London’s best kept secret:

The Courtauld Gallery

I first visited The Courtauld Gallery on a chilly Saturday morning in October searching for Cézanne. What I found was a sublime sanctuary.

A beautiful spiral staircase delivers you to a painterly heaven; pastel hued rooms quietly housing impressionist masterpieces. Unlike larger London galleries, there I felt no need to rush, so spent a long time contemplating the fate of the girl in The Bar at the Folies-Bergère by Edouard Manet. Her melancholy is so absorbing, and the more you analyse the painting the less sense it makes, an almost surrealist mystery.

 

Never before had I fully appreciated the true beauty of Two Dancers on a Stage by Degas. The composition is pure perfection; the delicate angle of the ballerina’s arms is mimicked by the lines on the stage and the position of the dancers upon it. The large area of empty stage is contrasted on a diagonal with the detailed dancers and blossoming scenery behind. The spotlight on the ballerina’s face is so realistic that for a second you could believe you were sitting in The Royal Opera House in Paris.

 

In the adjoining room I found the treasures I had been seeking: works by Cézanne. Unfortunately The Montagne Sainte-Victoire had gone on loan to Budapest, but Lac d’Annecy was still hanging there in all its splendour.  Reproductions never give justice to its vibrant blue tones. A precursor to cubism; its flattened perspective and emphasised lines are mesmerising. Cézanne was the master of the new still life, showing more than one angle of the objects at a time to give a truer reality. The Courtauld owns some of his best

 

The next level provided further impressionist wonders from the landscape genre, as well as an impressive display of 20^th Century art including works by the Fauves, The Bloomsbury Group and German Expressionists. My stand-out piece from this collection was Female Nude by Modigliani. The tilt of the woman’s head could be read as both shyness and provocation Its strength is in its simplicity; the restraint of colour and detail, save for the loose strand of hair that has fallen onto her chest, clinching a realism that gives the painting its warmth.

 

I was further indulged upon discovering a new display of recently acquired etchings by Lucien Freud. As an art student I borrowed a heavy hardback of these etchings from my local library and attempted to copy them in pencil, in the vague hope that some of Freud’s genius would rub off. I never made much of an artist but I adored those etchings. Freud has always been noted for his intense gaze when observing his subjects which in turn produced his detailed work. His etchings are a perfect example of this process, more so than his brush dabbed portraits in paint, as the intricate nature of etching commands attention to detail. Small scale and in monotone they present a delicate alternative to his large fleshy paintings.

 

The best galleries these days provide something in the way of refreshment, and the Courtauld does not disappoint. Its basement café offers majestic homemade cakes and mouth-watering seasonal lunches. Suffering from a sore throat, their fresh lemon and ginger ‘tea’ with honey was true salvation. I must confess that I sneakily devoured the whole dish of honey!

 

 

 

Shell House Gallery, 36 The Homend, Ledbury

Shell House Gallery in Ledbury is well worth a visit for all art lovers.  Three floors of fantastic contemporary art are contained inside this quirky Georgian house.

You enter through its distinctive shell-hood doorway and are invited to explore. On my visit, the first room contained the delicate watercolours of Christine Phillips. Her style was like nothing I’d ever come across before. Using line, colour and space she presents the English countryside as a patchwork of saturated hues. Christine’s time spent studying at the Bauhaus in the 1970s has clearly influenced her work, but my initial connection was to the linear designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. 

After climbing up the wonderfully creaky wooden staircase, also lined with prints and paintings, I was confronted by the awe-inspiring work of Dave Cormack. Mountain ranges jutted out of the wall at me, so abstract and yet so real. I was stunned. Cormack uses thick, impasto oil paint on large box canvases to create his magnificently textured landscapes. You really have to see them in the flesh to experience their high-impact atmospheric beauty. I highly recommend it.

Shell House Gallery is a commercial gallery; in addition to all the works in the main galleries they sell prints, cards, jewellery and ceramics. I was very impressed by the beautiful art books they stocked, for both children and adults (and adults with childlike curiosity like me!). They also provide picture framing and photo restoration services.

