ARTS – MARCH v2.qxp_Layout 1 25/02/2022 12:00 Page 1
EXHIBITIONS
STATE OF THE ART Carl Melegari and Lynne Cartlidge: Power in Stillness, Clifton Contemporary, 10 March – 2 April Stillness can have a forceful presence: a quiet magnetism that draws the eye and resonates with life, feeling and meaning. Clifton Contemporary’s new exhibition elegantly reveals how profoundly different this power in stillness can be. Through multiple layers, deep textures and flowing drips of oil paint, Carl Melegari's compelling portraits and evocative figures exude calm and strength – a tangible sense of life from within their sculpted silence. Lynne Cartlidge's lucid still life compositions explore everyday domestic objects and cut flowers, creating a subtle dynamic interplay between light, colour, space and form. Her radiant interiors reveal another world of stillness. Carl was chosen to create a series of portraits to feature prominently in the current Bristol based BBC psychological drama series Chloe.
From the Mountains to the Sea, Lime Tree Gallery, until 10 March Lime Tree Gallery’s latest exhibition includes a mix of beautiful landscape and seascape paintings across a variety of media. Some of the highlights include a new series of arresting acrylic paintings by Welsh artist Sian McGill; powerful Scottish scenes by Zanna Wilson, Alexander Robb and Marion Thomson; skilful egg tempera works by Andrew Scott George; and Northumberland landscapes in oil by Robert Newton. Artist Ulla Ohlson has also contributed abstract unframed lithographs of Swedish landscapes. • limetreegallery.com
• cliftoncontemporaryart.co.uk Image: Berneray Shore by Marion Thomson Image: Andreas by Carl Melegari – oil on canvas
Paula Rego: Subversive Stories, Arnolfini, until 29 May Arnolfini welcomes you to venture into the extraordinary imagination of Dame Paula Rego RA, one of the leading figurative artists of our generation. Rego makes a welcome return to Bristol (almost 40 years after her first exhibition here in 1982-83), creating an opportunity for a new generation of visitors to explore the artist’s rich and imaginative world. Featuring over 80 prints from across Rego’s extensive career, the exhibition explores her interweaving wit and dark humour, delving into the art of storytelling through Rego’s reinterpretations of well-known narratives and classic tales, repositioning the role of women at their centre. Bringing together early examples of experiments in etching and lithography, Rego pulls us into a world of not so ‘wicked’ women, childhood adventure, and folklore and fairy tales, in which the underdog reigns supreme, as Rego reinforces her reputation, taking ‘the side of the beauty not the beast.’ • arnolfini.org.uk Image: Mist I (from Pendle Witches series) by Paula Rego 1996 Courtesy Paula Rego and Cristea Roberts Gallery, London
38 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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MARCH 2022
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No 208
