The best art exhibitions coming up in Bristol and the Westcountry – 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 – including a look ahead to upcoming features….
AT THE RWA
These Mad Hybrids: John Hoyland and Contemporary Sculpture
3 February – 12 May 2024
The exhibition positions a group of ceramic sculptures made by abstract painter John Hoyland RA in dialogue with a spectacular, international, assembly of contemporary sculpture by artists including Phyllida Barlow and Hew Locke. A display of paintings by Hoyland shows the dynamic connection between his sculptures and paintings.
Curated by sculptor Olivia Bax in collaboration with Sam Cornish and Wiz Patterson Kelly of The John Hoyland Estate, the exhibition is inspired by a group of unique ceramic sculptures by Hoyland, which he affectionately called his “mad little hybrids.” This is the first public display of the ceramics since 1994, and their first presentation alongside Hoyland’s abstract paintings from the 1960s to 2010s.
Gentle Geometry
3 February – 24 March 2024 – Kenny Gallery
Curated by Sandra Porter RWA, Gentle Geometry brings together the works of four artists who delve into the possibilities of making meaning through geometric shapes and forms in various artistic mediums, including painting, sculpture, and printmaking.
Geometric shapes were central to the ideas and representations of the late Denny Long RWA. Recent works on paper by sculptor Tim Harrisson RWA suggest an evolving structure of landscape. Carol Robertson RWA has consistently embraced the circle as a central motif throughout her career. Additionally, Sandra Porter RWA’s ‘Stations’ series reinterprets the Stations of the Cross through the lens of abstraction. More info here.
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Compiled by Sue Quirk and Laurel Smart
1) NATURAL WORLD, MATISSE, CHAGALL, HOCKNEY & MORE
1 FEBRUARY – 6 MARCH, HIDDEN GALLERY, BATH
PWhether it’s Matisse’s beloved florals, Chagall’s enchanting animals or Hockney’s unrivalled landscapes, one thing is clear – exceptional artists do not simply replicate the natural world. Rather, they enable us to reimagine it.
The exhibition Natural World will showcase the work of luminaries such as Picasso, Matisse, Hockney, Hodgkin, Chagall and Miro (to name a few!), exploring how their fascination with nature is inextricably linked to some of their greatest works.
Opening party 1st February at 14a Margaret’s Buildings BA1 2LP, running from 6pm – 8pm.
2) EMMA NORTON: FADE
3-4 FEBRUARY, 5-24 FEBRUARY BY APPOINTMENT, HOURS SPACE, BRISTOL
Emma is a Bristol-based artist who creates abstract works using pigmented plasters and sand. She discovered these materials in 2020 while removing layers of wallpaper from a 1930s house. The distressed wall that was exposed had many layers of plaster, filler, paint, chalk, and charcoal. These marks, left by so many people over a period of ninety years, felt like a hidden document of living history. The colours—pinks, roses, taupes, and off whites—textures, and marks were a beautiful abstract representation of the memories of those who had lived and worked in the house. Inspired by her own memories of exploring natural environments and the textures and colours she captured in her photographs of the wall; Emma began making abstract works with these same materials.
She continues to experiment with the process, adding layers of plaster and texture, and then scraping and sanding back areas to smooth and expose the colour that sits underneath. Her current work is a continuation of her ongoing exploration of these materials and techniques.
Launch Event Friday 2 February 5-8pm. Exhibition 3-4 February 11am – 4pm
3) IAIN CARTER: I SEE ART
2-7 FEBRUARY, CENTRESPACE, BRISTOL
“This is the first exhibition of my work. I have had an interest in drawing and pattern making since I was a child, using it as an escape. I chose not to study Art at school in favour of academic subjects but returned to Further Education in my 20s to study Art, Art and Design and finally Printed and Woven Textiles. There are many artists that influence my work. From J. M. W. Turner, Georges Seurat, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bridget Riley, Victor Vasarely, David Hockney and Jackson Pollock; to street artists and graffiti artists Kaser, Boogie, Disek, Arsek Erase and Aceunojoint; the common factors being the use of colour, texture and design. The work on display here began 5 years ago when I was recovering from a serious injury. Art became an important focus for me, allowing me to be mindful, clear my thoughts and concentrate on creative ideas.” – Iain Carter
4) STEPHEN & RACHEL PERHAM: SAILS AND TALES OF CLOVELLY
UNTIL 17 FEBRUARY, PLOUGH ARTS CENTRE, GREAT TORRINGTON, DEVONSBRIDGE, DEVON
Born and brought up in the cobble stoned streets of Clovelly, brother, and sister, Stephen, and Rachel Perham, come from a seafaring family. Sailing, fishing, and lifeboats have been their life. The characters of the village and the stories they told were as much a part of their childhood as the pebbled beached shoreline. Painting and illustrating the village in their own individual way helps to keep those characters alive.