Whilst leafing through the collection of prints for sale I came across some very interesting pieces by Peter Horrocks. Using earth pigments rubbed across incised boards, Peter has developed a range of highly individual abstract landscapes. The rich, ochre pigment is sourced from the locations that inspire his work, including The Forest of Dean, Roussillion in France and Australia.  In utilising the natural rhythms and elements of the earth, Peter’s compositions really speak to the soul.

Shell House Gallery is building up a highly admirable reputation for exhibiting local artists. It continues in this trend for its next exhibition of works by David Prentice from 3 - 24 November. I will definitely be back for another visit!

Related Links:

http://www.shellhousegallery.co.uk

http://shellhousegallery.blogspot.co.uk/

http://davecormackartist.co.uk/

http://www.peterhorrocks.co.uk

 

Cornish Colony Collaborations: David Tovey on Dame Laura Knight

Colwall Village Hall - Saturday 13th October

Did you know that during World War One artists were not allowed to paint the horizon on the coast? When Dame Laura Knight visited St Ives in 1915 to paint, the local constable kept a close eye on the progress of her paintings to ensure that their location was kept secret! He also objected to her painting the children who were not wearing swimming trunks. In fact it is believed that ‘Boys Bathing’ was altered at a later date by a vigilante censor!

These are just some of the eye opening facts about the career of Dame Laura Knight that David Tovey revealed to the audience at his talk ‘Cornish Colony Collaborations’.  Part of the ‘Autumn In Malvern Festival’, this illustrated talk looked at paintings by Dame Laura Knight and her husband Harold that were created in St Ives and the surrounding area between 1915 and 1949, comparing them with their Cornish contemporaries.

Tovey began his presentation by describing Laura’s education. Whilst studying at Nottingham School of Art she visited an exhibition of the Newlyn School at Nottingham Castle. This exhibition of 1894 was described at the time as containing the most important works of the century. The Newlyn School’s style was inspired by the French revolutionary movement Impressionism.

Laura married Harold Knight in 1903 and after many holidays to Cornwall between 1904 and 1907, the Knights moved there. They befriended many acclaimed Cornish artists including: Dod Procter, Charles Simpson, Alfred Munnings, Harold and Gertrude Harvey, and Lamorna Birch.

All of the above artists painted outside (en plein air) just as the Impressionists had done. Tovey explained how different locations affected the subject matter of Cornish artists. The light is perfect in St Ives for painting marinescapes, however the south facing position of Newlyn meant that marinescapes would have to be painted towards the sun, therefore artists there tended to paint figures and landscapes.

It was refreshing to see Tovey give such importance to female artists, expressing their camaraderie and close friendships. Knight was made a Dame in 1929 for her services to art and in 1936 became the first woman to become a Royal Academician.

Tovey pointed out how unusual both Laura Knight and Dod Procter were as women painting female nudes, a subject matter attributed to male artists with connotations of voyeurism. Were they trying to be seen as equals to men with no subject matter barred to them? Were they trying to present the female nude in a more sensitive way? Or did they themselves harbour voyeuristic tendencies? We will probably never know.

In shedding light on a different aspect of Dame Laura Knight’s life, I believe the audience (many of them Friend’s of the Dame Laura Knight Society) were left with the realisation that “the more you find out the less you know”. I have definitely been inspired to find out more about this fascinating local artist.

This talk was presented in association with The Friends of Dame Laura Knight Society

Key Paintings (by Dame Laura Knight):

‘The boys’

‘Lamorna Birch and his Daughters’

‘Girls Bathing’

‘Lizzie at the Wash Basin’

Also:

‘Morning Light’ Robert Borlase Smart

‘Vera and Phyllis’ Charles Simpson

‘Gone To Cliff’ Alfred Munnings

Related Links:

http://www.damelauraknight.com/index.html

http://www.malvernfestival.co.uk/

 

 

Will Gompertz at Cheltenham Literature Festival 5th October 2012

‘150 Years of Modern Art’

“Cubism isn’t really about cubes” exclaims Will Gompertz from the stage at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. He reaches for a cardboard box he’s hidden behind the lectern which he then unfolds flat. “It’s about showing all the sides of an object at once.”

