In 1940, Denton moved away from the depressing, functional flat in Tonbridge to a modern concrete box a few miles away in St Mary’s Platt. The war was well underway by now, and Denton was less accessible to many of his friends so his social life shrank. He became quite depressed, and his relationship with Evie came under strain; according to Gerald Mackenzie it was volatile, sometimes even violent, with household items being hurled about.
In September of 1940, inspired by J. R. Ackerley’s Hindoo Holiday and possibly galvanised into action by a bomb exploding yards from his house, Denton made a start on Maiden Voyage. The routine of writing steadily every morning calmed Denton. It gave him a sense of serenity and focus. At the same time, he began his largest art work, ‘Harvest’, which now hangs in the Tate.
I know nothing about art, and I’m a little worried that I won’t do justice to Denton’s once my exploration reaches that element of his legacy. Is ‘Harvest’ any good? I’ve no idea. I have no idea about the artistic merit of any of Denton’s daubs, but he seemed to sell quite a lot of it during his lifetime, albeit for modest sums. The few pieces that I’ve seen online appeal to me greatly – vivid colour, the ordinary made fantastic, nightmarish in an Alice-in-Wonderland-y way. It seems odd that someone who didn’t care for written abstract seemed quite at home with it as an artist.
It’s a great personal sorrow that so much of Denton’s art work is hidden away in private collections and archives. From what I’ve read, though, Denton does seem to have painted with commercial intention rather than to express himself. His paintings don’t seem to have been created with the hope that someone will adore it or cherish it – just buy it. Self expression seems to have been achieved primarily through his writing. I may change my mind about this impression the more I discover of Denton, but his painting and writing are showing up as two very different animals to me.
Starting Maiden Voyage seems to have marked the beginning of a much happier, more settled period for Denton. Despite domestic upheaval at the end of 1941 when the Hop Garden burned down, 1942 was one of the most satisfying years of Denton’s life. He had secured patronage for Maiden Voyage, come to the attention of influential People Who Matter, had some poetry published, and his paintings were starting to attract attention. He reflected on the year in his journal.
“This may all be only a beginning, but it means something, and I must go on and on and on.”