Royal West of England Academy AUTUMN EXHIBITIONS 2011
Louise Bourgeois Tracey Emin Bridget Riley Michael Kidner Luke Jerram Naturescape 159th Autumn Exhibition
2 SEPTEMBER – 23 OCTOBER
LEFT: I wanted to love you more 2009-2010 Archival dyes printed on cloth 61 x 76.2 cm © Tracey Emin and the Louise Bourgeois Trust courtesy Hauser & Wirth and Carolina Nitsch Photo: Christopher Burke
Louise Bourgeois Tracey Emin: Do Not Abandon Me The late Louise Bourgeois will be remembered as a founder of confessional art. She continued working right up until her death in May 2010, with her last project finished only the week before. During the creation of her final set of prints she handed them to Tracey Emin who eventually added to the work, admitting: ‘I carried the images around the world with me from Australia to France, but I was too scared to touch them’. The joint collection of 16 drawings explores themes of identity, sexuality and the fear of loss and abandonment. Bourgeois began by painting male and female torsos in profile and mixing red,
blue and black gouache pigments with water to create delicate silhouettes. Emin used fantasy to draw smaller figures engaged with the torsos, like Lilliputian lovers, enacting the body as desires and anxieties. In one drawing a woman kisses an erect phallus. In another, a small foetus-like form protrudes from a swollen stomach. In many of Emin’s pictures her handwriting accompanies the image as narrative, which puts into words the emotions expressed in Bourgeois’ gouaches. Please be aware that the exhibition contains themes of an adult nature and may not be suitable for children. With thanks to Hauser & Wirth.
7 SEPTEMBER – 11 OCTOBER
COVER IMAGE: Reaching for You 2009–2010 Archival dyes printed on cloth © Tracey Emin and the Louise Bourgeois Trust courtesy Hauser & Wirth and Carolina Nitsch
RIGHT: Michael Kidner (1917 – 2009) Love is a Virus from Outer Space 2001 Acrylic on board 244 x 366 cm © The Estate of Michael Kidner, courtesy Flowers, London.
Michael Kidner ‘Unless you read a painting as a feeling, then you don’t get anything at all.’ A pioneer of Optical Art, Michael Kidner devoted much of his career to developing work of a constructive nature. His interests in mathematics, science and chaos, wave, number and big bang theories informed an art that is at once rational and playful. Kidner’s translation of the dialogue between order and indeterminacy into a visual language has meant that his work – though founded in a rigorous intellectual approach to colour and form – also resonates emotionally. His interest in unpredictable world events fuelled an emphasis on unplanned elements within his work, whilst paradoxically continuing to assert underlying order through form. Michael Kidner was born in Kettering in 1917. He read History and Anthropology at Cambridge University before studying Landscape Architecture at Ohio State
University and briefly attending Goldsmith’s College. After five years in the Canadian army he trained himself as an artist, and in 1953, while in France, he met Andre Lhote who introduced him to Cubism and encouraged him to move to Paris and paint full-time. He spent two years in the West Country, absorbing the influence of St Ives abstractionism, and after brushes with American Abstract Expressionism and Bauhaus ideas he began to develop his own distinctive style, which brought him to prominence in the 1960s. His distinguished career has included many honours, international shows, and influential teaching posts – Kidner taught at the Bath Academy of Art, Corsham from 1964-84 – and he was elected as a Royal Academician (RA) in 2004. Michael Kidner died in 2009. With thanks to Flowers, London
‘For me nature is not landscape, but the dynamism of visual forces… an event rather than an appearance. These forces can only be tackled by treating colour and form as ultimate identities, freeing them from all descriptive or functional roles.’ Bridget Riley is one of the UK’s leading post war artists. Her vibrant black-and-white, optical art paintings featuring geometric patterns achieved international acclaim, following a celebrated exhibition – ‘The Responsive Eye’ – held at the Museum of Modern Art, New York in 1965. By 1967, she began investigating colour, and painted her first stripe painting. Although Riley’s work is abstract, it is deeply rooted in nature: for example, the effects of light and colour in the landscape. A recent exhibition at the National Gallery, London highlights her interest in the Post Impressionist artist, Seurat. Born in 1931, Riley lived in Cornwall before moving to London to study at Goldsmiths and The Royal College of Art (1952-1955). In 1968, with Peter Sedgley and Peter Townsend, she created the artists’ organisation SPACE (Space Provision Artistic Cultural and Educational), with the goal of providing artists large and affordable studio space. With thanks to Marlborough Fine Art.
