Biography

1932 - 1959

 

1932

Born in Birkenhead.

1938

Family moves to Rhyl, North Wales (A.H.’s father employed as entertainments organiser at Sunnyvale holliday camp)

Vale Road County Primary School

1943

Emmanuel Secondary Modern School, Rhyl

1945-51

St. Asaph Grammar School. Fellow pupil Philip Jones Griffiths (Magnum photographer best known for his Vietnam pictures) becomes a long-life friend

Member of Rhyl Children’s Theatre

1951-55

King’s College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, University of Durham Department of Fine Art. Lecturers include: Lawrence Gowing, Roger de Grey, Victor Pasmore, Richard Hamilton.

1956

Teacher, Catholic College for Boys, Preston

Meets Joyce Wilson

Returns to Liverpool

Goes to Rhyl each summer to work in the fairground

1957

Scenic artist, Liverpool Playhouse

Marries Joyce Wilson (divorced 1974)

1957-58

Teacher, Chorlton Grammar School and Cheadle Hulme School, Manchester

1958-60

Teacher, Warwick Bolam County Secondary School, Netherton, Liverpool

1958

First exhibition: Liverpool Academy Open, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

In Rhyl, meets Mike Evans (later member of The Clayton Squares and The Liverpool Scene)

1959

Exhibitions:

Five Painters (Adrian Henri, Henry Graham, Alan Wood, Don McKinlay, Anthony Collinge), Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool

Spring Exhibition, Cartwright Hall, Bradford

 
  • 1932

    Born in Birkenhead.

  • 1938

    Family moves to Rhyl, North Wales (A.H.’s father employed as entertainments organiser at Sunnyvale holiday camp)

    Vale Road County Primary School

  • 1943

    Emmanuel Secondary Modern School, Rhyl

  • 1945-5

    St. Asaph Grammar School. Fellow pupil Philip Jones Griffiths (Magnum photographer best known for his Vietnam pictures) becomes a long-life friend

    Member of Rhyl Children’s Theatre

  • 1951-55

    King’s College, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, University of Durham Department of Fine Art. Lecturers include: Lawrence Gowing, Roger de Grey, Victor Pasmore, Richard Hamilton.

  • 1956

    Teacher, Catholic College for Boys, Preston

    Meets Joyce Wilson

    Returns to Liverpool

    Goes to Rhyl each summer to work in the fairground

  • 1957

    Scenic artist, Liverpool Playhouse

    Marries Joyce Wilson (divorced 1974)

  • 1957-58

    Teacher, Chorlton Grammar School and Cheadle Hulme School, Manchester

  • 1958-60

    Teacher, Warwick Bolam County Secondary School, Netherton, Liverpool

  • 1958

    First exhibition: Liverpool Academy Open, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

    In Rhyl, meets Mike Evans (later member of The Clayton Squares and The Liverpool Scene)

  • 1959

    Exhibitions:

    Five Painters (Adrian Henri, Henry Graham, Alan Wood, Don McKinlay, Anthony Collinge), Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool

    Spring Exhibition, Cartwright Hall, Bradford

1960 - 1969

 
  • 1961

    Meets Roger McGough, Brian Patten, Spike Hawkins and Pete Brown

    Poetry Readings, Liverpool

    Part-time Lecturer, Manchester College of Art (Foundation Course)

    Exhibition:

    John Moores Liverpool Exhibition 3, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

  • 1962

    Reads magazine article by Alan Kaprow on Happenings

    Begins painting The Entry of Christ into Liverpool City, event, with McGough and John Gorman for the Merseyside Arts Festival, Hope Hall, Liverpool

    Death of a Bird in the City, event, with McGough and Gorman for the Merseyside Arts Festival, Hope Hall, Liverpool

    Exhibition:

    Adrian Henri and Sam Walsh, Portal Gallery, London and Hope Hall, Liverpool

  • 1963

    The Machine, event with McGough and Gorman for the Merseyside Arts Festival, Hope Hall, Liverpool

    Paintings, Daffodils, Milkbottles, Hats, event with McGough and Gorman for the Merseyside Arts Festival, Hope Hall, Liverpool

    Man, event with McGough and Gorman for the Merseyside Arts Festival, Hope Hall, Liverpool

    Nightblues, event with Brian Patten and The Roadrunners, Hope Hall, Liverpool

    Exhibition:

    Pop Art, Midland Group, Nottingham New Images from the North, Hope Hall, Liverpool (organised by Adrian Henri for the Merseyside Arts Festival)

  • 1964-67

    Lecturer Liverpool College of Art (Foundation Course)

    Bomb, event, with The Clayton Squares, The Cavern, Liverpool Night: a poem with and without words, event, with Brian Patten, Hope Hall, Liverpool

    Exhibitions:

