Harry Levinson
A Tribute
Harry Levinson, who died suddenly on January 28th, had been a member of our Association for many years and will be greatly missed. His knowledge, his enthusiasm, and his endless curiosity about the world around us was a continual source of stimulation, and his desire to expose, and if possible redress, injustice and corruption was an encouragement to us all.
Harry originally joined the management committee in 2006, when he started a Café Film Club, designed to run in conjunction with our evening events at the Gallery. The club was based at The Hub, which was then in Islington, and its Sunday evening showings were well attended. However, overheads became too high, and the club was soon merged with our existing schedule of Monday evening talks at Farringdon. As a result we have been able to incorporate many memorable and radical films into our programmes, on subjects ranging from the plight of the Roma to the ongoing plundering of Africa, and including work by directors such as Robert Beckford, Nick Francis and Jeni Morgan. Harry’s varied experience, and his many friends in the media world also put us in touch with numerous interesting and erudite speakers, and many of our talks owe their origin to his concerns and his contacts.
Harry’s interests were wide and diverse, and his talents extraordinarily eclectic. A true Renaissance man, the longer you knew him, the more remarkable you found him to be. He was a physicist and mathematician by training, and began his career teaching in Scotland, the US and London. His interest in science and in physics in particular, never waned, and his rationalist perspective brought much clarity to the issues he addressed, and lent a crisp no-nonsense flavour to his conversation. It also infused his subsequent work when he turned to film making, initially training with and working for the BBC. He taught film and television production and direction at various universities and art schools, finally becoming Senior Lecturer in charge of film and television at the Art School of the University of East London. More recently he started his own filmmaking studio, and taught digital film making from his base at Highgate Digital Arts. He also made films freelance, recently including one on the West Bank settlements, which reflected his abiding interest in the Palestine Israel conflict, and his work towards peace in the region.
Alongside his film making career, Harry also taught decorative art to a very high level, designing and making installations and furniture using techniques of faux finish and trompe d’oeil. He held a diploma in restoration at the London College of Furniture, and taught internationally in Washington DC and Toronto. Latterly, he ran training courses from his Hampstead studio, and his book The Pleasure of the Home: Paper and Paints was published in both the UK and the US.
Harry’s enormous energy, coupled with his interest in geo-political issues and his desire for peace, made him a tireless campaigner and activist in the cause of justice. It also made him a stimulating witty, pro-active friend, with a great flair for bringing people together and spurring them on to new endeavours. He brought all these qualities and talents to our Association and during the last year fought increasing weakness and ill health with great courage. He managed to come to all our events except the last one, which he was too ill to attend, and we will miss him sorely.
