About This Website

This site is a work in progress and will be updated periodically. However, I wanted others to be able to share in the process, so I’ve chosen to keep it viewable during the construction phase.

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Organization

My great-grandfather’s works are stored in different books, with each page placed in protective plastic sleeves.

For organizational purposes, I’ve assigned each book an arbitrary number (1–8). These numbers have no chronological or artistic significance—they are simply used to identify which book a particular work can be found in.

Example:
Book: 1

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Sketch Books

While reviewing the artwork, I noticed that some pieces were once part of the same original sketchbook. When this was evident, I grouped them together and assigned an arbitrary sketchbook number, which appears alongside the book number as follows:

Example:
Book: 1 (SB#1)

Again, the sketchbook numbers do not reflect any chronological order and are meant solely to show which works likely originated from the same sketchbook.

Note: See below for specific notes on individual sketchbooks.

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Order of Presentation

I chose to organize the work by subject matter, so the display is not chronological.

Within each subject category, I preserved the order of the pieces as they appear in the books. It’s unclear whether John Larke himself arranged them this way, but I have chosen to respect that order—aside from the subject-based grouping for clarity on the website.

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Media Indicators

PC (Photocopy)

Some pieces are photocopies of original works, indicated with "PC" in the media description. I am still in the process of locating some of the original versions.

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Overlay

In many cases, Larke drew over photocopies using pen or pencil, turning them into unique works in their own right. This is noted in the media description.

Examples:

• Pen and pencil on paper PC (original photocopy)

• Pen and pencil on paper PC with pencil (photocopy overlaid with pencil work)

Duplications

Some works fit into more than one subject matter category. In these cases, you may find the same piece duplicated in multiple sections of the website. I’ve tried to keep this to a minimum, but some overlap was unavoidable.

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Sketchbook Specifics

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Sketchbook 1 (SB#1)

• Time period: [To be added]

• Size: [To be added]

• Paper: [To be added]

Sketchbook 2 (SB#2)

• Time period: 1974–

• Size: [To be added]

• Paper: [To be added]

Sketchbook 3 (SB#3)

• Time period: 1984–

• Size: [To be added]

• Paper: [To be added]

 

Artistic Periods

Larke's “Brown Period” (1981–1984)

During this period, Larke frequently used brown pen, often shading over it with pencil to add depth. The reasoning behind this artistic direction remains unknown.

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Darker Brown Pen (1985)

From 1985 onward, many works feature a darker brown—almost purple—pen.

Nature & Landscapes

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In Larke’s nature- and landscape-themed works, he appeared to experiment the most—with techniques, materials, color palettes, and substrates. These pieces show a high degree of variation and exploration.

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Information on the back:

I had added images below each piece of any information written on the back of the art works. But sadly due to data constraints and the high cost to upgrade to get more storage space.

 

I have sadly decided to remove the images of what's on the back. I chose to do this instead to make more room for the art works.

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You can still read the the details as I have typed out anything that was on the back below each work of art.

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Note: Upon special request I can send images if and when someone is interested in seeing images

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