RA Magazine Autumn 2016 by Sam Phillips Portfolio

ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS MAGAZINE NUMBER 132 AUTUMN 2016 JAMES ENSOR ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS MAGAZINE NO. 132 / AUTUMN 2016 / Â£4.95

Experience Abstract Expressionism

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THE FIGURE IN THE FIFTIES 14 SEPTEMBER - 22 OCTOBER Deeply influenced by a trip to Paris in 1951, Pangolin London casts a new light on Ralph Brown’s early work re-examining it within the context of Modern British & European figurative sculpture.

ANN CHRISTOPHER RA ALL THE CAGES HAVE OPEN DOORS 2 NOVEMBER - 23 DECEMBER An exhibition of sculpture and works on paper spanning all four decades of Christopher’s oeuvre including new sculptures and a series of drawings inspired by the West Coast of Ireland.

PANGOLIN LONDON, Kings Place, N1 9AG Tel: 020 7520 1480 www.pangolinlondon.com IMAGES: Ralph Brown, Bathing Woman, 1960, Bronze; Ann Christopher, Following Lines 1, 2016, Mixed Media

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PANGOLIN

RALPH BROWN

LONDON

19/07/2016 14:37

George Fullard Sculpture and Survival 7th November - 16th December Exhibition and launch of a specially commissioned monograph by Michael Bird

GALLERY PANGOLIN CHALFORD - GLOS - GL6 8NT 01453 889765 gallery@pangolin-editions.com www.gallery-pangolin.com

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Barry McGlashan Mudlarks and Connoisseurs

14 October – 5 November

John Martin Gallery 38 Albemarle Street London, W1S 4 JG

RA McGlashan Single page_JML.indd 1

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T +44 (0)20 7499 1314 info@jmlondon.com

www.jmlondon.com catalogue on request

Barry McGlashan, The Smokers, 2016, oil on panel, 76 x 77.5 cms, 30 x 30 ½ ins

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Jeremy Gardiner: Pillars of Light Coastal Lighthouses of the South West

Exhibition: Wednesday 28th September – Friday 14th October Please contact the gallery for a fully illustrated catalogue

Pendeen Lighthouse, Cornwall, 61 x 122 cms

9 Bury Street, St James's, London SW1Y 6AB T: 020 7930 9293 E: info@paisnelgallery.co.uk W: www.paisnelgallery.co.uk

a d a m

FRED CUMING RA

g a l l e r y

13 John Street BATH BA1 2JL t: 01225 480406

24th September - 17th October LONDON PREVIEW : 21st September

An exhibition of recent work coinciding with the new publication: ‘Another Figure in the Landscpe’ Available from the gallery

e: info@adamgallery.com www.adamgallery.com

LONDON PREVIEW @ The Troubadour Gallery 265 Old Brompton Road London SW5 9JA Phone for details: 020 75804360

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Helen Simmonds 10 October to 5 November

Beaux Arts Bath York St.

BA1 1NG 01225 464850 www.beauxartsbath.co.uk info@beauxartsbath.co.uk

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Anthony Eyton R.A. (b.1923) & Phyllis Eyton (1900-1929) Capturing Light 14th September 7th October 2016 Monday to Friday 10-5.30 Saturday 11-2.00

19 Cork Street London W1S 3LP Tel: 020 7734 7984 art@browseanddarby.co.uk www.browseanddarby.co.uk Phyllis Eyton (1900-1929), Foxgloves, oil on canvas, 16 x 18 inches

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LONDON

CIRCA Gallery 80 Fulham Road London SW3 6HR www.circagallerylondon.com +44 (0)20 7590 9991

BRONZE, STEEL AND STONE 9 September – 8 October 2016 Nic Bladen Crassula rubricaulis 2016 bronze 21 x 6 x 7 cm

Royal Academy of Arts Magazine / No. 132 / Autumn 2016

Contents

Features

An agent provocateur ‘The EU Referendum decision reflects the lack of empathy between Britain and Europe. That’s what makes a show of James Ensor so interesting now.’ LUC TUYMANS

Beyond the image

David Anfam answers key questions about Abstract Expressionism

Artists unbound

Seven Academicians reflect on great Abstract Expressionist painters

New York nights

Morgan Falconer evokes the New York streets from which Abstract Expressionism sprang

A man of many masks

Michael Prodger searches for James Ensor, as an RA show reappraises the Belgian painter

An agent provocateur

P H OTO GR A P H: A L E X S A L I N AS & VA N ES S A VA N O B B ER GH EN . © T H E N AT I O N A L G A L L ERY, LO N D O N . P H OTO GR A P H: CA R O L I N E F O R B ES

Sam Phillips meets painter Luc Tuymans, curator of the RA’s Ensor exhibition

Regulars

The Atheist ‘I would rail on the subject had our maker not, so diligently, painted my mouth shut.’ EIMEAR MCBRIDE

8 11 15 20

33 35

112

NEW SECTION

WHAT’S ON From free jazz concerts to art history courses, highlights of the Academy’s autumn events are previewed in a new section of RA Magazine. The diary of Royal Academy exhibitions can be found at the back of the magazine on page 122.

Editorial Contributors & Competition 08 RA250 Preview UK

including William Kentridge Hon RA on art from South Africa; Kamila Shamsie on Islamic art; the founder of Christie’s auction house; Picasso portraits; and an interview with video artist Elizabeth Price

Preview International

Simon Wilson on the influence of tribal art Preview Books

David Hockney RA in conversation; the best new books on architecture

Academy Artists

Brian Catling RA in his studios; Anthony Eyton RA; Fred Cuming RA; Rebecca Salter RA’s new film project; Nigel Hall RA; and architect Peter Cook RA in conversation

Short Story

Debate

‘The Atheist’ by Eimear McBride Is originality in art overrated? Forgotten female art dealers; mindfulness and abstract art

Academy News

including Yinka Shonibare RA’s building wrap; Olwyn Bowey RA in the greenhouse; a new 3D-portrait scanner; Ron Arad RA; Michael Manser RA remembered

Listings

A guided walk of galleries during Frieze week

104 Readers’ Offers 112 What’s On

Events and activities at the Academy

122 RA Diary

AUTUMN 2016 | RA MAGAZINE 7

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Introducing this issue

Editorial EDITORIAL Publisher Nick Tite Editor Sam Phillips Assistant Editor Anna Coatman Design and Art Direction Design by S-T Sub-Editor Gill Crabbe What’s On Editor Zoe Smith Editorial Intern Rhiannon McGregor Editorial Advisers May Calil,

Richard Cork, Anne Desmet RA, Tom Holland, Fiona Maddocks, Mali Morris RA, Eric Parry RA, Charles Saumarez Smith, Mark Seaman and Giles Waterfield Digital content Harriet Baker, Louise Cohen and Amy Macpherson To comment on RA Magazine

reply.ramagazine@royalacademy.org.uk Follow us online

Acts of humanity Was Abstract Expressionism the last ‘modern’ art movement? If modern art was defined by an honest connection with human experience, then an apex was indeed reached with painters such as Jackson Pollock, whose masterpiece Blue Poles (1952, above) graces our front cover. The year the American painter made this work, critic Harold Rosenberg explained that such a canvas had become ‘not a picture but an event’, the strokes and splashes of paint, in Pollock’s case dripped from above, corresponding directly with the experience of the artist. ‘The act-painting is of the same metaphysical substance as the artist’s existence,’ he continued, arguing that its success lay in ‘the artist’s total effort to make over his experience’ on canvas. Six years later, the painter Mark Rothko claimed his own work was close ‘to dealing with human emotion, with the human drama as much as I can possibly experience it.’ Abstract Expressionism was superseded by movements such as Pop Art that focused less on emotional experience. But as David Anfam, co-curator of the RA’s Abstract Expressionism show, argues in this issue, ‘we will be drawn to such emotions as long as we remain recognisably human’, and ‘the dehumanisation that attends aspects of contemporary life such as high technology and cyberspace… may make this art the more attractive to our assailed, ergo jaded, sensibilities’ (page 50). It has been nearly 60 years since the last overview of this art movement in this country, so the exhibition really is a once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity for a British audience. Seven Royal Academicians, comprising some of the country’s most important living painters, offer us ways to see these American artists afresh (page 56). The Academy’s retrospective of James Ensor (1860–1949) both complements and contrasts with the survey of Abstract Expressionism. One of Belgium’s most influential artists, Ensor evades easy definition: he was by turns humorous and morbid, flippant and satirical, technically audacious and, in ways that anticipate later artists, highly expressive. ‘His work – filled with masks, skeletons and cacophony – is unmistakable, always compelling and often utterly mystifying,’ writes Michael Prodger, who introduces us to the man’s many personalities (page 68), while I ask Luc Tuymans, Belgium’s leading painter today, why he has chosen to curate the show for the Royal Academy (page 75). The RA’s events programme has been expanding recently and a world-class lecture theatre is on the horizon for 2018, when the Academy opens new spaces for its 250th anniversary. To reflect these changes, and to acknowledge their loyal support, Friends of the RA benefit from priority booking on Academy events (page 121). Now the magazine has enlivened its coverage of events with a new section at the back of the magazine, ‘What’s On’ (page 112), which includes articles on the highlights on offer. For comprehensive details on every event, visit the RA’s website at royalacademy.org.uk/events. The diary of exhibition details is also at the back of this issue for easy access. Our regular short story commission has increased to two pages (page 76), allowing the words of each writer and the artwork to which they respond more space to breathe. — sam phillips, editor

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£107 Standard Friends (£97 Direct Debit) £150 Joint Friends (£140 Direct Debit) £50 Young Friends (aged between 16 & 25; £45 direct debit) Friends enquiries 020 7300 5664 friend.enquiries@royalacademy.org.uk royalacademy.org.uk/friends To subscribe to RA Magazine

£20 for one year in UK (£30 outside UK) Magazine subscriptions: 0800 634 6341 (UK only) 0044 20 7300 5841 (outside UK) mailorder@royalacademy.org.uk Colour reproduction by Wings. Printed by Wyndeham Group. Published 1 September 2016. © 2016 Royal Academy of Arts ISSN 0956-9332 The opinions in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the RA. All reasonable attempts have been made to clear copyright before publication

N at i o n a l G a l l ery o f Aus t r a l i a , Ca n b er r a /© T h e P o l lo ck- K r as n er F o u n dat i o n ARS , N Y a n d DAC S , Lo n d o n 2016

Blue Poles (Number 11, 1952), 1952, by Jackson Pollock

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NAOMI FREARS

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THE MIDDLE

Tom Ellis at the Wallace Collection

Who’s who in this issue

Contributors DAVID ANFAM is co-curator of the Academy’s exhibition ‘Abstract Expressionism’. A leading authority on modern American art, he is Senior Consulting Curator and Director of the Research Centre at the Clyfford Still Museum, Denver. His many books include the catalogue raisonné Mark Rothko: The Works on Canvas (Yale). christopher baker is Director of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. frank bowling ra is a painter. His work

is included in the forthcoming show at London’s Tate Modern, ‘Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power’ (12 July–22 Oct 2017). john bunker is an artist. In 2015 he curated the exhibition ‘Frank Bowling: Right Here. Right Now’ at Chelsea College of Arts, London. richard cork is a critic, broadcaster and curator, and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Arts. His publications include The Healing Presence of Art (Yale) and Face to Face: Interviews with Artists (Tate). gill crabbe is an artist, writer and editor. She is the sub-editor of RA Magazine. Yukai Du is an illustrator. She has contributed

to newspapers including the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Daily Telegraph.

Morgan falconer teaches at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in New York. His books include Painting Beyond Pollock (Phaidon) and The Art Guide: New York (Thames & Hudson).

alison hissey is Project Editor at RA Publications. She has edited exhibition catalogues and books for the Royal Academy on subjects including Ai Weiwei and Abstract Expressionism.

laura gascoigne is a freelance art critic who writes regularly for the Tablet, the Spectator and Apollo. She has recently ﬁnished a comic novel about the art world.

david hockney ra is a painter. His recent series of portraits is the subject of an RA show (until 2 Oct). Tate Britain, London, presents a retrospective of his work (9 Feb–29 May 2017).

MARTIN GAYFORD is art critic for the Spectator and author of books on Van Gogh, Constable and Michelangelo, as well as Man with a Blue Scarf: On Sitting for a Portrait by Lucian Freud (Thames & Hudson).

charles holland & elly ward are the Co-directors of Ordinary Architecture. Their Royal Academy project ‘Origins’ comprises a series of site-specific interventions across Burlington House (15 Oct–15 Jan 2017).

KATE GOODWIN is Head of Architecture at the Royal Academy. She has curated exhibitions including the RA show ‘Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined’ (2014).

paul huxley ra is an artist. A survey show of his work, spanning six decades, is presented at the Mark Rothko Art Centre, Daugavpils, Latvia (until 18 Sep), the city where Rothko was born.

gill hedley is an independent curator, writer and consultant on contemporary visual arts. A former Director of the Contemporary Art Society, she has organised exhibitions on artists including Francis Bacon and Richard Hamilton.

vanessa jackson ra is a painter. A book on her wall paintings, Off the Wall, is published by Pavilionary Press (2014), and she has a solo show at Rook & Raven, London, in early 2017.

mark hampson is the RA Schools’ Head of Fine Art Processes. His work is represented in collections including London’s V&A and the Metropolitan Museum, New York.

benedict johnson is a photographer who specialises in projects for museums and galleries, including London’s National Portrait Gallery and the ICA.

Continued on page 12

NAME THE ARTIST COMPETITION 08

terry setch ra introduces one of his favourite paintings (left). Name the artist and you could win two RA exhibition catalogues I first saw this picture displayed some time in the early 1970s. I had not heard of the artist and later my research showed that only a few of his works were in public collections in the UK, though his paintings were collected internationally during his lifetime. It is not the subject I respond to in this picture – an almost life size, heavily costumed woman – but the surface and the manner of the making of the painting. The artist had an unusual working technique. I discovered that he would use materials and

objects close to, or sometimes on, the impasto surface of the painting to aid the construction of the picture. In this painting, embedded in the thick impasto, is its construction device – a grid formed from string. So thick is the surface that to remove the grid would have certainly altered the painting, so his device became a visual component. To enter

Send the name of the artist to reply.ramagazine@royalacademy.org.uk or: RA Magazine, Royal Academy

of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD, by Friday 16 September 2016. Please include your contact details. Three correct entries chosen at random will receive the books that accompany the RA shows ‘David Hockney RA: 82 Portraits and 1 Still-life’ and ‘Abstract Expressionism’. For full terms and conditions, visit http://roy.ac/catcomp

COMPETITION 07

For Competition 07, published in the last issue of RA Magazine, printmaker Anne Desmet RA chose an engraving by Lynd Ward from his book Madman’s Drum (1930). Congratulations to the three winning entrants, who each have received their prizes.

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Contributors Continued from page 11 WILLIAM KENTRIDGE hon ra

is an artist. His work is presented in a solo exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London (21 Sep–15 Jan 2017). He also shows alongside artist Vivienne Koorland at the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh (19 Nov–19 Feb 2017).

Goldsmiths’ Fair

christopher le brun pra

is an artist. Shows of his work open in Albertz Benda, New York (2 March–15 April 2017), and Arndt Art Agency A3, Berlin (28 April–26 May). His book Christopher Le Brun: New Paintings (2014) is published by Ridinghouse. john lewis writes about music and culture for publications, including the Guardian, Uncut, the Times and Metro. fiona maddocks is a journalist, broadcaster and Classical Music Critic for the Observer. Her books include Harrison Birtwistle: Wild Tracks (Faber & Faber). jonathan manser & victoria shillito, the son

and daughter of the late architect Michael Manser RA, are also architects. Manser is co-director of The Manser Practice, founded by his father, and Shillito’s projects have included Godolphin and Latymer School in London. eimear mcbride is a novelist whose debut novel A Girl Is a Halfformed Thing (Faber & Faber) won the Goldsmiths Prize in 2013 and the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2014. Her new novel The Lesser Bohemians (Faber & Faber) is published in September. mali morris RA is a painter.

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Her work is included in ‘A Threshold’ at London’s APT Gallery (15 Sep–9 Oct) and APT Open Studios (23–25 Sep). martin oldham is an art historian, writer and researcher. He has written for publications including the Spectator and Apollo. michael prodger, former

Literary Editor of the Sunday Telegraph, is Senior Research Fellow in the History of Modern Art at the University of Buckingham.

fiona rae ra is a painter. She presents a solo show of new work at Buchmann Galerie, Berlin (16 Sep–5 Nov). sean scully ra is a painter. His contribution to this issue, written in 2001, is included in Inner: The Collected Writings and Selected Interviews of Sean Scully (Hatje Cantz), published in September. terry setch ra is an artist. His work is represented in major public collections including Tate and the National Museum of Wales. Kamila shamsie is a novelist. Her 2014 book A God in Every Stone (Bloomsbury) was shortlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. Brenda Shaughnessy is a poet. Her latest collection, So Much Synth (Copper Canyon Press), has been published this year. posy simmonds is a cartoonist, and a writer and illustrator of children’s books. Her updated book of cartoons and comic strips Literary Life Revisited (Jonathan Cape) is published in November. CATHerine SLESSOR is an architectural critic and former Editor of The Architectural Review. rebecca swirsky is a critic and fiction writer. She has contributed to publications including the Times Literary Supplement, the Economist and the Observer. David vintiner is a photographer who has contributed to publications including Esquire, Wired, the Guardian and the Sunday Times. annette wickham is the Royal Academy’s Curator of Works on Paper. Her recent RA exhibitions include ‘Daniel Maclise: The Waterloo Cartoon’ (2015–16). SIMON WILSON is an art historian, former Tate curator and RA Magazine’s regular columnist. Wilson was a consultant on the new catalogue raisonné of the work of Aubrey Beardsley (Yale).

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FRANCIS CAMPBELL BOILEAU CADELL The Red Chair Estimate £250,00–350,000 To be sold in the Scottish Art Auction, 22 November.

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From 2018, the RA’s 250th anniversary, new spaces across the Academy will display artworks and other rare objects from the Academy’s historic collections 1. Artists’ materials

The RA has always been a place where art is made. Founded and led by practising artists, the Academy has acquired a fascinating array of artists’ equipment over the years – including the paint-smeared palettes of Royal Academicians. Examples of artists’ palettes (left) include those owned by William Beechey, John Singer Sargent and Glyn Philpot.

2. Learning from the past

In the early years of the RA Schools a key part of the curriculum was drawing from plaster casts of ancient sculptures, whether you were training to be a painter, sculptor or architect. Visitors walking between Burlington House and Burlington Gardens will encounter these historic casts, as well as the works that were inspired by them, such as Bust of ‘Teucer’ (after 1882, left), produced by Hamo Thornycroft RA who studied at the Schools in the 1870s. 3. Going digital

The RA’s historic Library is as old as the institution itself. Many illustrations from its rare books are being digitised so that they can be accessed online, including plates from George Field’s ground-breaking Chromatics: or An Essay on the Analogy and Harmony of Colours (1817, detail far left). The Collections team recently passed the halfway point on an ambitious Heritage Lottery Fund-supported project to digitise 10,000 items from the archives. 4. Diploma works

Written into the founding document of the Royal Academy is a clause that states that when an artist is elected an Academician, they must donate one of their artworks – known as a diploma work. Thus the Collections include work by almost every Academician, past and present. These range from an atmospheric landscape by J.M.W. Turner and an enigmatic pre-war portrait by Harold Knight RA (Ethel Bartlett, c.1937, left) to a vertiginous painting of the Grand Canyon by David Hockney RA and a female nude by Tracey Emin RA. To watch a behind-the-scenes video about the digitisation of the RA Collections, visit http://roy.ac/digitise-blog

AUTUMN 2016 | RA MAGAZINE 15

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This limited edition print of 50 has been created to celebrate the bicentenary of the Artists’ General Benevolent Institution (AGBI), registered charity number 212667. Proﬁts from the sale of the print go to the charity to help artists who can no longer work due to accident, illness or old age. Each print is signed in pencil by all the artists who provided the images including the Royal Academicians Ivor Abrahams, William Bowyer, Michael Craig-Martin, Gus Cummings, Stephen Farthing, Peter Freeth, Ken Howard, Gary Hume, Paul Huxley, Bryan Kneale, David Mach, Chris Orr, Tom Phillips, Barbara Rae and Joe Tilson and leading British artists Peter Blake, Nicola Hicks, Brendan Neiland, Gavin Turk, Christian Marclay, Bruce McLean, Patrick Hughes and Ben Johnson. The print costs £850.00 (including p&p). RA Magazine readers receive a 10% discount. For more details and to purchase the print please contact the AGBI on 020 7734 1193.

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What’s new this autumn in london, the UK and abroad

south african stories South Africa comes to London this autumn in two exhibitions – a historic British Museum survey of the country’s art, and a major Whitechapel show of its leading contemporary artist, WiLLiam KentriDge HOn ra. Here the artist explores three works on view at the museum show

1. The baTTle of rorKe’s drifT, 1981, by John mUafanGeJo

John Muafangejo (1943–87) is one of the great artists of Namibia and one of the great masters of the genre of linocut printmaking. His image here (above) represents a battle in the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War, and while it may remind us of German Expressionist printmaking, it also includes many elements that tie back to traditions of art-making in Africa. There is an aﬃnity with the decorative fabric that is designed in some African countries, in which white cloth is stitched with black ribbon. There’s an immediate resonance with relief carving – the image is constructed from large blocks of black and white. There are thick lines, broad decisions. The line of the linocut is halfway between the looseness and freedom of drawing and the resistance faced when carving material.

But there’s another interesting relationship to African art. Muafangejo trained at the Rorke’s Drift Art and Craft Centre, which was founded by Swedish missionaries at Rorke’s Drift, a village in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in the 1960s. The missionaries brought with them great examples of German Expressionist printmaking. But of course, an inﬂuence on German Expressionism was the ethnographic objects – masks and carvings – brought from Africa to Europe by missionaries, colonial administrators and traders in the 19th century. So while Muafangejo goes back very strongly to an African tradition with his work, it is always layered with the bastardy of missionaries, traders, ethnographic museums and art education. This form of linocut, augmented with text to strengthen its political message, has therefore become an emblematic anti-colonial art form, particularly in South Africa.

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2. The Coldstream Stone (c.7000 bc)

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The Coldstream Stone (below), on loan from the Iziko Museums in Cape Town, is remarkable both for its immediacy and for the continuity it demonstrates, the length of a tradition of imagemaking that has continued for 9,000 years in the southern part of Africa. It takes all sorts of dating techniques to show that this work was made not 100 years ago, or 1,000 years ago, but 9,000 years ago. The same traditions of elongation, of thinning of the extremities of the body, have continued for the 9,000 years since the painting of this stone. If you are an artist in your studio today working on an image, your concerns are essentially those of the person making this stone 9,000 years ago, which are to do with attitude, with gesture, with articulation of the limbs, with asking how far forward a body should lean, or how much detail to put into a shoulder to still show what it is. What is the relationship between the size of the images and the ground on which they are painted, in this case the rock – how do they fill that oval? These are questions one still asks today as an artist. I’m sure they were not posed in those terms 9,000 years ago, but were certainly present in the artist’s consideration of everything it took to make the image. And of course the most fundamental question remains now, as it did then: what is of you and what is not? Making an image comes out of you – and is proof of your existence whether that’s now or 9,000 years ago – but it always has its own independent existence. 2

3. A Pair of sandals handmade by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (before 1915)

Mahatma Gandhi was an illustrious citizen of the city of Johannesburg. He arrived in South Africa in 1893 as a young lawyer to look after the legal interests of Indian workers there. He was from a high-caste Hindu family and he was not interested in Indian mysticism at that time – he had no knowledge of Sanskrit – so his transformation during the course of the 20 years he spent in South Africa came through several other sources. First of these was his observation of Muslim, as opposed to Hindu, passive resistance; of Muslim activists who urged Indians to go to jail rather than obey South Africa’s oppressive, restrictive laws. Second was his contact with a group of Jewish intellectuals, one of whom gave him John Ruskin’s Unto this Last to read and introduced him to Indian mysticism. Gandhi’s links with Indian mysticism were also filtered through interest in the Victorian theosophy of figures such as the Russian Helena Blavatsky and the American Henry Steel Olcott. So it was through a mixture of Russian, American, English and Jewish mysticism that Gandhi came to read the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu scripture that would become a prime source of his inspiration. It led him, in late 1906, to develop his philosophy and politics of satyagraha (truth force), a form of passive resistance that aimed to enable

both the exploited and exploiter to realise the truth. He had come back to Indian tradition, and continued to develop his philosophy during several periods when he was detained in Johannesburg for encouraging Indian resistance. After General Jan Smuts conceded to Indian demands in 1914, Gandhi sent Smuts a gift of a pair of sandals he had made in jail (below), before leaving for England and then on to India. Gandhi had not been a scholar of Indian philosophy; he had been a smartly dressed English barrister. So when he came back to his tradition, it was through translation and mistranslation, through the use and misuse of the texts he had been subjected to. Tradition was bastardised, approached from the side, not paid homage to but used as raw material in the service of another end. In the city of Johannesburg, a place of possible transformations, Gandhi escaped his caste position and made connections and political leaps that would have been impossible in India.

South Africa: The Art of a Nation British Museum, London, 020 7323 8299, britishmuseum.org, 27 Oct–26 Feb 2017 William Kentridge: Thick Time Whitechapel Gallery, London, 020 7522 7888, whitechapelgallery.org, 21 Sep–15 Jan 2017 To listen to a podcast of Kentridge in conversation with the RA’s Artistic Director Tim Marlow, visit http://roy.ac/kentridge-podcast

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Kenneth Armitage

Kenneth Armitage Slab Figure 1961, bronze, British Council Collection

Sculptor A Centenary Celebration

Victoria Art Gallery, Bath 10 September â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 27 November 2016 Exhibition curated by Ann Elliott for the Kenneth Armitage Foundation, with the support of the Henry Moore Foundation Open daily 10.30-5.00 including Bank Holidays; closed 25-26 December and I January

Kenneth Armitage: Gregory Fellow Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery, University of Leeds, 4 March-15 July 2017

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Kenneth Armitage: Richmond Oaks with Jess Flood-Paddock, Armitage Fellow The Tetley, Leeds, 4 May-16 July 2017

The opening of the exhibition in Bath coincides with the publication by Samson and Co of Kenneth Armitage, Sculptor: A Centenary Celebration, which illustrates all works in the exhibition, and more. The book has a preface by John McEwen and essays by Ann Elliott and Dr Jonathan Wood with an account of Armitageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy by Ann Elliott and Sarah Brown and an illustrated biography by Tamsyn Woollcombe.

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Tales and talismans

© As h m o l e a n M us eu m , U n i v ers i t y o f Ox fo r d. Co u r t esy A l is o n Jacq u es G a l l ery, Lo n d o n a n d D es t i n a F o u n dat i o n , N e w Yo r k /© T h e D es t i n a F o u n dat i o n , N e w Yo r k

A spellbinding show of ritual objects and calligraphic images from the rich pantheon of Islamic art enchants kamila shamsie

Calligraphic composition of a camel carrying a coffin, by Mustafa Edirnavi, 1800–01, from Turkey

The last time I saw my grandmother, just a few days before she died, I was leaving Karachi to fly to London. Although I don’t specifically remember this, I know she would have done what she did each time a family member was due to board a plane: hold a Quran up as high as her arm could comfortably reach so that the voyager could walk under the Holy Book. I always felt as though I were walking through a protective door frame, and that my journey started at that moment, even if it was several hours before my flight was due to leave.

It never occurred to me to think of that act of leave-taking as a ‘superstition’, a theme included in an intriguing exhibition on Islamic art at the Ashmolean Museum. Instead I had preferred to view my grandmother’s ritual as ‘cultural practice.’ Which is of course how everyone thinks of their own, as opposed to other people’s, superstitions. But however you phrase it, actions that are entwined with a religion while remaining separate from its strict tenets speak of the deep imaginative engagement that individuals and cultures bring to their faith. Such practices

also reflect the ways in which religions with a wide reach must be able to absorb existing habits of imagination and sources of comfort and strength, so that they don’t demand a complete rupture with the past. At its most fertile, religion is bound up with every celebration, every fear, every new journey, every dream and every nightmare. And no matter how deep the idea of ‘the ineffable’ runs in a religion, there are always artists who give shape and form to our emotional need for talismans and amulets to encourage the dreams and ward off the nightmares. In the case of Islam, with portraiture of the Prophet strictly prohibited in most Muslims’ understanding of their faith, that outward shape and form to which artists turn their attention often centres around the Quran. While the most austere of adherents to Islam might insist that only learning, reciting and living by the Word of God is what matters, most Muslims recognise the word itself – the Arabic script – as a place of refuge, even those who can’t read, as they can recognise the shapes. Small wonder, then, that so many of the objects in the exhibition include Arabic calligraphy. Words run along the blade of a sword, they embroider a shirt, are caged in the outline of a falcon. The name of Allah is the teeth of a dragon, the name of the Prophet is the dragon’s jawbone. One of the first pieces of artwork I bought was a line of calligraphy painted into a desertscape. That particular line is loved by calligraphers for its combination of variation and balance: – in English, it translates as ‘How many of your Lord’s blessings can you deny?’ The beauty of the works in this show must number among blessings that cannot be denied. Power and Protection: Islamic Art and the Supernatural Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 01865 278000, ashmolean.org, 20 Oct–15 Jan 2017

Convolotus alchemelia (Quiet-willow window) by brenda shaughnessy smoke veil tissuing in my thin  sugar, spread-veined & still  so green-legged for jumping through   Echo’s silver glass to this temple of birdrush  crushed, edges smudged to blur the violetly-loved body. you would

There   hear me.

