The best art exhibitions in Bristol and the Westcountry this month – selected by the Friends of the RWA…
Here’s our pick of the best art exhibitions and events happening in and around Bristol and the south west in October and November – including ‘Last chance to see’ shows and a look ahead to upcoming features….
AT THE RWA
Furious, Wild and Young: The Death of Chatterton – 7-18 October
A free viewing of Henry Wallis’ notorious Chatterton painting (above) that created a sensation when it was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1856, and was described by leading Victorian art critic John Ruskin as ‘faultless and wonderful’.
There are also special preview viewings for Friends, Patrons and Volunteers on 6 and 13 October – see details here.
168 Annual Open Exhibition – 21 November 20 to 7 March 21
The Open returns! A little delayed due to Covid, but all the more welcome for that. The Friends will once again be sponsoring The Floating Circle Prize for best work by a student. Details here.
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Compiled by Sue Quirk and Laurel Smart
1) CENTRESPACE BRISTOL: 2 EXHIBITIONS
KELVIN JENKINS – LAZY EYE: 2 – 7 OCTOBER
HYBRID 2020 – MIGRATION: 9 – 14 OCTOBER
KELVIN JENKINS work consists of three loosely ‘invented’ themes:
Quotes: Recent pictures take extracts from favourite novels or song lyrics as their starting points.
Triangles: A second group of pictures restricts itself to the use of triangles, working to a tight brief.
Twins: Another theme uses a black base applied with coloured paper in a mosaic-like fashion, constantly making small, improvised creative decisions to build the image which often creates ‘twin’ pictures, using the positive and negative shapes from the cut-outs.
HYBRID is Deborah Weymont, Liz Lumley-Smith, Caroline Case, Judith Ducker, Fiona Williams, Sarah Parkinson. An exhibition which has been curated over a one year period through a group process of art-making, research and discussion. It will include work in paint, print, pen and ink, mixed media and ceramics on the theme of migration.
2) ANDREW HARDWICK – GROUND
2- 25 OCTOBER: HOURS BRISTOL
A series of paintings, especially for HOURS. The painter uses unconventional materials, as well as paint to suggest the rawness of the landscape. Clouds, rain and sun race across deeply textured and broken landscapes. There is a related poetry workshop with Dawn Gorman.
3) ST IVES MODERNISTS
8 – 31 OCTOBER: DAVID SIMON CONTEMPORARY CASTLE CARY
Featuring some of the most iconic names associated with the St Ives Movement, this exhibition showcases vibrant, original screenprints by Patrick Heron; rare works in glass and ceramics by Terry Frost; characteristic abstracted still life paintings by William Scott, works on paper by George Dannatt, Robert Adams and Tony O’Malley, sculpture by Denis Mitchell and Tommy Rowe and drawings by Christopher Wood.
4) THE ARBOREALISTS
UNTIL 10 OCTOBER: MUSEUM OF SOMERSET, TAUNTON
The Arborealists are a group of professional artists, from across southern England, who share the rich and versatile subject of the tree. Over the past two years they have been visiting ancient woodland sites on Exmoor and Dartmoor to produce works in response to the landscape. More than 50 artworks will be on display.
5) SHAFTESBURY ARTS CENTRE: 2 EXHIBITIONS
ELIZABETH HAND ‘TRACES’ 14 – 20 OCTOBER
KIM PRAGNELL & HILARY BALL ‘SEAS AND DOCKS’ 21– 27 OCTOBER
ELIZABETH HAND: Elizabeth Hand is a painter of distant places. Large abstract paintings are developed from richly illustrated travel diaries produced whilst travelling far from home. This exhibition brings together paintings and drawings inspired by the shrines and temples of Myanmar.
KIM PRAGNELL & HILARY BALL: An exhibition of Kim Pragnell’s paintings based on the sea, demanding as it does, an understanding of an element and a respect for those seascape artists who have painted before. Hilary Ball, who exhibited with Kim previously, will have some of her beautiful work alongside, focusing on working boats and docks.
6) RICHARD AARON WARD ‘OIL AND WATER’
UNTIL 17 OCTOBER: THAT ART GALLERY, BRISTOL
The show contains paintings and mixed-media drawings mostly made over the last 6 months, the title “Oil and Water” is the name of one of the drawings and refers to changes in work practice, moving away from solvents in paint to water mixable oil paints and also a preoccupation with the workings of engineering, science, tech etc contrasted with the great big mess (mostly) men are making as a result. The paintings seem to be about forces, movement, mass, tension, busyness or space and have some associations to the outer world (sky, water, fire, structures, bodies).
7) ARNOLFINI BRISTOL: 2 EXHIBITIONS
HASSAN HAJJAJ: THE PATH UNTIL 1 NOVEMBER
CHANTAL JOFFE: FOR ESME – WITH LOVE AND SQUALOR UNTIL 22 NOVEMBER
HASSAN HAJJAJ: With an exuberant melee of colours, patterns, appropriated brand logos and found objects, this exhibition is a timely exploration of global culture across continents through the unique lens of acclaimed Moroccan-British photographer.
CHANTAL JOFFE: This exhibition explores the intimate act of painting and portraiture. Taking its name from J.D. Salinger’s short story For Esmé – with Love and Squalor (1950) in which time hangs as heavy as the protagonist’s ‘enormous-faced chronographic-looking wristwatch’, the exhibition captures the changing faces across the years of Chantal and her daughter Esme, moving between mother and daughter, love and squalor, and the act of care and being cared for.
LAST CHANCE TO SEE
UNTIL 2 OCTOBER MEL CORMACK-HICKS & NIGEL SHARMAN Joint exhibition MARINE HOUSE, BEER https://www.marinehouseatbeer.co.uk/gallery/nigel-sharman-and-mel-cormack-hicks-show/
UNTIL 3 OCTOBER NEW LANDSCAPE PAINTINGS Features works by Richard Cook, Gareth Edwards, Anthony Garratt, Andrew Hardwick, Marie-Claire Hamon, Michael Porter and Lucy Willow TREMENHEERE SCULPTURE GARDENS PENZANCE https://www.tremenheere.co.uk/exhibition/new-landscape-paintings/
UNTIL 4 OCTOBER MARGARET LOVELL ‘UNDULATING PLANES’ Sculpture, prints & drawings. ANDELLI ART, WELLS http://www.andelliart.com/
UNTIL 4 OCTOBER ROB UNETT ‘IN RECLINE’ A body of work that explores the figure bending, seated and eventually, reclining. JUPITERSHOWCASE (temporary gallery), NEWLYN instagram.com/robunett/
WATCH OUT FOR…
LILY MIXE SYMBIOSIS: 22 OCTOBER TO 14 NOVEMBER Celebrating survival and chaos in the natural world. THAT Art Gallery, BRISTOL https://www.thatartgallery.com/
CAM VALLEY ARTS TRAIL: 31 OCTOBER TO 8 NOVEMBER Annual art trail of artists in North East Somerset (online for 2020) https://www.camvalleyartstrail.co.uk/
NEW WORK BY DEVON GUILD MEMBERS: UNTIL 1 NOVEMBER The makers in this exhibition are just a small selection of the 250+ Members who make up the Devon Guild of Craftsmen. https://www.crafts.org.uk/
If you would like an exhibition or artist to be listed please email laurel.smart@blueyonder.co.uk for consideration.
The Floating Circle 