Gompertz has been described as “the best teacher you never had” by The Guardian and I’d have to agree. Along with the cardboard box trick, he brought his book alive by asking three members of the audience to act it out as he was reading. He read an account of the day that Duchamp acquired his infamous urinal.

Whilst laughing at his stumbling ‘actors’ on stage, I couldn’t help noticing how unpretentious and easy to understand Gompertz’ writing style was. After years of struggling through art history books with a well-thumbed dictionary at my side, I relish the prospect of reading a comprehensible account of modern art!

Gompertz expressed theories that I hadn’t previously considered; he suggested that Duchamp stole his idea for ‘ready-mades’ from Picasso, who had placed cheap materials from the hardware store into his collages, thus transforming cheap materials into high art.

He also described the difference between the philosophies of Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism. The former is based on the Freudian ideas of the individual subconscious, whereas the latter takes its inspiration from the Jungian theory of the group consciousness. In this way the Abstract Expressionists were aiming to reach out to their audience and let them feel pure emotion whilst looking at their paintings, instead of projecting strange worlds loaded with symbolic meaning to decode. Gompertz says that for him, that is what makes good art.

Carrying on from the philosophies behind Abstract Expressionism, Gompertz finished with a favourite quote from Rothko: “lonely people can look at my paintings and know that they’re not alone”.

In the question and answer session Gompertz was asked: “What is art and what is not?” To which he replied, “In simple terms art is anything that does not have a function, an iPhone is not a work of art, because it has a function.” He went on to explain that taste is a different matter.

A curator from Bristol Art Gallery asked: “What, in your opinion, is a dynamic modern art gallery?” Gompertz replied “Britain has many great modern art galleries, but I feel that they are missing a trick. The curators and dealers are so concerned with flattering artists, especially those that are still alive, to increase prices that we have lost true subjectivity. What I’d like to see is a brave curator go to the Tate Collection and pick out artworks that they dislike and put on an exhibition of ‘bad art’ to provoke honest discussion. Perhaps the reason why no one has done it is because the only person who has was Hitler!”

A suitably controversial note to end.

One Night Stand

MOVEMENT, Forgate Street Station, Worcester.
October 4th 2012

One Night Stand is a travelling exhibition of nine UK artists, on show for one night only.

The pieces explore all aspects of a one night stand. The emotions of guilt, fear, disappointment, rejection, attraction, danger, hope. The looks across the dance floor, the morning after, the awkward exit.

The paintings display confidence and shyness, ugliness and beauty, despondency and hope. They explore the human race’s innate need to be wanted and loved.

They are asking for your attention.

Curated by Gordon Dalton from Mermaid and Monster art agency.

Participating Artists:
Nina Coulson
Yelena Popova
Gordon Dalton
Merlin James
Neil McNally
Tom Goddard
Neal Jones
Lloyd Durling

The exhibition has also been shown at Tradfe Gallery, Nottingham and Goat Major Projects, Cardiff.

Related Links:

http://www.mermaidandmonster.com/

http://www.movementtimetable.com/

 

 

Everything Old was Once New

Contemporary art at the Greyfriars: 12 June – 15 December 2012

 

‘TRACEY EMIN HERE TO STAY’ is not what you would expect to see appliqued onto a quilt adorning the bed of a 15^th century National Trust property, but that’s what you will find at Greyfriars in Worcester this year.

 

Emin’s quilt is one of 13 works by contemporary artists that form the exhibition ‘Everything Old was Once New’. It is part of the National Trust’s nationwide project in collaboration with Arts Council England Trust New Art, which aims to “place new art in historical settings, to keep them inspiring and alive”.

