Duggie Fields On Syd

taken from Escimo Chain

For most Barrett fans, Duggie Fields is probably best known as Syd's flatmate during the 'Madcap Laughs' period. However out in the wider world he is better known as one of the leading lights in contemporary British Art. Born in the rural village of Tidworth in 1945, Duggie Fields moved up to London to study architecture at Regent Street Poly, the home of the nascent Pink Floyd Sound. In 1964 he switched to Chelsea Art School and his work moved rapidly through the Minimal, Conceptual and Constructivist phases of the time towards a more personal vision of hard-edged post-Pop figuration. He started working with digital media in the late 1990's, describing his work in progress as Maximalist - an anti-minimalist response to the multi-focal simultaneity of the Post-Modern condition. He still lives in the flat he used to share with Syd and was happy to share a few reminiscences with Eskimo Chain about this memorable time in his creative life.

How exactly did you come to share a flat with Syd ?

I MOVED INTO 101 CROMWELL ROAD SOMETIME BETWEEN 1965/66 MAYBE, I DON'T REALLY REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN ANY MORE. IT WAS A LARGE FLAT ON TWO FLOORS AT THE TOP OF THE BUILDING, OCCUPIED BY SOME PEOPLE I KNEW FROM ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL, (REGENT STREET POLYTECHNIC, WHERE I WAS A STUDENT, BRIEFLY, IN 1963/64), AND OTHERS. SYD ALSO LIVED IN THE FLAT - I'M NOT SURE IF HE WAS ALREADY THERE OR MOVED IN AFTER I HAD; ROGER WATERS LIVED THERE TOO, THOUGH I DON'T THINK AT THE SAME TIME AS SYD. AFTER HE'D LEFT THE FLOYD AND I'D LEFT ART SCHOOL WE BOTH FOUND OURSELVES NEEDING A PLACE AND HANGING OUT WITH THE SAME SMALL GROUP OF FRIENDS AND SO WE DECIDED TO GET A PLACE TOGETHER WITH A 3RD FRIEND CALLED JULES - AND SO GOT THE WETHERBY MANSIONS FLAT WHERE I STILL LIVE TODAY.

I've read that Syd had brought a pile of paintings from his art school days to the flat. Can you recall what sort of paintings these were ?

HE BROUGHT PAINTINGS TO THIS FLAT, I DON'T REALLY REMEMBER ANY IN HIS CROMWELL ROAD DAYS. MOST WERE UNFINISHED CANVASSES - REALLY BARELY STARTED - ONE I REMEMBER WAS A CASTLE.

Did he actually complete many paintings when he was living with you ?

I DON'T THINK HE COMPLETED ANYTHING..

Did Syd's work have anything in common with the prevailing art movements of the time ?

CAN'T REALLY SAY - THEY WERE TENTATIVE...

Did you have a particular style at this time, or was it very much an experimental time for you ?

I THINK I CAME INTO A WAY OF WORKING THAT HAD A PERSONAL IDENTITY SOMETIME IN MY COLLEGE COURSE SO THAT BY 1968 MY PICTURES LOOKED LIKE MY PICTURES - NOW I'M DIGITALY 'RE-SAMPLING' THEM....

Were you around the day when Mick Rock called around for 'The Madcap Laughs' shoot ?

I DON'T REMEMBER - NOR DOES MICK. IF I WAS HOME I PROBABLY DIDN'T GET INVOLVED.

Syd had painted the floor boards in preparation. Do you think he was intending the whole thing to be some sort of art installation/happening ?

NO. THE FLOORBOARD THING JUST HAPPENED - I DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS ANY PLAN.

In Watkinson & Anderson's 'Crazy Diamond' book, you paint quite a negative picture of living with Syd as being beset by ego clashes and anti-social behaviour. Do you look back on this period with any affection, or with a shudder ?

BOTH - ACTUALLY MORE AFFECTION I GUESS NOW.

Do you recall having much conversation with Syd, or was he pretty introspective most of the time ?

SYD WAS GREAT COMPANY AT ONE POINT - OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED GETTING A FLAT WITH HIM. HE WAS FUNNY, WITTY, SPARKLING, CREATIVE AND CHALLENGING- AT FIRST; FOR A LONG TIME REALLY - THE DECLINE WAS GRADUAL/SHOCKING/ BUT NOT THE WORST GOING ON AROUND ME AT THE TIME. I HAD ONE FRIEND 'TAKEN AWAY' FROM A NEIGHBOURING APARTMENT IN A STRAIT-JACKET.

Did he seem more interested in his art or the solo albums he was making at Abbey Road ?

BY THIS POINT HIS INTEREST IN ANYTHING WAS FAR FROM APPARENT.

Can you remember exactly why Syd left the flat ?

HE'D LET 3 PEOPLE MOVE INTO WHAT HAD BECOME OUR SITTING ROOM - I WASN'T EXACTLY HAPPY WITH THAT. THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER COUPLE WHO WOULD CRASH IN THE HALL IF THEY GAVE HIM ENOUGH DRUGS/WHATEVER - PLUS CATS. IT WAS ENOUGH TO DRIVE EITHER OF US OUT- I DID IN FACT LEAVE BUT WENT OUT-OF-THE-FRYING-PAN-INTO-THE-FIRE AT ALICE POLLOCK'S (THAT'S ANOTHER STORY) AND CAME BACK; SYD WENT OFF TO CAMBRIDGE AND NEVER DID COME BACK HERE. GALA WENT AFTER HIM AND THEY WERE GOING TO GET ENGAGED ETC.....

Did you have much contact with Syd after he went ?

NO, SAW HIM ONLY 4 OR 5 TIMES. ONCE OUTSIDE THE HILTON HOTEL ON PARK LANE WHEN HE WAS STAYING THERE; BUT I WASN'T SURE HE EVEN KNEW WHO I WAS OR IF HE WAS PLAYING WITH ME; HE'D GOT FAT.

You recently said that "Syd's lack of motivation was his biggest problem". Do you think that if he'd been more focused towards his art rather than music, he could have pursued a successful career in the art world akin to yours ?

NO IDEA - MAYBE HE LIVED HIS DESTINY.

Did you rate him at all as an artist ?

YES BUT NOT AS A VISUAL ARTIST EXCEPT IN THE SENSE OF VISION IN HIS LYRICS.

Do you think he could possibly make a comeback in fine arts the way Don Van Vliet/Captain Beefheart has done ?

I DON'T THINK HE WANTS TO.

Thanks !

Iain Smith