IMAGE TO COME
LEFT: RED, 2005 © Bridget Riley 2011. All rights reserved. Courtesy Karsten Schubert London Print selection courtesy of Marlborough Fine Art
7 SEPTEMBER – 11 OCTOBER
7 SEPTEMBER – 11 OCTOBER
Bridget Riley
Naturescape Landscapes, seascapes; still lifes and views; gardens, flowers, fields and farmyards. A storm in the city. Sunlight. Moonlight. Raw nature. Abstraction. The Royal West of England Academy has a secret storeroom of treasures at its heart: over 1300 paintings, prints, drawings and sculptures, mainly collected in the Post War era. Since 1941, the Talboys Bequest has enabled RWA Presidents to purchase a small number of works each year, resulting in a unique and eclectic selection of British Art. Naturescape features figurative and abstract works from the RWA Permanent Collection, many of which have not been seen for years. Nature becomes the starting point for explorations of fundamental human experiences, such as sight, sound, memory and the senses, not only in this collection but also within the context of the four other Autumn exhibitions. The full story of the RWA Permanent Collection is documented in the books, ‘Pictures in an Academy’ (2007) and ‘Public View a Profile of the Royal West of England Academy’ (2002), both available from the RWA shop.
ABOVE: Nightwave Arthur Homeshaw RWA
30 OCTOBER – 31 DECEMBER 7 SEPTEMBER – 11 OCTOBER ABOVE: Luke Jerram Aeolus on water (mock up) © Luke Jerram
Aeolus is an acoustic and optical pavilion designed to make audible the silent shifting patterns of the wind and visually amplify the ever changing sky. A field of 310 internally polished stainless steel tubes and a web of Aeolian harp strings resonate and sing without any electrical power or amplification. Luke Jerram’s multidisciplinary practice involves the creation of sculptures, installations, and live arts projects. Aeolus was inspired by a research trip to Iran in 2007 Jerram explored the mosques of Isfahan and interviewed a Qanat desert well-digger
who spoke of the wells singing in the wind, leading Jerram to investigate the acoustics of architecture. Models, prototypes and working drawings will fill the gallery, in advance of the Aeolus pavilion itself touring Liverpool, Lyme Park and the Eden Project in late 2011. Jerram’s professional career as an artist began in 1997. His projects include the celebrated street pianos installation ‘Play Me, I’m Yours’, Glass Microbiology sculptures, and ‘The Sky Orchestra’, in which seven hot air balloons delivered sleep music to the residents of Stratfordupon-Avon, London, and Sydney. He lives and works in Bristol. www.aeolus.org.uk
The biggest exhibition of new and recent work by unknown, emerging and established artists, our Autumn open exhibition has taken place every year since the Royal West of England Academy was founded. Featuring a huge variety of styles, media and subject matter, there is one element uniting this eclectic mix –each work is of the very highest standard. For the 159th consecutive year, the best sculpture, paintings, architectural designs, photography and printmaking will be chosen anonymously by a panel of RWA Academicians and invited curators. Almost 2000 pieces of work were entered last year, one third of which made it onto the walls of the RWA galleries. All works featured in the exhibition are for sale, and the sheer scale of the exhibition means there is work to suit nearly all tastes and budgets. Our participation in the Own Art scheme makes the RWA the ideal place to buy art – you can borrow £100 - £2000 to be paid back in equal instalments over a period of 10 months, interest free. All selected works appear in the exhibition catalogue, available from the RWA shop. Exhibition sponsored by
Luke Jerram: The Making of Aeolus An investigation into acoustics, wind, architecture and light.
159th Autumn Exhibition
Image © Max McClure
EVENTS
Check our website for the latest information about talks, tours, children’s activities and more, or sign up to our mailing list: www.rwa.org.uk The Friends of the RWA offer regular guided tours of our exhibitions. Ask at reception for more information.
Bristol Doors Open Day 2011
Myrtle Pizzey: The Art of the Linocut
Saturday 10 september
Friends Lecture and Demonstration, Fedden Gallery
The RWA is taking part in Bristol Doors Open Day – the day when many of Bristol’s significant contemporary and historic buildings open their doors to the general public, free of charge. Make sure we’re on your map for this special occasion, take a break from pounding the city streets in our cafe, and don’t forget to visit our West End neighbours too – entrance to all venues is free, generous donations gladly received. www.bristoldoorsopenday.org.uk
Do Not Abandon Me: 3D Workshop
ABOVE: Luke Jerram, Aeolus (mock up) © Luke Jerram
Bristol Drawing School comes to the RWA
To book events, call us 0117 973 5129
Saturday 24 September 11am – 12.30pm £10 friends / £12 visitors Displaying original examples of working drawings, including charcoal, graphite and pastel, Myrtle Pizzey will explain her sources of inspiration and discuss techniques of transferring the image to a relief block, the cutting process and the resulting prints.
