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Apart from ‘nearly becoming an All Black,’ one of the most famous things New Zealand artist Ted Bullmore did was to have his work purchased by film maker Stanley Kubrick in the late 1960s. The work was a painted construction from his Astroform series, which was to evolve into his highly sexualised Icon series. It was no doubt this sexual reference that encouraged Kubrick to include the Bullmore in the set for Mr Alexander’s (Patrick Magee) home in his film A Clockwork Orange. The heart-shaped Bullmore can be seen in the colour image on the back right wall with the Lodger (Clive Francis) in the foreground. In the black and white images the Bullmore work is slightly obscured above the central figure’s head. Kubrick is seated in the foreground. Ted Bullmore spent ten years as an artist and part-time teacher in London before returning to New Zealand in 1969. He then taught at Rotorua Boys High School until his death in 1978.
Images: Left, still from A Clockwork Orange directed by Stanley Kubrick and released in 1971. Right, photos taken during the filming of A Clockwork Orange. Click on image to enlarge.