Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Charlie Ratcliffe’s gouache revisits a 1974 bout between Les Kellett and Johnny South. Kellett was one of British wrestling’s hardest characters, in and out of the ring. He kept a small farm on the moors of Brontë country with no electricity, water drawn from a well and, by one account, ducks in the house.
The work draws on the recollection of someone who knew him: if there was an easy way and a hard way, Les would always take the hard way. A great character, they remembered, but hard work.
Part of the Wrestle Room exhibition at Atom Gallery, 10 October – 31 October 2026.
Artist: Charlie Ratcliffe
Medium: Gouache on cardboard
Dimensions: 30 x 20 cm
Edition: Unique (1 of 1)
Charlie Ratcliffe’s gouache revisits a 1974 bout between Les Kellett and Johnny South. Kellett was one of British wrestling’s hardest characters, in and out of the ring. He kept a small farm on the moors of Brontë country with no electricity, water drawn from a well and, by one account, ducks in the house.
The work draws on the recollection of someone who knew him: if there was an easy way and a hard way, Les would always take the hard way. A great character, they remembered, but hard work.
Part of the Wrestle Room exhibition at Atom Gallery, 10 October – 31 October 2026.
Artist: Charlie Ratcliffe
Medium: Gouache on cardboard
Dimensions: 30 x 20 cm
Edition: Unique (1 of 1)
