'Portrait, John Moores'

Terence Parkes (1927 - 2003), better known as 'Larry', was one of the most prolific and popular of British cartoonists. His pseudonym was taken from one of his idols, the actor Larry Parks, who was the star of the film 'The Al Jolson Story' (1946). Larry was known for his minimalist approach to his subject matter. He worked mostly in pen and ink, usually producing simple line drawings without captions. His drawings captured the basic absurdity of many human activities. Larry was steeped in the history of cartoons and the history of art, which often informed the content of his works. John Moores (1896 - 1993) was a Liverpool businessman and philanthropist, founder of the Littlewoods retail company. He funded the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition, first held in 1957, and now known as the John Moores Painting Prize, held every two years at the Walker Art Gallery.