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
RWA 171 Annual Open Exhibition
14 September 2024 – 5 January 2025
The RWA’s most popular exhibition returns, with over 600 works on display covering a vast array of media including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, film, sculpture and architecture by artists ranging from leading professionals to emerging talent, from across the UK and beyond.
This year’s invited Artist is Rana Begum, RA. More info
Academician Candidates’ Exhibition 2024
10 September – 03 November 2024
Each year, the RWA invites the shortlist of Academician Candidates to exhibit a selection of their recent works alongside the Annual Open Exhibition. During this time, the current Academician body will anonymously vote for the Candidates they would like to see become Academicians. More info
Image top: Mountain Ridges, Chowwai Cheung
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Compiled by Sue Quirk and Laurel Smart
1) THE MODERN ART CONTEMPORARY: REIMAGINED/REDEFINED
18 – 19 OCT, PRIOR, CABOT’S CIRCUS, BRISTOL
Reimagined/Redefined is a mixed exhibition by members of the Modern Art Contemporary. Sarah Boden, Hemali Modha, Rae Melody, Rhianon, Beardsall, Wendy Golding, Gaynor Leverett – Jaques, Sue Pickering and Rachel Johnson.
Each artist brings a unique perspective to their work, drawing inspiration from both the world around them and the internal world of emotion and feeling. They employ a diverse range of materials and techniques – such as paint, print, collage, and stained glass – creating works that span from abstraction to more recognisable forms.
2) AVEBURY SCULPTURE: Over 20 artists, 100 pieces of sculpture
UNTIL 20 OCT, AVEBURY MANOR GARDEN, AVEBURY, WILTS
An exhibition by two local This popular annual exhibition showcases over 20 local artists, with some favourite sculptors returning and many new faces. Enjoy a wide range of art, from carved limestone figures and shapes, to natural kinetic sculptures and a range of stained glass and bronze sculptures in different styles.
On Thursdays throughout the exhibition, come to see a sculptor at work with ‘artist in the garden.’ Some of the talented artists behind this year’s sculptures will be giving live demonstrations of their work and answering questions.
3) ANDREW HOOD: CITY TO COAST
10 – 27 OCT, KIT FORM GALLERY, BRISTOL
Andrew Hood’s new collection of paintings capture the dynamic interplay between urban landscapes and coastal scenes. The exhibition reflects his unique approach to contemporary painting where the vibrancy of city life meets the tranquillity of the coast.
“I’ve lived in Bristol for over twenty years and have come to appreciate the city’s many beautiful and diverse areas. I often paint everyday scenes, places that people pass by with out a second thought. These seemingly ordinary spots hold a quiet charm that I love to capture through my painting.”
4) NAOMI FREARS; NIGHT AFTER NIGHT
UNTIL 2 NOV. KESTLE BARTON, CORNWALL
Alongside work with film and video and other projects Naomi has always made work with her hands – printmaking, drawing and painting. It still feels like an important way for her to think and see.
“For this show, I decided that I’d address the paused paintings – revisit these stuck works and unstick them. It’s been a bit like untying a difficult knot and then tying a new one. I’ve been happy taking the paintings back to a state of nakedness and heading off in another direction in order to find out what’s possible. Sometimes the upheaval is visible and sometimes it’s under the surface.”
The show is called Night After Night because Naomi has insomnia and during the night, without her permission, in her wakeful state, she is taken to her studio where she looks at and works on her paintings. The new paintings and works on paper in this show are the result of these explorations both in the studio and in her head, night after night.
5) STEWART GEDDES PPRWA: LETTING STRING FALL
18 OCT – 30 NOV, CLOSE, HATCH BEAUCHAMP, SOMERSET
Stewart Geddes’ exhibition presents a series of recent improvised paintings. The title ‘Letting String Fall’, alludes to the condition of apparent arbitrariness that improvisation embraces, and draws in ideas connected to poetry and the irrationality and absurdity associated with Dadaism.
“My attraction to abstraction emerged from a transition from perspective to Cubist spacial frameworks. In this form one negotiates with a painting, making decisions about its organisation as much as its representations.”
Geddes begins with a palette and through this, activates the surface of the canvas using a meandering, linear gesture placed in relation to amorphous drops of paint. After this initial foray there follows a pause, a period of reflection when the painting is set to one side before the next move is decided. The painting evolves until a (hesitant) resolution comes into view.
“Although I think of my paintings as self-generated and independent of reference, I acknowledge they possess a sort of reversed relationship with content. That is, they’re not motivated by an underpinning reference, but I recognise things beyond the studio are drawn into the work – most typically some form of relationship with land, or sometimes, a denser room space.”
Private View: Oct 19th 5-8pm
6) INTO ABSTRACTION: MODERN BRITISH ART & THE LANDSCAPE
6 OCT – 7 FEB. CHELTENHAM ART GALLERY & MUSEUM
Into Abstraction is an exhibition in partnership with The Hepworth Wakefield and Gallery Pangolin, exploring the evolution of abstract art amidst the sweeping social changes of the twentieth century. It showcases masterpieces by celebrated artists such as Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Duncan Grant, and Ben Nicholson. Bold and vibrant prints from The Wilson’s own collection are also exhibited, featuring works by notable artists like William Gear, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, and Harold Cohen.
7) NICOLA TURNER INSTALLATION: SPINNING A YARN
UNTIL 20 OCT, ABBEY BARN, SOMERSET RURAL LIFE MUSEUM, GLASTONBURY, SOMERSET
This installation is part of a celebration of British wool, the farmers who produce this amazing natural fibre and the artisans who make beautiful and sustainable textiles.
This dramatic new work by artist Nicola Turner seeks to explore our innate human connection to wool, the stories that are interwoven in it and the emotions, as a material, that it provokes. The striking artwork, created using hand-crafted woollen tendrils, will encompass the 8 metre height of the historic barn.
WATCH OUT FOR
- UNTIL 7 OCT. CHARLOTTE AITKIN; BEYOND REACH. Charlotte’s exhibition explores her fascination with cloud formations and our connection to the natural world. Each piece captures a fleeting moment, an experience that will never be the same again. STROUD VALLEYS ARTSPACE, STROUD, GLOS www.sva.org.uk
- THATARTGALLERY. Guest Curation scheme. 4 – 19 Oct. YON: STUART LOW An exhibition of paintings centred around landscape and taking personal inspiration from walking in the mountainous regions of the UK. . https://www.thatartgallery.com
- HUW RICHARD EVANS CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY: Providingaplatform for invited local artists to showcase their work.Exhibitions change two monthly. Boyce’s Avenue, Bristol.
- ANNUAL OPEN EXHIBITION; BATH SOCIETY OF ARTISTS. 13 OCT – 11 JAN. VICTORIA ART GALLERY https://www.victoriagal.org.uk
- WEST BRISTOL ART TRAIL. 12 -13 OCT https://westbristolarts.com/
The Floating Circle 