The Making of Aeolus: Luke Jerram Meet the Artist
Tutor: Ros Cuthbert A one day workshop for adults
Saturday 1 October 2pm – 3pm
Saturday 17 September 10am – 4pm £40
Come and meet Luke Jerram, the artist behind the Aeolus project. Discussing his latest project, in the midst of his models, drawings and plans, this talk offers a peek into Jerram’s world where sound, science and art collide. Open to all, usual admission fees apply.
Both Bourgeois and Emin have used the chair singly or as part of a greater work or assemblage, transforming a familiar part of our domestic world into something more specifically autobiographical. Inspired by the exhibition ‘Do Not Abandon Me’, participants will make a threedimensional piece in this workshop, using an old chair as a starting point.
Annual Dinner Friday 28 October Tickets for the annual RWA dinner are now available. Contact us for prices, information and to purchase.
Photography: From the Street to the Digital Darkroom Thursdays 3, 10, 17, 24 November 2011 10.30am – 12.30pm £50 / £40 concessions Good pictures begin in the camera and become great pictures in the darkroom. Creative and practical tuition, using (inexpensive) Adobe Elements or Adobe Photoshop to unlock the potential in every photograph. Students should have a digital camera, computer and software. Advice is available in advance of the first class.
George Ferguson: Frailty of Fashion Friends Lecture, Fedden Gallery
Saturday 26 November 2011 11am – 12.30pm £8 friends/£10 visitors ‘Fashion fades, only style remains the same’ Coco Chanel George Ferguson believes that the most enduring architecture is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Frailty of Fashion explores whether we are too easily seduced by fashion statements rather than timeless qualities.
From September 2011, Bristol Drawing School will be based at the Royal West of England Academy. The Bristol Drawing School was founded in 2007 with the aim of celebrating the importance and diversity of drawing. This exciting development means that our learning programme will now feature fully tutored classes and informal drawing workshops and courses. Running 7 days a week, choose from morning, day, weekend or evening classes. For more details call us or visit our website.
ACCESSIBILITY RWA ground floor is flat entry. There is a lift to the first floor galleries and to the basement, and an accessible toilet and baby change.
Art in Your Workplace Our permanent collection loan scheme. With over 1300 works in the RWA’s archive, you could choose art for your workplace from one of the region’s best collections of fine art.
Friends Ask us for details, and you could enjoy the benefits of membership while supporting one of the most notable art institutions in the UK.
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Purchase art The RWA is the ideal place to buy art. Exhibitions have works for sale at affordable prices. The RWA is a licensed broker of Own Art loans.
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Our popular cafe has a delicious range of autumnal treats – soups, hot drinks, cakes and more. 10% discount for Friends, Academicians and Artist Members.
Leave a Legacy Remember the RWA in your Will to help ensure its future for generations to come.
Volunteer The RWA relies on volunteers – get in touch if you can help with exhibition stewarding, fundraising, and much more.
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Hire the Galleries Available throughout the year for weddings, evening events, parties and receptions, the RWA galleries are spectacular and unique – call us for availability and prices (prices start from £450)
Promote your company Sponsor an exhibition, a catalogue, an award or a project of your choice – contact us for more information.
Donate It costs over £1000 a day to keep the Academy open. If you are a UK taxpayer, please let us know – every penny you give us goes 25% further.
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Gallery Club Be part of Bristol’s cultural heritage – join our corporate membership scheme and enjoy exclusive benefits for your staff and clients.
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The Own Art loan scheme is designed to make it easy and affordable for everyone to buy original, high quality contemporary art and craft. You can borrow up to £2000, or as little as £100, to be paid back in equal instalments over a period of 10 months – interest free* * Representative
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For more information please contact the RWA on 0117 973 5129 A Limited Company Registered address: Queen’s Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PX Registered in England No 3567088 Registered Charity No 1070163 Printed on sustainable paper stock
ARTIST MEMBERS
Adults £5 Exhibition ticket £8 (unlimited repeat visits) Concessions £3 Under 16s, UWE and Filton College Students FREE Annual membership from £15
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HOW YOU CAN HELP
The RWA exists for everyone with an interest in art and design. We are open all year round.
Are you an artist looking for opportunities to develop your career? The RWA has launched an exciting new membership scheme to attract artists to become part of its future as an exciting and inspirational centre for the visual arts, for just £10 a month. As well as being associated with one of Bristol’s leading art galleries at a key point in its history, Artist Members benefit from special events, exhibiting opportunities, discounts and more. To find out more or to apply, visit www.rwa.org.uk or contact Gemma Brace: gemma.brace@rwa.org.uk or 0117 906 7601
The next closing date for applications is 2 November.
OPEN
9.30am - 5.30pm Monday to Saturday 12.00am - 5.00pm Sunday Last admission half an hour before closing
Royal West of England Academy, Queen’s Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PX
www.rwa.org.uk 0117 973 5129
Damien Hirst, Charity, 2002-2003 Photograph: Louisa Davidson © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd