Bernard Bale

WHAT is the hallmark of a genius? Usually the fact that they are shunned by the establishment until they are successful and then the 'welcome mats' are put out by those who believe that they are now acceptable and can probably be tamed and trained.

Nobody has ever successfully tamed Jack Vettriano whose works are vilified as licensed pornography by the critics and acclaimed by his fans as the passion of a genius.

More importantly though, ahead of next year's homecoming exhibition in Fife, what does the art that Jack built mean to him?

“Everything and nothing,” he said, an answer that reflects the man himself. “I just enjoy what I do and I am thrilled that some other people like it but I am essentially still the same person who was born in Fife in the 1950s. Very little has changed except that I do something that I was not meant to do – nothing unusual in that.”

That is a typically modest appraisal by a man who was, indeed, born in Fife in 1951 and destined for life in the coalfields.

“Nearly everyone in the area was involved in the mining industry in those days,” he explained. “There was no reason why I should be an exception so, when I left school, at the age of 15, I started a career as a mining engineer. Like my father, I went down Methelhill pit. There was never any thoughts that life would change so much.

“I had taken an interest in art and I was impressed by some of the work I had seen in the museum in Kirkcaldy but I was not inspired enough to try anything myself until I was 21 and I was bought a watercolour set as a birthday present. I started to mess about with it and found a new pleasure in life.

“I had no formal training and no confidence but I knew what I liked and the result was not too bad. One or two people saw what I did and thought I had a talent. I didn't take them seriously at first but then the more I did, the more I became enthusiastic about it.

“I think I picked up things from looking at the work of other painters. When you start to look beyond the actual portrayal you begin to see how things are done, the different methods, the different styles and I suppose that is how I began in the first place.”

There has been much watercolour under the bridge since those early days and Jack Vettriano's work now carries his unmistakable stamp.

“I began to develop my own style and today most people recognise my work,” he said.

They do not just recognise it, very many love it which is why people like Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Tim Rice and many other iconic figures (not even all sirs) proudly display Vettriano originals in their homes. His enthusiasts are not confined to men as Valerie Singleton and author and journalist Eve Pollard also own his originals.

“People are surprised sometimes by the number of ladies who like my work. Since some of my work has been seen as chauvinist, some people are amazed that many ladies actually like it and buy it.

“It does not surprise me because I know I have no chauvinist thoughts when I am painting. I make no apology for my work. I am not pompous about it. I just do it and if people like it, that's fine. I do not put any importance on what the so-called critics say.”

Some say that much of his work is soft pornography.

“That's up to them but often I find that how someone perceives a painting whether it is mine or someone else's is more of a reflection of their own mind rather than what they are actually looking at.”

After years of being shunned by the people of power within the art world, the Royal Academy accepted two of Jack's paintings for the summer exhibition of 1988, they sold within 15 minutes, a tribute to his talent. Since then two of his most famous paintings, Mad Dogs and the Singing Butler, have outsold any other picture poster in the UK, recording even greater sales than such masters as Van Gogh and Monet.

“I think the greatest accodale has to be the support I have received from ordinary people who buy my work in its various forms, whether it be an original or a print or a greetings card.

“When my work is exhibited it is a nice feeling but it is the pleasure it brings to the man – or lady – in the street that matters.”

Most of us could pass Jack Vettriano in the street and not realise it. He has never worried about his image which is why you rarely see him doing interviews or making a big entrance.

“It would be easy to get carried away but I have so far managed to keep my feet on the ground. At the end of the day, a painting by any artist is only a wall covering.”

His fans will all have their favourites. One of the most intriguing is The Billy Boys. Four well-dressed young men appear to be walking across a smooth beach. They could be on their way to a wedding or simply for a quality night out. Where did that come from?

“I took the idea from a poster I saw for the film Reservoir Dogs. A section of Leven beach also came into my mind and, at the same time, I thought back to my time as a young man.

“Quite often, the evening's entertainment was a group of young men from one village going as a group to a neighbouring village for a confrontation. It was an expression of pain and pleasure because there was the supposed enjoyment of the fight mixed with the pain if you were on the wrong end of it.

“The Billy Boys is really four young men who are up to no good. They are going out for an evening, looking the part but also looking for trouble.”

As with most art works, the view of the beholder can be far removed from the original thoughts and inspiration of the actual artist.

Quietly Jack Vettriano is a philanthropist, creating a fund for young artists who struggle to be noticed and taken seriously. He also helps many charities, often those attached to his Scottish roots.

“I like to keep a low profile as a rule,” he explained. “But if I can help someone through my work then I am happy to do so. A lot of people work very hard to help others, I don't do very much really other than providing some of my work or occasionally turning up at a function.”

It is typical of the man to play down his role in helping others as he does in being one of the most popular artists of our time.

“I don't want stardom,” he said. “I am happy to be comfortably off but I don't have an ostentatious way of life. I consider myself fortunate that I did find within myself something that others consider to be a talent. If not I would probably have been a miner until it all shut down and then I would have been wondering what to do with my life.

“I don't mind what people say about my work, everyone is entitled to an opinion although opinions are simply that – an opinion. Reality and opinion are often at odds. I am thrilled that many people like my work and I thank them for that. There are also those who do not like my work and will make all sorts of strange statements. I thank them too because they have, at least, not ignored it.”

Jack Vettriano might consider his work to be simply 'wall coverings' but to the millions who love it, they are strokes of genius.

Jack Vettriano: The Early Years 2021 is at Kirkcaldy Galleries from June