The Pub ("Fathers Who Fail")

This depicts the regular patrons of a bar on Barton Street, Hamilton – working-class men. There is salt on the table in case they want to “salt” their beer. The images capture their individual personalities - one is drunk and stares at his beer, two others appear to be reflecting on personal worries, some are chatting, and the man in the foreground is calmly reading the Salvation Army newspaper “The War Cry” which has been left in the bar in hopes of convincing the men to give up drinking. Nyilasi has collaged the actual “War Cry” newspaper onto the canvas, along with the cautionary title of the article “fathers who fail”. The gentle social humour in this painting, which portrays the “failing fathers” drinking after work instead of going home to their wives and children, suggests that people usually regard reforming advice as something to be read, but certainly not acted upon.

oil on canvas & paper collage

60 x 40 inches

circa 1970's

framed in shadow box under plexiglass 2017

Catalogue No: TNYIL-219