    Open Exhibition, The Ulster Museum, Belfast

    Arts Council of Northern Ireland £200 prize winner

  • 1965

    Spring, event with the Clayton Squares, Bluecoat Chambers, Liverpool

    Black and White Show, event, with The Clayton Squares, The Excelles, Billy Butler and Bob Wooler, The Cavern, Liverpool

    Exhibitions:

    Industry and the Artist, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

    John Moores Liverpool Exhibition 5, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (Clement Greenberg was one of the Jury that year)

  • 1966

    Meets Edward Lucie-Smith researching The Liverpool Scene

    Film for ‘New Release’ BBC Television by Liz Kustow

  • 1967

    The Mersey Sound, collection of poems with Roger McGough and Brian Patten, published by Penguin (Penguin Modern Poets N°10)

    The Liverpool Scene, edited by Edward Lucie-Smith published by Rapp & Carroll Love Night, event, The Everyman Theatre, Liverpool

    Poetry/Rock Group The Liverpool Scene formed with Andy Roberts, Mike Evans, Percy Jones, Brian Dobson and Mike Hart.

    LP The Incredible New Liverpool Scene, with Brian Dodson, Roger McGough and Andy Roberts.

    Exhibitions:

    John Moores Liverpool Exhibition 6, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

    Art in a City, I.C.A., London

  • 1968

    Resigned from Liverpool College of Art

    Meets Susan Sterne

    First Visit to Le Thil, Normandy, to stay with John and Ann Willett. Returned there most summers thereafter until 1998.

    Tonight at Noon, published by Rapp & Whiting

    I Wonder, Guillaume Apollinaire play written with Mike Kustow, performed at the ICA, London

    Revolution, Revolution, Revolution, performance by The Liverpool Scene, with Adrian Mitchell and Christopher Logue, The Everyman Theatre, Liverpool

    LP Amazing Adventures of… The Liverpool Scene

    Exhibitions:

    ICA Gallery, London (solo show).

    New Institute Gallery, Birmingham (solo show)

    Midland Group, Nottingham (solo show)

    Poetry Posters, Brighton Festival and Fulham Gallery, London

    Biennale della Giovane Pittura, Milan

  • 1969

    Meets Nell Dunn and begins writing I want

    North West Arts Association Writers on Tour

    City published by Rapp & Whiting

    The Liverpool Scene, performances at the Bath Festival and the Isle of Wight Festival and subsequent tour to America

    The Liverpool Scene, UK tour with Led Zeppelin

    LP Bread on the Night, The Liverpool Scene, released by RCA

    Adrian Henri’s Talking after Christmas Blues, with music by Wallace Southam, published by Turret Books

    The Liverpool Scene, series for Granada Television

    Exhibition:

    Leeds Art Centre (solo show)

1970 - 1979

 
  • 1970

    Death of parents and grandparents. Ordered to rest for six months due to ill-health

    Break up of The Liverpool Scene

    Poems for Wales and Six Landscapes for Susan, Arc Press

    Autobiography, Poems N°s 1-15 commissioned for the City of London Festival Poetry International Festival, Rotterdam (Henri returns regularly to give poetry readings until 1996)

    Cultural Bingo, Performance/event/environment, Great Georges Project, Great George Street, Liverpool. Game devised by Bill Harpe

    St Adrian Co., Broadway and 3rd The Liverpool Scene, released on the RCA record label.

    Cover design by Adrian Henri

    Heirloon, The Liverpool Scene, released on the RCA record label.

    Henri and Friends, tour of Norway

    Exhibitions:

    Aargh! The Spirit of the Comics, RCA Gallery, London

    Grub, children’s workshop with Susan Sterne, ICA Gallery, London

  • 1971

    Visiting Lecturer, Bradford and Wolverhampton Polytechnics.

    Meets Frances Hambidge

    Autobiography, published by Jonathan Cape

    Writers on Tour, North West Arts Association

    Grimms, roadshow formed with McGough, Gorman, Mike McGear, Neil Innes, Vivien Stanshall, Zoot Money, Mike Giles and others (Keith Moon one night!).

    Tour to Ireland, Scotland, Norway and South West England

    Exhibition:

    Peterloo Gallery, Manchester (solo show)

  • 1972

    President of The Liverpool Academy of Arts Summer in Much Wenlock

    I Want, written with Nell Dunn, published by Jonathan Cape America, published by Turret Books

    I Want, writers tour with Nell Dunn

    Poetry International, Rotterdam (reading)

    Henri and Friends in Concert, a tour with Alan Peters, Phil Harrison, Stuart Gordon, Mike Giles, Vivien Stanshall, John Porter and Valerie Movie

    Recollections, Liverpool Scene LP released by Charisma

    UK tour with Grimms

    Autobiography Part I, BBC Television

    Exhibitions:

    John Moores Liverpool Exhibition 8, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, 2nd Prize winner Christmas Cakes, with Susan Sterne, a project for children at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