This poem was written in response to the painting of the same name (right) by Dorothea Tanning. The canvas is one of 12 flower paintings paired with poems in Tanning’s book Another Language of Flowers (1998). These paintings are on view in Dorothea Tanning: Flower Paintings Alison Jacques Gallery, London, 020 7631 4720, alisonjacques.com, 2 Sep–1 Oct

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New horizons Video artist Elizabeth Price is curating a show in Manchester that explores the horizontal in art. anna coatman meets her and finds the concept works on many levels When I meet Elizabeth Price in her south-east London studio, she immediately apologises for ‘the mess’ and the fact that she hasn’t much to offer me in the way of refreshments. She has just returned from Ireland to a divided, post-Brexit country – and an empty fridge. It’s a few days after the EU Referendum and Price is feeling a bit disorientated. ‘It’s hard to focus on anything else,’ she admits. I can’t really see much evidence of untidiness, however – just a few books lying on a large, almost empty desk that fills most of the room. This desk is the clean slate on which Price creates her extraordinarily rich art: video works with oblique, dream-like narratives and emotional, politically charged undercurrents, stitched together from found footage, archival images, music videos and other cultural ephemera. A former member of the 1980s indie band Talulah Gosh, Price began her artistic career in the ’90s, making work ‘rooted in conceptual art and institutional critique – that kind of stuff.’ Becoming disillusioned with the ‘macho set of ideals’ prevalent in the contemporary art scene, she started to pull elements of pop culture and advertising into her work, first using PowerPoint, then video – in spite of the fact that ‘people think you are a bit thick if you make art that looks like popular culture’. ‘I kind of stepped backwards into making

films,’ Price recalls. ‘I was just trying to find a way to combine texts, images and objects.’ She has been working in the medium ever since, and in 2012 she won the Turner Prize for The Woolworth’s Choir of 1979 – an astonishing film constructed from news footage of a terrible shop fire and a performance by the 1960s pop group The Shangri-Las. Though it clearly suits her, a downside of video art is that it entails ‘sitting alone, for months, in a room with a laptop’. This is one reason why she jumped at the chance to curate a Hayward Touring show, now open at The Whitworth in Manchester. ‘In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive and You Were Full of Joy’ is a highly original exhibition in which Price explores the horizontal in art, via an eclectic mix of paintings photographs, sculptures, films and performances from the 13th century up to the present. ‘I approached it pretty much as I would approach making a piece of art,’ Price says. ‘I make my work by binding together many different types of existing cultural objects, so I applied that method in developing the exhibition.’ She saw ‘an opportunity to reflect back on many years of thinking about art,’ and found that two sculptures came to mind: Nécessaire (1968) by Giulio Paolini and the earlier work Snowdrift (1901, above) by Edward Onslow Ford RA. Price first saw Nécessaire – blank sheets of paper stacked horizontally rather than placed on a wall – in 1993, in an exhibition at the Hayward Gallery called ‘Gravity and Grace’. ‘At the time I was broke and feeling lost as an artist,’ she remembers, ‘I completely identified with the piece but also it made me terribly sad. The thing that struck me was that it conveyed an anxiety about artistic authorship: what it is to start to write, or to make an image, to create something that doesn’t yet exist.’ When she says this,

I cannot help thinking of the desk we’re sitting at. Price discovered Snowdrift – a marble sculpture of a young woman falling unconscious on snow – around the same time. ‘What’s interesting to me about that sculpture is the way it’s so of its time. It was made while Arctic and Antarctic expeditions were being conducted and there was this great cultural fascination with snow. At the same time there was also a misogynist preoccupation with the image of women dying, or disappearing.’ In the exhibition, this piece is grouped with other artworks depicting sleeping figures, creating the eerie sense that you, the viewer, are the only person awake in the room – an intended effect, inspired by Price’s own experience of insomnia. Though these two artworks initially captured Price’s imagination for different reasons, she realises – years later – that their horizontal qualities connect them. For her, the flat sheets of Nécessaire are anticipated by Snowdrift. ‘Onslow Ford seems to prefigure a fascination, within 20th-century sculpture, with a kind of horizontal dynamic; the dissolution of the image into the slab and the idea of sculpture spreading out laterally and falling off the plinth onto the floor.’ Ultimately, it’s the way it conveys a sense of openness, of potential, that attracts Price to the idea of the horizontal. ‘I wander off over the course of the exhibition, but I guess my argument is that with art that uses or expresses horizontal states, there is this sense of that which may follow. The matter isn’t closed.’ In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive and You Were Full of Joy The Whitworth, Manchester, 0161 275 7450, until 31 Oct; De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, 0142 422 9100, 28 Jan–30 April 2017; Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, 0179 251 6900, 13 May–28 Aug 2017 To see a gallery of artworks from the show, visit http://roy.ac/elizabeth-price

Co u r t esy N at i o n a l M us eu ms L i v er p o o l , L a dy L e v er A r t G a l l ery

below Snowdrift, 1901, by Edward Onslow Ford RA

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RA-WFA adv Aug 2016_WFA Advert 02/08/2016 14:11 Page 1

W H I T F O R D F I N E A RT Frank Avray Wilson 21 Oct – 25 Nov 2016

Whitford Fine Art 6 Duke Street St. James’s London SW1Y 6BN +44 (0)20 7930 9332 info@whitfordfineart.com www.whitfordfineart.com

Also showing at LAPADA 13 – 18 Sep 2016 Stand A3

Gerard Stamp Isle of Light

For more information, to order a catalogue (£10 including p&p) and to attend the private view please call 01328 730125 or

New watercolours of Ely Cathedral The Lady Chapel, 24th September to 2nd October

email stamp@grapevinegallery.co.uk Cathedral admission charge £8, concessions £6 (Children under 16 free accompanied by an adult), exhibition open 10am to 4.30pm (12 noon to 4.30pm Sunday) By invitation of the Cathedral Chapter and arranged by Grapevine Contemporary Art www.gerardstamp.com Above: ‘The empty niche’ watercolour 57x64cm.

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The eloquent auctioneer

As Christie’s auction house celebrates 250 years of wielding the gavel, martin oldham tracks down its founder James Christie, a man who turned the humble auction into the spectacle it remains to this day

the contents of Joshua Reynolds PRA’s studio in 1795 realised £10,319. By his death in 1803, Christie had become the leading auctioneer in London, his name synonymous with selling fine art. His success was partly down to courting a network of influential dealers and agents, and a roster of rich clientele, which gave him the advantage in attracting the best consignments. He mixed easily in the cosmopolitan and artistic circles of the capital, counting among his friends the actor David Garrick, the writer and connoisseur Horace Walpole, and the Academicians Reynolds and Gainsborough. Gainsborough’s 1778 portrait (left) depicts Christie as an urbane and good-humoured man, going about his business with relaxed confidence, catalogue in hand, elbow resting on a stack of paintings. Portrait of James Christie, 1778, by Thomas Gainsborough RA Prior to Christie, auctions had On Friday 5 December 1766, an auction took been mundane affairs. He turned them into place in London of what was advertised as ‘the entertainment, aimed as much at the burgeoning genuine household furniture, jewels, plate, firemiddle classes as at wealthy collectors and arms etc… the property of a noble personage connoisseurs. His ‘private view days’ became (deceas’d)’. An unremarkable sale for its time, celebrated social events, and his showroom one of it included all manner of household items such as the few venues in London where people could see a pair of sheets, two pillowcases and two chamber Old Master paintings prior to the advent of public pots. But posterity has bestowed upon it a special museums. Known for his persuasive manner and significance, because this was the first auction verbal flourishes, Christie brought an element of from his permanent sale room in Pall Mall of showmanship to proceedings. In one satirical James Christie (1730–1803). Modest beginnings, cartoon he was dubbed ‘Eloquence, or The King but from there grew the Christie’s brand, a multi- of Epithets’; in another – ‘The Specious Orator’ – billion pound global art business that this year he is shown in characteristic pose, leaning celebrates its 250th anniversary. forward from his rostrum, gavel in hand, cajoling Christie was quick to realise he was never a bidder to part with ‘£50,000 – a mere trifle’. going to make it big by selling bed sheets and If he were to return today, what would James chamber pots. He held his first sale of paintings Christie make of the auction house he founded? in March 1767: ‘a genuine and valuable collection Much has changed in the art business, not least of Italian, French and Flemish pictures, the more scrupulous attention paid to questions consigned from abroad’. It was not a great success of authenticity, attribution and provenance. But – the paintings might not have been as genuine as the one place he would still feel at home would advertised, nor particularly valuable: most failed be inside the ‘Great Room’, where the protocols to find a buyer, the sale raising a meagre £244 18s and performance of auctioneering still follow those he was so influential in establishing. And in total. However, subsequent picture sales proved to be more lucrative, and a succession of it might amuse him to discover that Christie’s recently sold an 18th-century English Delft important consignments in the 1770s cemented his reputation. In 1778 he arranged the privatepolychrome chamber pot for £2,500. treaty sale of Robert Walpole’s paintings – the Going Once: 250 Years of Culture, Taste and Houghton Hall collection – to Catherine the Collecting at Christie’s is published in October (Phaidon, £39.95) Great of Russia for £40,000. The five-day sale of

Air Power, 1984, by Jean-Michel Basquiat

Bowie’s art collection leads autumn auctions Newspaper reports about prices in the millions obscure the best thing about art auctions: the free public exhibitions beforehand. Sotheby’s has a crowd-puller on the cards with its ten-day show of David Bowie’s art collection (sales 10 & 11 Nov; preview 1–10 Nov). Bowie’s open musical mind was reflected in his taste for art, which ranged from African art to avant-garde design, modern British to JeanMichel Basquiat (Air Power, 1984, above). The collection of Royal Academicians Mary Fedden and Julian Trevelyan is also for sale at Sotheby’s (sale 23 Sep; preview 18–22 Sep). The artist couple’s post-war paintings are complemented by works received as gifts from friends, including Picasso and Henry Moore. The proceeds support the restoration of their studios at London’s Durham Wharf into a workplace for future generations of artists. The late art critic Brian Sewell was hard to please, so it will be fascinating to see what made the grade when it came to his own acquisitions, when his collection goes on sale at Christie’s (sale 27 Sep; preview 24–26 Sep). And ahead of the British Museum’s major show of South African art (page 20), Bonhams in London continues its series of auctions on this underexposed area of international art (sale 14 Sep; preview 11–14 Sep). Sam Phillips

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Hats off to Picasso Picasso’s friends and family are the focus of an exhibition showing how portraiture pushed the artist forward, writes christopher baker

A show on 1970s feminist artists is a timely reminder of their radical vision, says anna coatman The second wave of feminism that was sweeping through the US and Europe in the 1970s crashed into the art world, as a new generation of female artists challenged the patriarchy entrenched in art and society at large. As a result, a radical, experimental, provocative and witty feminist avantgarde emerged. Unhappy with the

Woman in a Hat (Olga), 1935, by Pablo Picasso

Picasso is the great mercurial chameleon of 20th-century art, whose achievement seems hard to grasp because of its diversity and abundant invention. However, by looking in detail at a particular strand of his creativity, the evolution of his work becomes comprehensible. This is one of the ambitions of a major exhibition this autumn at the National Portrait Gallery in London. The distinguished guest curator Professor Elizabeth Cowling has selected outstanding international loans, some of which have never been seen in Britain, for this not-to-be-missed show. It plots the development of Picasso’s portraiture from the splintering of reality in his Cubist period and his grand classicism of the 1920s and ’30s to the more anarchic performances of his late work. There was always a mischievous, subversive glint in the artist’s famously coal-black eyes, and it found expression through the witty streak that emerges in much of his portraiture. Picasso could

pinpoint a personality certainly, whether it be the ponderousness of Gertrude Stein or the playfulness of a child, but the qualities of exaggeration and deft simplification, which often border on caricature, are never far away (Woman in a Hat (Olga), 1935, above). The artist did not follow conventional commissioning practices and largely depicted his immediate circle, as well as himself, and so what emerges is a riveting collective portrait of his friends, family and lovers: key figures include Jean Cocteau and Igor Stravinsky, as well as Dora Maar, Lee Miller, Françoise Gilot and Jacqueline Picasso. An intriguing counterpoint to these are Picasso’s studies inspired by seminal portrait painters who were his heroes – Velázquez and Rembrandt – making the show an irresistible draw in a crowded London exhibition schedule.  Picasso Portraits National Portrait Gallery, London, 020 7306 0055, npg.org.uk, 6 Oct–5 Feb 2017

One of 36 playing cards in An Adult Game of Mastication, 1975, by Hannah Wilke, from ‘S.O.S. Starification Object Series’ way women were objectified, many artists began to use their own bodies as material. In an image from her ‘S.O.S. Starification Object Series’ (above), the American artist Hannah Wilke satirised male desire, posing like a pin-up, but with pieces of chewing gum modelled to resemble vulvas, or ‘wounds’, stuck all over her. This work is one of 150 included in the Photographers’ Gallery survey of this crucial period, featuring 48 feminist artists, such as Ana Mendieta, Carolee Schneemann and Francesca Woodman. Feminist Avant-Garde of the 1970s: Works from the Verbund Collection The Photographers’ Gallery, London, 020 7087 9300, thephotographersgallery. org.uk, 7 Oct–8 Jan 2017

Cen t r e P o m p i d o u, Pa r is/ M us ée n at i o n a l d ’a r t m o d er n e /S u cces s i o n P i cas s o/ DAC S Lo n d o n , 2016/ P h oto: Cen t r e P o m p i d o u, MNAM - CCI , D is t. RMN - Gr a n d Pa l a is/ R i gh ts r es er v ed. H a n n a h W i l k e Co l l ect i o n & A r ch i v e , Los A n gel es/© M a rs i e , Em a n u el l e , Da m o n , a n d A n d r e w Sch a r l at t/ B i l d r ech t, V i en n a , 2015/ SAMMLUN G VER B UND, V i en n a

Women’s rites

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Alan Cotton

Skye – Towering Clouds Over the Sea

For over 50 years Alan Cotton has honed his palette-knife technique, producing boldly chromatic, landscapes rich in topography and atmosphere. He understands oil paint on a distinctly sensory level: its colour, smell and texture, and often uses his knife to achieve richly protruding surfaces. But ultimately, Cotton’s paintings are about the allure and caprices of oil paint itself.

oil on canvas 61 x 61 cms 24 x 24 ins

Messum’s www.messums.com

Exhibition 14th September – 7th October 2016 Catalogue £15 inc p&p

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28 Cork Street, London W1S 3NG Telephone: +44 (0)20 7437 5545

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Six degrees of separation

3. ORAZIO GENTILESCHI

sam phillips dances from Rodin’s drawings to Hodgkin’s jewel-like colours in six autumn shows

2. design bienniale

Before Rodin’s sculptures take the spotlight, the spaces of Somerset House are filled with objects weird and wonderful for the inaugural edition of the London Design Biennale (7–27 Sep; 020 3793 0644). Participating nations, ranging from Italy and Sweden to Nigeria and South Africa, are displaying products, plans and prototypes (Cape Town’s Pork Hefer, above, in his Dora Esca hanging chair). The theme is Utopia, to tie into the 500th anniversary of Thomas More’s publication of the same name, and contributions include solutions to flooding, urban blight and global aid delivery. 1. RODIN and DANCE

4. queen’s house

As a sculptor obsessed with the human body and its every expressive movement, Rodin tackled head-on, late in life, his greatest challenge: the representation of dance. From about 1911 he began the series ‘Dance Movements’, small clay figures whose acrobatic twists recalled the radical choreography of Isadora Duncan. The Courtauld in London’s Somerset House presents the first UK show of the series (20 Oct–22 Jan 2017; 020 7848 2526), together with related works on paper (Cambodian Dancer in Profile, 1906–07, above).

A favourite of Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria, Gentileschi produced paintings for a ceiling at the Queen’s House, Greenwich. But in the early 18th-century Queen Anne gifted them all to the Duchess of Marlborough. To coincide with the restoration of the Queen’s House for its 400th anniversary (reopens 11 Oct; 020 8858 4422), Richard Wright, famous for his intricately patterned site-specific works (The Stairwell Project in the Dean Gallery, Edinburgh, 2010, below), has been commissioned to fill the blank panels.

5. helen marten

6. howard hodgkin

In 1985, the year of Helen Marten’s birth, it was the painter Howard Hodgkin who won the Turner Prize. This autumn, to launch Alan Cristea Gallery’s new premises in London’s Pall Mall, Hodgkin presents new works that fuse printmaking and painting techniques (Ice Cream, 2016, above; 5 Oct–18 Nov; 020 7439 1866).

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Wright won the Turner Prize in 2009; the smart money is on Helen Marten to win this year, ahead of the accompanying show at Tate Britain (27 Sep–2 Jan 2017; 020 7887 8888). Marten’s eclectic installations, collages and assemblages arrange both found and crafted objects and images, suggesting intriguing ideas and stories in the process. Her show at London’s Serpentine Sackler Gallery (29 Sep–20 Nov; 020 7402 6075) includes They Flush Fuchsia (2015, above).

M us ée R o d i n , Pa r is . j us t i n pat r i ck . n at i o n a l g a l l ery o f i r el a n d, d u b l i n . © R i ch a r d W r i gh t/Co u r t esy t h e a r t is t a n d G agos i a n G a l l ery/ P h oto A n to n i a R ee v e . Co u r t esy o f S a d i e Co l es H Q , Lo n d o n , Ko en i g G a l er i e , B er l i n , Gr een e N a f ta l i , N e w Yo r k , T293 , N a p l es a n d R o m e . Co u r t esy H owa r d H o d gk i n a n d A l a n Cr is t e a G a l l ery, Lo n d o n

Underneath Somerset House lie 17th-century graves that date to the time when a royal chapel was on site. Orazio Gentileschi was buried there, and although the grave has been destroyed, his canvases can still be seen at the National Gallery (David and Goliath, c.1605–8, below), in ‘Beyond Caravaggio’ (12 Oct–15 Jan 2017; 020 7747 2885).

ARTIST NAME Title of Work, 19XX. Estimate £XX,000–XX,000

Julian and Mary relaxing at Durham Wharf, circa 1949. Photograph courtesy of the Trevelyan Family Archive.

Auction London 23 November 2016 Sold to benefit the redevelopment of Durham Wharf by Turner Prize winning architects Assemble as a residence and studio for artists, architects and designers. 34–35 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON W1A 2AA ENQUIRIES +44 (0)20 7293 6424 RACHEL.ROSS@SOTHEBYS.COM SOTHEBYS.COM/MODBRIT

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MODERN BRITISH AND IRISH ART

Wednesday 23 November 2016 New Bond Street, London Entries now invited

At our recent June auction, 46% of lots were sold in excess of their upper estimates, more than any competitor. The Bonhams team are devoted to spending more time and energy on getting the best result for each and every lot entrusted to us. Contact us now to consign for our November sale and take advantage of this exceptionally strong market. Closing date for entries Friday 7 October 2016

bonhams.com/modernbritish Prices shown include buyer’s premium. Details can be found at bonhams.com

ENQUIRIES +44 (0) 20 7468 8297 britart@bonhams.com DAME BARBARA HEPWORTH (1903-1975) Seated Girl signed and dated ‘Barbara Hepworth/1949’ (upper right) oil and pencil on card 25.4 x 20.4 cm. (10 x 8 in.) Sold for £206,500 in June 2016

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Alternative roots Modern artists rejected the Western canon in favour of tribal art, writes simon wilson, as he takes in shows in Vienna and Berlin Leopold. The quality of his collection was such that it was bought by the city in 1994 and housed in a museum bearing his name, which is the venue of ‘Foreign Gods’. The exhibition includes art from Oceania (a term that refers broadly to the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean) as well as Africa, and brings it together with the Western art it influenced. In Berlin is ‘Dada Africa: Dialogue with the Other’, a very focused look at the fascination with African tribal art of the Dada group in Zürich during the First World War. It travels from Zürich’s Rietberg Museum and marks the centenary of Dada’s launch in the Swiss city in 1916, although its specific point of reference is the first Dada exhibition, held in 1917. This was titled ‘Dada. Cubistes. Art Nègre’ and astonishingly brought together for the first time in a public exhibition works from the two radical Western movements of Cubism and Dada with the tribal art that had inspired them. But why did these artists suddenly turn, with such explosive results, to these objects that had hitherto not been considered art at all in Western terms and were to be found only in museums of ethnography? In part it was the outcome of a long-simmering revolt against the dominance of the Renaissance style. In part it was the result of artists’ response to the insanity of the First World War. Renaissance art was a fantastically sophisticated, fantastically elite, fantastically artificial product that always carried within it the seeds of decadence. In seeking to break away from it artists sought the opposite qualities – honesty, simplicity, innocence, nature. They sought too, pure and simple faiths, in contrast to the complexities of the Roman Church. In their search for these truths, painters moved out of the city and into the fields, to increasingly remote rural fastnesses untainted by urban life. Then, in a crucial leap, one of them, Paul Gauguin, left Europe altogether. The stage was thus set for Western culture to be challenged in its most treasured belief – its innate Monument I: From an Ethnographic Museum No. VIII, 1924–28, superiority to the rest of the world. by Hannah Höch

B er l i n is ch e G a l er i e , p u r ch as ed w i t h f u n ds f r o m t h e D K L B f o u n dat i o n a n d w i t h f u n ds f r o m t h e S en ato r f o r S ci en ce a n d A r t, B er l i n 1973

‘Ex Africa semper aliquid novi’ is a famous remark of the great Roman writer and philosopher Pliny (23–79CE). It translates as ‘Out of Africa always something new’ and is a comment that certainly has resonance for historians of modern art. The extraordinary role played by art from other cultures, notably Africa’s, in the creation of Western Modernism is vividly illuminated by two major exhibitions in Europe this autumn. In Vienna is ‘Foreign Gods: Fascination for Africa and Oceania’, based on the tribal art holdings of the Viennese collector Rudolf

In statues of tribal gods, and in ritual masks whose non-naturalistic, highly stylised forms also embodied powerful, highly expressive imagery, artists found a model for an alternative to Western art. The most dramatic early result was Cubism which, from about 1909, following mainly the formal implications of tribal art, rapidly undermined the Western model by fragmenting the image and abandoning perspective. A major outcome of this was abstract art. Around the same time the artists of the German group Die Brücke focused more on the primal, instinctual and ritual aspects of non-Western art, founding the major stream of modern art broadly known as Expressionism. Then came the war, which for the artists completed the case for the failures of Western society and its art. In Zürich and in New York, and then Paris, the Dadaists took their cue from tribal art, Cubism and Expressionism and pushed further the deconstruction of the Western model. Much Dada activity was ephemeral. At Dada’s original home, the famous Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich, anarchic performances of nonsense poetry and plays, and of bizarre music of random sounds, laid the foundations of what was later to be known as performance art. But the main medium of Dada’s pictorial or sculptural art was collage, and its three-dimensional equivalent, assemblage. This work, made from found materials, established one of the fundamentals of art as we know it – that it does not have to be painted or carved or modelled, and that it can be made of anything. Often including elements from tribal art in its imagery, it was politically or socially or aesthetically aggressive, as in Hannah Höch’s Monument I (left), from her series of collages ‘From an Ethnographic Museum’ (1924–28), which features in the Berlin show. In it, using images clipped from magazines, she combines startlingly different sources: an African mask; the torso of an ancient Egyptian goddess; and the leg and arm of a film actress. This strange composite figure is placed on a pedestal, thus proposing a subversive new ideal of the female figure in art. Dada introduced the ideas that eventually gave us conceptual art, whose influence in turn has combined with the other streams of modern art to give us the great, broad, extraordinarily rich, varied, diverse and international river of contemporary art that the world now has. So go to Berlin and Vienna – both cities one anyway needs no excuse to visit – and then come back and go to the new Tate Modern to see what I mean. Dada Africa: Dialogue with the Other Berlinische Galerie, Berlin, berlinischegalerie.de, until 7 Nov Foreign Gods: Fascination for Africa and Oceania Leopold Museum, Vienna, leopoldmuseum.org, 23 Sep–9 Jan 2017

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Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, 1970–71, by David Hockney RA

There will always be pictures In this excerpt from their forthcoming book, david hockney ra and martin gayford discuss the impact of the digital image

David Hockney The dial telephone dates my

painting Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy [above], doesn’t it? Phones date fast, but I don’t think the picture itself has dated. Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy is a memorable picture; I realise that now, all these years later. But I’m not sure why. Martin Gayford Pictures can be unforgettable, while depicting nothing out of the ordinary. Two people in a room, a view out of the window, a pet: those are the ingredients of Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, and also of Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait, painted over four-and-a-half centuries before. Some pictures prove to be perennial; they always appeal to us even if the objects in them become unfamiliar. In time, the exact significance of that white dial telephone, rather smart and stylish in 1971, will be remembered only by social historians (just as is true to today of Giovanni Arnolfini’s strange hat or his wife’s green gown). Perhaps gallery-goers of the future will wonder what on earth the white phone was, but they’ll probably still be looking with pleasure and interest at Celia Birtwell and Ossie Clark, the flowers and Percy the cat – just as we look at the animals painted on the walls of the cave at Lascaux, without knowing who depicted them or why they did so. Conversely, no-one in 1971 could have guessed that the humble phone would bring about a revolution in visual communication. DH In the 21st century phones have become completely amazing. We’ve moved into a new era, and it’s because of what I’ve got in my pocket. Moreover, the changes are greatly about pictures. Once Hollywood alone had the money

to use film technology, but now the technology is everywhere; everyone is becoming a bit of a film-maker because they have a video camera on their phone. MG We are living through a revolution as profound as that brought about by printing in the 15th century, photography in the 19th and moving pictures in the 20th. Within the last decade, technology has appeared that makes it possible for enormous numbers of people to take a picture – still or moving – and almost immediately publish it to the world, or at least to their followers and contacts on Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and Snapchat. The addition of a selfie button to smart phones has transformed the form of pictures just as the appearance of the box Brownie did in the late 19th century. Now 30 per cent of images sent by younger users of social media are selfies – meaning hundreds of millions of them are taken and sent each day. In a way, the effect is similar to that of the Claude glass on its owners in the 18th century. You start to see your surroundings in terms of a certain kind of picture: in this case, yourself posing with a significant companion or backdrop – beside George Clooney, in front of the Mona Lisa. DH There’s a corollary to Andy Warhol’s idea that in the future everybody would be famous for fifteen minutes. Now, I think in the future nobody will be famous, only known locally to their friends and followers, because of the fragmentation of mass media. The world today is full of images, but they

aren’t very memorable, most of them. The more photographs you take, the less time you’ll spend looking at each one. At one time, there were only a few pictures around, now there are everincreasing billions each year. What happens to them all? How will they be seen and how will they be kept? Probably most of them will be lost, almost immediately. Some people will save things, and it’s those that will last. Preservation is always a matter of somebody deciding to keep something. That’s a matter of loving care. MG Not many pictures have ever been awarded that type of attention. Of the millions of photographs taken in the 19th and 20th centuries, most got thrown away. Only the finest paintings enter museums and aristocratic collections. In 2015, Vint Cerf, a vice-president of Google, and one of the originators of the Internet, warned that all the images and documents currently stored on computers might be lost as hardware and software become obsolete. As a result, all records of the 21st century might vanish in a ‘digital Dark Age’. DH I think constantly about what I should update. I’ve printed out everything I’ve done on the iPhone and iPad, to make sure there’s at least one copy. My assistants and I do it as best we can with the technology available. But if new machines came along we’d get them and print the work again. MG The history of pictures, naturally, is all about the images that have happened to survive. Which they will be in the future is impossible to say, but it is likely that they will have certain qualities we have noticed in these pages, such as memorability. They will be the product of hard looking, skill, and require the hand, the heart and the eye. DH People like pictures. They won’t go away. Everybody thought the cinema would kill the theatre, but the theatre will always be there because it’s live. Drawing and painting will carry on, like singing and dancing, because people need them. I’m quite convinced that painting will be big in the future. If the history of art and the history of pictures diverge, the power will be with the images. Nobody’s taking much notice of the avant-garde any more. They’re finding they’ve lost their authority. I like looking at the world; I’ve always been interested in how we see, and what we see. The world is exciting, even if a lot of pictures are not. And right now is an exciting moment in the history of pictures. Does art progress? Not many really think it does, do they? But why does art have to go anywhere? Art hasn’t ended, and neither has the history of pictures. People get the idea from time to time that everything is finishing. It doesn’t end at all; it just goes on and on and on. A History of Pictures by David Hockney and Martin Gayford (hbk, £29.95, Thames & Hudson) is published on 6 October. Gayford discusses the book in an RA Magazine Presents event (8 Nov); visit royalacademy.org.uk/events and see page 121 David Hockney: 82 Portraits and 1 Still-life The Sackler Wing, Royal Academy of Arts, London, until 2 Oct. Sponsored by Cazenove Capital Management. See Readers’ Offers page 104 for an offer on the catalogue

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Preview Books

Thinking outside the box CATHERINE SLESSOR selects new books on architecture that document, question and celebrate our built environment

The Lubetkin Legacy Marina Lewycka Fig Tree, £14.99 hbk

Unspoken Spaces Studio Olafur Eliasson Thames & Hudson, £60 hbk

Outlaw Territories Felicity D. Scott Zone Books, £29.95 hbk

This Brutal World Peter Chadwick Phaidon, £29.95 hbk

A darkly comic charade based on the tenuous premise of two Bertholds. Berthold Sidebotham is an out-of-work actor who ends up living with his mother in a north London block of flats designed by the esteemed Modernist architect Berthold Lubetkin. His mother may (or may not) have had a relationship with Lubetkin but when she dies, he ‘adopts’ an elderly lady to impersonate her rather than lose his cherished flat.

United for the first time in a beautifully produced single volume, this gallimaufry of sculptures, confections, concepts and installations by Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson explores and subverts the rigour of geometry and the notion of the object in space. Together they constitute an imagined city, a patchwork of territories and a polyphonic crescendo of voices, presented in a rich visual collage of models, finished works and unrealised ideas.

Leading academic Felicity Scott considers the nature of ‘outlaw territories’ – countercultural settlements and ecological experiments of the 1970s – as a rehearsal and outlier for today’s spatial activism, including the Occupy movement and the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul. Meticulously researched, it re-evaluates a neglected history of architecture, examining the impact of post-industrial technologies and neoliberal capitalism in the postwar era.

After decades in the wilderness, Brutalism is having a moment. Peter Chadwick’s mouthwatering global photographic survey of Brutalist buildings from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day is a love letter to an oftenmaligned genre. He radically expands the canon to take in lesserknown terrains, from Argentina to Uzbekistan, backed up by an evangelistic personal account of his journey of discovery around Brutalism’s concrete utopias.

The Architecture of Psychoanalysis Jane Rendell I.B. Tauris, £16.99 pbk

The Language of Cities Deyan Sudjic Allen Lane, £25 hbk

The Battle for Home Marwa al-Sabouni Thames & Hudson, £16.95 hbk

Modern Forms Nicolas Grospierre Prestel, £29.99 hbk

London’s Design Museum Director Deyan Sudjic decodes the underlying forces shaping global cities, from larger structural factors, such as resources and land, to more agile ideas that fertilise the design of buildings or urban spaces. Erudite and entertaining, Sudjic considers the differences between capital cities and other metropolises to ask why we are often inclined to embrace civic identities as Londoners, Muscovites or Mumbaikars, rather than national identities.

Marwa al-Sabouni runs an architectural studio in the Syrian city of Homs. Her first-hand account of life in an environment hideously transformed by war – witnessing mortar attacks and refugees struggling to find a home – reveals uncomfortable truths and important questions about the fate of cities when social cohesion disintegrates. But she also offers astute insights into how urban centres could be reimagined and rebuilt in the aftermath of conflict.

In the tradition of the topographical project, Nicolas Grospierre’s laconic photographs of Modernist buildings around the world document the universalist aspirations and untamed imaginations of their architects. They are presented as a series of identically framed images, subtly ordered and categorised by form, evoking an Internet rolling feed of images devoid of context. Yet Grospierre’s archive is an infinitely more cohesive whole, and offers a compelling new view of Modernism.

How do external material environments and the inner world of emotion, memory and imagination influence each other? Illuminating a new field of interdisciplinary enquiry, Jane Rendell discusses the spatial vocabulary of psychoanalysis and the ideas around the psychoanalytic encounter, with reference to Freud and other influential thinkers, in this dissection of the relationship between space and psychoanalysis.

