“I only review major exhibitions, so the people who really suffer are not the working artists, they’re the curators,” he said. He defended himself from accusations that his writing was cruel and did nothing to help Britain’s contemporary art scene.
Two years ago, and suffering with severe back pain, he told the Guardian: “ I am still here, but find life more of a trial than I used to.” The first volume of his memoirs, Outsider, recounted that he had slept with 1,000 men and the book became a surprise critical success. Sewell preferred the term “queer” to gay, although he claimed he had never formally “come out” about his sexuality.
Sad to hear about the death of the brilliant, unique and often mischievous Brian Sewell.