5) ELIAS SIME: EREGATA እርጋታ
UNTIL 18 FEBRUARY, ARNOLFINI, BRISTOL
The first major solo European museum exhibition of one of Ethiopia’s leading contemporary artists, Elias Sime, introducing audiences to a man and maker of extraordinary craftsmanship and collaborative spirit. Eregata እርጋታ will primarily focus on work from the past six years, including Sime’s monumental Venice Biennale commission Veiled Whispers (2022), alongside intricately woven abstract topographies from the landmark series Tightrope (2013 to present), key works from his early stitch, yarn and button series, and the tactile fragility of Bareness, a large-scale ceramic installation from 2014.
The exhibition’s intriguing title Eregata’s እርጋታ emerges from the artist’s language, Amharic, translated by Sime as closest in meaning to the calmness and tranquillity of the English word serene. Yet, for all its suggestions of calm to a western ear, for Sime Eregata reflects a recognition that our minds are never truly still or silent: “we struggle to stop and sleep because our brains are constantly stimulated by technology – we are constantly moving faster not slower.” Sime’s work flows against this tide, embracing a notion of ‘slowness’ – “My art is slowing it down. The work forces me to slow down.” – as he takes years to transform carefully sourced materials (from electrical wires to computer keyboards), filling them with new life, to explore both local and global issues around sustainability, materiality, and the impact of technology upon society.
6) THE WAY WE LEFT IT, GROUP SHOW
UNTIL 18 FEBRUARY, WILSON ART GALLERY, CHELTENHAM, GLOS
In collaboration with Pipeline Gallery, The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum is proud to present the works of 5 artists originally hailing from Gloucestershire. Pipeline gallery invited these 5 artists, now working across the UK, to come back to Cheltenham and see if the town is really the same as when they left. Exhibiting Artists: Joe Moss, Dinosaur Kilby, Otto Gobey, Maisie Pack, Holly Williams-Richards.
The Way We Left it touches on the changing arts scene in Cheltenham and looks to investigate how we build better communities for creatives in places like Gloucestershire. With a series of interactive displays alongside contemporary works, the viewer is invited to have their say, share their stories, and connect with the exhibition.
7) ALEXANDER HOLLWEG: JOURNEYS IN ART
UNTIL 9 MARCH, MUSEUM OF SOMERSET, TAUNTON
A retrospective of paintings and sculpture by Alexander Hollweg (1936 – 2020)
‘Journeys in Art’ is the first retrospective of Alexander Hollweg’s art and will feature paintings and sculpture from across the six decades of his career. He painted for many years from the Nettlecombe estate, home to a creative community of artists, musicians and writers, nestled in rural West Somerset.
The exhibition will display watercolours of pastoral and industrial scenes inspired by Hollweg’s life in Somerset and London. Local depictions include the hamlet of Yarde, Willett Tower and Watchet, a place Hollweg loved. Portraits and still life paintings also feature, together with woodcuts. Visitors will be able to see some of the 40 painted wooden sculptures that were exhibited at Hollweg’s first major exhibition, held at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, in 1971.
LAST CHANCE TO SEE
- UNTIL 3 FEBRUARY: GRACE CRABTREE: ELEMENTAL DRIFT Drawing from a year of investigations into the alchemical art of fresco, as well as research into the forgotten world of English medieval wall paintings, Grace will be exhibiting her experiments with this medium, and other works also inspired by the landscapes of West Dorset and further afield. BRIDPORT ARTS CENTRE, DORSET https://www.bridport-arts.com/event/grace-crabtree-elemental-drift/
WATCH OUT FOR
- IMPRESSIONS ON PAPER: MIXED EXHIBITION 2-27 FEBRUARY The exhibition includes works by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Virginia Bridge, Howard Hodgkin RA, Ben Nicholson and William Scott RA DAVID SIMON CONTEMPORARY, CASTLE CARY, SOMERSET https://www.davidsimoncontemporary.com/exhibitions/46-impressions-on-paper-virginia-bridge-maynard-hales-luke-hannam-barbara-hepworth/overview/
- TOM ROBINSON: FOUND UNFOUND: UNTIL 10 FEBRUARY Dynamic canvases convey richness, depth and vitality and reflect the artist’s relationship with paint. MESSUMS WEST, TISBURY, WILTSHIRE https://www.messums.org/exhibitions/private-viewing-room-tom-robinson-found-unfound/
- LANDSCAPES OF PROGRESS?: A GROUP EXHIBITION: UNTIL 3 MARCH Featuring work by six artists all of whom make work exploring views of the world around us, history, change and the environment. HESTERCOMBE GALLERY, CHEDDON FITZPAINE, SOMERSET
- https://www.hestercombe.com/whats-on/landscapes-of-progress
The Floating Circle 