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ENGINEERING THE WORLD OVE ARUP AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF TOTAL DESIGN

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18 June â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 November 2016 Part of the V&A Engineering Season #EngineeringTheWorld #vamEngineeringSeason This exhibition is made possible with the cooperation of Arup BOOK NOW | V&A MEMBERS GO FREE vam.ac.uk | Victoria and Albert Museum with additional support from

Sydney Opera House under construction, 1966. Courtesy of Max Dupain & Associates Archives/ Eric Sierins

The RAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s painters, printmakers, sculptors and architects

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Academy Artists

The imaginary studio The ebullient, multimedia artist-poet Brian Catling RA is reluctant to identify his studio as a physical space, as fiona maddocks discovered when she met up with him in Oxford. Photograph by david vintiner

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In the Studio

For a feature entitled ‘In the Studio’, Brian Catling RA was never likely to be a straightforward subject. Elected as an Academician in 2015, he says he doesn’t really have a studio. In an email he explained that while he has places in which to make things, most of his real work is done in his head, so his studio is a ‘floating one that exists between imagined audience and venue logistics’. When I quoted this back to him, in his worker’s cottage in a corner of old industrial Oxford, he guffawed loudly. A big bear of a man, with high forehead, jowly chin and huge hands, Catling (b.1948) is larger than life and twice as exuberant, with a bellowing laugh and strong, gravelly voice. His work is hard to categorise: sculptor, poet, novelist, film-maker, installation and performance artist, happy to play ferociously on invented instruments, pull mad faces for the camera, or drape his head in a plastic inflatable stag head (check him out on Google images). His fantasy novel The Vorrh (2015), speaks of demons and angels, warriors and priests. ‘I’ve always been peculiarly drawn to the dark, to the mysterious.’ His black braces, accordingly, are decorated with skulls and crossbones. Catling was educated at Walthamstow School of Art – after failing his foundation course at Maidstone ‘where they thought I was a rogue, and an unruly and dangerous influence’ – and at the Royal College of Art. He later taught there, and at the Royal Academy Schools, before becoming Professor of Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford. He loves teaching: ‘I like the idea of giving something back, of getting students to be themselves. No prisoners, no disciples: it’s their imagination that matters, not mine.’ He grew up off the Old Kent Road in south London – mean streets in the 1950s and 1960s – and thinks of himself as a true Cockney, though he looks more like something out of a Norse saga. Born, then, within the sound of Bow Bells? ‘Ah, well that’s the nub of the matter. I have no idea. I am adopted. Or a foundling, as I prefer to think of it. I have never wanted to know. I don’t think I have a very English-shaped head – whatever that is [laughs]. I never looked for

my birth parents. I had a wonderful, workingclass childhood and my parents gave me love, support, wisdom. I couldn’t be luckier.’ His father was a caretaker, his mother a housewife. Catling has overcome, but still shows signs of, the stammer that he attributes to a wellintentioned primary school teacher persuading the left handed-child to switch to right. At comprehensive school in Walworth he was ‘seriously dyslexic’ though no-one used the word. ‘I had great teachers – a weird lot of non-conformists. Fantastic. The school was full of yobs and thugs. I was in the gutter stream but they found me in the library reading Rabelais while everyone else was doing woodwork, preparing to be policemen or criminals… I was saved by my imagination. Art got me out.’ When not in what he calls ‘the hutch’ (left), a space at the Ruskin – ‘It’s purely a workshop. Total chaos. Not the kind of studio where I go in, make a cup of tea and smoke a pipe’ – he works at his dining table in the conservatory by his kitchen. An array of objects lines the window ledge: nodding plastic Buddha, sheep’s skull, a Burmese sabre ‘for cutting wood and people’ and an olive tree stump. ‘This is where it all happens. On a laptop. Though I do little egg tempera paintings here too.’ Several tiny canvases, vivid, wispy, delicate, are propped on bookshelves laden with encyclopaedias and contemporary poetry. He is a fan of Blake, whose small tempera work The Ghost of a Flea (1819–20) is an inspiration in these paintings. ‘I really enjoy the process. You can add layer on layer of paint, and yet the luminosity shines through. It’s an obsession.’ By the table, a leather attache case packed with brushes, pigment pots and a single raw egg stands open on a 1960s laminated hostess trolley. ‘I’ve never owned a home. Never learned to drive. Don’t have many possessions. You see this is my studio! I can wheel it anywhere, set up shop and begin. Maybe it’s because I’m a foundling. Or, better, a cuckoo in the nest of the art world.’ The Vorrh by Brian Catling has recently been published in paperback by Coronet, £8.99 To see more from inside Brian Catling’s studio, visit http://roy.ac/catling-studio

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Academy Artists

laura gascoigne meets Anthony Eyton RA, whose upcoming show is keeping it firmly in the family If you visit Anthony Eyton RA’s house in Brixton you’ll recognise paintings by many of his distinguished contemporaries, from Leon Kossoff to Jeffery Camp RA. But in among these you’ll see other pictures that, though distinctive in style, are harder to place. They are the work of Eyton’s mother, Phyllis Eyton, whose painting career was cut tragically short by a riding accident when her son was six. This autumn mother and son are showing together in ‘Capturing Light’, at London’s Browse & Darby. The upstairs gallery is filled with Phyllis Eyton’s small but vivid plein air landscapes, painted in the brief 10 years between

Cherry Tree in Blossom, 2015, by Anthony Eyton RA

the time she enrolled at Heatherley Art School in Chelsea, aged 19, and her premature death in 1929 – the year her first painting was accepted for the RA Summer Exhibition. The downstairs gallery displays a characteristically varied selection of subjects by Anthony Eyton, from colourful crowds thronging an Indian festival to summer greenery running riot in his back garden. Superficially there are obvious differences between Anthony Eyton’s impulsive, frenetic brushwork and Phyllis’s steadier, more deliberate touch. What he shares with his mother is her drive to give expression to the beauty of nature.

‘I wrestle with it perhaps, shuffling about,’ he says self-deprecatingly. ‘She gets it in one.’ He has also inherited her zest for capturing light through colour. If you compare the sun-drenched glow of his Cherry Tree in Blossom (2015, below left), with the sun-dappled greens of her Sunlit Tree II (date unknown, below), the relationship is clear. Both have an extraordinary freshness – something you might expect in a young artist on the brink of a brilliant career, though not perhaps in a Senior Academician with 70 years’ experience. At 93, the son feels he’s still learning from his mother. ‘I’ve been trying to get as good as her really, since looking at her work every day.’ Won’t he regret parting with her paintings? ‘Not if it brings her the recognition she deserves.’ Anthony & Phyllis Eyton: Capturing Light Browse & Darby, London, 020 7734 7984, browseanddarby.co.uk, 14 Sep–7 Oct

Sunlit Tree II, date unknown, by Phyllis Eyton

From dusk to dawn

Piazza San Marco, Venice, 2015, by Fred Cuming RA

Fred Cuming’s landscapes ‘recall times of day where our awareness of transience or the fragility of appearance is most acute, such as dawn or twilight,’ says painter Christopher Le Brun PRA. As Cuming’s book Another Figure in the Landscape is published (Unicorn Press), the Adam Gallery in Bath surveys his evocative work (24 Sep–17 Oct, 01225 480406).

Two of a kind

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Academy Artists Art, which was designed by the American architect Louis Kahn. Kahn was a master of light – he created structure from the light coming through his buildings. Light only becomes ‘something’ when it’s framed, when it gives negative space its identity, and that framing is also what happens in my film, when the light areas of the paper become that ‘something’. What techniques did you use?

Everything in the film takes place on the table or on the walls of my studio. One section shows an ink bleed that is very slowly drying (film still, left). It is played backwards so that it looks like water is flooding into the paper – creating light areas – but in fact it’s drying. Showing this drying process introduces a contemplative pace.

How I made it Title Picture the Light, 2016 Medium Film Artist Rebecca Salter RA Composer Max de Wardener Interview Gill Crabbe Can you describe this work?

It’s a ten-minute film that includes sequences of drawing processes, where you can see ink being painted onto paper, for example. Sometimes these are re-projected onto other drawings or canvases of mine to give a layered effect. I wanted to make a film of drawing that was painterly, with a sense that I’m drawing with time itself. The film features music composed by Max de Wardener. So it is a collaborative work, which is a departure from your usual works on paper or canvas.

Yes, I think Max composes music like I paint. It’s as if we speak the same language but in

different media. When I listen to his music I feel I’m being taken into a space that is opening up and I think that is the same with my work. I’m interested in the films of Len Lye, who scratched and drew on film stock – I like old-fashioned, low-tech simplicity. But because film is uncharted territory for me, I shot in digital and also worked with an RA Schools student, Charlie Fegan, on the editing process. Were your drawings responses to the music or vice versa?

Neither. Max didn’t want to write the music to my images, and I didn’t want to hear what he was doing either. Every now and again I would show him some sequences, but the making of the music and the visuals remained separate. The musicians played both Eastern and Western instruments. My work has strong Japanese influences, as I lived in Japan for six years, where I also explored Eastern philosophy. What is the work about?

The title is inspired by my experience of exhibiting in 2011 at the Yale Center for British

Poetry of space

Were there any surprises in making the work?

There was a certain amount of happy accident. You don’t know what it is going to look like filmed because the camera picks up details digitally that you wouldn’t necessarily notice. Also I had no idea of the potential of computer programmes in film editing, and Charlie had the imagination to tune in to what I was looking for. What were the challenges of making this work?

As an artist, there is this constant struggle not to become too slick. Real proficiency is being able to unlearn proficiency and go back to a state of not knowing, but from a position of knowledge. I like not knowing what’s going to happen next. Rebecca Salter and Max de Wardener talk about Picture the Light (5 Dec) in an event at the Academicians’ Room, The Keeper’s House, Royal Academy of Arts (membership enquiries 020 7300 5920). Salter leads a two-day masterclass at the Royal Academy in Japanese woodblock printing (3 & 4 Dec); visit royalacademy.org.uk/events To watch an excerpt from Picture the Light, visit http://roy.ac/picture-light

Nigel Hall RA has been bringing into being abstract, geometric sculptures and drawings, exploring the interplay of interior void and exterior surface for the past five decades. Metal and wood constructions that alter the viewer’s perception of space, such as The Valley Revisited (2014, left), have become characteristic of his practice. Hall has a solo show at London’s Annely Juda Fine Art (3 Nov–23 Dec), showing new and previously unseen work.

co p y r i gh t R eb ecca S a lt er RA . Co p y r i gh t t h e A r t is t/co u r t esy A n n ely J u da F i n e A r t

Still from Picture the Light, 2016, by Rebecca Salter RA

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Academy Artists So I had read all that stuff before I went to the architecture school. I was a Modernist beforehand, then I did the old stuff at the college, and then I returned to Modernism. When I got into the AA [Architectural Association] after Bournemouth, I had lectures from distinguished critics and historians like John Summerson and Reyner Banham. You couldn’t do better than that, so actually when I hit the AA, I hit the big time. That time at the AA must have been exciting.

It was surprising. I realised that the smart young things were more interested in what went before than what was going on then. I had been reading magazines about Modernist architects and artists, such as Alison and Peter Smithson and Eduardo Paolozzi, and when I arrived at the AA, a friend of mine said, ‘Paolozzi’s giving a lecture tomorrow afternoon’. But the lecture was in the basement and there were only about six people listening to him. The same day there was somebody talking about English arts and crafts and it was absolutely packed. I was shocked. Was the magazine and subsequent group Archigram a reaction to that? What sparked the first issue?

Way Out West Berlin (Detail Section at L at Stage E), 1989, by Peter Cook RA, from a series of drawings that brings America’s Wild West to Berlin, with buildings morphing into cacti

Cities of dreams As the Academy stages a show of peter cook ra’s drawings to mark his 80th birthday, kate goodwin asks the architect about his vision for urban ways of life

Kate Goodwin: You’re renowned in the architectural world both as a practitioner and as a teacher. I was wondering, when did you first become interested in architecture?

Peter Cook: It was during the Second World War. My father was what was called a quartering commandant, which meant that he requisitioned big houses for troops, and as a child, I would go round in the car seeing these big houses. Travelling from town to town I became fascinated in particular with those etchings that you get in provincial, small hotels – you know, ‘Sudbury Seen from the North-West’ or ‘Winchester Seen from the Top of the Hill,’ always engravings with buildings and a cathedral in the middle. I started doing my own take on them, drawing towns in biro. My dad’s office, I remember, was full of maps with pins in them. I was fascinated by maps – I still am – and I started to invent towns and draw my own maps of them. I was nearly put to work for the Ordnance Survey doing maps, when I was 16. And then I saw that a local art college, Bournemouth College of Art, had a scholarship to

go to the architecture department, and four of us from my class at grammar school went there. What was the teaching like at that time?

In Bournemouth it was a very particular, weird leftover. A pleasant local architect and his wife ran this mini architecture school and we were made to draw all the orders of architecture to scale, by measuring with dividers. We had to measure churches, we had to take tracery with lead and then redraw it, we had to work our way through Victorian architecture books such as Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture [1896] and copy lots of things, including reproductions of Assyrian temples. I had started to use the Bournemouth public library before art college, reading books on Modernist architecture – The Modern Flat [1937], Scandinavian architects like Alvar Aalto, and Le Corbusier, whose book When the Cathedrals Were White [1947] I read when I was about 15. I looked at magazines, and I was fascinated by South American things and people, like Roberto Burle Marx, the landscape architect.

I think I got very lucky. I was working in an office by chance when I met the architect David Greene who was working in the same office, and then I met Michael Webb through people I knew who lived locally around Swiss Cottage in London. A lot of us lived around there and we would meet up in the evenings and discuss doing some sort of broadsheet. I think a new publication was in the air if you were really interested in progress in architecture, because architecture had got itself into a tight linguistic trap. The magazine, and our work together, stemmed from a wide range of things we were reading: Buckminster Fuller, the Beat poets, car manufacture and the idea of prefabricated buildings. We all rolled one thing into the other – we put all those things together and had new directions of travel. Our plan for a modular city, Plug-In City, for example, was a romantic extension of prefabrication into something else. A lot of your work has ‘city’ in the title. Your use of the word city seems to go beyond thinking about the city as just the urban realm, instead focusing on inhabitation.

I think ‘city’ is a dynamic term. If you say something is a city it implies a whole lot of forces coming together. I’m a great lover of labels, as long as you make the label first and then make the scheme after, which then rises to the label. I think if you call something ‘So and So City’, it becomes So and So City. That is the power. If you say ‘housing development for Putney’, OK. But if you say ‘Ship City, Putney’ it gives it a vision. Certain people might walk into the exhibition at the RA and look at your drawings and ask, ‘What does this have to do with architecture?’ What would be your response?

I think the exhibition is very architectural. It includes over 70 of the drawings that I submitted to the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition from

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Academy Artists with rounded corners. It is a development of that early ‘Sleek’ series of drawings from the Sponge City period [c.1976], if you trace it through. It took almost 40 years to gestate. And there are a few ideas that I still want to carry through from my drawings, like the idea of the melted façade which doesn’t have real windows, but instead melts from solid material to transparency. I’ve made various attempts to draw it, but I haven't managed to persuade anyone to build it. When these ideas are realised, do they lose some of their magic?

the mid-1960s on, and certainly in the earlier days, I saw the Academy as an opportunity to show architectural ideas to a public that wouldn’t otherwise see them, in the vain hope that they might even be interested in building them. Latterly, now that I have made more buildings, I have submitted some very theoretical works to the Summer Show, which obviously aren’t going to be built. Hidden City [2013, below], is a drawing I made in Norway in a studio that looked out on trees, with wooden houses beyond, then a fjord and hills in the distance. It was a very important project to me in terms of thinking about architecture through the physiognomy of

vegetation. At the time my firm had two large buildings on the go, so showing that project was a chance to go into more speculative territory. So the act of drawing for you becomes a way of speculating?

Absolutely. It’s my theory development, if you like. Some drawings go off into a new territory and you think ‘My God, what am I ending up with here?’ What drawing has taken you somewhere that has then found its way into a building?

The easiest example to take is the law school at Vienna University of Economics and Business [2013], which is a striped, coloured building

Do you think that every university should have a space to draw, in the same way that every university has a library?

A university should have the luxury of additional pieces of space that are not strictly attached to the curriculum and not strictly attached to the departmental structure. In Bournemouth we have made a studio that’s not attached to the architecture department or the etching department or the drama department. In Vienna, we created these kinds of in-between spaces where you can go and hang out. I think we’ve lost the idea of the hangout space. If you take modern hotels and compare them with Edwardian hotels, you realise that Edwardian hotels always had spaces where you could just sit and watch people. I think incidental and circulation space is very interesting territory.   Do you encourage all your students to draw?

I have occasionally known very good students who couldn’t draw very well.    So it’s more about having an imagination and thinking creatively?

I think people who don’t naturally draw are slightly in awe of people who draw a lot. But bear in mind, I’m not naturally a draughtsman – I forced myself. I was determined to make a drawing so that the idea was carried through. I start with a general idea and, then while I draw it, the idea manoeuvres its way into a new condition. In that way making a drawing is like making music. I listen to a lot of symphonic music, and I’m fascinated by the analogy between musical composition and architectural composition.

Hidden City, 2013, by Peter Cook

Peter Cook RA: Floating Ideas The Architecture Space, Royal Academy of Arts, 020 7300 8000, royalacademy.org.uk, until 2 Oct. Events include panel discussions on themes explored in the exhibition, Plug-In to Housing (5 Sep) and Architecture on the Edge (9 Sep); visit royalacademy.org.uk/events and see page 121.

Drawing studio interior, Arts University Bournemouth, 2013, by Peter Cook

They can improve. I think the drawing studio I designed for the Arts University Bournemouth is much better in the flesh than in the drawings (left). You need to see the materiality. It’s very much to do with light quality. It’s very much to do with seeing a blue metallic object of a certain kind, particularly as the dusk falls and the artificial light takes over. It’s very much to do with being inside and seeing the relative subtlety of the curves. It’s beyond drawing; any drawing technique, computerised or otherwise, you can’t get it as good.

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From Parma to Persepolis.

The Renaissance palaces of Northern Italy are just some of the highlights of our vast selection of tours for small groups that cross centuries and continents, from Roman Britain to Ancient Persia. The key to our success, built over years, is the calibre of our lecturers whose expertise brings fresh insight to even the most familiar of subjects – enhanced by the privileged access we enjoy. At the same time the careful planning that goes into these itineraries ensures trouble-free journeys to even the remotest destinations. So we invite you to engage with the drama of epoch-making history, high art and epic landscapes. Courts of Northern Italy | Granada & Córdoba | Walking Hadrian’s Wall Samarkand & Silk Road Cities | Persia – Ancient & Islamic Iran.

‘It was intensive but I wouldn’t have missed a single item. It was excellent that we saw so much.’ ‘A lovely week packed with information and sensory overload’ Comments from recent participants on MRT tours Image: Parma, theatre in the Ducal Palace, lithograph 1822. ATOL 3622 | ABTA Y6050 | AITO 5085

Academy Artists

Now showing Our round-up of exhibitions and events by the Academy’s artists and architects

● Frank Bowling, Stephen Chambers, David Hockney, Christopher Le Brun, Jock McFadyen and Mali Morris are in

a group show at the Watchtower Gallery, Berwick-on-Tweed (until 23 Sep) ● Work by Stephen Chambers, Eileen Cooper, Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry is included in ‘ICON’ at Candida Stevens Fine Art, Chichester (10 Sep–22 Oct) ● Eileen Cooper has a solo show at the Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate (24 Sep– 15 Jan 2017) ● Tacita Dean has solo shows at Frith Street Gallery, London (16 Sep–4 Nov), and Museo Tamayo, Mexico City (5 Nov–12 March 2017). She takes part in ‘Celluloid’ at EYE

Film Institute, Amsterdam (17 Sep–8 Jan 2017) ● Tracey Emin is in a group show at MACBA, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona (until 25 Sep). Emin is among eight artists who have created official Team GB prints for the 2016 Olympic Games ● A show of the Tim Sayer Bequest at The Hepworth, Wakefield (until 25 Oct) includes work by David Hockney, Mali Morris and Rebecca Salter ● Ian McKeever

has a solo show at Galleri Susanne Ottesen, Copenhagen (30 Sep–29 Oct) ● Hughie O’Donoghue shows his series ‘Seven Halts on the Somme’ at Leighton House Museum, London (until 2 Oct) ● Fiona Rae has a solo show at Buchmann Galerie, Berlin (16 Sep–5 Nov) ● Rose Wiley has a show at Space K, Seoul, South Korea (26 Sep–30 Nov).

This is Wondrous Strange! (detail), c.1995, by Phillip Sutton, is reproduced on a Liberty cushion available at the Royal Academy Shop from 7 October. Sutton shows this autumn at Sladers Yard, Bridport (5 Nov–7 Jan 2017)

Architects

Will Alsop’s practice, aLL Design, has opened a studio in Chongqing, China. Meanwhile, in nearby Yubei, he is also designing an extensive rural park (CGI above).

Sculptors ● Phyllida Barlow has a solo show at

Kunsthalle Zurich (29 Oct–26 Feb 2017) and takes part in ‘The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture’, Hepworth, Wakefield (21 Oct– 22 Jan 2017) ● John Carter has a solo exhibition at MOMA Machynlleth, Wales (10 Sep–26 Nov) ● Ann Christopher shows sculptures and works on paper at Pangolin London (2 Nov–23 Dec) ● Richard Deacon has two solo shows in Germany; at Museum Folkwang, Essen (until 13 Nov), and at Langen Foundation, Neuss (4 Sep–5 March 2017) ● Antony Gormley has a solo show at White Cube Bermondsey, London (29 Sep–13 Nov). He has also collaborated with choreographer Sidi

Larbi Cherakoui on Icon, a new dance commission which premiers at Göteborg Opera, Sweden (27 Oct) ● Nigel Hall has a solo show at One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London (12 Sep–11 Nov) ● Peter Randall-Page’s series of sculptures ‘Phyllotaxis I, III, IV’ has been installed at Bath Spa University  ● Conrad Shawcross has a solo exhibition at Ivorypress, Madrid (14 Sep–14 Nov) ● Yinka Shonibare has a survey show at Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, US (1 Sep–11 Dec) and a solo show at Stephen Friedman Gallery, London (28 Sep–5 Nov) ● Rebecca Warren contributes a new work – a commission to mark the centenary of the First World War – to ‘The Body Extended’ at the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds (until 23 Oct).

● Will Alsop’s practice, aLL Design, has been awarded the Turkishceramics Grand Award for Architecture in the RA’s Summer Exhibition 2016, with his project Heliport Heights in Battersea ● David Chipperfield Architects is designing the Nobel Centre in Stockholm, which will give the Nobel Prize a permanent home for the first time. Construction is due to start in 2017 ● Edward Cullinan’s practice is working with landscape designer Tom StuartSmith on plans for the RHS Garden Bridgewater, which will bring back to life the historic grounds of Worsley New Hall in Salford ● Louisa Hutton’s

design for Immanuel Church and Parish Centre, Cologne, is featured in a group exhibition at Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin Sauerbruch, Berlin (21 Oct–15 Jan 2017) ● Twin residential towers at the Royal Victoria Docks, London, designed by Piers Gough’s practice CZWG, are due to be completed this autumn, as is The New Arts Complex, Southampton ● The Other Place at the RSC has opened following conversion of the RSC Courtyard Theatre by Ian Ritchie Architects. The firm is also nearing completion of Mercer’s Yard housing and retail development in Covent Garden, and a housing project in Bromley is now under construction. The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, a new home for neuroscientists at UCL, has opened.

Antler (2015), by Tony Cragg, can be seen at his solo show, which takes place at the Lisson Gallery’s two London locations, 30 Sep–5 Nov

Painters and Printmakers

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Image: the Mozart family, copper engraving 1856 after a 1779 painting.

Musical chairs at the highest tables. The UK’s market leader in music tours announces an exciting programme of events for 2017. Our signature is not just ravishing musicianship but the ability to match works with the places where they were first heard and our latest portfolio of festivals includes Mozart’s earliest stage work, Apollo et Hyacinthus, performed in the Salzburg hall where it first took flight. Other combinations include Handel in Florence, Bach in Germany and Vivaldi in Venice. Tours feature complementary lectures and are exclusive to a maximum of 200 clients but with MRT staff on hand throughout you will never feel merely part of a crowd.

‘The nearest that I shall ever be to hearing choirs of heavenly angels.’

A Festival of Music in Florence 13–18 March 2017 Toledo: A Festival of Spanish Music 20–25 May 2017 ‘The Miracle of Salzburg’ 18–24 June 2017 The Rhône Festival: Music, Wine & Architecture 6–13 July 2017 The Danube Music Festival 20–27 August 2017 The Johann Sebastian Bach Journey 4–10 September 2017 Vivaldi in Venice 6–11 November 2017 ATOL 3622 | ABTA Y6050 | AITO 5085

1. How was Abstract Expressionism different to what came before?

Crucially Abstract Expressionism, or ‘Ab Ex’ (as I always call it for short), happened at a juncture when nearly all the major movements of the first half of the 20th century had more or less run their course. I’m thinking particularly of Cubism, Surrealism, German Expressionism, Fauvism and Neo-Plasticism. Furthermore, New York in the 1930s and 1940s offered extraordinarily rich opportunities for the emergent artists to come into direct contact with the artworks of these earlier movements. For example, the city’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) ran one exhibition after another charting the development of Modernism. These ranged from ‘Cubism and Abstract Art’ and ‘Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism’ (both 1936) to ‘Large-Scale Modern Paintings’ (1947) – not to mention a slew of big monographic shows devoted, for instance, to Henri Matisse (1931), Pablo Picasso (1939) and Paul Klee (1941). Additionally, MoMA held other shows featuring the three great Mexican muralists – Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros – as well as what were perceived as the non-European sources for Modernism, among them Aztec, Mayan, Inca and African art. The Mexicans exerted a great influence on Jackson Pollock from the late 1930s onwards and even the ever-independent Clyfford Still based at least one 1936 painting on a sculpture in the museum’s ‘African Negro Art’ show of the previous year. Likewise, in 1941 at MoMA, Pollock witnessed at first-hand Navajo artists execute a sand

painting on the ground – there’s no doubt this was a factor that, six years later, led him to place his canvases on the floor. Private galleries in Manhattan, such as those run by Pierre Matisse, Julien Levy and Curt Valentin, added their own complement by exhibiting, say, Joan Miró, Giorgio de Chirico and Piet Mondrian. In effect, therefore, the Abstract Expressionists were living in a veritable museum without walls at precisely the stage when they were discovering themselves. The net result was that an exceptional array of sources, references and touchstones fed into Ab Ex, making the final mix altogether idiosyncratic (and I haven’t even touched upon the ideological layers). Indeed, they render Ab Ex such a complex phenomenon that it eludes the neat definitions that are handy for enclosing whatever constitutes a ‘movement’. Without wishing to deny the depth and breadth of Cubism, Surrealism or, later, Pop Art, some would say that Ab Ex at least matches and arguably even exceeds their intricacy and diversity. This alone makes Ab Ex different from what had come before. It incorporated most of those earlier things – and then some. Quite simply, too, the fully mature art looks little or nothing like what came before it. Surrealists, such as André Masson and Max Ernst, may have dripped paint and allowed the motion of their hands free play – what is called ‘automatism’ – yet there is no real equivalent in pre-Second World War art for how a classic 1947– 50 pouring by Pollock strikes the beholder. Similarly, although we may well see the influence of Matisse, Pierre Bonnard and even Mondrian

Beyond the image

in Mark Rothko’s hovering chromatic rectangles from around 1950 onwards (opposite page), these imageless icons are utterly his own. The same applies to Ad Reinhardt’s final abstractions, each composed of nine squares arranged in three rows. To be sure, there’s a pedigree leading back to Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square (1915). Yet Reinhardt pushes his pursuit of darkness to such a subtle, extreme threshold – the tenebrous image is barely visible, the ‘blacks’ are subliminally tinted and oil has been extracted from the pigment to give it an inimitable velvety texture – that we’re light years from Malevich’s Suprematism and, if anything, closer to the challenges of optical illusion found in Op Art (although Reinhardt would of course have rightly denied the slightest comparison). From another angle, the rawness pervading Franz Kline’s paintings (Vawdavitch, 1955, page 56) – in which daringly imbalanced and colliding masses of black and white battle for mastery – sets them apart from European precedents. Turning to three dimensions, a great deal of sculptor David Smith’s achievement (Volton XVIII, 1963, page 54) certainly grew from Julio González and Picasso’s welded steel pieces. Nonetheless, by the time we get to Smith’s ‘Forging’ and ‘Cubi’ series’, they are sui generis: the former’s slenderest uprights are minimalist and the latter involve dazzling geometries. Nor had there been visual documentation of artists in action that were of quite the same nature as Hans Namuth’s photographs and films of Pollock. You could continue the list, but the point is clear. No matter how familiar

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S o lo m o n R . Gu ggenh eim M us eum , N e w Yo rk /Gif t, El a ine a n d Wa rner Da nn heiss er a n d T h e Da n heiss er Fou n dat i o n , 1978/© 1998 K at e Rot hko P rizel & Chr is to p her Rot hko A RS , N Y a nd DAC S , Lo ndo n

From Mark Rothko to Jackson Pollock, the artists associated with Abstract Expressionism changed the face of modern art. But what did they do so differently? And how is their work still relevant today? As the first survey of Abstract Expressionism for nearly 60 years is staged in Britain, co-curator David Anfam answers key questions, revealing the breadth and depth of this extraordinary phenomenon in American art

S o lo m o n R . Gu ggenh eim Mus eum , N e w Yo rk /Gif t, El a ine a n d Wa rner Da nn heiss er a n d T he Da n heiss er Fou n dat i o n , 1978/© 1998 K at e Rot hko P rizel & Ch r is to p her Rot hko A RS , N Y a nd DAC S , Lo ndo n

below Untitled (Violet, Black, Orange, Yellow on White and Red), 1949, by Mark Rothko

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Ab Ex may have become, it’s impossible to lose sight of its immense originality, the differences that set it apart.