  • 1973

    Visiting Lecturer, Bradford Polytechnic

    Meets Carol Ann Duffy

    Writing courses at the Arvon Foundation at Totleigh Barton (held Regularly thereafter)

    Poet-in-Residence, Lanchester Festival, Coventry

    Reading tour of South West England, West Midlands, the USA and Canada Autobiography, recorded (unissued) with music by Alan Peters, Phil Harrison and Stuart Gordon

    Henri and Friends in Concert, BBC Radio Merseyside

    Yesterday’s Girl, play for Granada Television

    Exhibition:

    Pen as Pencil, Brussels Communication, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

  • 1974

    Visiting Lecturer, Bradford Polytechnic

    Poet-in-Residence, Lanchester Festival, Coventry

    Environments and Happenings, published by Thames and Hudson

    The Mersey Sound, revised edition published by Penguin

    Reading tours of Scotland, Lincolnshire, Germany and Holland.

    The Liverpool Scene, revival tour with Andy Roberts, Mike Hart, Dave Richards and Mike Kellie

    Window Event, Claud Gill Books, Oxford Street, London, to publicise Environments and Happenings

    November Dreams with friends from Bradford Polytechnic Community Arts Department, event for ‘Building Sights’ series, Great Georges Project, The Blackie, Liverpool

    Exhibitions:

    Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh (with Susan Sterne)

    Five Realist Painters, Sunderland Arts Centre

    Birthday Gardens, Academy Gallery, Liverpool (solo show)

    John Moores Liverpool Exhibition 9, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

  • 1975

    Visiting Lecturer in Film and Publications, Bradford Polytechnic (Department of Community Arts)

    CNAA Assessor, Wolverhampton and Leeds Polytechnics

    Writing courses for the Arvon Foundation, Lumb Bank (held regularly thereafter) The Best of Henri, published by Jonathan Cape

    Arts Council of Great Britain Writer’s Tour of Humberside and North West England Haiku, printed by the Anvil Press, Liverpool

    Birmingham Festival of Performance Art, with Rob Con, Ian Hinchcliffe and Marty St James

    Exhibitions:

    Williamson Art Gallery, Birkenhead (solo show)

    The Face of Merseyside, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

  • 1976

    Visiting Lecturer, Bradford Polytechnic CNAA Assessor, Wolverhampton and Leeds Polytechnics

    Readings at the Edinburgh Festival with Roger McGough and Brian Patten Bicentennial Poetry Tour of the USA

    One Year, Arc Publications

    Liverpool Realist Painters presented by Adrian Henri for Arena BBC2

    Exhibitions:

    Paintings and Drawings, 1960-1976, Wolverhampton Art Gallery (solo show) Hedges, Gardens and Other Places, Art Net, London (solo show)

  • 1977

    CNAA Assessor, Wolverhampton and Leeds Polytechnics

    In Rome for Liverpool FC’s European Cup Final victory.

    City Hedges: Poems 1970-76 published by Jonathan Cape. Cover photographs by Susan Sterne

    Beauty & the Beast, with Carol Ann Duffy, published by The Glasshouse Press, Liverpool.

    Readings in Holland and at the Edinburgh Festival with Roger McGough and Brian Patten Performance Art, a programme for BBC Television’s Schools Service

    Exhibitions:

    Ibis Gallery, Leamington Spa

    Peter Moores, Real Life, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

    100, A centenary exhibition for the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

    Artists of the Wirral, Williamson Art Gallery, Birkenhead

    Birkenhead Arts Association Purchase Prize

  • 1978

    Visiting Lecturer in Film and Art History, Liverpool Polytechnic

    CNAA Assessor, Leeds Polytechnic

    Words Without a Story, with woodcuts by Franz Masereel published by Glasshouse Press

    Readings in Holland and at the Anglo-French Festival of Spoken Poetry, Paris Henri’s Hope Street Poets, a monthly series of readings, The Everyman Theatre, Liverpool

    Beauty & the Beast, performance with Carol Ann Duffy, Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh

    Watchwords, BBC 1 North West with Roger McGough, Andy Roberts, Julie Walters, Tony Haygarth and Andrew Schofield

    Exhibitions:

    Hedges, Debris & Other Places, Bootle Art Gallery (solo show)

    Debris, Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh (solo show)

    Liverpool Nude, Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool

    John Moores Liverpool Exhibition 11, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool

  • 1979

    Arts Council of Great Britain Writer’s Tour of Lincolnshire and Humberside

    Un Certain Art Anglais, Paris (readings)

    The Big Feller, musical based on Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi (unperformed)

    The Funeral of Adrian Henri, performance with Rob Con and Lol Coxhill, Liverpool Pier Head and the Academy Gallery, Liverpool

    Exhibitions:

    Milton Keynes Festival (commission for a painting and poem)

    Bolton Festival (solo show)

    Poste Restante, Liverpool Academy Gallery (Mail Art)