch Moor, Callanish & Edinburgh.

I am also working on my archive -  http://www.gsaarchives.net/archon/?p=collections/findingaid&id=482&q and, no surprise, Demarco gets more hits, more mentions than anyone else!  

And so to the Fingask mural or frieze. Centre stage as it should be - are the Murrays & offspring, then surrounded by friends. There is a space waiting for Ricky ... I hope he appears there, garland & all!  

Squire Andrew Murray Threipland, actors & supporters. 

These last 2 pix stolen from Roddy Martine!