Untitled, 1956, by Sam Francis

Chicago 8, 1948, by Aaron Siskind

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M n u ch i n G a l l ery, N e w Yo r k /© Arch i v i o M a rca-R el l i , Pa r m a

No. Ever since the American art critic Robert Coates thought to apply the term ‘Abstract Expressionism’ to this art in 1946, observers have been trying to square the circle by making the work’s diversity into something more neatly cohesive. In 1955 a far more influential critic, Clement Greenberg, sought to unify the artists according to the notion that their output was somehow especially ‘American’. The problems with this approach are, first, that it reflected a Cold War context whereby the nation’s culture had to beat other contenders – in this case, Europe. Secondly, defining art in national terms is tricky because ‘Englishness’ or ‘Americanness’ can tend to lie in the eye of the beholder and thus be stretched to accommodate whatever ideological currents are in play. Later, Irving Sandler published The Triumph of American Painting: A History of Abstract Expressionism, in 1970. Apart from apparently playing the nationalist card in its title – as some detractors have argued – the book divides its subject into two balanced camps. On the one hand, there’s the ‘gesture’ painters and, on the other, the ‘colour field’ exponents. The problem here is that the categories don’t altogether hold water. Rothko insisted that his vision was rooted in violence and not about colour, while Pollock’s linear fields are often packed with hues both delicate and bold – witness, among many possible examples, Blue Poles (1952, cover and page 8). Much the same applies to Willem de Kooning (Woman as Landscape, 1965–66, page 62), in whose works the gesture is undoubtedly important yet who, again, was a consummate colourist, even when (like Kline) he used black and white. And where, between the two camps, does Still stand? Some of his canvases are plainly saturated with chroma, whereas others are wrought with complex draughtsmanship, while nearly all display, with their palette knife technique, the artist’s mordant, gestural markmaking (PH-4, 1952, page 58). Another issue is that we’re not just talking painting. All of the Abstract Expressionists created significant works on paper, not to mention Conrad Marca-Relli’s very powerful large-scale collages made with canvas and mixed media (Ornations, L-R-4-57, 1957, opposite). The sculptor David Smith stressed that he belonged with the painters, and the same can be said of Louise Nevelson, whose sculptures present monochrome totemic presences redolent with mythic evocations of time and space. Photography has its place as well, starting with Aaron Siskind’s equivalents to Ab Ex paintings (Chicago 8, 1948, right) and extending to how photographers such as Barbara Morgan and Harry Callahan took energy, motion and nature’s rhythms as their subjects. A different bid to make Ab Ex cohere probably began with the artist and critic Robert Motherwell, who early on helped coin the term ‘The New York School’. While a lot of the players were centred on New York City, the West Coast

Lo us i a n a M us eu m o f M o d er n Ar t, H u m l eb a ek , D en m a r k /© 2016 . S a m Fr a n cis F o u n dat i o n , Ca l i fo r n i a / DAC S/ D o n at i o n: T h e N e w Ca r lsb erg F o u n dat i o n / P h oto: P o u l B u ch a r d. A a r o n S is k i n d F o u n dat i o n , T h e U n i v ers i t y o f I owa M us eu m o f Ar t, M a r k R a n n e y M em o r i a l F u n d/ B r ø n d u m & Co

2. Was it a cohesive movement?

Ornations L-R-4-57, 1957, by Conrad Marca-Relli

M n u ch i n G a l l ery, N e w Yo r k /© Arch i v i o M a rca- R el l i , Pa r m a

‘ I feel uncomfortable calling Abstract Expressionism a movement. Far better to see it as a phenomenon’

witnessed important developments, including the achievements of, Still, Mark Tobey and Sam Francis (Untitled, 1956, opposite top). So again the label doesn’t quite fit the contents. Although the artists made diverse statements there were no manifestos like those that Surrealists or Futurists issued. Also, these people came from the four points of the compass: Pollock and Still were westerners; Motherwell hailed from Washington State; de Kooning was born in Rotterdam; Arshile Gorky emigrated from Armenia; and Rothko came from what was then Dvinsk in Russia (now Daugavpils in Latvia). Even generation-wise, Hans Hofmann (In Sober Ecstasy, 1965, page 59), from Munich, was older than the rest of them. De Kooning once declared that it was disastrous for he and his colleagues to name themselves. For these and more reasons I feel uncomfortable calling Ab Ex a ‘movement.’ Far better to see it as what I would term a ‘phenomenon’. For sure, common themes abounded: an interest in myth and the sublime,

a search for abstract counterparts for the human presence, the emphasis onlarge scale, etcetera. Yet in the same breath, the internal differences make designating it a movement seem like a straitjacket. However, we must remember the obvious fact that the artists pretty much all knew each other. Philip Guston and Pollock went to the same high school in LA in the 1920s, de Kooning met Kline in 1939, and Rothko and Still first connected on the West Coast in 1943. At a social level alone, then, we find considerable cohesiveness. 3. Was it an expression of American society?

Yes and no. Yes, insofar as almost all of the artists were deeply marked by the Great Depression, the impact of the Second World War and the ubiquitous climate of angst, even horror, that dominated these years. Think how Adolph Gottlieb described his times (with a nod to Shakespeare) as ‘out of joint’, adding that abstraction expressed the ‘neurosis’ to which he thought contemporary reality amounted. In

turn, the confidence evident in the signature styles that one figure after another began to attain from the second half of the 1940s onwards must on some level reflect the growing optimism felt in American society at the war’s end. This is when Rothko talks about breathing and stretching one’s arms again, when Gottlieb’s pictographs eventually lighten both literally and metaphorically, and when Barnett Newman resurrects the idea of the sublime (Adam, 1951–52, page 63). Existentialism had also become popular among the American intelligentsia in those years. We find clear echoes of it in Abstract Expressionist thinking, as well as in the works’ titles. This is a reason why Ab Ex often seems to overlap with the Hollywood genre of film noir. They shared the same moods of doom and darkness – call it a zeitgeist, if you like. Pollock named one 1946 painting Something of the Past and it’s hardly coincidental that a 1947 film noir was titled Out of the Past (in Britain titled as Build My Gallows High). The assumption is that there are dark secrets buried deep in the past, the human psyche, or both. For temporal depth read psychological atavism. Parallels also exist with American writers of the period, including William Faulkner – whose violent, troubled 1932 novel Light in August meant a lot to de Kooning – as well as with Norman Mailer’s earlier fiction. Mailer’s vision of the individual embattled in an increasingly totalitarian society compared with Still’s views. Precisely because its abstractness allowed various powers-that-be, such as the CIA, to put a spin on what the art aimed to convey, Ab Ex doubtless became a weapon of the Cold War, particularly when exported abroad. So, the Congress for Cultural Freedom was a front for the CIA and helped organise ‘The New American Painting’ show that toured Europe in 1958–59. However, the artists’ own politics were a far cry from these manipulations and chicanery. Hence Rothko and Newman were lifelong anarchists, Still fiercely opposed conformity and totalitarianism, while Smith and Reinhardt stood well to the political left. Even Pollock had worried that his fellow highschool students believed he was ‘a rotten rebel from Russia’. As the Columbia University art historian Meyer Schapiro and others argued, various qualities about Ab Ex – supremely its stress on the human element – ran contrary to the tenor of Cold War/McCarthyite America in which conformity, alienation and anonymity had begun to dominate. As late as 1962, Newman recalled that the critic Harold Rosenberg had challenged him to explain what his paintings could mean to the world. Newman’s answer was that if his works were properly read, they would mean the end of all state capitalism and totalitarianism. Newman sounds a lot closer to Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin than he does to John Foster Dulles – Eisenhower’s Secretary of State – and his ilk. Even Still, who is sometimes parodied as a kind of artistic equivalent to John Wayne and his macho braggadocio, had an altogether different message at the heart of his thought, rhetoric and teaching – that the individual must

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5. What are the common misunderstandings about Abstract Expressionism?

have the courage to find their own way and not be ruled by the dictates of others. In reality, Cold War logic instead taught a herd mentality threatened by enemies within and without – shades of Trump, you might say. Its individualism was a sham to stop the country going to socialism. 4. Was Abstract Expressionist art made only by white, male, New Yorker painters?

No. It might have looked like that once upon a time and for many a year. In that respect, Greenberg – notwithstanding his brilliant eye and intellect – was a culprit. His influential essay on Ab Ex written in 1955 excluded women and

stuck to New York. He also downplayed the effect that Janet Sobel (Illusion of Solidity, c.1945, opposite) had on Pollock’s all-over manner of composition. Truth to tell, the artists themselves were mostly as sexist as you might expect their generation to have been and neither were they any less womanisers. From a less jaundiced contemporary perspective we can now understand that Francis, Tobey and the photographer Minor White – each of them linked to the West Coast – belonged, albeit in their distinctive ways, to Ab Ex. It’s also key to note that Rothko made his breakthrough into abstraction with the so-called ‘multiform’ canvases while he was teaching alongside Still

First, there’s the old joke that it’s a mess or that anyone could do it. Yet the closer you look at Pollock’s pourings, the more you can grasp how carefully he controlled the flow of paint. The same goes for Rothko’s infinitely subtle layerings and edgings, not to mention how he judged the rectangles’ proportions and their interaction. Motherwell’s series ‘Elegies to the Spanish Republic’ and his collages are fine-tuned down to the smallest stroke and tearing of a contour, as is Tobey’s ‘white writing’. De Kooning and Reinhardt were also acutely deliberative artists. Secondly, that the artists were knownothings. In fact, they were mostly sophisticated intellectuals, albeit often autodidacts. As Motherwell said, every good artist carries the whole history of modern painting in his head. He might have added goodly chunks of philosophy, literature and music to that knowledge. Even Pollock studied the Old Masters intently – Tintoretto, El Greco, Turner. Their minds were cosmopolitan. Thirdly, that Ab Ex is passé. It’s not. It is still hot!

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P R i vat e Co l l eCt i o n Co u R t eSY G a RY S n Y d eR f i n e a R t, n Y/© t h e eS tat e o f Ja n e t S o B el

in 1946 at San Francisco’s California School of Fine Arts. White taught there at that time too. A substantial nexus – including Ed Dugmore, Ernest Briggs and Hassel Smith – has now been recognised as forming the San Francisco School of Abstract Expressionism. In short, it’s timely to regard Ab Ex as not just stuck to the East Coast but, rather, as a nationwide phenomenon. As for the contributions by women, Joan Mitchell (Mandres, 1961–62, page 61) ranks high up and just got better and better with age, especially as she began to create sumptuous triptychs and polyptychs in the 1970s. Pollock’s wife Lee Krasner reached an apogee in 1960 when she realised monumental canvases in a single main colour that give Pollock a run for his money in terms of their ambition, intensity and vitality. Nevelson was a compelling sculptor and Morgan an excellent photographer. Grace Hartigan, among others, also added her own voice to second-generation Ab Ex. In another quarter, collector and patron Peggy Guggenheim, gallerist Betty Parsons and curator Dorothy C. Miller played major roles in advancing Ab Ex. So presenting Ab Ex as a male preserve is a clanger that should be silenced for good. On the racial front, prejudice ran even higher. The black Caribbean-American artist Norman Lewis comes into focus here. Lewis moved well within Ab Ex circles, yet was never fully accepted by his white colleagues. His art slyly critiques notions of ‘blackness’. In recent years Lewis’s achievement has been duly reassessed. This will be, I think, the first time that work by Lewis has been shown in Britain – and it is a classic piece, quiet yet hypnotic, from the mid-1940s. While we are talking about outsiders in one way or another, I should perhaps add a coda about sexuality. Bradley Walker Tomlin and Theodoros Stamos were probably homosexuals, Pollock was allegedly bisexual, as was Nevelson, and Parsons was a lesbian.

t h e Gov eR n o R n elS o n a . R o Ck ef el l eR em P i R e S tat e P l a z a a R t Co l l eCt i o n / © eS tat e o f dav i d S m i t h / daC S , lo n d o n / vaG a , n e w Yo R k 2016

below Volton XVIII, 1963, by david Smith

P r i vat e Co l l ect i o n Co u r t esy G a ry S n y d er F i n e Ar t, N Y/© T h e es tat e o f Ja n e t S o b el

T h e Gov er n o r N els o n A . R o ck ef el l er Em p i r e S tat e P l a z a Ar t Co l l ect i o n / © Es tat e o f Dav i d S m i t h / DAC S , Lo n d o n / VAG A , N e w Yo r k 2016

6. Why reappraise it now?

Illusion of Solidity, c.1945, by Janet Sobel

‘ Abstract Expressionism strove to give abstract form to some big themes… the perennial co-ordinates of the human condition’

Whether they like it or loathe it, few would dispute that Ab Ex is, with Pop and maybe Minimalism, among the two or three most seminal artistic events of the second half of the 20th century. Its influence has been phenomenal. Even Andy Warhol looked to interrogate Pollock with his ‘Yarn’ series of silkscreen paintings in 1983 that contain tangled threads parodying his predecessor’s paint skeins. Before him, Jasper Johns Hon RA had viewed Ab Ex through ironic lenses to freeze its painterly tumultuousness into carefully crafted encaustic surfaces. Robert Rauschenberg and Roy Lichtenstein parodied Ab Ex’s gestural side by, respectively, erasing a de Kooning drawing (in a work of 1953), and by producing various explosive onomatopoeic pictures that blast away their hip messages in response to the apparent spontaneity and violence of Pollock & Co. Richard Serra actually conceived his Belts (1966–67) as a specific response to Pollock’s Mural (1943). The big vulcanised rubber belts and neon strips plunge Pollock’s romanticism into a tough industrial-cum-warehouse context. And among myriad contemporaries, Ab Ex finds echoes in artists as otherwise dissimilar as Anish Kapoor RA, Anselm Kiefer Hon RA and Julien Schnabel. Any art that has cast such a long shadow always merits reappraisal – never more so than in Britain, where the last survey devoted to Ab Ex happened (gasp) 57 years ago. True, Tate has brought in a sequence of excellent monographic shows since the 1990s – on Pollock, Newman, Gorky. But the moment has come to put these elements together into a single and, I hope, grand whole. In a nutshell, Ab Ex strove to give abstract form to some big themes – including fear, hope, desire, transcendence – or, as Rothko put it, ‘tragedy, ecstasy, doom’. These feelings are nothing less than perennial co-ordinates of the human condition. No matter how ‘post-modern’ (for want of a better word) we become, no matter how cynical or quixotic our concept of the singular authentic ‘self’ turns, we will be drawn to such emotions as long as we remain recognisably human. Indeed, the dehumanisation that attends aspects of contemporary life such as high technology and cyberspace, including the expectation that we’re supposed to respond to whatever bombards us 24/7, may make this art the more attractive to our assailed, ergo jaded, sensibilities. Simply put, Ab Ex is about the language of the emotions and consequently has good claims to being the last full-scale humanist art form. It’s high time to readdress that spectrum and the bracing visual vocabularies that Ab Ex found to articulate it. Abstract Expressionism Main Galleries, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 020 7300 8000, royalacademy. org.uk, 24 Sep–2 Jan 2017. Lead sponsor BNP Paribas. Supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Events range from a talk with David Anfam, On, Around and Beyond Jackson Pollock’s ‘Mural’ (4 Nov), and a screening of the film The New York School (19 Nov); visit royalacademy.org.uk/events and see page 121. To discover more about the exhibition, visit http://roy.ac/Ab-Ex

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Co l l ec t i o n M us eu m o f Co n t em p o r a ry A r t Ch i cago, Cl a i r e B . Zeis l er 1976 . 39/Â© ARS , NY a n d DAC S , Lo n d o n 2016/ P h oto: J o e Zi o l kows k i

The power and complexity of Abstract Expressionist art lies in the diverse sensibilities of its artists. Here seven Academicians respond to some of the movement’s greatest painters

Artists unbound Franz Kline by Frank Bowling RA I met Franz Kline in New York in the summer of 1961 while I was still a student at London’s Royal College of Art. By chance I ended up in a kind of youth hostel sharing with lots of preppy types. It was on their initiative that we went to visit Kline. When we arrived we were hit by these big, in-your-face, black-and-white pictures standing all around his studio. I was impressed by the striking, aggressive brush strokes that broke up the rugged whites and greys with strong diagonal blacks. You couldn’t mistake the stress in those agitated surfaces – the paintings were so direct, but also highly worked. I think the young people around me could sense this tension. It was pictorial and political in terms of the social unrest in the country and the racial tensions that came about at that time. Kline seemed to live and dress as though he was a workman. I remember him driving us in a big new car at great speed down to a restaurant. He was a confident person who wore Levis and liked to dance. He was very generous and wouldn’t let any of us pay for a drink. I found that more and more in America then, a sort of open generosity that didn’t come with any feelings of patronage. It was just natural that if you were

making money you would spend it. Now, in hindsight, I can see that Kline found a very distinct way to deliver the primacy and power of the medium through his black-and-white works (Vawdavitch, 1955, left). It took me a good while after our meeting to realise the subject of the artist was the materials that they were using – it was about the paint itself and what you could do with it, not subject matter and storytelling. Kline had used a projector to blow-up and then trace his drawings onto canvas, to get away from overt subject matter and explore his real gift for scale and structure. The work had a reality, a ‘thingness’ about it to be valued. I can’t claim that I saw this then. I was just so struck by its complete newness. After leaving college, back in London, it was somewhat taken for granted that I would produce work that reflected an idea of being Black and British. This was something I found uncomfortable. My work moved on very rapidly when I returned to New York and started using the projector and tracing my projections. I felt a connection with what Kline did with his projections. It was a liberating process. I could dissolve all this tight drawing and imagery from my past into these large open veils of colour. My own ambition, it always seemed to me, was to push all the accepted notions over the edge – like Kline, I really did believe that making something new was a command that I had to respond to. Interview by John Bunker

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This is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless, Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done, Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thou lovest best, Night, sleep, death and the stars. A Clear Midnight Walt Whitman (1881) Clyfford Still had the essential tendency of the great American artists towards the wordless, to what the literary critic Harold Bloom calls ‘un-naming’. Still was aware of the false light that words can cast and the responsibility on the

artist not to undermine art’s natural subjectivity with the assimilation society seeks. His paintings are huge in scale, their colour sombre and ecstatic. They are radiant with their core principles. They tend to singularities – described by Still as the ‘vertical necessity of life’ – that stand up in a confronting tall or wide surface plane spread with colour, co-existent with thresholds and borders. ‘Life is a pure flame, and we live by an invisible Sun within us,’ wrote the physician and essayist Sir Thomas Browne in 1658; these lapidary, timeless words are entirely appropriate for Still’s heroic ambition. His work constitutes an extreme of romanticism, possessing a nobility of purpose, dismissive of irony, quotation and the whole apparatus of art appreciation. It is today an attitude as rare and as mistrusted, yet as vital, as it was in the middle years of the 20th century. Still cherished the central truth of painting as a bodily act and experience rather than an idea. Between the viewer and the embodied

enigma that is painting stands no interpretation, nothing to diminish or ingratiate. His paintings’ very silence lets their flamelike colour appear in and for itself, and as the product of the human imagination can no more be explained away than we can ourselves (PH–4, 1952, above). Difficulty alone does not deserve our interest, but difficulty achieved through conviction may satisfy the deepest and most inward categories of our questioning. There is a reason these paintings are big, occasionally overpowering. They are to be felt, walked in front of, glimpsed, stared at, dwelt with. See how much the light and colour changes as we move, near, far; the rectangle of the painting is rarely orthogonal. Which is the true light in which the painting is to be seen? Which is the true colour? There is no such thing. A painting is not a screen upon which phantom presence is portrayed. It is an object steeped in thought made by a solitary hand. What inner light it has is mind made.

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P r i vat e co l l ec t i o n /© ARS , NY a n d DAC S , Lo n d o n 2016

Clyfford Still by Christopher Le Brun PRA

‘ Clyfford Still cherished the truth of painting as a bodily act and experience rather than an idea’

Hans Hofmann by Mali Morris RA P r i vat e co l l ec t i o n /© ARS , NY a n d DAC S , Lo n d o n 2016

Vawdavitch, 1955, by Franz Kline opposite page PH-4, 1952, by Clyfford Still this page In Sober Ecstasy, 1965, by Hans Hofmann previous spread

I wasn’t ready for Hans Hofmann’s paintings when I first saw them in American art magazines in the late 1960s. I remember thinking they were too strident, too muscular, and that I didn’t like them. A few years later I saw some in a Cork Street gallery; I stayed a while to have a good look. They seemed powerful, and although still shocking in their rawness, they were inviting, more accessible; I was able to read them, move around in their spaces, entering, re-entering. Painter friends were discussing them, Geoff Rigden in particular, and Alan Gouk was writing about them. I sought out more after that in New York and Toronto, and by 1988, when John Hoyland RA curated a great show at the Tate, ‘Hans Hofmann: Late Paintings’, I was a full convert. Colour as form,

the potential for colour relationships to make light, space and temperature, structuring a world, culminating in the vitality and aliveness of a painting, or as Hofmann put it, The Real. It made sense, visually, emotionally and intellectually. It related to my growing adoration of Matisse, whose paintings showed how intelligence and the senses could be in accord. Hofmann’s life is terrific to read about – a European arriving in America in the 1930s, the schools he set up in New York and Provincetown (many of the artists in the RA show were his students), his theory of painting, evolved from observing the world and analysing the Old Masters, and his sheer, galvanising, gutsy energy. Combining the lessons of Cubism with pure colour structuring took some nerve, some determination. When he gave up teaching, aged 78, there was a great outpouring of work, tender, raucous and everything between. The title of the painting (above), the only one representing him in the exhibition, is a kind

of summation: In Sober Ecstasy. It was painted in 1965, the year before he died, aged 85. The confrontational rectangles are familiar devices, but they appear always in new roles, in fresh pictorial dramas. These two relate closely to each other, in dark-toned hues, earthy, rosy. They anchor the eye then slowly shift in and out of a painting space that is chopped and churned by touches and traces and flashes of light. These look impulsively applied in a fast and furious way, but their rhythms and relationships are as precise, inventive and necessary as in any great composition, in any language; Miles Davis and Beethoven both come to mind. Mali Morris participates with fellow painters Christopher Le Brun, Paul Huxley and Basil Beattie in a panel discussion at the Academy, Abstract Expressionism Revisited (18 Nov). Other artist-led events include the panel discussion Abstract Expressionism and Its Legacy for a New Generation (5 Nov); visit royalacademy.org.uk/events and see page 121.

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Lee Krasner and Mark Rothko by Paul Huxley RA We were passing along Fireplace Road in Springs, Long Island. Jackson Pollock had met his death on that road in 1956, just eight years before. I was travelling with Bryan Robertson, then the Director of London’s Whitechapel Art Gallery and author of a book on Pollock, the first major monograph on any of the artists of the New York School. Hans Namuth, the photographer who took the iconic images of Pollock at work, was at the wheel and we were heading north for the house where Lee Krasner, Pollock’s widow, still lived. I had been there before, in my imagination, watching Hans’ film of Pollock working out there in the long grass in the sun and wind, seen from below dripping paint on glass against a blue sky, in the distance the clapboard house and barn. Lee was not what she had been branded. In New York myth she was the monstrous Gorgon who guarded the Pollock estate. In person, though feisty, she was a warm and generous-spirited woman whose circumstances had forced her to stand up to the male prejudiced elite of critics and dealers hell-bent on devouring her husband’s life work. Then after Pollock’s death, she flourished into becoming the major artist who was always in her as a young woman before she became subsumed into being the protector of the alcoholic genius she married (The Eye is the First Circle, 1960, below). Sitting with drinks outside in that balmy August night, we listened to crickets and watched

shooting stars. In that landscape I felt a closeness to the spirit of both her and Jackson’s work. In later years she became a good friend. I stayed with her in her New York studio in the Hotel Adams on 86th Street and there she talked of her first meeting with Jackson and the tragic ending of his life after he had failed to join her in their long-term dream to visit Europe. We discussed her work and tried to solve the problem created by her tacking canvases to the wall so that she could work on a hard surface. It meant trying to resist working to the very edge to avoid creating an impossible loss of image when the canvas was later fixed to stretcher bars. Staying with Lee in Springs afforded the opportunity to meet up with Mark Rothko, since he was spending the summer with his family in Amagansett. Here was Rothko in domestic circumstances with his wife, Mell (who, incidentally, always referred to her husband as Rothko), and their two children. We had lunch and went to the beach to bathe. He had a small studio in their rented beach-side accommodation but he wasn’t too proud of what he had been doing there, as I remember some smallish unfinished works. Even then, and this was before I got to know his New York studio, I had the impression he was ill at ease with the bright sunlight of the sky and beach. I got to know Rothko better through visits to his studio over the following three years. It was then an old coach house on the Upper East Side. The vestibule had a table on which was a scale model of his current project, the future Rothko Chapel in Houston, configured as a hexagonal

plan. Beyond, in the main studio, too big and dark to discern its own floor plan, were three walls especially built to represent the walls of the chapel. Huge mural-sized canvases covered each of the walls in Rothko’s typical deep reddishblack hues. Anyone visiting Rothko’s studio in those days may remember, as I do, the gloominess of its ethos. He has been described as being clinically depressive but maybe that came later. I remember him rather as a melancholic man. His studio matched this mood, being lit from above by a lantern skylight masked by elaborate systems of Holland blinds with which he constantly fiddled to adjust the stream of daylight falling down from high in the centre of the space. He explained how he believed that most people seem to make the wrong assumption that with a dark painting you have to give it more light, when in fact by putting more light you get nothing extra back. It was Rembrandtesque and indeed Rembrandt was on his mind for much of the time. As he reclined on a divan bed against one side of the studio he expounded on his admiration of the white luminous ruffs in Rembrandt’s portraits and how they registered as visual clouds of light hovering against their dark backgrounds. Mark seemed to feel that his own spiritual home was back then and he was living in the wrong place in history. That was how I remember him; three years after I left New York he committed suicide. To read an extended version of Paul Huxley’s article online, visit http://roy.ac/huxley-abex

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P r i vat e co l l ec t i o n , co u r t esy o f M cCl a i n G a l l ery/© Es tat e o f J oa n M i tch el l

‘Joan Mitchell’s work of the early 1960s was turbulent, in continual movement, fast and fractured’

right Mandres, 1961–62, by Joan Mitchell below The Eye is the First Circle, 1960, by Lee Krasner

Co u r t esy R o b er t M i l l er G a l l ery, N e w Yo r k /© ARS , NY a n d DAC S , Lo n d o n 2016/ P h oto P r i vat e co l l ect i o n , co u r t esy R o b er t M i l l er G a l l ery, N e w Yo r k

Joan Mitchell by Vanessa Jackson RA ‘…every “lover” I’ve ever had – every friend – nothing closed out – and dogs alive and dead and people and landscapes and feeling even if it is desperate – anguished – tragic – it’s all part of me and I want to confront it and sleep with it – the dreams – and paint it’ Joan Mitchell Chicago-born Joan Mitchell entered the New York world of Abstract Expressionism in 1947 and had her first solo show in the city in 1952, after taking part a year earlier in the now famous ‘Ninth Street Show’, hung by the legendary art dealer Leo Castelli. She was a central figure, alongside Grace Hartigan (sadly omitted from the RA show), of the so-called ‘second generation’ of Abstract Expressionist artists, and very much a part of the male-dominated downtown crowd. Abstract Expressionism was a tradition that we understand, in an evolutionary sense, as being slap-bang in the middle of the 20th century, but it is still central to a huge number of artists working today. It has come to be understood as a period of painting that worked for an ‘absolute’ reduction towards pure autonomy. Its artists were in fact diverse in both application and appearance

and many an argument in the city’s Cedar Tavern would have them falling in and out with each other’s company. For many at that time, painting was the psychological action of self-expression through gesture, touch and movement – the physical encounter of freedom. This idea was central to the work of Mitchell, with the presence of the artist’s hand and body creating visual engagement. ‘A painting is like an organism that turns in space,’ she said. Her work of the early 1960s (Mandres, 1961–62, above) was turbulent, in continual movement, fast and fractured, ‘very violent and angry’ she said. The art historian Linda Nochlin writes that she ‘worked with a whole lot of opposites that included dense versus transparent strokes, gridded structures versus more chaotic, ad hoc constructions, light versus dark etc.’ Mitchell was known as an abrasive character, and drink and depression took their toll, but she was always generous to other artists. I think I like her, and respect her calligraphic, improvised, lyrical abstraction, even though as a young feminist artist in the 1970s it was just about everything I reacted against. The male dominance of gesture and self-expression took me way back on a journey to Popova and the Russian Constructivists, and then forward to Agnes Martin, but I have enjoyed having another long look at Mitchell. Vanessa Jackson participates in an RA panel discussion Women of Abstract Expressionism (2 Dec); visit royalacademy.org.uk/events and see page 121.

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Willem de Kooning by Fiona Rae RA I love Willem de Kooning’s ‘Women’ paintings for their formal qualities; the fields of slashing brush strokes and garish colours somehow corralled into dynamic compositions. I like reading them as abstract paintings that slip now and then into bits of imagery, then slither away again. De Kooning famously called himself a ‘slipping glimpser’. In an interview with David Sylvester in 1960 he said, ‘Content, if you want to say, is a glimpse of something, an encounter, you know, like a flash – it’s very tiny, very tiny, content.’ The tension between subject and content, the way the one reveals and conceals the other, is played out in the ‘Women’ paintings (Woman as Landscape, 1965-66, right); the subject appears to be a woman composed of gestural brush marks, the content is ineffable and elusive. Even the ostensible subject is elusive. Just as you think you’ve caught hold of a bit of imagery you can name, it disappears into a flurry of brush strokes again. But I have to admit that these paintings also disturb me because they appear to be pictures of violence being done to women’s bodies. The slashing brush strokes simultaneously attack the figure while constructing it. The bits of imagery mock and humiliate women; the ridiculous turquoise eyeshadow, the stupid high heels, the ugly lipsticked grins. I say to myself, well, maybe he is just mocking the caricatures of gender stereotypes, but at the same time I fear that de Kooning’s rage goes deeper, that the elusive content of these paintings is a desire to destroy and annihilate women. None of this can be proved, of course, because the paintings live in the netherworld of abstraction, that place of shifting ambiguities and mutable suggestions, where the artist can avoid saying what they’re really saying. In order to make use of these paintings for my own purposes in my studio, I see de Kooning’s ‘Women’ as post-gender, tragicomic warriors submerged by and emerging from the wild field of abstract marks, and I interpret their painterly plight as a metaphor for the universal human condition, a desperate attempt to shape oneself as something against the nothing that surrounds us. I also see the paintings as existential blackboards; with each mark on the canvas de Kooning is marking his existence, and is stating that, like On Kawara’s telegrams, he is still alive.

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right Woman as Landscape, 1965-66, by Willem de Kooning

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Willem de Kooning is the subject of an in-gallery talk, led by artist-duo Matthew Collings and Emma Biggs, during the Abstract Expressionism show (7 Dec); visit royalacademy.org.uk/events and see page 121.

Tat e: P u r ch as ed 196 8/© 2016 T h e B a r n e t t N e w m a n F o u n dat i o n , N e w Yo r k / DAC S , Lo n d o n / P h oto gr a p h y: © Tat e , Lo n d o n 2016 P r i vat e co l l ect i o n /© 2016 T h e W i l l em d e Ko o n i n g F o u n dat i o n /A r t is ts R i gh ts S o ci e t y ( ARS), N e w Yo r k a n d DAC S , Lo n d o n

Willem de Kooning and Barnett Newman by Sean Scully RA

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left Adam, 1951-52, by Barnett Newman

Newman once said, to be an artist ‘was the highest role a man could achieve – it was a dream.’ Opposite of de Kooning who thought art history was an enormous bowl of soup, that the artist could dip into at will and plunder. Newman held the contrary view, and believed, in fact: art history was irrelevant. This difference of opinion accounts for the radically different appearance and attitude of the art of these two great artists. The sensuous and spectacular colour and surface effects that de Kooning achieves, and his abiding connection to the human figure and to the landscape: find his polar opposite in the austerity and grandeur of Newman’s enormous, almost empty, canvases (Adam, 1951–52, above). Here is the difference. Newman turns his back on art history: and suffers and gains in equal measure for it. Since an argument in favour of his art, must always be burdened by the obligation to prove his radicality. But since he is not radical now, the ways to appreciate his art are often in danger of becoming ‘historical’. Which is ironically, the very last thing that Newman would himself, be prepared to accept. De Kooning, of course, never has to confront this problem. Since his paintings are fully rounded, expressive arenas of colour, light and movement. Practically everything one needs to take from the history of painting, one can find in de Kooning. He is without question a master of drawing, and colour and surface making. And his constant connection to the natural world, and the supreme skill with which he does and does not abstract that connection: provides his work, and us as his audience: with the ultimate condition for love of art, and that is its content. With their

human scale, de Kooning’s paintings fit in, more or less, anywhere into the history of art. Because, after all, that is where they came from. De Kooning can be hung next to Monet or Jackson Pollock. And the beauty of his surface, made through the sensuous layering of colour, is selfevident. De Kooning gives you no reason not to love him. His work is historically important and aggressively expressive. Newman’s art has none of these natural painter’s advantages. His work is not sensuous nor does he offer expressive paintwork, and his work disassociates itself from almost all other painting in the history of art: except Mondrian, Suprematism and Russian icon painting. So instead of layered rhythm: Newman insists on austerity and clarity aimed directly at the heart of profundity. On the streets of Paris at the beginning of the 20th century there was a similar discussion to the one that de Kooning and Newman had. This was between Matisse and Vlaminck (two great Fauve painters). Matisse wanted to show his paintings in the Louvre, and Vlaminck didn’t. Vlaminck thought the Louvre was a place of past art and so dead. Irrelevant to the art of now. As their story unfolded it became evident that Matisse had more to draw on, not the least of which was Giotto: and so his work was more ample and flexible. His ability to approach and circumnavigate potentially dead corners was supported by an enormous reservoir of knowledge. Thus he was both radical and classical. Vlaminck was merely radical and so disadvantaged, when Fauvism’s domination of the avant-garde was challenged by Cubism. None of this, of course, proves that de Kooning was a greater artist than Newman. Though it does illustrate the fragility of an art approach that is stripped down and highly focused, since the artist who is travelling with almost no historical cargo, is subject to the limitation of latitude that this attitude engenders. And in the end, the public will decide.

