An exhibition to celebrate the late local artist, dedicated to a lifetime of art

By Tristan Middleton

Max Middleton, who has died aged 78, was a beloved artist with deep ties to Blackheath, Greenwich and the surrounding area, whose untimely death was an enormous shock to his family and friends. Losing a loved one is huge, words are never enough. When it is unexpected, it brings with it so many abruptly unfinished stories and conversations, and Max was a great storyteller. To celebrate his life through his life’s work, and dedication to inspiring other artists, allows his echoes and laughter to resound.

In order to celebrate Max’s art, a retrospective exhibition will take place in August at the Thames-Side Studios Gallery. With its high-ceilings, the wonderful open-plan 2,770 square-foot gallery is one of South London’s largest single exhibition spaces. Just across from the Thames-Side Print Studio which had seen so many of his prints emerging, it is perfect for a tribute to Max’s unfaltering dedication to a lifetime of painting, drawing and printmaking. A dedication that saw encouragement of other artists to develop creatively as an integral facet of his work.

Max’s exquisite draughtsmanship and enjoyment of colour and its transparencies was often focused on the human form, gestures and the emotions they convey, as well as animals and landscapes. In his words, art ‘provides a means of processing deep feelings when words fail.’ Wrought full of tensions and humanity, his evocative paintings are always exploring new terrain. His stunning drawing is a true commitment to ‘the obsessive study of the visual world’. And his skills as a printmaker were already clear from early on in his career when he published the book Etching and intaglio printing.

He said: “My works are not ends. They are resting places of interest on that continual journey.” Both the exhibition this summer and the accompanying catalogue will be a testament to that journey.

An inspiring teacher, Max Middleton was larger than life. Many people cannot believe he is gone and maybe that is because he will always remain a part of the artistic development of so many. During years of teaching at Foundation Art level and as a university lecturer, Max was a trusted and respected tutor. When he taught people to draw, all he had to do was pick up a pencil to inspire confidence. Towards retirement, Max returned to the classroom, working with young people who had been excluded from mainstream school and supporting their learning in local special schools. He continued to teach and mentor young and aspiring artists throughout his life. His warmth and generosity were only matched by a love of learning, so he was himself in constant renewal and a fount of knowledge.

Max is fondly remembered by the many people who he supported, enriched and gave refuge to, and the resounding collective memory of him is full of generosity, laughter, art, music, poetry, food and wine. Not to mention rugby, which he had played in his youth, or a good cowboy film. Music was a passion and he played a range of instruments including banjo, fiddle and slide guitar in a number of local bands and tutored many beginners in how to play. Even beyond the world of art and culture, Max made friends in every walk of life and enjoyed people for who they were. He was never too pressed to make time for a chat and was beloved amongst other dog-walkers in Greenwich Park and local shops. His laughter and smile are etched into many people’s memory.

Although Max Middleton exhibited widely in the UK, Northern Europe and France, his artistic career was always rooted in southeast London where he lived. Locally based exhibitions included the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Thames-Side Studios Gallery, Second Floor Studios, including a beautiful tribute by the No Format Gallery at the Deptford Foundry, Greenwich Theatre and the Woodlands Art Gallery. He was an assiduous member of the Thames-Side Print Studios, never too busy to help others with technical tips, and regularly attended life-drawing sessions in Blackheath and the Lewisham Art House, as well as being a life-drawing tutor himself.

Max’s family ties with the area were also strong and he saw his mother, Peggy Middleton, become Mayor of Greenwich before being elected to the Greater London Council as well as the Inner London Education Authority. Until it was replaced by urban redevelopment, Peggy Middleton House was part of Greenwich Council and the local architecture. A portrait by Max of his mother hung in the entrance and is now housed in the UK’s public art collection at the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust.

Political engagement has always been important in the family, and Max had been a member of the Labour Party as well Momentum, an active trade union official, as well as designing posters for a variety of causes. He marched for four days from Aldermaston to London with his sister Hannah in the famous Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Alongside all this was an unwavering belief in sustaining the welfare state and he had witnessed over the years how cuts to the NHS were becoming more palpable. Max is survived by his partner, son and two grandchildren, daughter, sister and one of two brothers.

Don’t miss the exhibition this summer. A rare opportunity to see the artistic progression of a life’s work, how some things about style and subject have changed while others have remained central, and a few unfinished pieces that allow us to glimpse the working process. It will also be a way for those who wish to acquire a piece of his work as a means to keep his memory echoing.

Max Middleton the Artist: A Life Unbound by Paint
5th – 20th August 2023, open Thurs-Sun, 2-5pm
Thames-Side Studios Gallery
Harrington Way, Warspite Road
Royal Borough of Greenwich
London SE18 5NR