Life (Is like A Banana) by Tony Wilson
Born in 1931, artist and Philosopher Tony Wilson has kept diaries since the 1980s and for the first time ever, a selection is being published. With philosophical musings and artworks, and an insight into the workings of an artistic and extraordinary mind, Life is Like a Banana will be published by Anthony Eyre in June.
Tony Wilson’s life and artistic development is documented through paintings, sketches and intellectual reflections, and in Life is Like a Banana, the reader accompanies him on his travels through the decades; whether it’s around Bradford-on-Avon, or further afield in Turkey and Ireland. The simplicity of Tony Wilson’s watercolour paintings, where at times only a few brushstrokes are used, perfectly convey the fullness of living.
The book reveals Tony’s personal life – the documentation of his life’s loves, whether that’s his grandchildren, his wife Pat or his dog Rufus. But it also captures global concerns, such as his thoughts on the pandemic or his commitment to understanding how society functions.
The book is filled with quotes, diagrams and observations, many of which highlight his Assembly and Performance Thinking – the basis of his previous book The Wheels of Society, which the TLS described as an ‘erudite critique of individualistic political philosophy… short and wise, lithely grasping three ideas that academia is belatedly struggling to digest.’
Life is Like a Banana is a journey through space and time, and with Tony Wilson’s arresting watercolours on every page, this is a collector’s item for art and philosophy lovers alike.
My Thoughts
The watercolours and drawings are so simple, yet so striking. The handwritten musings give them depth and personality. I particularly like the restaurant, the children and the dogs.
I have included a few examples of my favourites. The one on the right below reminds me of a restaurant where my husband and I had lunch in Rhodes in 1981, which I still think about fondly. The child above with his hands over his face ‘Oscar being shy‘ shows so much expression without even seeing his features.
The dog sketches at the bottom are ‘smudge first with finger then draw with pen‘. So simple but effective. My husband said to me ‘you could do that’, but I couldn’t and I wouldn’t because this is Tony’s inimitable style. The emotion behind the sketches and painting would be missing.
Tony is so talented. I’d never heard of him before and I’m surprised.
Many thanks to Grace Pilkington Publicity for inviting me on the #LifeIsLikeABanana blog tour
About Tony
Tony Wilson was born in Dublin in 1931 and studied economics at Trinity College before qualifying as a chartered accountant. After six years in Paris with Price Waterhouse he went to England working as financial controller in the Avon Rubber Company, GKN, and British Oxygen. He lives near Bath where he paints, writes and makes beer. He has had five one-man exhibitions and has shown in the RA Summer Exhibition. He is the author of Universe on a Bicycle (2007) and The Wheels of Society (2021) which were both published to critical acclaim.