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New York nights New York’s legendary Cedar Tavern and the surrounding galleries became the hub of the New York art scene in the 1940s and ’50s. Morgan Falconer walks the streets where reputations were on the line One of the frequent complaints of native New Yorkers today is how the city is all the same, and the same as everywhere else. You only have to glance into the lives of the Abstract Expressionists to see that their New York was a different place altogether. Back then, Barnett Newman could have a loft on Wall Street and remember Manhattan as a ‘compact heterogeneous cosmopolis’, a place where you could have the ‘feeling of living in two centuries’. Uptown was 20th century: when the writer Alfred Kazin had lunch on the roof of the Museum of Modern Art, he felt he was ‘swimming in the reflected surfaces of some great goldfish bowl. New York was gold skin, kaleidoscopic glass.’ Downtown was where you found old New York – and the working artists. It was here, in 1934, that Jackson Pollock and his brother Sande moved into an abandoned commercial building sitting among piles of rubble and the shanties of the homeless. It had no heat or running water and visitors had to throw stones at the windows to get their attention. The young and restless move to cities all the time to slum it while dreaming of moving ‘uptown’ – figuratively or literally. But among the Abstract Expressionists, those who made their breakthroughs in the late 1940s, there were few with such ambitions. The Depression years – when many of that circle came to know each other – taught them to expect little. And the world of contemporary art in New York was tiny, with only a handful of galleries – names like Betty Parsons, Peggy Guggenheim, Samuel Kootz and Sidney Janis. ‘The public,’ as critic John Gruen wrote, ‘stayed away in droves.’ By day the artists would work, by night they would frequent ‘The Club’, their private talking-shop, or dance in someone’s studio – the tango, the jitterbug, even the kazatsky, the Russian folk dance beloved by Communists and Russophiles in the 1930s.

And they would drink and drink and drink at the Cedar Tavern. In the garrulous man’s world that was New York Abstract Expressionism, reputations were established as much in the Cedar as in the galleries. Situated on West 8th Street during its heyday, it was nothing more than a long, narrow room with brass-studded leatherette booths (page 66, top). There was little décor and the clock over the bar sometimes ran backwards; its walls were described as ‘interrogation green’. But for the painter Norman Bluhm (above, with Joan Mitchell and Franz Kline), and many others, it was ‘the cathedral of American culture in the Fifties.’ Pollock, de Kooning, critics like Harold Rosenberg (opposite page, top, seen centre talking with Irving Sandler) and Thomas Hess – they all passed through its doors. Kline was a regular. Tormented by his unhappy childhood and his wife’s mental illness, he was remembered as someone who would be there when you arrived and still there when you left. Pollock would bound in on Tuesdays after visiting his psychotherapist and would hunt down Kline, joking with him as much as baiting him. On one occasion, after Kline had admonished Pollock for criticising Philip Guston, Pollock pulled a swinging door off its hinges and hurled it at him. In the early 1950s, when the market for Abstract Expressionism began to grow, artistrun galleries began to pop up a few blocks away around East 10th Street. Galleries like Hansa, Tanager (right), James and Brata were established as co-operatives, and artists lived and worked around them. The backdrop was dull – pool rooms, an employment agency, a metal-stamping factory – but the mood lively and do-it-yourself. One visitor to a group show in 1951 remembered sheltering from the summer heat under a sign painted by Kline. For the most successful among them, there was also uptown. The better commercial galleries

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p h oto: a rth u r swo ger / M a rtin -Z a mbito F ine Art, S e att l e . p h oto; fred w. mcda rr a h /Getty I m ages Co l l ecti o n . p h oto: fred w. mcda rr a h / p remi u m Archi v e , Getty I m ages Co l l ecti o n

were mostly situated in lavish quarters near Tiffany & Co and Bergdorf Goodman on 57th Street. The dealers often came from rarefied worlds: before opening her gallery, Betty Parsons had been to finishing school and appeared as a debutante in the society circles of Newport and Palm Beach. Bridging this chasm wasn’t always easy for the artists. On one occasion, when Pollock had to head uptown – and dress accordingly – for an uncomfortable meeting, a friend remembered their car coming to rest at a traffic light next to a limousine. Pollock exploded, shouting, ‘Goddamn sons of bitches, dirty sons of bitches! Goddammit, I can wear a pinstripe suit, too!’ Of course, as Barnett Newman noted, the New York of the 1940s wasn’t just a binary world of uptown and downtown, it was multifarious. Many disliked the Abstract Expressionists’ haunts. The critic Clement Greenberg described the Cedar Tavern as ‘awful and sordid’; Lee Krasner said the ‘women were treated like cattle,’ and Frank O’Hara, the poet and curator, hated the homophobia. Tellingly, the next generation of New York artists would spring from different circles, and a different part of town. Ellsworth

this page, above Harold Rosenberg (centre) chats to fellow critic Irving Sandler at an exhibition of works by Grace Hartigan, 1959 left Willem de Kooning (centre with light hair) talks to author Noel Clad and his wife on East 10th Street, next door to the Tanager Gallery, 1959 opposite page (from left) Norman Bluhm, Joan Mitchell and Franz Kline at the Cedar Tavern, 1957

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‘ After Kline had admonished Pollock… Pollock pulled a swinging door off its hinges and hurled it at him’

Kelly, Agnes Martin, James Rosenquist and Robert Indiana lived around Coenties Slip, at the foot of Manhattan, with Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg nearby. But by the late 1950s, when that new generation was emerging, the Abstract Expressionists were already starting to leave the city. Pollock and his wife Lee Krasner moved out to Springs, a pocket of the Hamptons on Long Island in 1945, as newlyweds; de Kooning followed years later; Mark Rothko and Robert Motherwell would also take houses nearby. Today, Springs is just one part of the area’s playground for Manhattan’s business elite; then, it was a remote town of farmers and fisherman where life, de Kooning said, was ‘kind of biblical.’ Pollock’s Long Island studio is preserved to this day, and the paint on the floor has sat there since

he worked on canvases like Blue Poles (1952, front cover and page 8). But much else in the world of those artists has changed. When I took a trip downtown recently, I decided to find out what had become of the Cedar Tavern of Pollock’s day. I walked up and down, struggling with the street numbers until finally I realised that the site of the bar, and much else besides, has been engulfed by a vast, chain-store pharmacy. They do, at least, sell hangover cures. Friends events include a New York-themed Friends Private View of ‘Abstract Expressionism’ (5 Nov), with live jazz, food and champagne cocktails, and USA Revolution (4 Oct), in which American craft chocolates are paired with wines; visit royalacademy.org.uk/events and see page 121. To see an interactive map of Abstract Expressionist hangouts in New York, visit http://roy.ac/abex-map

p h oto: fred w. mcda rr a h / Premi u m Archi v e , Getty I m ages Co l l ecti o n . p h oto: j o hn lo eng a r d/Getty I m ages Co l l ecti o n . p h oto: a l e x a n d er l iberm a n / B etty Pa rs o ns G a l l ery reco r ds a n d p ers o n a l pa p ers/Archi v es o f Americ a n Art, S miths o ni a n I nstit u ti o n , Washingto n D C/ I n v. 936 3 .

Inside the Cedar Tavern, 1956 above Ad Reinhardt at work on an untitled ‘black’ painting in his studio, New York, 1966 left Betty Parsons at the entrance to her gallery, New York, 1963 top left

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James Ensor, Zelfportret met bloemenhoed, 1883. Mu.ZEE, Oostende. © SABAM Belgium 2016

The Ensor & Spilliaert museum wing

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Visit Ostend, a city at the seaside, the art and the light of James Ensor and Léon Spilliaert.

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KO N I N K L I J K M US EU M VO O R S CH O N E KU NS T EN , A N T W ER P/ P H OTO K MS K A © W W W. LU K AS W EB . B E – A R T I N F L A N D ERS V Z W. P H OTO GR A P H Y: H U GO M A ER T ENS/© DAC S 2016

A man of many

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masks The Belgian artist James Ensor painted life through the lens of the carnival, creating unsettling and often satirical works. Michael Prodger searches for the man behind these intriguing images

What is one to make of the art of James Ensor? ‘Reason and nature are the enemy of the artist,’ he once wrote and, true to his word, his paintings and etchings float free from these traditional moorings of art. It means that, like Goya and William Blake, his work – filled with masks, skeletons and cacophony – is unmistakable, always compelling and often utterly mystifying. It means too that he can be seen as, among other things, a joker, a Symbolist, an Expressionist, a proto-Surrealist, a utopian, a satirist and perhaps even suffering from mental illness (one of his etchings is a self-portrait showing him urinating against a wall on which is scrawled ‘Ensor est un fou’ – ‘Ensor is a madman’). Though whether he was one of those things or all of them together is another of the many mysteries that awaits visitors to the RA’s Ensor exhibition, which is curated by Luc Tuymans, Belgium’s leading contemporary painter (see page 75). Ensor is often described as an Outsider artist but it is not an accurate label. He was born in Ostend in 1860 to an English father and Belgian mother and lived for almost all of his life in the seaside resort – appropriately, given his parentage, where the English Channel becomes the North Sea. But he was no provincial. From 1877 he received a classical training at the Academy in Brussels (where he managed to come bottom of almost every class) and the capital and its goings-on remained important to him for the rest of his life. In an age when travel suddenly became easy, however, he barely stirred: he lived to 89, dying in 1949, but made only a handful of trips abroad – three to France and two to the Netherlands, both just over the border, and a four-day visit to London. The wider world was not his world. Ostend, however, was world enough. Initially he painted conventional seascapes and varnishbrown interior scenes, but that changed when he

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R OYA L M US EU MS O F F I N E A R TS O F B ELGI U M , B RUS S ELS/ P H OTO © R OYA L M US EU MS O F F I N E A R TS O F B ELGI U M , B RUS S ELS/ P H OTO: J . GEL E Y NS – R O S CA N /© DAC S 2016

U N I V ERS I T É L I B R E D E B RUX EL L ES , B RUS S ELS/Collection de l’ U niversité libre de B ruxelles/© DAC S 2016 . M u. Z EE © www. lukasweb . be – A rt in F landers vzw/© M . A ntony – S O FA M B elgium / DAC S , London 2016

set up a studio in the attic of his mother’s souvenir shop and furnished it with props from her stock – masks, curios, shells, carnival costumes and chinoiseries. These gewgaws and the sea sky helped him, he said, to become ‘a painter in love with colour, delighted by the blinding glow of light’. The attic may have been a self-contained domain but Ensor did not turn in on himself; he kept up with his Brussels social circle and in 1883 joined Les Vingt (Les XX), a group of left-leaning avant-garde artists who for the next decade exhibited together in an attempt to keep pace with and develop the advances of modern French painting. Other members included Fernand Khnopff and Théo van Rysselberghe and the group invited the likes of Seurat, Whistler, Gauguin, Van Gogh and Monet to exhibit alongside them. Although Ensor was no recluse, his art was so distinctive that it stood out as odd even among the heterogeneous Les XX. What Ensor developed in his Ostend studio was a way of turning reality into something strange and expressive, and he did this primarily through masks. Belgium and the Netherlands have a continuing tradition of carnival that has its roots

The Intrigue, 1890

opposite page, top

previous spread

James Ensor surrounded by his paintings, photographed in 1937 by Maurice Antony bottom The Bad Doctors, 1892 this page, right Skeletons Fighting over a Pickled Herring, 1891

‘ However dark Ensor’s themes, his pictures are full of pearlescent colour and light. This nougat palette gives the paintings a visionary intensity’

in the Middle Ages and has been reflected in art through the phantasmagoria of Bosch, the kirmesses of Bruegel and the Dance of Death imagined most terrifyingly by Holbein. Masks conferred the anonymity that allowed the inversion of normality to happen. By Ensor’s time the more unnerving aspects of carnival had been superseded by a benign Mardi Gras, where men and women in disguise would roam the cafés, goading and challenging the unmasked drinkers to guess their identities and drinking at their expense until they did (The Intrigue, 1890, page 68). The masked figures that people Ensor’s pictures are therefore both a real and a personal chorus. In a painting such as The Entry of Christ into Brussels (1888–89, an etching of which is in the show), masked characters mix with skulls, clowns and portraits of his family and public figures to form an aimless but threatening and dehumanised mob; they function as an Everyman in a menacing swirl around the isolated figure of Christ – a caricatured self-portrait. In a later work, Ensor and the Masks, from 1835 (not in the exhibition), a crowd of masks chuckles as the artist poses, and it is impossible not to read them as symbolising the incomprehension that met his work. For Ensor, while the mask hides the identity of individuals it nevertheless exposes the wearer’s true personality – malicious, giddy, foolish. It is not, in this sense, a mask at all. Ensor was always touchy about criticism and saw himself as something of a martyr as a result of the opprobrium that greeted many of his pictures. The critics, he thought, treated him with a ‘viciousness beyond all known limits’; he felt ‘surrounded by hostility’ and subject to ‘mean vile attacks’. He depicted himself not just as Christ entering a Belgian Jerusalem but also nailed to a cross, dissected, as a decapitated head served on a platter to his enemies, as a herring being torn to bits by two skeleton critics (Skeletons

Fighting over a Pickled Herring, 1891, above) and more. The comédie humaine he depicted was not all that comedic. However dark some of Ensor’s themes, his pictures are full of pearlescent colour and light. This nougat palette gives the paintings a visionary intensity: they would be less otherworldly, less surprising, if he had restricted himself to more shadowy tones. But then Ensor seems to have seen everything in heightened terms. In Mes Ecrits, a collection of pensées and artistic beliefs written in 1921, he outlined his vision of bliss: ‘What a wonderful, phosphorescent dream: to end in beauty, tenderly embraced by a passionate octopus! Lying between the cultivated mussels of Ostend and loquacious mermaids, I will offer myself up to the avid kisses of the lovely beasts of the waters of the sky, the earth and the sea.’ It is hardly a monochrome dream. For all his originality Ensor’s work is nevertheless full of references to the artists he most admired, an admission perhaps that he wanted to be part of a tradition rather than an isolated figure on the edges. His still-life The Skate (page 122) for example pays homage to Chardin’s The Ray (c.1726); The Fall of the Rebel Angels (page 72) has the colour arch and maelstrom of Turner’s The Angel Standing in the Sun (1846); his Self-portrait with a Flowered Hat (page 67) is a humorous interpretation of Rubens’s portrait of his sister-in-law (known as The Straw Hat, c.1622–25); Theatre of Masks is Watteau’s commedia dell’arte given an unsettling twist; and Goya, of course, can be found everywhere. Although his allegories, however perplexing their meaning, are shot through with high art, Ensor’s greatest affiliation was perhaps with a low art form: the satirical caricature. When he turned to etching it was as though he used not just the medium but the language and motifs

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that had been eluding him: in 1899 the Albertina in Vienna bought a complete set of his etchings and both the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels and Ostend City Council bought paintings. Although he continued to paint, his focus turned to writing, which proved to be every bit as idiosyncratic as his painting. He contributed pieces about art to various leftwing magazines and lectured on the iniquities of his age: ‘Oh, beautiful modernity! What crimes are committed in your name!’ Among those crimes he numbered were modern architecture,

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of James Gillray. In poking fun at the ineptitude of doctors, the absurdities of lust or sloth, or the abuse of the people by royalty, aristocracy and clergy, it is to Gillray’s rambunctious and scatological example that he looks. If Gillray skewered the social ills of Georgian England, then Ensor did the same in his etchings for fin-de-siècle Belgium. In plate after plate he arraigned the madness of crowds and the bestiality of the individual. From around 1900 Ensor’s output tailed off, just as he began to achieve the public recognition

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‘ The Fall of the Rebel Angels has the colour arch and maelstrom of Turner’s Angel Standing in the Sun’

The country of carnivals The carnival that Ensor captured on canvas in Ostend is one of many annual parades and street parties that still take place across Belgium – the country has some of the world’s most rich and wide-ranging carnival traditions. Many have centuries-old roots in religion and folklore, and when Belgium gained independence in the mid-19th century, these rituals were resuscitated after years of suppression, fostering national and civic pride, as well as filling commercial coffers.

had always supported his artistic career. Ensor senior is perhaps an unseen presence in his son’s paintings: he came from an elevated social background but never lived up to it, relying for income on his wife’s shop. She and her family mocked him and it is said that he took to drink and became the butt of Ostend night life. If his son needed an example of the cruelty of the masses and the fallibility of man he hadn’t far to look. Ensor never married though he did have what appears to have been a life-long amitié amoureuse with Augusta Boogaerts, the daughter of a local

The most famous is the carnival of the Belgian city of Binche, which is located about 30 miles south of Brussels, and one can sense its echo in the Ensor exhibition at the Royal Academy. The show’s curator, the artist Luc Tuymans (page 75), displays in the RA’s galleries wax masks and an ostrichfeather headdress worn in the carnival, alongside his painting of a mannequin wearing the costume (Gilles de Binche, 2004, below left). Tuymans produced the work after studying and photographing the costume in Binche’s International Carnival and Mask Museum.

Traditional dress is worn by Gilles in Belgium’s annual Carnival of Binche left Gilles de Binche, 2004, by Luc Tuymans above

The Carnival of Binche takes its timing from the Catholic calendar, arriving each year on the three days before Lent. But its heritage dates back to a 14th-century pagan festival, and it has acquired many legends over the years, including the idea that its traditional costume was inspired by Inca dress. Those with the honour of wearing the red, white and gold garb are known as Gilles, and at the climax of their procession they throw hundreds of oranges into the crowds (above).

P H OTO CO U R T ESY O F DAV I D Z W I R N ER , N E W YO R K / LO N D O N A N D Z EN O X G A L L ERY, A N T W ER P/© CO U R T ESY S T U D I O LU C T U Y M A NS . hemis /alamy

left The Fall of the Rebel Angels, 1889

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vivisection, selling off the Ostend dunes for housing, the destruction of old churches and the local docks. He turned to music too, becoming infatuated with the harmonium, and in 1911 he wrote the music and libretto for a ballet, La Gamme d’Amour (The Scale of Love), staged in the Antwerp Opera House in 1924. Honours also came his way, culminating in 1929 in a barony awarded by Albert I. Around this time he requested naturalisation – previously he shared his father’s Britishness, a mark of love to the member of his family who

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creed that art should be anything but banal and his belief that religion and science are ‘cruel goddesses, drenched in tears and blood’. In 1933 Ensor’s star was high enough that he was chosen to give a speech welcoming Einstein to Belgium. He did so in authentically Ensorian fashion: ‘Allow me to salute a guest of substance, a neighbour haloed in importance. Block of science wreathed in flowers by a colleague of the coast, perched atop a dune. To you, great thinker, handsome caster of convincing rays, your silver mane emits millenary illuminations…’ What the physicist made of this encomium is not recorded. If the exact nature of Ensor’s art remains elusive, its potency is more tangible. In 1929, Ensor’s friend, the art historian August Vermeylen, described the reaction to the major retrospective of the painter’s work in Brussels:

‘anyone with even the slightest feeling for art was left with their head spinning as rapidly as mine. Bewildered and bamboozled, they could articulate their admiration only with a quiet stutter or a hearty curse – a curse that in those circumstances had the quality of a prayer.’ The RA’s galleries during the exhibition will be a place for open ears as well as open eyes. Intrigue: James Ensor by Luc Tuymans The Sackler Wing, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 020 7300 8000, royalacademy.org.uk, 29 Oct–29 Jan 2017. Organised by the Royal Academy of Arts in association with the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp. 2009-2017 Season supported by JTI. Events include the free lunchtime talks Introduction to James Ensor (31 Oct) and The Eclectic Art of James Ensor (28 Nov); visit royalacademy.org.uk/events and see page 121. Ensor House the former home of James Ensor in Ostend, is open to the public (+32 59 50 81 18; muzee.be)

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photograph: A lex S alinas & Vanessa Van O bberghen

hotelier he met in 1888. Wrapped in his personal world, he sat out the First World War in Ostend, although he managed to get himself arrested for drawing the Kaiser as a vulture. It was the intercession of young German artists who had come to admire his work that ensured his release. In 1919 the artist Léon Spilliaert wrote of Ensor living ‘in an old dilapidated house above a shop selling shells. Here he lives a sad and lonely life… among his marvellous paintings… He is vegetating in this ruined and ransacked town… And always the same: sweet and good, sensitive and worried, childlike.’ He hadn’t, though, been forgotten by his fellow painters; Max Beckmann, Fernand Khnopff and Wassily Kandinsky were among those who visited, recognising in him a trailblazer and sharing his

A ntwerp, Koninklijk M useum voor S chone Kunsten / P hoto K MS K A © www. lukasweb . be – A rt in F landers vzw. P hotography: H ugo M aertens/© DAC S 2016

below The Skeleton Painter, 1896-97

Belgium’s leading contemporary painter, who curates the RA’s James Ensor exhibition, tells sam phillips why it is time to reassess Ensor’s art I meet Luc Tuymans at the Royal Academy on Friday 24 June, a few hours after the results of the EU Referendum. The most obvious question is my first: what does Belgium’s most famous living painter think of the British rejection of Brussels? ‘It comes as no surprise – I expected it, having seeing the ignorance that reigns in these isles,’ the 58-year-old artist replies, in characteristically frank fashion. ‘Of course, the decision reflects how the political world itself has lost credibility, but also the lack of empathy between Britain and Europe. That’s what makes a show of Ensor so interesting now. It couldn’t be more timely.’ Tuymans is curating the Academy’s James Ensor exhibition, allowing us to see one of modern art’s most intriguing painters through a contemporary artist’s eyes; on his laptop he shows me computer renders of his spare, elegant hang. Tuymans is astonished that an artist of Ensor’s status is not well known in Britain, and enjoys the irony that Ensor was in fact – as the son of an Englishman – a British national, until late in life when he decided to naturalise as a Belgian. And those who do know Ensor, he says, often know the myth rather than the man. ‘Ensor is mostly portrayed as an eccentric, grotesque figure, which is just a cliché. He was a modern artist who was against any form of academicism, a predecessor of Expressionism

‘ Ensor and Tuymans share an essential edginess, unafraid to excavate ideas and images from the darkest of corners’

photograph: A lex S alinas & Vanessa Van O bberghen

A ntwerp, Koninklijk M useum voor S chone Kunsten / P hoto K MS K A © www. lukasweb . be – A rt in F landers vzw. P hotography: H ugo M aertens/© DAC S 2016

An agent provocateur

and someone with a clearly defined political stance against the bourgeoisie. But he was a trained artist, as you can see from the drawings in the show, so he was certainly not an Outsider artist. ‘His work was informed and deliberate and responded to art history. The moment he portrays himself with the flower hat he makes a clear connotation with Rubens’ The Straw Hat, ironic or not. There are elements of respect and admiration in Ensor’s painting but also disgust and mockery. He was trying to shake things up, because Rubens was – and is – an icon in Belgium.’ Ensor’s antiestablishment aura is made more uncertain by the fact that he became a baron, by order of King Albert I, in 1929. So we have a painter who is both an insider and an outsider, but always an agent provocateur. Perhaps this could be a description of Tuymans himself,

for while their work is stylistically dissimilar, the Antwerp-based contemporary painter and the éminence grise from Ostend share an essential edginess, unafraid to excavate ideas and images from the darkest of corners. Tuymans’ paintings have drawn on photographs and films related to the horrors of the Holocaust, the Belgian Congo and the Iraq War. Once reframed in oil on canvas – out of focus in the artist’s loose brushwork and chromatically compressed in palette – the images become abstract but more unsettling, the distance from the original material a space for the viewer to question both its subject and, more generally, what images can mean today. A display of Tuymans’ work is presented at the National Portrait Gallery this autumn and the artist has included in the Ensor exhibition his painting Gilles de Binche (2004, page 73), which

depicts in ghostly tones a costume from the Carnival of Binche in Belgium. It was Ensor’s own indelible image of carnival, The Intrigue (page 68), that captivated a teenage Tuymans. He has chosen it as the title of the exhibition. ‘I realised then that the intensity of the figure in the centre, the one with the hat, was the breaking point of the whole painting,’ he recalls. ‘In a very weird way the figure stares out, although it has no eyes. It is clearly confrontational with the viewer, whereas the others aren’t – they look away. The hat is the real element. It is emblematic of the bourgeois, which is translated into the idea of danger.’ The RA’s events programme includes Luc Tuymans in Conversation with Adrian Locke (30 Nov); visit royalacademy.org.uk/events and see page 121. Luc Tuymans: Glasses National Portrait Gallery, London, 020 7306 0055, npg.org.uk, 4 Oct–26 March 2017

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New fiction in response to great art

Short Story The Atheist

by eimear mcbride. Inspired by ‘Saints Genevieve and Apollonia’ (1506, left) by Lucas Cranach the Elder, this short story is the latest in a series of art-influenced stories written especially for RA Magazine

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We two in the dark for five hundred years, where would I have gone?

liveliness with which they sought to eke out their time. Life was but a crumb, I thought, and ached for it to be swept out from underneath us all. My steadfastness in this I now shamefacedly recall, and the conceited belief that within me alone he had placed his glint.

Never in the dark, candlelit.

Sister, he had.

Still silent mice though.

I am no longer sure of that. Back in the flesh there was so much suffering but I did not care for the paltry bone or meagre skin. What span they had I held as nothing. I kept on towards forever as though it was waiting, intent on offering it all the stainlessness I could provide. It was for stainlessness that I remained inside. Kept my body unfound out, despite bearing a heart aflame. Now I might, if I had chosen differently then, have – like grains of sand – descendants. A pith of myself worked into the world, smeared with lost histories, yes, but buoyed by true immortality.

Whisper. Sister, are you there?

No, still saints and we will not have this argument again, again. What, query loafing in this frame, across all these long years? To what end? We know it is to show faith always new. Even though the last we really saw was centuries ago, a millennium and more? If we could, or cared to, bat an eyelid now generations might turn to dust. I know your quarrel and devil take your regret. I do not repent my city or the intercessions I made, the life of willing abnegation or even the early age at which consecration came. A life of purpose is the natural longing of youth sister, that much has never changed.

Perhaps, but I kept mine always with me and it remained in me to the end; tired old woman in her cell and ready for repose. Ah yes, the easeful death – not a thing I knew. I was burnt black bones and a web of soot. In the rush of people screaming I reached higher up. Though clouds of me were billowing out, though ash I was become, though agony rang harmonies in my bones I kept faith with him, for I was once purposeful too. I was run through with life. I was the Word. At my back, hosts of angels with fiery swords. I cursed the world and would not make myself of it. Gladly I despoiled the plans of suitors and parents. Turned all parts of me into godly stone and did not concern myself with their earthly love. Whole nations could have fallen and I would not have turned my head. Kings might have knelt to me but I’d have had none of it. Sister, in this we are the same. And right that we should have placed so little weight upon earthly things.

Don’t say that. Our sufferings were not in vain. His eternity is to come. His eternity, sister, is already here and to be viewed by strangers for all of it, is this what we deserve? What are we left of ourselves in this painted forever? Not much, I tell you. A vessel in life was what I became, fit only for carrying his words for him. Even in dreams can either of us now recall our own thoughts on that life?

painted self to be. Absurd even. But it has taught me not to wait any more. I am wise now, too late, to what I was. Bitter that the life, in which I should have exulted, I threw away instead. All those heartbeats on which I should have lavished attention I treated like aperitifs. And truly, I object to daintily holding these pincers which once ripped my teeth out. I object to the fake graciousness of my martyred state and the absent screaming and blood. I would rail on the subject had our maker not, so diligently, painted my mouth shut. Oh sister sister, why was I surprised by that? We had faith, bright and pure. He has made us symbols of it evermore. And where is the salvation that was to be our reward? Five hundred years of hanging on a wall as demurely dressed and beautiful dolls. Watching ourselves shifted from pillar to post. From chapels to collectors’ homes, now a gallery. Crossing countries. Eating time. Even the symbolism we were meant to provide long sacrificed on the altar of Cranach’s fame. Is it right that, after all we were, we meet history this way? Shush now, remember humility. Servility. This is a God-given vigil.

It was the bargain, to be of no consequence. Our lives and works we freely gave and never thought to re-encounter this world after the grave, so I do acknowledge that this situation is not how I supposed it would be.

We will never agree. Perhaps not but come back into it with me. Sister, do I have a choice?

Or I, sister. Back then I wished nothing earthly to survive my burning. But afterwards, instead of glorious ascension, I found myself in the dark. Rest from the sharp point of my God I suppose should have been enough, yet it was something of a disappointment after all I’d offered up. I had never considered I might still dwell here, back in time, becoming stripped ever further of my body and mind. All the savagery of the life I lived prettily painted and turned into an object of eternity. Now we are yoked in it together, who had lived nations and generations apart. Palest virgins, evermore perpetuating this deceitful serenity our maker imposed. No sister, not maker, merely painter, please.

No, it was unforgiveable to see those peopled streets as only full of heretics and to despise the

Please yourself, but strange I’ve found this

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Critical issues in art and architecture

Debate

i l lus t r at i o n by y u k a i d u

The Question Is originality in art overrated?