Siblings Matley and Elsie Moore rescued Greyfriars from demolition in the mid-20th century and restored and furnished the home by recycling materials and objects found elsewhere.

 

The pieces from the Arts Council Collection cleverly highlight the house’s existing objects by exploring the themes of reuse and repair. These are particularly prevalent in the work of Alek O. and Christine Borland. The former has created an embroidered panel from discarded gloves entitled ‘Edward Higgins White III’ the name of the first man to ‘walk’ in space who lost one of his gloves whilst doing so. Borland has repaired a ‘Blanket Used on Police Firing Range, Berlin’ by darning its bullet holes, reminiscent of a mother healing wounds, and living with scars. Both pieces also allude to Worcester’s past – its renowned glove making trade and the battle scars left by the Civil War.

 

The fight against deterioration and destruction is unremitting for conservation teams in National Trust properties. Works by Mark Wallinger and Kathy Prendergast focus on destructive pests. Wallinger’s ‘King Edward and The Colorado Beetle’ is particularly clever in using a potato print technique to represent the insect that attacks the potato.

 

‘Can love remember the question and the answer’ is Anya Gallaccio’s melancholy valentine to decay. Re-made at every exhibition, Gallaccio seals sixty red gerbera flowers between glass panels in a wooden door, and then leaves them to deteriorate. The decomposition of the flowers serves as a reminder that decay is a natural process.

The act of preservation is explored by Richard Woods in ‘Renovated Carpet No.1’: a carpet that has been painted over in the same pattern then varnished to create a solid, shiny surface. The object is simultaneously protected and stripped of its essence. 

But perhaps Tracey Emin’s quilt presents the most controversial issue for the National Trust; ‘The Simple Truth’ was never intended for display, it was created by Emin for her own use. Much like other properties owned by the National Trust that are on display for the public, but no longer homes for the people who made them

The exhibition not only allows the public to view the original artefacts of the property in a new light, but also reasserts that skill and craftsmanship still goes into the works of artists today. The very title ‘Everything Old was Once New’ argues the point that many now revered artworks were once new and seen as shocking in the same way that contemporary art is often viewed.

One of the aims of Trust New Art described by Ann Jones, Curator at the Arts Council Collection was to “stimulate debate about the role of contemporary art within an historic context”. Judging by the heated debate on the comments board at Greyfriars, I think they have achieved that.

List of Works:

Anya Gallaccio, ‘Can love remember the question and the answer’ (2003)

Simon Periton, ‘SP’ (1995)

Louise Hopkins, ‘Aurora 13’ (1995-96)

Richard Woods, ‘Renovated Carpet No. (Burgundy)’ (1997)

Claire Barclay, ‘Untitled (turned pole)’ 1996 and ‘Untitled (pole with shaved off bristles)’ (1996)

Alek O. ‘Edward Higgins White III’ (2011)

Christine Borland, ‘Blanket Used on Police Firing Range, Berlin: Repaired’ (1993)

Tracey Emin, ‘The Simple Truth’ (1995)

Mark Wallinger, ‘King Edward and The Colorado Beetle’ (2000)

Kathy Prendergast, ‘Mittens and Moth Eggs’ (2000) and ‘Hair Bonnet’ (1997)

Peter Peri, ‘Projection 1’ (2003)

 

Related Links:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/what-we-do/big-issues/art-and-heritage/view-page/item773099/

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/arts-council-initiatives/trust-new-art/

http://trustnewart.wordpress.com/

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/greyfriars/

 

 

 

 

Curious Visitors

The Arts Council Collection at Aston Hall: 30 June – 9 September

 

The exhibition ‘Curious Visitors’ at Aston Hall in Birmingham presents an alternative version of the present, one more true to the actions of its previous owner James Watt in the 19^th Century, by displaying modern works of art alongside its historic heirlooms. But did Aston Hall’s heritage-hunting punters leave with their curiosity satisfied, or just feeling bewildered?

