Sven Berlin British, 1911-1999

Born in Sydenham, South-East London, Sven Berlin was a prominent, yet often controversial, figure in the world of 20th Century British art. Forced by financial circumstances to leave school at the age of twelve, he began adult life as an adagio dancer, an art form now more or less extinct. Here, he partnered Helga, an experienced dancer and dance teacher who became his first wife. He and Helga moved to Penwith, in Cornwall. Here he came under the influence of Dr Frank Turk, a much-respected adult educationalist, working under the auspices of Exeter University, whilst attending courses and lectures in subjects such as philosophy, the ancient cultures and the arts. On the outbreak of war in 1939, his beliefs as a pacifist forced him to register as a conscientious objector, a painful and humiliating procedure. Rather than enlisting in the armed forces, he was assigned to various jobs such as working as a boilerman or an agricultural labourer. However, he underwent a change of heart and, renouncing his pacifism, he enlisted in the infantry, seeing active service in the Normandy landings and the drive towards Germany. His presence at the Front contributed to the breakdown of his marriage to Helga not long after his return from the war. Sven Berlin was now an accepted member of the fabled "St Ives Art Colony", writing, drawing, painting, but mainly sculpting in stone, and relaxing in the evenings with the painters, potters and poets, so many of whom were drawn to St Ives. Following the break-up with Helga, Sven Berlin met  Jackie Moran, and they moved into a tiny cottage at the foot of Skidden Hill. Their happiness was not to last, for Jackie had tuberculosis, and tragically, she died in his arms. Sven Berlin then met the woman who was to become his second wife, Juanita. He felt deeply about the current tension between abstract and traditional artists which dominated St Ives and was much involved in the "politics" of the situation. For this reason, he decided to leave St Ives with Juanita and his family, in a horse-drawn caravan, moving to the New Forest. From his new home in 1962 he published one of the most contentious books of the time, The Dark Monarch. The book mixed truth with fantasy and was a metaphorical story which reflected the eccentric circle of artists at St Ives. Some of these were easily identifiable and this, together with the defamatory attributes ascribed to them, led to a libel action. The poet Arthur Caddick was the driving force behind this. The book was withdrawn only a few weeks after publication, and damages were paid by Berlin and his publishers.This was a huge setback in his career. In the New Forest, Sven Berlin re-built his artistic life. Among the books in this stimulating environment were those focused on the gypsy community of the Forest, and an ode to fishing. Things had not gone well between himself and Juanita, who had her own ambitions as authoress and artist, and she eloped with Berlin's groom. He met his third and last wife, Julie, to whom he remained happily married until the end of his life. Sven's prolific output of drawings, paintings, sculptures and writings persisted. The intensity of Berlin's feelings for Julie is shown in his countless sketches, paintings and other depictions of her. She was a subject to which he returned again and again. They moved to the Isle of Wight, a decision which proved not altogether successful, and after a relatively short residence there, he and Julie returned to the mainland. He ended his days with her in the countryside he so loved, outside Wimborne, in Dorset. Sven Berlin was valued, as a man and a friend, by many other leading artists and creatives including Robert Graves, Augustus John and John Boorman. He died in 1999.