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i l lus t r at i o n by y u k a i d u

Yes… The cult of originality in art neglects the fact that much great art has been made from working within a tradition, argues martin gayford ‘The worst thing you can believe,’ Lucian Freud once insisted to me, ‘is that something is good simply because you made it.’ Indeed, he went so far as to claim it didn’t matter who actually had created a certain painting or sculpture. The only important point was the quality of the work itself; he even felt that it did not matter if a work was a forgery, so long as it was powerful. This was a view that undermined the contemporary cult of originality. We’ve come to stress originality too much. If only innovation matters, after all, then what is the point of copies? There is nothing, by definition, very original about a replica. But copying, until very recently, was the basis of art education. The first independent work Michelangelo ever made, according to his biography by Ascanio Condivi, was a reworking of a print by the German artist Martin Schongauer of the Temptation of St Anthony. Since he had a standard Renaissance apprenticeship, the teenage Michelangelo would have made many more copies than that. He would have spent many hours reproducing the

No… If art is to be life-changing, it must break the rules, even if we find that unsettling, says richard cork True originality in art can never be overrated. I will always remember the moment when, in 1962, the Tate acquired Henri Matisse’s sublime paper cut-out The Snail. As a teenager marooned at boarding school in Bath, I scrutinised The Snail with astonishment and delight. It was reproduced, full-page, in The Sunday Times’ new colour magazine, and my 15-year-old eyes had never seen anything like it. Matisse’s originality broke all the rules, providing me with an epiphany. I realised just how liberating it was to gaze at a work that challenged everyone’s ideas about what art could become. But many older British gallery-goers reacted to The Snail with angry condemnation. When I ran to my school’s art room, clutching the Matisse reproduction excitedly, the response by my art master could not have been more hostile. I placed The Snail on the desk in front of him, exclaiming:

‘Matisse’s The Snail taught me that originality in art is not the preserve of impatient young rebels’

drawings of his master, Ghirlandaio. That was how a young artist learnt, not just in the 1480s, but for centuries afterwards. In my forthcoming book of conversations with David Hockney RA, A History of Pictures (page 35), the painter has this to say on the subject. ‘I’ve always admired Degas’s copy of Poussin’s Rape of the Sabines (1861–62). I look at it and think: What he must have learnt from doing that. That’s why he was doing it, to educate himself.’ Copying, in other words, is a way of joining a tradition. By making his version of the Rape of the Sabines, Degas was gaining a huge amount of information about Poussin. Thereafter, the 17th-century master’s way of drawing and constructing a scene was internalised, an ingredient among many in Degas’s sensibility. Of course, distinctiveness and individuality are important, especially in Western art since the Middle Ages (though not so much in Ancient Egypt). Perhaps those attributes, however, are a bit like destinations in Alice Through the Looking Glass: you get where you want to go more quickly by setting off in another direction. Thus Michelangelo’s copy ended up different from Schongauer’s engraving, not because he was trying to make it like ‘a Michelangelo’ – at the time he had no such thing as a ‘signature style’, since he was only about 13 years old – but because he was trying to make it better. For example, Michelangelo studied fish in the Florentine market so as to add detail to the scaly limbs of the demons assailing the saint.

‘Freud’s art was the result of his effort to make the best pictures he could. What we think of as originality is often like that, a by-product’

‘Look, sir, the Tate has bought this totally daring masterpiece! What do you think of it?’ After staring down briefly, with infinite disdain, he dismissed it as ‘rubbish’ and rebuked me for admiring it. ‘Anyone can daub flat paint on pieces of paper, cut them up with scissors and stick them together like this.’ For me, however, The Snail’s bold originality was a life-changing experience. It transformed my adolescent understanding of how a great artist can dismantle the barriers of tradition in order to define a fresh vision for the future. The Snail had been executed in 1952–53. Already bedridden, Matisse would only live for one more year before dying of a heart attack. This extraordinary tour de force was produced by a frail octogenarian who probably guessed that his end was near. So The Snail also taught me that originality in art is not the exclusive preserve of impatient young rebels. True, some of the most memorable advances were made by painters like Masaccio, Van Gogh and Seurat, none of whom even reached middle age. But the most original work can also be created by artists as old as Titian, who was pushing 90 and never stopped trying to reinvent himself until his fresh handling of paint attained a provocative freedom, with very loose brush marks and even finger smears. The same urge can be found in painters as disparate as Rembrandt and Monet, whose late works took them into realms even more daring than those they had penetrated earlier in their careers. Anyone encountering Rembrandt’s profound and vigorously summarised self-portrait

at Kenwood House in London, or Monet’s astounding Les Grandes Decorations on the curved walls of L’Orangerie in Paris, should realise that truly great artists never content themselves with serving up predictable sedatives. Even though the elderly Monet was suffering intense frustration in the 1920s, as he underwent major eye operations to avoid the onset of blindness, he broke through to a near-abstract approach in these canvases. ‘I no longer sleep because of it,’ he admitted, describing how ‘at night I do not cease to be haunted by what I am attempting to realise.’ But Monet’s revolutionary late work changed the course of 20th-century art, deeply influencing artists including the Abstract Expressionists. While distinguishing between the potent and the meretricious, we should all engage with even the most unsettling experiences that originality in art provides. Nothing is more depressing than the attitude of viewers who approach innovative work with all their prejudices rigidly intact, refusing to accept that art has a fundamental right to defy even our most hallowed preconceptions. If the importance of originality is not recognised, academicism becomes rampant, repetitive dullness prevails and artists lose their crucial ability to renew our vision of the world with outstanding, revelatory verve.

When he was approaching 80, Freud himself spent night after night in the National Gallery working from a picture he loved, Chardin’s Young School Mistress. The paintings and etchings he produced were not exact facsimiles of the 18thcentury oil, more like translations into Freudian terms. I am sure, however, that he was not consciously aiming to ‘express himself originally’ – an idea he would have loathed. It was the result of his effort to make the best pictures he could. What we think of as originality is often like that, a by-product. As it happens, forgeries generally aren’t all that good, because the people who make them are thinking of turning out a product (which may be why Picasso is supposed to have said, ‘Sometimes I forge myself’). It’s not wise to imitate one’s self, but maybe it’s not advisable to set out to be original either. That is simply getting things the wrong way round.

Is originality in art overrated? Visit http://roy.ac/originality-debate to vote. Last issue we asked: should critics ever savage the work of artists? 67 per cent in our poll said ‘Yes’, 33 per cent ‘No’

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Debate

Movers and shakers Despite the image of art dealing as a man’s world, women played a crucial role in the display, promotion and sale of 20th-century British art. gill hedley profiles three female gallerists who changed the course of artists’ lives

Ala Story

She acquired work by rising stars Ala Story (1907–72) had trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in her birthplace Vienna until the impact of a Van Gogh exhibition in 1928 made her realise she did not have the talent to become a painter. She moved to London in her early twenties to study English and got a job at the new Beaux Arts Gallery in Mayfair’s Bruton Place, where Helen Lessore, later its Director, was the secretary. Story’s career progressed rapidly through the leading Modernist galleries: she worked as a secretary at the Redfern Gallery, became manager of the Lucy Wertheim Gallery in Burlington Gardens and, at only 25, a partner in the Storran Gallery in Albany Courtyard, next to the RA. Originally the Wednesday-Thursday Gallery, it had been set up by a Mrs Cochrane, who devoted two days a week to selling woodcuts and greetings cards; she was joined in 1933 by Story, who telescoped their names into ‘Storran’ and helped make it a highly fashionable gallery, exhibiting artists such as Gertrude Hermes RA, André Derain and Duncan Grant.

By 1936, Story had married and had returned to the Redfern Gallery as a director. At her usual pace, she took over the Stafford Gallery in St James’s two years later. Its avantgarde reputation had dwindled and she developed it into the British Art Centre, a non-profit organisation to help the Contemporary Art Society purchase work from artists for museums. But as war approached, timing was not on her side. By 1940 Story had moved to New York to establish the American-British Art Center, an exhibition space and club on West 57th Street, mainly to promote and support British artists but with a wider international and social function, too. In 1952, by then living with the filmmaker and collector Margaret Mallory, she became the second Director of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, to which both women made substantial gifts and bequests of works by British and international artists. Story expanded the museum’s collection of European and Asian art and created the Pacific Coast Biennial, an invitation-only exhibition based on her exhaustive studio visits in the region. As a result, she acquired work by rising stars, such as painter Richard Diebenkorn Hon RA, helping to create a remarkable collection of American art.

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Ala Story in New York’s American-British Art Center, in 1941, which she set up

The critic John Russell described the London art scene at the end of the Second World War as ‘a rose garden in which the Cuisse de Nymphe had dropped off the stalk, moth had made short work of the climbing Mermaid, and Madame Alfred Carrière had been ploughed up for turnips.’ Several early planters and later pruners in that post-war period were female, their work helping British art to flourish after the fighting was over. Their stories remain largely untold, partly because dealers, both men and women, play a supporting role to the lives of their artists. In the period around the war, the style of art dealing was moving away from the wellestablished family business, handed down from father to son, and becoming a more creative profession. Women dealers often played a particular part in expanding the ways in which art galleries supported their artists, staging innovative styles of exhibitions and attracting a new clientele. A full history would include Helen Lessore, Lillian Browse, Lucy Wertheim and Lea Bondi Jaray among others. Bondi Jaray, for example, was a Jewish art dealer who ran a gallery in Vienna. The great-aunt of British painter Tess Jaray RA, she was forced to leave Austria in 1937; she came to London where she established another influential gallery (her heirs recently won an extraordinary fight to reclaim Egon Schiele’s Portrait of Wally, which was seized by the Nazis). The three art dealers whose stories appear here – Ala Story, Erica Brausen and Peter Norton – have been singled out because of the ways in which their lives intersected both with each other and with so many others, as well as the international impact of their galleries and philanthropy. All three were particularly influenced by the German-speaking world, from Expressionism to the Bauhaus. None of these women was born in Britain.

Peter Norton photographed by Ida Kar in the mid-1950s

Erica Brausen in 1959 at Hanover Gallery, London, photographed by Ida Kar

Peter Norton

Erica Brausen

A generous champion of young artists

Debate

Nöel Evelyn Hughes (1891–1972), always known by her nickname Peter, was a daughter of Empire. Her father was a distinguished engineer after whom Hughes Road in her birthplace Mumbai is named. She rebelled against what she described as her ‘very early Victorian family, every one of whom was of course interested in music, painting and poetry’ – her grandfather and great-grandfather had exhibited paintings at the Royal Academy – and she went to work in a leading advertising company. In 1927 she married the diplomat Clifford Norton, and an interest in the Bauhaus art school developed after she met studentsturned-teachers Herbert Bayer and Marcel Breuer while skiing. In 1936, the London art world was blown wide open by the International Surrealist Exhibition at the New Burlington Galleries in Cork Street. When it closed, Peter was ready to fill the space and opened her trenchantly named London Gallery with her cousin Marguerita Strettell. The Redfern Gallery and the Mayor Gallery were both nearby and the street became

the locus for modern art in London. Peggy Guggenheim’s Guggenheim Jeune opened two years later. The influences on Peter included Roland Penrose, co-organiser of the Surrealist show, and a wide range of émigré artists and designers, above all Bayer and Breuer. She was always a Modernist, determined to support artists as generously as she could, and, to spread the word, she created a lending library within the gallery. In 1938 Peter’s husband was sent to Warsaw as Chargé d’affaires. She sold her gallery to Penrose, and left with her husband for Poland, where she was an eyewitness to Hitler’s invasion on 1 September 1939; the war gave her the chance to use her formidable energies in protecting lives and helping refugees, often at her own risk. Later, having departed for Switzerland, she became an active and adventurous patron to John Craxton RA as well other artists in Switzerland, and later in Greece, when Clifford became Ambassador in 1946. Peter had lost much of her own collection during the war, but built it up again with less wellknown names. She was an early supporter of the ICA in London and, on retirement to Britain, remained an indefatigable and generous champion of young artists.

Francis Bacon said that she had the best eye in the art world

Erica Brausen (1908–92) was born in Düsseldorf and moved to Paris aged 21; during the rise of Hitler in the early 1930s she remained in the city, living near the Closerie de Lilas in Montparnasse. Her friendship with artist Joan Miró drew her to move to Majorca, where she ran a bar. In the summer of 1936, she helped many Jewish and socialist friends escape the Civil War blockade. Later that year, Brausen came to London with a group of disciples of the guru Meher Baba, with whom she was acquainted, and she simply stayed on in the capital. She got a job at the Storran Gallery, then presented herself to the authorities at the outbreak of war, describing herself as in the fashion business and a picture dealer. She was not interned and after the war in 1946 she began her long life with the charismatic model Toto Koopman. Erica’s mariage blanc the same year to a male friend gave them social protection as a couple and for their business ventures. After the Storran Gallery, Brausen worked at Lea Bondi

Jaray’s St George’s Gallery in Mayfair, then at the Redfern Gallery on Cork Street. On Graham Sutherland’s advice, and with her own prescience, Erica bought Francis Bacon’s Painting (1946), which she then sold to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The Brausen-Bacon partnership established both of their careers; both built brilliantly on this early coup and Brausen began to plan the Hanover Gallery. Bacon said she had the best eye in the art world. In late 1947, she took over the original premises of the St George’s Gallery on Hanover Square, and created an influential, international gallery that flourished until 1973. Bacon left the gallery in 1958 to join the Marlborough Gallery, which was founded by Harry Fischer and Frank Lloyd, who had been Brausen’s colleagues at Lea Bondi Jaray’s gallery. The Hanover Gallery’s first exhibition was, appropriately, devoted to Sutherland and opened in the summer of 1948 during the ‘Austerity Olympics’ in London. A phrase from Robert Melville’s review of Sutherland’s paintings equally well describes the future and lasting impact of the Hanover: ‘It struck a hot gong-like note, a luminous widening stain.’

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Beside the Sea, No.3, 1962, by Robert Motherwell

The art of contemplation Mindfulness techniques can aid an authentic encounter with an artwork, suggests gill crabbe About a year ago, at an exhibition at Bernard Jacobson Gallery in London, I was taken by surprise by a small work on paper. It jumped out from the other larger works in the room, and its colours and forms seemed so spontaneously and joyfully generated – the contrast of two thick bars of black and sky-blue oil that anchored the space, with forceful splats of loose paint dancing in the void above. The contrast was visceral, the bars underlining both the ecstatic verve of the splats and the slow seepage of the oil into the paper. These were authentic marks that shot through my body. They were real. They blew ‘me’ apart, into a sense of openness, continual movement and energy. This was my first encounter with a work from the series ‘Beside the Sea’ (above) by Robert Motherwell – a pioneer of Abstract

Expressionism who features in the RA’s exhibition, and who is the subject of another show this autumn at Bernard Jacobson. Motherwell was a master of the gestural mark, and in that instance I was looking with a beginner’s mind. No previous encounter, no preconceptions, perhaps. This state of mind is not always easy to achieve, however, even when encountering a work for the first time. This is not only because preconceptions can be formed in relation to a specific artist’s work; they are also a major aspect of our responses to the world of colour and shape. The associations we have with any visual form can define or confine our experience. Reflecting on a work of art can open up conceptual meaning, but if we can suspend our preconceptions in the

actual encounter, we can enter a state of contemplation, rather than reflection, in which we experience the nature of what is actually there – its ineffability, its inability to be pinned down, or somehow defined or even known. The experience of art then becomes a journey, a process, a series of new experiences, rather than an idea that can be neatly wrapped in its ‘seen that, already know it, nothing further to look at’ conceptualised box. As the leading British abstract painter John Hoyland RA pointed out, ‘Good pictures should change one’s perceptions, good pictures go on being elusive.’ In looking at abstract painting in particular, there is the possibility of being liberated from the conceptualisation that often dominates our experience, say, of figurative art – that is, if we can suspend our compulsion to form associative thoughts, as when likening the juxtaposition of forms, say, to a landscape. If we resist imputing some figurative meaning and simply encounter the work as direct experience in the ‘here and now’ we can enter into a dialogue with the work that points to a more authentic encounter. This is when we see only what we see, sense only what we sense, in the moment. How do we do this, though? Well, we can become aware through engaging with simple mindfulness techniques. We become aware not only of what catches the eye but also of our whole bodily experience – our breath, our skin, our stillness or restlessness. We notice what we are noticing, not what we think we ought to be noticing. This bodily experience was an important consideration in much Abstract Expressionist art, hence the interest in making often large-scale works. In an essay in his book Black and Black Again, Ian McKeever RA notes that ‘Barnett Newman emphasised the need to stand close to big paintings rather than standing back… he wanted his paintings to be experienced physically, by the whole body, rather than just being seen by the eye and absorbed in the mind… giving us that sensation of our body being as much engaged as our mind.’ Going further, the encounter is not only about becoming aware of all the senses, but also the feelings – pleasant or unpleasant – within the body, as well as emotions. We can note how these change as we enter into dialogue with the work, as areas within a work open up to us, as we notice things not revealed to us at first glance. In a way, the process is like being an artist, encountering the artist’s encounter. Talking about his own work, Hoyland said: ‘I think painting is very much an extension of one’s interior self. If you can get the painting to be a true extension of the way you feel – physically and mentally, all the emotions – if you can make that concrete, then you’ve got this authentic thing.’ Robert Motherwell features in Abstract Expressionism Main Galleries, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 020 7300 8000, royalacademy.org.uk, 24 Sep–2 Jan 2017 Robert Motherwell: Abstract Expressionism Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, 020 7734 3431, jacobsongallery.com, 15 Sep–26 Nov

©Es tat e o f R o b er t M ot h er w el l /co u r t esy Ber n a r d Jaco b s o n G a l l ery

Debate

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IN A CHANGING WORLD,

INNOVATION BREAKS BOUNDARIES

ARTISTS LIKE POLLOCK, ROTHKO AND DE KOONING CHANNELLED THEIR VIEWS OF A CHANGING WORLD TO REDEFINE THE NATURE OF PAINTING. We have a similar ethos at BNP Paribas. We consider change, seek to innovate, and respond by converting change into new opportunities for our clients. In so doing, we strive to build the bank of tomorrow.

JACKSON POLLOCK BLUE POLES, 1952 Oil, enamel and aluminium paint with glass on canvas, 212.1 x 488.9 cm National Gallery of Australia, Canberra Â© The Pollock-Krasner Foundation ARS, NY and DACS, London 2016

The bank for a changing world

The latest developments in and around the RA

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Inside out Yinka Shonibare RA has wrapped the Academy’s Burlington Gardens façade in a giant collage, bringing the inner workings of the RA onto the street. rhiannon mcgregor meets the artist and tells the stories of some of the many images he has used in the work

‘Before I became an Academician, I didn’t really understand what went on inside the Royal Academy,’ explains Yinka Shonibare, who was elected an RA in 2013. ‘I had been to a number of exhibitions and exhibited here, but I didn’t know how it was structured – that the artists actually ran the RA.’ His latest work shares what he has discovered about the Academy with visitors and passers-by, creating a visual chronicle of the institution on the façade of its Burlington Gardens building, where major redevelopment work is underway in preparation for the RA’s 250th anniversary in 2018. At 71m in length, the enormous PVC mesh wrap RA Family Album is Shonibare’s largest work to date, and ‘brings the

mysteriousness of the inside onto the outside’. A colourful pattern of pinks, blues, greens, reds and yellows – recalling the African-Dutch textiles Shonibare often uses in his work – disentangles itself and drips down over more than 150 black-and-white photographs, both contemporary and historical images from the Academy’s archive. The work is both a celebration of those involved with the RA, ‘from the staff to the Red Collars and the artists’, as well as a medium for conveying its history and traditions. Each photograph tells a tale, and you can read these via a special App on the RA website. On the opposite page, we’ve uncovered the stories behind four images.

p h oto: dav i d pa r ry/© r oya l aca d em y o f a r ts

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b r i t is h m us eu m . R oya l Aca d em y S ch o o ls L i f e R o o m w i t h a cl as s i n p r o gr es s/ P h oto gr a p h ed by Rus s el l W es t wo o d f o r a f e at u r e o n t h e R oya l Aca d em y o f A r ts , p u b l is h ed i n

Academy News

b r i t is h m us eu m . R oya l Aca d em y S ch o o ls L i f e R o o m w i t h a cl as s i n p r o gr es s/ P h oto gr a p h ed by Rus s el l W es t wo o d f o r a f e at u r e o n t h e R oya l Aca d em y o f A r ts , p u b l is h ed i n ‘ I l lus t r at ed ’ M ay 2n d a n d M ay 9t h 1953/Co p y r i gh t: A r t is ts Es tat e P h oto/cr ed i t: R oya l Aca d em y o f A r ts , Lo n d o n / Es tat e o f R us s el l W es t wo o d. r oy m at t h e ws . n i ck t u r n er

p h oto: dav i d pa r ry/© r oya l aca d em y o f a r ts

News

serving beef tea – Bovril mixed with sherry – to the Summer Exhibition selection committee. But their main task has always been to ensure the safety of both visitors and artworks within the RA. For Sherwyn Mason (left), a Red Collar for 19 years, helping to ‘create a secure environment for the visitors’ is a highlight of the role. Mason has seen a shift in the demographic of RA Friends and visitors towards a greater range of ages and nationalities: ‘That’s one of the best things,’ he says. ‘Now we’re meeting a real variety of people.’

1. Exhibition Stare Case

Just over a mile away from Burlington House is one of the RA’s former homes – the north building of Somerset House (which now houses the Courtauld Institute). A year after its foundation in 1768, the Academy held its first Summer Exhibition in cramped rooms on Pall Mall. The exhibition proved popular, with over 60,000 visitors. In 1779 the RA moved to the ‘Great Room’ of the newly completed wing at Somerset House. However, the building, with its narrow staircase, proved impractical for a large crowd to navigate. Cartoonist Thomas Rowlandson captured the ensuing chaos in a satirical print, The Exhibition Stare Case (c.1811, above), which ridicules both the Academy and the art-going public. Young women tumble down the stone steps, exposing themselves to excited male onlookers who appear to far prefer the exhibits in front of them to the art on show.

brothels. Unusually, life-modelling was one of the few areas of work in which 18th-century women outstripped their male counterparts in earning capacity – archival material reveals an anonymous female model being paid twice as much as male models in 1788. However, with increasing prejudice, a proposal was put forward in 1876 to ban female models from the RA entirely – a move that was quashed when put to the vote. However, while the position of female life models became more precarious, the number of female students admitted to the RA began to increase.

2. Life models

3. The Red Collars

In 18th-century Europe the female form was rarely seen in formal life drawing classes, yet the RA Schools used women as models from as early as 1769 – although unmarried men under the age of 20 were not admitted for decency’s sake. The models were mostly drawn from the lower echelons of society, often sent over from local

The Red Collars – so-called for the distinctive scarlet-tipped collar on their uniform – have been a part of the Royal Academy since it was established, though the first recorded instance of them wearing red was not until Joshua Reynolds PRA’s funeral in 1792. Their duties have ranged from posing as life models in the Schools to

4. School visits

Since it was founded, the RA has played a central role in providing art education to the public. Joshua Reynolds, the founding President, along with other Academy professors – such as Henry Fuseli and J.M.W. Turner – delivered lectures that were then published, shaping people’s understanding of the arts in Britain. Today the RA’s Learning Department dedicates itself to engaging with the broadest possible public, and organises thousands of school visits each year. According to Shelley Debate, Head of Schools and Families, one success story was Ai Weiwei’s show in 2015. ‘The workshops appealed to all ages, which surprised us because a lot of Ai Weiwei’s work is conceptual,’ she explained. ‘But Ai Weiwei is protesting against something, and children responded to that because there are always things that they want to protest against.’ Find out about the stories behind more photos from RA Family Album by using the interactive explorer at http://roy.ac/family-album

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William Hogarth

On the Verge of Insanity

A Complete Catalogue of the Paintings

Van Gogh and His Illness

Elizabeth Einberg William Hogarth was among the first British-born artists to rise to international recognition. This comprehensive catalogue of his paintings brings together over 20 years of scholarly research on the artist. Published for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art 390 colour + 120 b/w illus. Hardback with Slipcase £95.00

Louis van Tilborgh, Nienke Bakker, Teio Meedendorp and Laura Prins This intriguing book is the first art historical publication to examine in depth the complex issues surrounding Vincent van Gogh’s illness. Distributed for Mercatorfonds 90 colour + 30 b/w illus. Paper over Board £20.00

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Revolutions in Architecture and Design

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Edited by Jean-Philippe Garric Beautiful illustrations enliven this detailed exploration of the projects of French architect and interior designer Charles Percier, who was prominent in the artistic world of the Napoleonic era. Published in association with Bard Graduate Center 228 colour + 20 b/w illus. Paper over Board £50.00

Edited by Jane Livingston and Andrea Liguori The definitive resource on the career and works of Richard Diebenkorn. Published in association with the Richard Diebenkorn Foundation and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco vol. 1: 299 colour illus.; vol. 2: 1,645 colour illus.; vol. 3: 2,344 colour illus.; vol. 4: 1,496 colour illus. Hardback Set with Slipcase £250.00

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Academy News

Greenhouse effect Working from her garden studio in Sussex, painter Olwyn Bowey RA has tenaciously pursued her interest in the natural world over many decades, and the results are continuing to bear fruit. By alison hissey

‘I don’t know why anyone enjoys doing painting. It’s a battleground’, says Olwyn Bowey RA, reflecting on the tortuous process of creating her botanical still-life Stag’s Head with Stag’s Head Fern (2015). ‘It was late autumn and it was getting colder. I had to keep the heat on in the greenhouse for that wretched fern – I kept it down in the house and up in the greenhouse.’ Fortunately, the sacrifice was not in vain – the painting has just won this year’s prestigious Sunny Dupree Family Award for a Woman Artist at the RA’s Summer Exhibition. ‘You do it because you want to,’ she says, ‘but it’s nice when it’s noticed. It’s like a new lease of life.’

The story perfectly illustrates the singlemindedness that underlies Bowey’s art, a drive to capture the natural world that places her firmly in the tradition of the artist-plantsman. Working mainly from the greenhouse in her garden in West Sussex, she has spent decades meticulously documenting the plants within it and the surrounding countryside, sometimes returning to the same spot year after year to catch it at just the right time to complete a painting. One of the places Bowey has painted most frequently is West Dean Gardens, just a few miles from her home. The first time she visited the

gardens, she was struck by their derelict Victorian greenhouses: ‘I took one look and said “I’ve been looking for that all my life.”’ These magnificent structures, now much restored, form the subject of Bowey’s first ever digital prints, The Melon House, West Dean (below) and Glasshouse in West Dean Gardens, both produced this year and available through RA Editions. Bowey, who claims to lack the ‘patience and fortitude’ to be a printmaker herself, produced the prints with the help of Maciej Urbanek, Photography Tutor at the RA Schools, and, as with all the RA Editions, proceeds from their sale will go to supporting the RA Schools.

The Melon House, West Dean, 2016, by Olwyn Bowey RA

The prints will be on show, along with drawings and paintings at Bowey’s exhibition in the RA’s Belle Shenkman Room this autumn. For Bowey, however, the real joy of the RA lies with the ‘camaraderie and hectic putting together’ of the Summer Exhibition, and the opportunity it brings to get to know artists she might never have met otherwise. She was elected a Royal Academician in 1975 at a time when the influx of new Members, many of whom had studied with Bowey at art school, was dramatically changing the institution. ‘Gosh, it has made strides forward into being the place it is today,’ she says. It’s a continuing development she has invested in by including a gift to the Academy in her will. ‘You leave it to the thing that has done the most for you. I honestly don’t think, being the way I am, that I would have had an artistic life without it.’

Olwyn Bowey RA in her greenhouse studio in West Sussex

Academicians in Focus: Olwyn Bowey RA Belle Shenkman Room, Royal Academy of Arts, 31 Oct–27 March 2017. Bowey’s RA Editions prints are available to buy online at https://shop.royalacademy.org.uk/artsales. For information about giving to the RA in your will, contact 020 7300 5677 or visit royalacademy.org.uk/legacies

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Academy News

Copy me in

In Brief

‘Science and art are not separate,’ says Adam Lowe, Director of the Madrid-based digital conservation organisation, the Factum Foundation. ‘The disciplines cross-fertilise and shape each other.’ Lowe is discussing Factum’s development of the Veronica Scanner (above), a human-scale machine that uses eight high-resolution cameras to create a highly detailed digital image of an object in three dimensions. This technology is at work in the RA’s Weston

Welcoming wave

JOHN PARTRIDGE RA As RA Magazine went to Press, the architect John Partridge RA sadly passed away aged 91. An obituary will be included in the winter issue.

Rooms this autumn, in an exhibition about its potential for portraiture. Participants can have their head scanned for a 3D digital portrait and, for the duration of the ten-day event, one scan each day will be 3D-printed into a wooden bust. Tickets for scans are limited, but visitors can watch for free the scanning and 3D-printing processes (left), and also see an accompanying exhibition on photogrammetry – the process in which photography maps the distances between surface points to build up a 3D image. It’s a technique that has been around since the 19th century, and has largely been used in cartography. ‘When it was done by hand,’ Lowe says, ‘you had corresponding points every 10cm. Now we can be accurate right down to the pores of the skin.’ The Veronica Scanner builds on the tradition of creating plaster or wax casts of faces by preserving features without subjective distortion. ‘A life mask never truly looks like the person, because the eyes have to be closed and the nostrils blocked,’ continues Lowe. ‘And the plaster deforms the surface of subjects’ faces.’ The Veronica Scanner may take its name from ancient languages – the Latin word vera (‘true’) and the Greek eikōn (‘image’) – but its technology is light years ahead.

New York gala This year Royal Academy America hosts its annual Gala at the landmark Hearst Tower in New York City on 15 November. The architect Norman Foster RA and artist Jenny Holzer Hon RA will be celebrated, along with the philanthropists Andrew and Paula Liveris (for enquiries, contact April Moorehouse at rsvp@raamerica.org or 001 212 980 8404).

The Veronica Scanner: Live 3D Portraiture Weston Rooms, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 020 7300 8000, 2–11 Sep; travelling to Waddesdon Manor, near Aylesbury, 01296 653203, 22–30 Oct. The exhibition is a partnership between the RA, Factum Foundation and the Rothschild Foundation

correction An artwork on page 11 of the summer issue of RA Magazine was not credited. The image of a gallery featured To Reflect an Intimate Part of the Red, 1981, by Anish Kapoor RA.

Enter St Pancras International station and look up: there you’ll see Ron Arad RA’s mesmerising Thought of Train of Thought (right), an 18-metre twisted blade that rotates to create an optical illusion of wave-like motion. To watch a video of Arad’s installation, visit http://roy.ac/totot-video. The work is the latest in the Terrace Wires series – a collaboration between the RA and HS1 Ltd.

early closure The Academy will be closed between 12 noon and 6pm on 11 October. art on a4 To mark the 40th anniversary of the RA Friends scheme, the RA is inviting Friends to create a work of art on A4 inspired by the question ‘What does the RA mean to you?’ The top prize is a year’s contract as a promoted artist with Culture Label, while the winner and five runners-up will also have a print made of their work. For entry details visit http://roy.ac/artona4 Linking up The RA250 building project has reached a milestone, as construction work has begun on the link that will connect Burlington House to Burlington Gardens. manasseh scores a century The architect Leonard Manasseh RA recently celebrated his 100th birthday, making him the first centenarian Academician in the history of the RA.

T h e V er o n i ca S ca n n er: L i v e 3D P o r t r a i t u r e is t h e r es u lt o f a pa r t n ers h i p b e t w een Fact u m F o u n dat i o n ,t h e R ot hs ch i ld F o u n dat i o n a n d t h e R oya l Aca d em y o f A r ts . co - p r es en t ed by HS1 Ltd. a n d t h e R oya l Aca d em y o f A r ts © T i m W h i t by/Ge tt y I m ages

The boundaries of portraiture are expanded in an event at the Academy involving a human-scale 3D scanner. rhiannon mcgregor reports

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ARTSTUR proudly presents Art Tours 2017

Visions of Rome in Art and Nature

23 – 27 January 2017

27 March – 3 April 2017

The tour goes to an area of Venice rarely visited by the groups of tourists which crowd around the main attractions. Guided by Adrian Mourby, the renowned writer and novelist, it takes you through the historic back streets of Castello and Cannaregio, visiting some of the most beautiful churches and hidden canals.

This eight-day tour in and around Rome will immerse us into its past art and culture, history and politics of different periods: Ancient, early Christian, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque. It provides a fascinating overview of this most interesting and colourful city that has dominated western culture for more than 2000 years.