The works of art have been carefully selected from the Arts Council Collection and strategically placed around the Jacobean house to both blend in and surprise us.

The curation works on two levels, firstly in the literal sense: the placing of the pieces and their subject matter. Secondly, they can be considered in the conceptual sense: posing questions and challenging conceptions.

The ‘Zabat’ series of portraits by Maud Sulter are a perfect example of this duality. ‘Terpsichore’ and ‘Calliope’ disguise themselves in the Long Gallery beside Jacobian portraits. Adorned in classical dress two black women pose for these large photographs, raising issues surrounding the treatment of black people in art and literature throughout the ages.

Peter Doig’s oil painting ‘Red Deer’ hangs comfortably in the Withdrawing Room reminding us of the deer park that surrounded the Hall. Painted with the aid of a postcard depicting stuffed deer, ‘Red Deer’ asks us to consider nature versus artificiality. The painting projects this idea onto the creation of a deer park at Aston Hall through the taming of the wild, as well as the reconstruction of its historic interiors.

However, these easy pieces do not prepare us for what is to follow: a gigantic black plywood pineapple as a portrait, an upside down video installation of the British Consul to China, a radio play of talking nocturnal flowers, another video installation of a man dressing and undressing in super slow motion.

The contextual links became increasingly threadbare and only comprehendible with the aid of the exhibition guide which few of my fellow visitors possessed. With no seats provided for viewing the videos, and the noise of footsteps on the stairs overwhelming the radio play, few people committed to giving the pieces the time they needed.

The infamous Arte Povera object (a wine bottle) entitled ‘Le vin du musée’ by Jannis Kounellis was perfectly camouflaged in the Small Dining Room. A witty poke at the conventions of art and museums, it works well in this location; challenging ideas of heritage - but only for those in the know.

The exhibition guide states that “Aston Hall was one of the country’s first examples of heritage merchandising”, along with its tea room and souvenir shop it created a blueprint for open heritage properties all over Britain which has been followed for over a century. In the 1990s organisations like the National Trust were accused of encouraging a fictional retreat into nostalgia. Aston Hall was shut as visitor numbers dwindled due to its alienation from its local people. However both the NT and Aston reinvigorated themselves with education and inclusivity at their hearts, and it worked. They now feel confident to go against the status quo and expose their visitors to contemporary art. Is it because the public is bored of historical houses? Or is it a ruse to introduce the heritage hunters and contemporary art connoisseurs to an alternative view? In theory this collaborative project could benefit both institutions, but at the risk of alienating their usual customer bases. Was it a risk worth taking?

Lovers of the complex conceptual nature of contemporary art will enjoy the anachronism of television screens in Jacobean surroundings and the surrealism of a gigantic fabric giraffe trapped in a library. But for many the pieces represented the ‘elephant in the room’.

 

List of Works:

Peter Doig, ‘Red Deer’ (1990)

Maud Sulter, ‘Terpsichore’ and ‘Calliope’ from the ‘Zabat’ series, (1989-90)

Bettina Von Zwehl, ‘No. 3’ and ‘No. 6’ from ‘Profiles III’, (2005-06)

Toby Ziegler ‘Portrait of C.L. (third version’), (2006) and ‘Je t’adore, baby’, (2003-04) and ‘Comfort or Death’, (2003-04)

Rosalind Nashashibi & Lucy Skaer, ‘Ambassador’, (2005)

Hilary Lloyd, ‘Colin #2’, (1999)

Janice Kerbel, ‘Nick Silver Can’t Sleep’, (2006)

Jannis Kounellis, ‘‘Le vin du musée’, (1986)

Laura Ford, ‘Giraffe’, (1998)

Michael Landy, ‘Cor! What a Bargain!’ (from London Portfolio), (1992)

Emma Rushton, ‘Raphe’ and ‘Chris’ (Businessmen), (1992)

 

Related Links:

http://www.bmag.org.uk/aston-hall

http://www.bmag.org.uk/news?id=242