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Academy News

In Memoriam: Michael Manser RA The children of architect Michael Manser, jonathan manser and victoria shillito, followed in their father’s footsteps. Here they remember the influential former RIBA President

p h oto gr a p h: j u l i a n ca l d er /©t h e m a ns er p r ac t i ce

The late Michael Manser RA in his studio in 2016, surrounded by his architectural drawings and models

In a generous tribute to our father, Michael Manser RA, recently published on the Royal Academy’s website, the architectural historian Margaret Richardson observed that we were an architectural family. Our father was an architect and an architectural journalist, our mother an architectural and design journalist and editor. It is therefore, not particularly surprising that we both followed into the profession. But more than his passion for architecture, Michael leaves us a personal legacy of an unbounded enthusiasm for the arts – particularly innovation in the arts – and an instinctive desire to champion anyone with a good new idea. His mid-century modern houses and more recent buildings were filled with quietly integrated new materials, from which he derived an immense sense of satisfaction. Internal walls clad in painted hardboard to save money; one of the first buildings in the country to use fibreglass

cladding panels; a solar-heated swimming pool made in 1962: these were all breakthroughs, though largely unheralded at the time. Just as he found and used new materials in unusual ways, he was also a tremendous advocate of those who could contribute to the design of buildings in areas that others often considered peripheral. Landscape architects were as important to him and his buildings as any other kinds of designers, and many of his houses and later buildings were designed in conjunction with the eminent garden designer John Brookes. The inclusion of art in architectural projects at an early stage was vital. He installed the sculpture Dancers (1990), by Allen Jones RA, at the Heathrow Hilton and included designs by British artists and craftsmen in the Royal Suite at Heathrow airport. He also worked with the National Art Collections Fund. He was President

of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) between 1983 and 1985, and the publicising, display and subsequent relocation of the RIBA drawings collection were projects that benefited from his energetic support. And when the time came to have his official RIBA portrait painted, he insisted on a spectacular image by Patrick Heron rather than a mediocre hack job by another artist. Petty officialdom mystified him and would bring a fleeting scowl to his face. But we got from him our good humour, to laugh when things go wrong. He was a warm, loving and supportive father, who encouraged us in everything we did, and his extraordinary confidence and optimism is hard to match. To read a tribute to Michael Manser RA by architectural historian Margaret Richardson and see images of some of his greatest buildings, visit http://roy.ac/manser-obituary

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Exhibitions in London and the rest of the UK

An art promenade

1 Mornington Crescent

RA MAGAZINE recommends an invigorating Frieze week art walk, from the art fairs in Regent’s Park to the RA in Piccadilly, taking in some of London’s best galleries

Euston

2 Euston Square

Regent’s Park

Baker Street

Great Portland Street

Warren Street

Goodge Street

3 4 Oxford Circus

Marble Arch

Bond Street

7 8

9 6 10

Piccadilly Circus

Tottenham Court Road

Begin your walk in the morning at the northern side of Regent’s Park at Frieze Masters (1). Now in its fifth edition, the fair displays art and antiquities ranging from the classical era to the end of the 20th century. Take advantage of the programme of talks, which this year is co-curated by the RA’s Artistic Director Tim Marlow, before heading southwards through the park to Frieze London (2) contemporary art fair, packed as ever with work picked by the most influential galleries from around the world. This year, a new section of the fair called ‘The Nineties’ revives the decade’s legendary exhibitions, including photographer Wolfgang Tillmans RA’s first show, which was staged in a Cologne bookshop (both fairs: Regent’s Park, NW1 4NR, 020 3372 6111, 6–9 Oct) Leave the park and enter Marylebone, where you’ll find Jessica Carlisle (3) (4 Mandeville Place, W1U 2BF, 07446 482 169). On view are works by the renowned British painter Paul Feiler, whose

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© R ED F ER N G A L L ERY A N D T H E ES TAT E O F PAU L F EI L ER . CO U R T ESY T H E A R T IS T A N D F R I T H S T R EE T G A L L ERY, LO N D O N / LO CAT I O N P H OTO GR A P H BY M AT H E W H A L E . © ED RUS CH A

Listings

Aduton CI, 1991, by Paul Feiler. On view at Jessica Carlisle, Mandeville Place

Portraits, 2016, by Tacita Dean. On view at Frith Street Gallery, Golden Square

Untitled, 2015, by Ed Ruscha. On view at Gagosian Gallery, Grosvenor Hill

abstract canvases evoke the serenity of his adopted hometown of St Ives. The show features works from the 1970s up to the 2000s, including paintings taken from Feiler’s celebrated ‘Aduton’ series (Aduton CI, 1991, above) as well as his lesser-known perspex reliefs (4–29 Oct). Next, venture into Soho to visit Frith Street Gallery Soho Square (4) (60 Frith Street, W1D 3JJ, 020 7494 1550), which presents an installation curated by Jeremy Millar, related to John Cage’s Lecture on the Weather (1975), a politically charged performance piece by the American artistcomposer (16 Sep–17 Dec). Then wander south to the gallery’s larger exhibition space, Frith Street Gallery Golden Square (5) (17–18 Golden Square,

W1F 9JJ, 020 7494 1550). Its autumn exhibition ‘Tacita Dean: LA Exuberance’ includes colourful lithographs and slate drawings that recall Dean’s time in Los Angeles. The show also includes moving

image works, including the Royal Academician’s new film Portraits, which depicts the artist David Hockney RA smoking – a habit as instinctive to him as painting (16 Sep–4 Nov). Turn left as you leave the gallery and you’ll arrive at Marian Goodman Gallery (6) (5-8 Lower John St, W1F 9DY, 020 7099 0088), which displays drawings and sculptures by Italian Arte Povera pioneer Giuseppe Penone. Largely made from naturally found objects such as tree branches and leaves, his works will transport you away from London’s urban jungle (8 Sep–22 Oct). Cross Regent Street and head north to Victoria Miro Mayfair (7) (14 St George Street, W1S 1FE, 020 3205 8910). Here Celia Paul shows new and recent paintings, including delicate seascapes and intimate portraits. The exhibition coincides with the publication of Desdemona for Celia by Hilton, conceived by Paul and the acclaimed critic Hilton Als (16 Sep–29 Oct).

Move on to Gagosian Gallery Davies Street (8) (17–19 Davies

3206 7600). Here Nigel Cooke exhibits new paintings: expect to be beguiled by mysterious, vaguely threatening images showing wraith-like figures within hallucinogenic landscapes. Finally, go through the Burlington Arcade to Piccadilly to reach your final destination: the Royal Academy of Arts (11) (Piccadilly, W1J 0BD, 020 7300 8000) and the landmark exhibition, ‘Abstract Expressionism’ (24 Sep– 2 Jan 2017; page 50). Then finish your journey at the Academy’s Keeper’s House bar for some very well-earned refreshments.

Street, W1K 3DE, 020 7493 3020), where drawings by Richard Serra Hon RA are on view. The American artist – renowned for his large-scale architectural sculptures, some of which can be seen over at Gagosian Gallery Britannia Street (1 Oct–25 Feb 2017, 6–24 Britannia Street, WC1X 9JD, 020 7841 9960) – produces expressive, abstract work on paper (15 Sep–17 Dec). Next, head over to the Gagosian’s larger Mayfair space

Gagosian Gallery Grosvenor Hill (9) (20 Grosvenor Hill, W1K 3QD,

020 7495 1500), where there’s a show by another major American artist, Ed Ruscha Hon RA. The Californian artist, celebrated for his deadpan typographical works, shows new paintings (5 Oct–17 Dec). Behind the enormous Yinka Shonibare RA-designed wrap on the RA’s Burlington Gardens façade (pages 84 and 85), you’ll find a gateway leading to PACE (10) (6 Burlington Gardens, W1S 3ET, 020

To download a map featuring more than 100 Mayfair galleries, visit http://roy.ac/mayfair-map

HOW TO BOOK For inclusion in RA Magazine’s paid Listings section for public and commercial galleries in the UK call 020 7300 5657 or email catherine.cartwright@ royalacademy.org.uk. Readers should contact galleries directly for opening times and ticketing queries

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Listings

Barbican CENTRE

The hut, 1671, by Adriaen van de Velde at Dulwich Picture Gallery

Silk Street EC2, 020 7638 4141, barbican.org.uk Ragnar Kjartansson This solo exhibition surveys the work of the internationally acclaimed Icelandic artist, until 4 Sep. Bedwyr Williams: The Gulch Enter the weird and wonderful mind of Welsh artist Bedwyr Williams as he brings the Barbican’s Curve gallery to life with his quest into The Gulch, 29 Sep-8 Jan 2017. The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined Showcasing over 120 stunning objects, ranging from historical costumes to couture and ready-to-wear pieces, 13 Oct-5 Feb 2017. dulwich picture gallery

Gallery Road SE21, 020 8693 5254, dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

Winifred Knights (1899-1947) until 18 Sep. Adriaen van de Velde: Dutch Master of Landscape 12 Oct-15 Jan 2017. Dou in Harmony

until 6 Nov. estorick collection of modern italian art

Canonbury Square N1, 020 7704 9522, estorickcollection.com Closed for refurbishment until January 2017.

THE National Gallery Portrait, 2000, by Luc Tuymans at the National Portrait Gallery

Trafalgar Square WC2, 020 7747 2885, nationalgallery.org.uk Beyond Caravaggio The first major exhibition in the UK to explore the influence of Caravaggio on the art of his contemporaries and followers, 12 Oct15 Jan 2017. George Shaw: My Back to Nature This former Turner Prizenominee and Associate Artist unveils his new work in response to the National Gallery’s collection, until 30 Oct. Maíno’s Adorations: Heaven on Earth

Experience two outstanding masterpieces by Spanish painter Maíno, on display in the UK for the first time, 28 Sep-29 Jan 2017. National Portrait gallery

The Middle, 2016, by Tom Ellis at the Wallace Collection

St Martin’s Place WC2, 020 7306 0055, npg.org.uk Luc Tuymans: Glasses A display of portraits of sitters wearing glasses, 4 Oct-26 March 2017. Picasso Portraits 6 Oct-5 Feb 2017. Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2016

17 Nov-26 Feb 2017.

Tate britain

Millbank SW1, 020 7887 8888, tate.org.uk Paul Nash Featuring a lifetime’s work from his earliest drawings through to his iconic Second World War paintings, this exhibition reveals Nash’s importance to British modern art, 26 Oct-5 March 2017. Turner Prize 2016 The four artists shortlisted for this year’s prize are Michael Dean, Anthea Hamilton, Helen Marten, and Josephine Pryde, 27 Sep-2 Jan 2017. IK Prize 2016 Fabrica receive a £15,000 prize to turn their proposal – an A.I. software programme – into a reality online and at Tate Britain in late summer 2016 (check with gallery for exact dates). Tate modern

reflects the unique and eclectic profile of the Wallace Collection, which holds a collection of both fine and decorative art, 15 Sep-27 Nov.

London Commercial ABBott and holder

30 Museum Street WC1, 020 7637 3981, abbottandholder.co.uk

Exhibition of Twentieth Century Watercolours and Drawings 22 Sep-22 Oct. Caspar Neher (18971962) Costume and Set Designs for

the MET, Royal Opera House and Glyndebourne, 20 Oct-12 Nov. Alan cristea

43 Pall Mall SW1, 020 7439 1866, alancristea.com The gallery has moved premises and will be closed throughout September.

Bankside SE1, 020 7887 8888, tate.org.uk Georgia O’Keeffe A rare opportunity to see over 100 remarkable paintings by this pioneer of 20th-century art, until 30 Oct.

5 Oct-18 Nov.

The EY Exhibition: Wifredo Lam

Vicken Parsons 24 Nov-14 Jan 2017

The first exhibition of Wifredo Lam in London since 1952. Including over 200 paintings, drawings, photographs and prints, the exhibition will trace his sixtyyear career from the 1920s to the 1970s, 14 Sep-8 Jan 2017. Hyundai Commission 2016: Philippe Parreno Working across film, video, sound, sculpture, performance and information technology, Parreno explores the borders between reality and fiction. Hyundai Commission is a series of site-specific installations by contemporary artists in Tate Modern’s iconic Turbine Hall, 6 Oct-2 April 2017.

(closed 24 Dec-1 Jan).

V&A

Cromwell Road SW7, 020 7942 2000, vam.ac.uk

Engineering the World: Ove Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design

Explore the design philosophy of the most influential engineer of the 20th century, until 6 Nov. Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear Discover the evolution of underwear design from the 18th century to the present day, until 12 March 2017. You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 19661970, 10 Sep-26 Feb 2017. Wallace collection

Hertford House, Manchester Square W1, 020 7563 9500, wallacecollection.org

The Middle: Tom Ellis at the Wallace Collection In this exhibition, British

artist Tom Ellis presents a newly commissioned series of works pairing his enigmatic figurative paintings with self-made furniture. The combination

Howard Hodgkin: After All

bankside gallery

48 Hopton Street SE1, 020 7928 7521, banksidegallery.com

National Original Print Exhibition

21 Sep-2 Oct. London | A Sense of Place RWS Autumn Exhibition 7 Oct-5 Nov. The Masters | Etching Curated by Norman Ackroyd RA 9-20 Nov. BEAUX ARTS London

48 Maddox Street W1, 020 7493 1155, beauxartslondon.co.uk Naomi Frears New work 13 Oct-12 Nov. BROWSE & DARBY

19 Cork Street W1, 020 7734 7984, browseanddarby.co.uk Capturing Light Anthony Eyton RA and Phylis Eyton, 14 Sep-7 Oct. CATTO gallery

100 Heath Street NW3, 020 7435 6660, cattogallerylondon.co.uk

An Exhibition of Paintings by Bruce Yardley 8-26 Sep.

circa gallery london

80 Fulham Road SW3, 020 7590 9991, circagallerylondon.com Bronze, Steel and Stone 9 Sep-8 Oct. connaught brown

2 Albemarle Street W1, 020 7408 0362, connaughtbrown.co.uk

Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Modern Works of Art

HOW TO BOOK For inclusion in RA Magazine’s paid Listings section for public and commercial galleries in the UK call 020 7300 5657 or email catherine.cartwright@royalacademy.org.uk. Readers should contact galleries directly for opening times and ticketing queries

London Public

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Royal Society of Marine Artists CELEBRATING THE SEA

Free entry for 2 with this voucher

Triennial Solo Show

of over 40 new bronzes @

MALL GALLERIES The Mall, London, SW1 10-22 October 2016

Specialist commissions advice available throughout the exhibition

Annual Exhibition open 28 September to 8 October 2016

The Mall, London SW1 www.mallgalleries.org.uk www.rsma-web.co.uk

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Image: Ivan Lapper RSMA Beached (detail)

Over 300 works by some of the most celebrated marine artists at work today - from the deep sea to quiet harbours, from supertankers to sailing dinghies, from all that is beside the sea to what lies under it.

www.hamishmackie.com laura@hamishmackie.com hamish@hamishmackie.com + 44 (0) 7971 028 098 If you would like more information or to be added to our mailing list please get in touch

20/07/2016 12:41

The Natural Eye Art Inspired by the Natural World 53rd Annual Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists Wednesday 26th October 2016 until Sunday 6th November Open Daily from 10am to 5pm Closes 1pm Sunday 6th November. Admission ÂŁ3, Concession ÂŁ2.50 Free to Friends of Mall Galleries, SWLA Friends and under 18s. National Art Pass holders 50% discount. For further details : 020 7930 6844 Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1 www.swla.co.uk

Ads into page_Aut16.indd 95

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Listings

34 Windmill Street W1, 020 7323 4700, curwengallery.co.uk

Richard Walker, Camberwell Beauty: 40 Years of Printmaking 7-30 Sep. New paintings by Adrian Sykes, and ceramic works by David Rhys Jones in the upper gallery, 5-29 Oct. Jo Barry drawings and prints. Hannah Battershell in the upper gallery

3-24 Nov. Last Light on the Poppy Field, 2016, by Marzia Colonna at Portland Gallery

the cynthia corbett gallery

020 8947 6782, thecynthiacorbettgallery.com young-masters.co.uk / art-southampton.com Launch of the Fourth Edition of the Young Masters Art Prize & Call for Artists at Royal Opera Arcade (ROA)

Gallery, 5b Pall Mall Street, 1-2 Royal Opera Arcade SW1, 2-8 Oct.

Scarlet Fields, The Lizard Lighthouse, Cornwall, 2016, Jeremy Gardiner at Paisnel Gallery

messums

28 Cork Street W1, 020 7437 5545, messums.com

Barry McGlashan: Mudlarks and Connoisseurs 14 Oct-5 Nov.

the linda blackstone gallery

23 Oaklands Road N20, 07808 612 193, lindablackstone.com Buy Art Fair Old Granada Studios, Manchester (Stand 22), 22-25 Sep. Affordable Art Fair Battersea Park, London SW11 (Stand I12), 19-23 Oct. Affordable Art Fair Singapore F1 Pit Building, 17-20 Nov. llewellyn alexander

124–126 The Cut SE1, 020 7620 1322/1324, llewellynalexander.com World Paintings Oils and Watercolours by Peter Graham ROI, 27 Sep-26 Oct.

EAMES FINE ART

long & ryle gallery

58 Bermondsey Street SE1, 020 7407 1025, eamesfineart.com Norman Ackroyd RA A beautiful selection of original etchings and watercolours from Ackroyd’s recent journey to the Hebrides along with an extensive selection of the artist’s choice of older, rare works from his catalogue, 8 Sep-2 Oct. Henri Matisse: Beauty of the Line Original works on paper, 5-30 Oct. Ross Loveday New work on paper, canvas and sculpture, 2 Nov-4 Dec.

4 John Islip Street SW1, 020 7834 1434, longandryle.com LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair, Berkeley Square, 13-18 Sep. Empire: David Wightman (Private view: Wednesday 12 Oct), 13 Oct-4 Nov.

FELIX & SPEAR

71 St Mary’s Road W5, 020 8566 1574, felixandspear.com

Richard Cook: She lies within my sleep An exhibition of Richard Cook’s

Feluccas on the Nile, 2004, by Bert Wright at the Mall Galleries

John martin gallery

38 Albemarle Street W1, 020 7499 1314, jmlondon.com

dreamlike and evocative paintings of landscape and wilderness in the Black Mountains and Cornwall, 22 Sep-3 Nov. the foundling museum

40 Brunswick Square WC1, 020 7841 3592, foundlingmuseum.org.uk Feeding the 400 This exhibition explores the multi-faceted impact that food and eating regimes had on children at the Foundling Hospital, 23 Sep-8 Jan 2017. greenwich printmakers gallery

1a Greenwich Market SE10, 020 8858 1569, greenwich-printmakers.co.uk Jacki Baxter until 11 Sep. Aimee Birnbaum 13 Sep-2 Oct. Martin Mossop 4-23 Oct. David Bowyer 25 Oct-13 Nov. Rio San Barnaba, 2016, by John Doyle at The Osborne Studio Gallery

mall galleries

The Mall SW1, 020 7930 6844, mallgalleries.org.uk

The Royal Society of Miniature Painters Sculptors and Gravers Annual Exhibiton 12-22 Oct. Hamish Mackie: Life in Bronze Triennial solo show, 10-22 Oct. 70 Painting Years: Bert Wright and Trevor Chamberlain 17-22 Oct.

mall galleries: Federation of British artists

The Mall SW1, 020 7930 6844, www.mallgalleries.org.uk

Beer and Guns: Lewis HazelwoodHorner, 19-24 Sep. Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition, 28 Sep-8 Oct. The Natural Eye 2016: Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition 26 Oct-6 Nov.

maNYA IGEL fine artS

21 - 22 Peters Court, Porchester Road W2, 020 7229 1669/8429, manyaigelfinearts.com LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair 12-18 Sep. By appointment only. Works by RAs past and present, members of the NEAC and other well-known artists. marlborough fine art

6 Albemarle Street W1, 020 7629 5161, marlboroughlondon.com Paula Rego Dancing ostriches from Disney’s Fantasia and other new works, 28 Sep-12 Nov. Catherine Goodman 18 Nov-30 Dec.

Alan Cotton: On the Road to Transylvania New oil paintings, 14 Sep-7 Oct. Rose Hilton Exhibition and Book Launch New book - Rose

Hilton by Ian Collins, 12 Oct-11 Nov. osborne samuel

23a Bruton Street W1, 020 7493 7939, osbornesamuel.com John Blackburn This new show includes both recent works alongside selected paintings from the 1960s. The show centres around two large recent pieces, a dramatic diptych and triptych, 7 Sep-1 Oct. Erwin Blumenfeld German-born photographer and artist, best-known for his fashion photography published in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar in the 1940s and 1950s, 5-29 Oct. Sean Henry First solo exhibition in London since 2012, 3-26 Nov. The osborne studio gallery

2 Motcomb Street SW1, 020 7235 9667, osg.uk.com John Doyle MBE, PPRWS Former President of the Royal Watercolour Society depicts his recent travels to Russia, France and Italy, 20 Sep-1 Oct. paISNEL GALLERY

9 Bury Street, St James’s SW1, 020 7930 9293paisnelgallery.co.uk

Jeremy Gardiner: Pillars of Light

Coastal Lighthouses of the South West 28 Sep-14 Oct. pangolin london

90 York Way N1, 020 7520 1480, pangolinlondon.com

Ralph Brown: The Figure in the Fifties

Pangolin London casts a new light on Ralph Brown’s early work re-examining it within the context of Modern British and European figurative sculpture, 14 Sep22 Oct. Ann Christopher RA: All the Cages Have Open Doors An exhibition of sculpture and works on paper spanning all four decades of Christopher’s oeuvre, 2 Nov-23 Dec. PANTER & Hall

11-12 Pall Mall SW1, 020 7399 9999, panterandhall.com LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair, Berkeley Square, 13-18 Sep. Audrey Grant 15-30 Sep. Alan Kingsbury 22 Sep-7 Oct. Susan Ryder: Lamplight and Flowers 5-21 Oct. Donald MacDonald 13-28 Oct.

T h e a r t is t/co u r t esy P OR T L A N D G A L L ERY. T h e a r t is t/co u r t esy PAIS N EL G A L L ERY. © T h e a r t is t. T h e a r t is t/co u r t esy T HE OS B OR N E S T U D IO g a ll ery

curwen & New Academy Gallery

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MEREdITH RAMSboTHAM

JMW TURNER Shadows

Adventures in Colour

oil on canvas 41 x 51 cm

REcEnT PAInTInGS

8 Oct 2016 – 8 Jan 2017

27 october to 19 november 2016

Margate, free admission

John Akomfrah: Vertigo Sea

turnercontemporary.org

PIERS FEETHAM GALLERY

JMW Turner, A Steamboat and Crescent Moon,

475 Fulham Road, London SW6 1HL 020 7381 3031 www.piersfeethamgallery.com Tues-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-1

c.1845, watercolour on paper. Private collection.

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True To form

ROSE HILTON Pastels & Oils BREON O’CASEY Bronze Sculpture 4 September - 29 October Tues - Sat 10.30 - 5

Untitled, proof pull lithograph from Florilège des Amours de Ronsard

HENRI MATISSE FROM 17 SEPTEMBER

In the Conservatory 26 x 34cm Rose Hilton

64 Belsize Lane, London NW3 5BJ Wed - Fri: 11am - 6.30pm, Sat: 10am - 6pm, Sun: 10am - 4pm

YeW Tree GALLerY

t: 020 7443 5990 e: info@sylvesterfineart.co.uk www.sylvesterfineart.co.uk

West Cornwall TR19 7TS 01736 786425

(also by appointment)

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Listings

PORTLAND GALLERY

Braids, 2016, by Jennifer Anderson at Beaux Arts Bath

3 Bennet Street SW1, 020 7493 1888, portlandgallery.com Paul Rafferty 15-30 Sep. Marzia Colonna 6-21 Oct. Peter Clark 27 Oct-11 Nov. THE REDFERN GALLERY

20 Cork Street W1, 020 7734 1732/0578, redfern-gallery.com St Ives Including: Trevor Bell, Sandra Blow, Michael Canny, Paul Feiler, Terry Frost RA, Adrian Heath, Barbara Hepworth, Patrick Heron, Roger Hilton, Peter Lanyon, Alexander Mackenzie, Margaret Mellis, Ben Nicholson, Alfred Wallis, Christopher Wood, Karl Weschke and Bryan Wynter, throughout October. Painting and Assemblage: Margaret Mellis October. Nocturnes: Danny Markey November.

Southbank printmakers Nu Bleu V, Lithograph from The Last Works pub 1954, by Henri Matisse at Sylvester Fine Art

Gabriel’s Wharf, 56 Upper Ground SE1, 020 7928 8184, southbankprintmakers.com New exhibition Showcasing established and emerging artists’ work. Colourful abstracts, figurative work and London inspired themes in a variety of media, all original and limited edition on display at this contemporary artist printmakers gallery next to the Thames, opens 30 Sep. SYLVESTER FINE ART

64 Belsize Lane NW3, 020 7443 5990, sylvesterfineart.co.uk Henri Matisse Exhibition of Matisse prints, opens 17 Sep. Red Squares, 2006, by Sandra Blow at Bohun Gallery

Thackeray gallery

18 Thackeray Street W8, 020 7937 5883, thackeraygallery.com Hinterland: Jennifer McRae RSA

Landscape behind the mind. A collective of works observed from reality, twinned with the narrative of imagination, 13-30 Sep. Look Stranger at this Island now: Gareth Parry RCA Colour, thick paint, palette knife and brush; a collection of works from the mountain to sea and all that is in between, 11-28 Oct. Chapters: Delphine Hogarth Richly textured and abstracted still lifes are the main focus of this new collection, 8-25 Nov. Cosden 2, 2016, by Martin Procter at Brook Gallery

Waddington custot galleries

11 Cork Street W1, 020 7851 2200, waddingtoncustot.com

John Wesley: The Henry Ford Syndrome A solo exhibition of paintings

and painted objects by the Los Angeles born artist John Wesley, 16 Sep-29 Oct. zULEIKA gallery

6 Masons Yard SW1, 07939 566085, zuleikagallery.com Hidden Exhibition of work by artists Peter Care, Antony Gormley, Howard Hodgkin, Aglaé Bassens, Claudia Clare, Robert Motherwell and Matthew David Smith, 19-25 Sep.

Rest of UK ADAM gallery

13 John Street, Bath, 01225 480406, adamgallery.com Fred Cuming RA An exhibition of recent work coinciding with the new publication Another Figure in the Landscape. (London Preview on 21 Sep at The Troubadour Gallery, 265 Old Brompton Road SW5). 24 Sep-17 Oct. artichoke gallery

Church Street, Ticehurst, East Sussex, 01580 200905, artichokegallery.co.uk Summer Fruits Arrangements from the garden, celebrating the gallery’s bountiful gardens in painting, sculpture, ceramics and jewellery, until 24 Sep. Bedgebury Florilegium A rare opportunity to see an exhibition of beautiful tree paintings by the Bedgebury Florilegium Society, 3-17 Sep. In the Landscape The artists’ view of what we find on the land, leading into our Christmas Show, 1 Oct-24 Dec.

bohun gallery

15 Reading Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, 01491 576228, bohungallery.co.uk Sandra Blow RA Exhibition of the pioneering abstract artist with both original paintings and silkscreen prints, 10 Sep-1 Oct. Eric Rimmington Major exhibition exploring four decades of work by one of the UK’s leading still life painters, 5-29 Nov. the bowes museum

Barnard Castle, County Durham, 01833 690606, thebowesmuseum.org.uk Shoes: Pleasure and Pain Organised by the V&A, over 200 pairs of shoes are on display by designers including Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Christian Dior and Prada, until 9 Oct. The English Rose: Feminine Beauty from Van Dyck to Sargent Featuring a newly acquired

portrait by Van Dyck, of Dame Olivia Porter, alongside famous ‘English Roses’, until 25 Sep. Mark Clarke – Shelf Life: The Ornaments are Talking to Me In a series of surprisingly cheery assemblage sculptures the Belfast-born artist Mark Clarke ponders the theme of life, love and loss, 15 Oct-12 Feb 2017. Brighton museum and art gallery

Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton, 030 0029 0900, brightonmuseums.org.uk Fashion Cities Africa First major UK exhibition dedicated to contemporary African fashion. Explore fashion and style in four cities at the compass points of the African continent, Casablanca in Morocco, Lagos in Nigeria, Nairobi in Kenya and Johannesburg in South Africa, until 8 Jan 2017.

artwave west

Brook gallery

Morcombelake, Dorset, 01297 489746, artwavewest.com Summer Exhibition A mixed show featuring Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf, until 24 Sep. Group Show Sophie Capron, Suchi Chidambaram, Heather Duncan, Edward Kelly and Martin Goold, 30 Sep-5 Nov. Autumn Exhibition Amy Albright, Paul Denham, Kathryn Stevens, Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf and Bill Zima, 11 Nov-23 Dec.

Fore Street, Budleigh Salterton, Devon 01395 443003, brookgallery.co.uk From Moor to Sea Featuring artists: Alan Cotton, Vin Jelly, Richard Slater, Martin Bentham, Gill Watkiss, Ray Balkwill, Robert Clement, Martin Procter, Philip Creek, Vanessa Gardiner, Laurence Belbin, Anita Reynolds, Kathleen Caddick and the collective Pine Feroda, 15 Sep-30 Oct.

beaux arts bath

36 Church Street, Modbury, Devon, 01548 831338, thebrownstongallery.co.uk

12-13 York Street, Bath, 01225 464850, beauxartsbath.co.uk New paintings by Jennifer Anderson and Stephanie Rew 5 Sep-3 Oct. New paintings by Helen Simmonds, with new sculpture by Christopher Marvell 10 Oct-12 Nov.

the Brownston gallery Anthony Amos: The Mists of Time

Atmospheric maritime and landscape paintings, from private collections. Also introducing Julie Ellis, 9 Sep-1 Oct. The Devon Boys II Contemporary Devon artists including John Hurford, Ray Balkwill, Andrew Miller, Barry

© T h e a r t is t/co u r t esy B EAUX AR TS B AT H . © T h e a r t is t ’ S ES TAT E /co u r t esy SY LV ES T ER F I N E AR T. © T h e a r t is t ’ S ES TAT E /co u r t esy bOHU N g a ll ery. © T h e a r t is t/co u r t esy B ROO K GA L L ERY

piers feetham gallery

475 Fulham Road SW6, 020 7381 3031, piersfeethamgallery.com Faces, Figures, Forms New paintings by Caroline Atkins, Sarah Rivett-Carnac and Penny Sandeman, 26 Sep-1 Oct. Opera Paintings and Drawings by Linda Sutton, 6-22 Oct. Meredith Ramsbotham Recent paintings, 27 Oct-19 Nov.

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TOM HAMMICK

Waiting For Time

New & recent Sea paintings and works on paper 10 September - 30 October

The Poetry of

PHILIP SUTTON

New and selected paintings 5 November - 8 January

Sladers Yard Contemporary British Art West Bay Bridport Dorset DT6 4EL www.sladersyard.co.uk

t: 01308 459511

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EXHIBITIONS CORPORATE SOURCING CONSULTANCY

www.brookgallery.co.uk

20/07/2016 12:43

Daniel Ablitt ‘Seeking Light’

3rd - 24th September 2016

BUDLEIGH: Fore Street, Budleigh Salterton EX9 6NH

www.wisegal.com

40/41 South Parade Oxford OX2 7JL

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Listings

Caroline wiseman at the aldeburgh beach lookout and art house

31 Crag Path, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, 01728 452754, carolinewiseman.com, aldeburghbeachlookout.com

The Aldeburgh Beach Arthouse Hung

Ship of the Fens, 2016, by Gerard Stamp at Lady Chapel, Ely Cathedral

with works by RAs – including Eileen Cooper, Stephen Farthing, Alison Wilding and Chris Orr and emerging artists. Open by appointment Sep-Nov. The Aldeburgh Beach Lookout

Emily Godden and other weekly artist residencies – see website for opening times, Sep-Nov. Aldeburgh Beach Lookout Collaboration with Aldeburgh Festivals: The theatre festival High Tide (Sep), performance art festival Spill (Oct) and Poetry in Aldeburgh (Nov). CHRIST CHURCH PICTURE GALLERY

Christ Church, St Aldates, Oxford, 01865 276172, chch.ox.ac.uk/gallery The Bay Coming In, 2016, by Tom Hammick at Sladers Yard

The Beautiful Everyday: Old Masters Transforming the Mundane into Art until 17 Oct. Drawing in Red

Great North Art Show at Ripon Cathedral

Ripon Cathedral, Minster Road, Ripon, 01765 603534, greatnorthartshow.co.uk Great North Art Show A prestigious selling exhibition featuring over 300 artworks by some of the UK’s finest contemporary artists, 3-25 Sep. Hayletts gallery

THE fitzwilliam museum

Oakwood House, 2 High Street, Maldon, Essex, 01621 851669, haylettsgallery.com

Colour: The Art and Science of Illuminated Manuscripts This

exhibition celebrates the Fitzwilliam’s 2016 bicentenary with a stunning display of 150 illuminated manuscripts, ranging from the prayerbooks of European royalty and merchants to local treasures like the Macclesfield Psalter, until 30 Dec. THE FRY ART GALLERY

Castle Street, Saffron Walden, Essex, 01799 513779, fryartgallery.org

Edward Bawden: The Early Watercolours Works from the Fry Art

Gallery collection, national collections and private loans, until 30 Oct. Michelle Thompson A display of book jacket artwork and designs from the RCA trained contemporary illustrator in the Bawden Room, until 30 Oct. Annual Exhibition Exhibition and sale of works from artists and illustrators from around the British Isles, 12-13 Nov. THE gallery AT 41 Siesta, 2009, by Rose Hilton at Yew Tree Gallery

gallery pangolin

9 Chalford Ind. Estate, Chalford, Gloucs, 01453 889765, gallery-pangolin.com Synthesis Abstract sculptures by four male and four female artists: Jon Buck, Lynn Chadwick, Ann Christopher RA, John Hoskin, Eilis O’Connell, Charlotte Mayer, Peter Randall-Page RA and Almuth Tebbenhoff, 30 Aug-21 Oct. George Fullard: Sculpture and Survival Exhibition and launch of a specially commissioned monograph by Michael Bird, 7 Nov-16 Dec.

26 Oct-16 Jan 2017. Castle Street, Saffron Walden, Essex, 01799 513779, fryartgallery.org

People in the Wind, 1950, by Kenneth Armitage at Victoria Art Gallery

the subtleties of colour in the landscape and everyday life. Includes Richard Price ROI, David Atkins, Felicity House PS, Judy Tate and Vicky Finding, 23 Sep-29 Oct. Spirit of the Seasons Paintings capturing the essence of seasonal change in a range of mediums by some of Dorset’s finest contemporary artists, 12 Nov-23 Dec.

41 East Street, Corfe Castle, Dorset, 01929 480095, galleryat41.com The Language of Colour Contemporary Dorset artists explore the brilliance and

James Dodds: Linocuts and Paintings

Sweeping lines, panoramic coastal views, boat building, seaside towns, myths and legends, 17 Sep-15 Oct. Olwen Jones R.E. R.W.S. Delicate watercolour paintings, 22 Oct-19 Nov. Artist / Illustrators Including works by Quentin Blake, Chloe Cheese, Edward Ardizzonne, Clare Curtis, Eric Ravillious, Eric Gill, Martin Leman, Nicola Smee, Belinda Worsley and more, 26 Nov-24 Dec. THE holburne museum

Great Pulteney Street, Bath, 01225 388569, holburne.org Stubbs and the Wild An exhibition of animal portraits, grand fantasies, and exquisite prints and drawings by renowned British wildlife painter George Stubbs, until 2 Oct. Linda Brothwell: The Missing Linda Brothwell’s work in silver, quartz, marble, ebony and gold will be displayed alongside the elaborate carved wooden, gilt bronze and hardstone plinths on which Sir William Holburne displayed his porcelain and bronzes, until 2 Jan 2017. Silver: Light and Shade This exhibition brings together historic and contemporary silver masterpieces to tell a new story about the texture, form and colour of this precious metal, 22 Oct-22 Jan 2017.

THE lady chapel

Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, gerardstamp.com

Gerard Stamp: Isle of Light A new

series of watercolours exploring one of the World’s greatest Cathedrals, Ely, 24 Sep-2 Oct. moma machynlleth

Heol Penrallt, Machynlleth, Powys, 01654 703355, moma.machynlleth.org.uk The Soul of Wales / Enaid Cymru

until 29 Oct. Alison Lochhead 3 Sep29 Oct. John Carter RA 10 Sep-26 Nov. north house gallery

The Walls, Manningtree, Essex, 01206 392717, portsmouthcitymuseum.co.uk

Felix Sefton Delmer (1950-2016): A Life in Paint Celebratory memorial

exhibition of multilayered monochrome paintings, until 1 Oct. John Christie: The Accordionist and Other Works

Constructions and pastels, plus launch of Lapwing and Fox: Conversations between John Berger and John Christie, 8 Oct-5 Nov. Lee Grandjean: Home Truths Characters of house and home, an installation of sculpture, paintings and drawings, 12 Nov-31 Dec. PowderMills Hotel

Battle, East Sussex, info@pureartsgroup.co.uk, pureartsgroup.co.uk

Pure Autumn Art Fair Showcasing

the work of 50 talented upcoming and established artists, as part of the Battle International Arts and Music Festival. Featuring painting, mixed media, drawing, printmaking, digital art, photography, sculpture, ceramics and glass, 22-30 Oct. RABLEY drawing centre Rabley Barn, Mildenhall, Marlborough, Wilts, 01672 511999, rableydrawingcentre.com Sally Taylor: That Head Contemporary drawings on old books. The recurring motif of ‘smiling mouths’ aims to unravel social constructs surrounding the unsaid and non-verbal interaction (West gallery), 25 Sep-29 Oct. Stephen Snoddy: Conversation A new series of abstract monotypes using Matisse as their inspiration (East Gallery), 25 Sep-29 Oct. Prudence Ainslie and Sara Lee ‘Titian’s Garden, Venice’ Intimate

glimpses and views of the city. Print, works on paper and sculpture, 14 Nov-17 Dec. Sarah wiseman gallery

40-41 South Parade, Oxford, 01865 515123, wisegal.com Seeking Light Daniel Ablitt’s compelling, dream-like landscape paintings capturing light as a metaphor for

© T h e a r t ist. © To m H a m m i ck , co u r tesy F low ers G a llery, H a m m i ck Ed i t i o ns a n d S l a d ers Ya r d. © T h e a r t ist ’ s estate /co u r tesy t h e k en n et h a r m i tage f o u n dat i o n . © t h e a r t ist/co u r tesy t h e y e w t r ee g a llery

Kelly and Michael Hill, 14-29 Oct. Winter Exhibition Mixed show of new work by gallery artists, sculptors, ceramicists and jewellery makers, 10 Nov-23 Dec.

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The Winter Palace, St. Petersburg

Susan Ryder

Moonrise over the Sea

Lamplight & Flowers • 5th–21st October 2016

John Doyle

pa nt e r & h a l l

MBE , PPRWS

20th September – 1st October

11–12 Pall Mall • London • SW1Y 5LU

+ 44 (0)20 7399 9999 • enquiries@panterandhall.com • www.panterandhall.com above Oak Room Lamps oil on canvas 18 x 16 ins (46 x 41cm) £2,200 • e entire exhibition can be viewed at www.panterandhall.com • Complimentary catalogue available on request

2 Motcomb Street London, SW1X 8JU +44 (0)20 7235 9667 gallery@osg.uk.com osg.uk.com

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Moorings at dusk, Richmond Bridge, Bert Wright

Beer & Guns

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Lewis Hazelwood-Horner Winner of The Columbia Threadneedle Prize 2016

70 Painting Years

Bert Wright and Trevor Chamberlain

19 to 24 September Mall Galleries The Mall, London SW1 Admission Free www.columbiathreadneedleprize.com

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Mall Galleries The Mall, London, SW1 10am to 5pm (closes 1pm on final day) t 020 8567 7119 / 01992 586195 www.bertwright.net

2016 marks the celebration of 70 Painting Years for two internationally recognised artists, Bert Wright and Trevor Chamberlain. Bert sold his first painting in 1946 aged 16. Trevor aged 12 was already interested in art. They frequently paint together at locations around the world and they usually complete their paintings on site. Bert or Trevor will be at the gallery to welcome you.

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Listings

HIDDEN 19th-25th September

10-6pm Daily. Late Night Thursday 22nd until 9pm

Peter Care Antony Gormley Howard Hodgkin Aglaé Bassens Claudia Clare Robert Motherwell Matthew David Smith

memory and identity, 3-24 Sep. Artist in Focus: Carol Peace Figurative

sculptures rooted in ideas of personal strength, connection and growth, Oct. Winter Exhibition New works: Sarah Spackman, Clare Bonnet, Alison Pullen, Angie Lewin and Mychael Barratt with contemporary craft, Nov-Dec. THE SENTINEL GALLERY

6 Masons Yard, London, sW1Y 6BU

info@zuleikagallery.com +44(0)7939 566085 www.zuleikagallery.com

Illustrated: Peter Care, Ebb and Flow, 70 x 55 cm.

Edward Bawden Eric Ravilious Glynn Boyd Harte · Ian Beck Monday 12 - Friday 16 September 10:30 - 4:30 Saturday 17th 10:30 - 1:30 Private View - Monday 12th September 6 - 9pm th

Art Workers’ Guild 6 Queen Square London WC1N 3AT neiljennings20@gmail.com· 07812 994558

Chapel Road, Wivenhoe, Essex, 01206 827490, thesentinelgallery.co.uk Watercolour Now Paintings by members of the Royal Watercolour Society as selected by Jane Lewis, 3-25 Sep. Gone to the Press Printmakers Dale DevereuxBarker, Sandy Sykes, Judith Lockie and Trevor Price joined by ceramicist John Pollex, 1-30 Oct. Christmas Bonanza Paintings, prints, ceramics and jewellery by the best local artists, opens 5 Nov. SLADERS YARD

West Bay Road, West Bay, Bridport, Dorset, 01308 459511, sladersyard.co.uk Waiting for Time Sea paintings and works on paper by Tom Hammick. New and selected work. Furniture by Petter Southall, 10 Sep-30 Oct. The Poetry of Philip Sutton RA New and selected oils and watercolours by the master colourist. Furniture by Petter Southall, 5 Nov-15 Jan 2017. THE STANLEY SPENCER GALLERY

T W E N T I E T H C E N T U RY WATERCOLOURS and DRAWINGS

2 2 nd S e p t e m b e r - 2 2 nd O c t o b e r

High Street, Cookham, Berkshire, 01628 471885, stanleyspencer.org.uk

Stanley Spencer: Visionary Painter of the Natural World Exquisite flower

paintings, garden vistas and landscapes, warm and sensuous, with figurative and spiritual scenes depicting the great personal loves of Spencer’s life, until 31 Oct. THE SUNBURY EMBROIDERY GALLERY

The Walled Garden, Sunbury-on-Thames, 01932 788101, sunburyembroidery.org

ABBOTT and HOLDER w w w. a b b o t t a n d h o l d e r. c o . u k

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10 Years of the Sunbury Embroidery Gallery 1995-2016 This exhibition

documents an extraordinary community project involving many hundreds of people, until 11 Sep. Laura Boswell: Linocuts, Woodblocks Printmaker Laura studied with traditional masters in Japan and often uses a Japanese colour palette. Her work explores British landscapes with a Japanese twist, 13 Sep-9 Oct.

www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk AT Bankside Gallery

TURNER CONTEMPORARY

Rendezvous, Margate, Kent, 01843 233000, turnercontemporary.org JMW Turner: Adventures in Colour 8 Oct-8 Jan 2017. John Akomfrah; Vertigo Sea 8 Oct-8 Jan 2017. Kashif Nadim Chaudry Turner

Contemporary’s Studio Group Commission, 13 Nov-31 May 2017. THE VICTORIA ART GALLERY

Bridge Street, Bath, 01225 477233 victoriagal.org.uk Kenneth Armitage: Sculptor A Centenary Celebration

Exhibition curated by Ann Elliott for the Kenneth Armitage Foundation, with the support of the Henry Moore Foundation, 10 Sep-27 Nov. WADDESDON MANOR

Nr. Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, 01296 653226, waddesdon.org.uk

Kate Malone: Inspired by Waddesdon An exhibition, in

collaboration with Adrian Sassoon, of new ceramic work, Weds-Sun, until 16 Oct. Tales from the Archive Explore what the archives reveal about the people who lived, worked and visited Waddesdon Manor, Weds-Sun, until 23 Oct. Bountiful Invention: Drawings by Gilles-Marie Oppenord (1676-1742) and Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (16951750) Weds-Sun, until 23 Oct.

YEW TREE GALLERY

Keigwin, Nr. Morvah & Pendeen, Penzance, Cornwall, 01736 786425 yewtreegallery.com True to Form Pastels and oils by Rose Hilton, bronze sculpture by Breon O’Casey, ceramics by Sutton Taylor watercolours by Jenny Ryrie, tableware by David Garland and jewellery by Guy Royle, 6 Sep-29 Oct. YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK

SWINDON MUSEUM & ART GALLERY

West Bretton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, 01924 832631, ysp.co.uk Not Vital YSP presents the first major UK exhibition and largest museum project to date by the extraordinary and enigmatic Swiss artist, Not Vital, until 2 Jan 2017. Night in the Museum This major new touring exhibition sees leading British artist, Ryan Gander, select work from the Arts Council Collection, until 16 Oct.

Bath Road, Old Town, Swindon, 01793 46656, swindonmuseumandartgallery.org.uk From Where I’m Standing New exhibition presents contemporary West Country ceramics alongside works from the Swindon Collection of Modern British Art by artists including Graham Sutherland, Basil Beattie and Howard Hodgkin, 21 Sep-28 Jan 2017. Still Life Paintings from the Swindon Collection of Modern British Art including important paintings by

Kirkgate, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, 01845 522479, zillahbellgallery.co.uk The Original Print Show Curated by Norman Ackroyd CBE RA. Including work by Gordon Benson RA, Chris Orr RA, Ian Ritchie RA, Rebecca Salter RA and many more. (Private View 9 Sep 6.30pm) 10 Sep-22 Oct. A Family Farm Revisited Oil paintings and assemblages by David Winfield. (Private View 28 Oct 6.30pm) 29 Oct-19 Nov.

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ROYAl watercolour society AUTUMN 7 October - 5 November Exhibition

major British artists including Edward Wadsworth, Ivon Hitchens and Stephen McKenna, 21 Sep-28 Jan 2017.

ZILLAH BELL GALLERY

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10/08/2016 14:30

12 October 2016 –15 January 2017

Book now Members go free nationalgallery.org.uk Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, The Taking of Christ, 1602. On indefinite loan to the National Gallery of Ireland from the Jesuit Community, Leeson St., Dublin who acknowledge the kind generosity of the late Dr Marie Lea-Wilson, 1992. Photo © The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin

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New exhibition 22 Nov 2016 - 19 Feb 2017

07/07/2016 16:01

UNTOLD STORIES

30 July - 30 December 2016

Thomas Cooper Gotch, Ancient Mariner, Watercolour, Rob Dickins Collection

PICTURES FROM PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

Uncover the personal histories of paintings from the private collections of Watts Gallery Trustees.

FREE ADMISSION

Watts Gallery - Artists’ Village • wattsgallery.org.uk

Ads into page_Aut16.indd 103

02/08/2016 16:42

Readers’ offers are open to all RA Magazine readers when they show a copy of this magazine

Readers’ Offers The Holburne Museum ‘Silver: Light and Shade’ (22 Oct-22 Jan 2017) showing masterpieces of historical and contemporary silver. Two tickets for £10. Visit holburne.org and see advertisement on page 103. LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair (13-18

Sep) is offering complimentary tickets to the fair, for two. Please email: fair@ lapada.org with ‘Royal Academy’ as the subject line and your tickets will be issued to you. See enclosed insert. Royal Society of Marine Artists

(28 Sep-8 Oct) at the Mall Galleries is offering free entry for two. See advertisement on page 95. Art Fair East (2-4 Dec), at St Andrew's Hall, Norwich. Annual art fair for the east of England. Sign up to mailing list to receive free tickets. Visit artfaireast.com and see advertisement on page 105.

2-for-1 Tickets Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village

‘Untold Stories: Pictures from Private Collections’ (22 Nov-19 Feb 2017). This exhibition uncovers the personal histories of paintings from the private collections of Watts Gallery Trustees. Visit wattsgallery.org.uk and see advertisement on page 103. Dulwich Picture Gallery ‘Adriaen van de Velde: Dutch Master of Landscape’ (12 Oct-15 Jan 2017). The first ever exhibition of works by the artist including his highly original red chalk drawings of figures and animals as well as large oil landscapes. See advertisement on page 19.

Eating Out, Membership & Shopping Artists' General Benevolent Institution, the charity to help artists

in need, is offering a limited edition print (see below left) to celebrate its bicentenary and raise funds. Readers are offered a 10% discount (full price £850). Call 020 7734 1193 and see advertisement on page 18.

Tea bowl and saucer, 1700/1701 by Mark Paillet, London Silver, at the Holburne Museum

PURE offers the finest, softest cashmere. Discover Pure Collection’s passion for contemporary design and luxury fabrics and enjoy 25% off everything, plus free delivery and returns, exclusively for RA Magazine readers. Shop online, by phone or instore. Visit purecollection.com and see enclosed insert.

Forest Edge and Scattered Flowers, 2016, by David Grossmann at Jonathan Cooper, at LAPADA Fair 2016.

Sahara offers unique contemporary

clothes inspired by its founder's travels around the world. RA readers will receive free standard delivery until the end of September. Visit saharalondon. com and use voucher code RA16. See enclosed insert. Richoux, opposite the Royal Academy,

is offering 10% discount on breakfast, morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner. See advertisement on page 108. The Royal Over-Seas League,

Limited edition print (detail), from the Artists' General Benevolent Institution

located close to the RA, provides accommodation, fine dining and a private garden as well as a discounted joining fee and pro-rata subscription rates. Visit rosl. org.uk and see advertisement on page 86.

Publications RA Publications The RA Shop is offering a 10% discount on: David Hockney RA: 82 Portraits and 1 StillLife £15.30 hardback (rrp £17); Abstract Expressionism £36 hardback (rrp £40), £25.20 paperback (rrp £28); An Italian Journey: Anne Desmet £8.95 (rrp £9.95); John Gibson: A British Sculptor in Rome £8.95 (rrp £9.95); James Ensor £31.50 hardback (rrp £35),

£19.80 paperback (rrp £22). All titles are available from the RA Shop, online at www.royalacademy.org.uk/shop (enter RAMAGAUTUMN at checkout to claim your discount) or by calling 0800 634 6341 (Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm). See advertisement on page 108.

Ticket offers

104 ra magazine | autumn 2016

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12/08/2016 16:07

Painting by numbers? We prefer to support artists by name

NOA

27 October 4 November we are here

LONDON

The only numbers we look at are the ones that we ensure you receive for the works of art that you create. We wouldn’t want it any other way – and neither would our artists.

ART IN THE CITY

Paintings Drawings Original Print Photography Digital Art Moving Image Wall Hung Installations Mercers’ Hall 2 Ironmonger Lane London EC 2V 8HE

44 (0)345 112 2400 artistscollectingsociety.org.uk

RA NOA Quarter Page 131x98 2016.indd 1

ART FAIR EAST

2016

NATIONAL OPEN ART

Frank Auerbach, Lucian Freud, Maggi Hambling, Gerald Laing, Dame Laura Knight, Dame Barbara Hepworth, Edward Seago and Sir Stanley Spencer are just some of the many artists and estates that prefer the personal ACS approach to managing and administering their Artist’s Resale Right.

The 20th Annual National Open Art Exhibition

www.nationalopenart.org

26/07/2016 14:16

2nd - 4th Dec 2016

St Andrews Hall Norwich, Norfolk

www.artfaireast.com

in association with

MUSKER McINTYRE ESTATE AGENTS

A Major Cultural Event for the East of England

Untitled-1 1 Ads into page_Aut16.indd 105

28/06/2016 15:31 02/08/2016 16:44

Royal Academy Christmas Cards

Claim 15% off online* when you buy 2 packs or more of the RA’s Christmas cards featuring seasonal images by Royal Academicians and leading contemporary artists Visit roy.ac/christmascards and enter 15OFF2CARDS on checkout to claim your discount

Each pack £7.95 | Contains 10 cards

1. Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten Hans Fischer Code 02081859

2. Merry Christmas: Love and Peace Bob and Roberta Smith RA Code 02083431

3. Christmas Craigie Aitchison RA (1926–2009) Code 02084550

4. Winter Fox Richard Spare Code 02084551

5. Snowy Owl Richard Spare Code 02083434

6. Christmas Tree Jan Poortenaar Code 02084555

7. Bouncer Buckler Claud Lovat Fraser Code 02081865

8. Snow in Hyde Park Ken Howard RA Code 02083438

9. Penguin Brian Wildsmith Code 02084553

10. Escape at Bedtime Brian Wildsmith Code 02084552

11. Angel Christopher Le Brun PRA Code 02081879

12. Winter Mary Fedden OBE RA (1915–2012) Code 02083430

13. December Vines – Faverot Barbara Rae CBE RA Code 02083432

14. Camels Julian Trevelyan RA (1910–1988) Code 02084556

18. Happiness Ian Ritchie RA Code 02081863 Cards 1–6 Cards 7–16 Cards 17–24

19. Robin, from the Farnley Book of Birds JMW Turner RA (1775–1851) Code 02083428

20. Cherry Trees in the Snow, Central Park Bill Jacklin RA Code 02083437

Greeting inside: Merry Christmas Greeting inside: Season’s Greetings Greeting inside: With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year

All cards are litho printed in the UK on 330gsm board with China White envelopes. Cards and envelopes use pulp sourced from sustainable forests. Size 15 x 15cm / 12 x 17cm. *Offer ends at 23:59 on 30 September 2016. Offer is online only and excludes mail order and telephone orders. Valid for single use only and not valid in conjunction with any other offer.

21. Snowfall, Venice 7.30am Ken Howard RA Code 02081877

15. Snowboy Ian Ritchie RA 02084559

22. Snowscape John Titchell RA (1926–1998) Code 02084554

Claim 15% off * when you buy 2 packs or more of RA Christmas cards online Every purchase supports the RA’s programme of exhibitions, education and debate Your Order Artist

Box Set A | Code 02083440 | £14.95 Contains 24 cards

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Qty

Item Price Total Price

Bob and Roberta Smith RA Merry Christmas: Love and Peace; Dame Elizabeth Blackadder RA Louis on a Silk Cushion, Richard Spare Snowy Owl, Hans Fischer Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten.

Free Delivery on orders over £50 (UK mainland only)

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Box Set B | Code 02084558 | £14.95 Contains 24 cards

Address

Bill Jacklin RA Cherry Trees in the Snow, Central Park; JMW Turner RA Robin, from the Farnley Book of Birds; Brian Wildsmith Squirrel, Diana Armfield RA The Gate Left Open, Winter in Wales.

Postcode Deliver to the same address (please tick) If delivering to a different address, please complete your purchase online at roy.ac/onlineshop or call 0800 012 4655 Mon-Fri 9am-6pm

Payment Details Card No. 16. Winter Tunnel with Snow David Hockney RA Code 02082079

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17. Robin Richard Spare Code 02081856

Please note: To process credit/debit card payments successfully we require a daytime telephone number or email address to obtain the Card Security Code.

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24. Mary on a Mule with Joseph Ian Ritchie RA Code 02084560

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Mail Order, Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD

Email address Signature Sign up to receive email updates and exclusive offers from the RA Shop, plus news and stories from across the RA.* *Visit royalacademy.org.uk/privacy to view our full privacy policy.

New books from the RA Abstract Expressionism

is an art historian and critic, as well as Senior Consulting Curator at the Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, and Director of its Research Center. His publications include Abstract Expressionism (1990) and Mark Rothko: The Works on Canvas – A Catalogue Raisonné (1998)

DAVID ANFAM

EDITED BY DAVID ANFAM

ENJOY ANOTHER WORK OF ART AT RICHOUX

EDITED BY DAVID ANFAM

SUSAN DAVIDSON is Senior Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

£40 hardback

is a poet, novelist and art critic, and a contributing editor of Art in America CARTER RATCLIFF

£28 paperback

is Curator of Contemporary Projects at the Royal Academy of Arts, London

EDITH DEVANEY

is a freelance researcher who has helped organise exhibitions for the Dominique Lévy Gallery, New York

CHRISTIAN WURST

This lavishly illustrated volume accompanies the much-anticipated RA exhibition, the first major showing of Abstract Expressionism in Britain since 1959. It seeks to re-evaluate the phenomenon, recognising its complex and fluid nature.

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

Edited by David Anfam

JEREMY LEWISON is a freelance curator and former Director of Collections at the Tate Gallery, where he organised the 1999 Jackson Pollock retrospective

When Abstract Expressionism exploded out of New York and the West Coast in the aftermath of the Second World War, it changed the art world forever. Initially engendering shock and outrage, the intensity and mesmerising beauty of canvases by Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Clyfford Still, Joan Mitchell, Franz Kline and others soon ensured their acceptance as icons of twentieth-century art – and immensely influential ones.

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

JUST OPPOSITE THE ROYAL ACADEMY IN PICCADILLY

This handsome volume accompanies the first exhibition to present an overview of Abstract Expressionism in Britain since 1959. In addition to masterworks by the painters mentioned above, the selection celebrates the movement’s huge diversity, including works by sculptors such as David Smith and Louise Nevelson as well as the photographers Aaron Siskind, Barbara Morgan and Minor White. Using fascinating archive photographs and a comprehensive chronology of the era, the authors explore the roots of the movement in the Great Depression, its reception around the world, the ground-breaking role played by the art dealers Peggy Guggenheim and Betty Parsons, and the complex and often tumultuous relationships between the protagonists.

On the cover: detail of cat. 034, Jackson Pollock, Blue Poles, 1952. Enamel and aluminium paint with glass on canvas, 212.1 x 488.9 cm. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

An Italian Journey

d watercolour able landscapes and e Desmet ra commits mall-scale format uring the relationship nce. This is a unique om Sicily to the us and precise artist.

Anne Desmet

10% DISCOUNT TO READERS OF THE RA MAGAZINE MAXIMUM 6 CUSTOMERS DINING

£9.95 hardback

engravings, linocuts scholarship to and has returned nd works in London.

To redeem your discount kindly present your RA membership card at any of the following Richoux. Not available for takeaway.

This jewel-like sketchbook is packed with seductive pen and watercolour drawings made by the artist on her travels throughout the Italian peninsula.

172 PICCADILLY, W1J 9EJ • 020 7493 2204 41A SOUTH AUDLEY STREET, MAYFAIR, W1K 2PS • 020 7629 5228 86 BROMPTON ROAD, KNIGHTSBRIDGE, SW3 1ER • 020 7584 8300 3 CIRCUS ROAD, ST JOHN’S WOOD, NW8 6NX • 020 7483 4001 128 GLOUCESTER ROAD, KENSINGTON, SW7 4SF • 0207 370 0139

John Gibson:

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A British Sculptor in Rome

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Anna Frasca-Rath and Annette Wickham

JOHN GIBSON A BRITISH SCULPTOR IN ROME

Born in Gyffin, North Wales, John Gibson ra (1790–1866) moved with his family to Liverpool, where he trained as a cabinet-maker and mason. The historian and banker William Roscoe whetted the young Gibson’s appetite for the classical, and provided him with a scholarship for Rome. Gibson arrived in the Eternal City in 1817 and entered the workshop of Europe’s pre-eminent sculptor, Antonio Canova. Soon acclaimed as a sculptor in his own right, Gibson found that his contact with artists and patrons on the Grand Tour brought him lasting links with Britain. Known as the ‘British Canova’, he remained a resident of Rome until his death. This book highlights works from the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Walker Art Gallery, the Tate and the Palace of Westminster. Gibson bequeathed to the Royal Academy a host of drawings, plasters and works of sculpture, as well as numerous letters and notebooks; many are reproduced here for the first time, bringing this worthy artist’s work to a wider audience once more.

JOHN GIBSON

Anna Frasca-Rath wrote her doctorate on Gibson’s time in Rome. She has been a fellow of the Bibliotheca Hertziana, Max Planck Institute for Art History, Rome, and is currently lecturer in the Department of Art History, University of Vienna Annette Wickham is Curator of Works on Paper at the Royal Academy. She is co-author of Daniel Maclise: The Waterloo Cartoon (RA Publications, 2015)

£9.95 paperback

Also available in this series

Mark Murray-Flutter and Annette Wickham, Daniel Maclise: The Waterloo Cartoon

Accompanying an exhibition at the RA, this book provides an overview of one of the Neoclassical era’s most celebrated sculptors, who has been surprisingly overlooked since his death despite being known as the ‘British Canova’. £9.95

GIBSON jacket FINAL.indd All Pages

JAMES ENSOR By LUC TUyMANS

ENSOR JAMES

By LUC TUyMANS

James Ensor Curated by Luc Tuymans, with texts by Herwig Todts, Gerrit Vermeiren and Adrian Locke £35 hardback £22 paperback

This handsome book accompanies the RA’s major show of works by one of the late nineteenth century’s most influential and intriguing artists, curated by one of our own century’s leading painters.

£00.00

Exclusive readers’ offer – 10% off all our new titles Enter RAMAGAUTUMN at checkout to claim your discount or call 0800 634 6341 (Mon–Fri, 10 am–5 pm) royalacademy.org.uk/shop

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Alec Tiranti Ltd

JOHN GIBSON A BRITISH SCULPTOR IN ROME

front

sculptors’ tools, materials & equipment established 1895 3 Pipers Court, Thatcham, Berks & 27 Warren Street, London W1

John Gibson ra , The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche (detail), c. 1844 Plaster cast, 103 × 142 × 15 cm Royal Academy of Arts, London, inv. RA 03/2036 back

John Gibson ra , Cupid and Psyche Pen and ink with wash over pencil, 17.4 × 16.2 cm Royal Academy of Arts, London, inv. RA 05/521

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Studio equipment & armatures, Stonecarving, Woodcarving,

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Books & Videos

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10/08/2016 16:23 12/08/2016 11:02

Restaurant & Shopping Guide The RA Magazine’s directory of places to eat and shop around the Academy. This is an advertisement feature. To advertise please call Charlotte Burgess on 020 7300 5675 or email charlotte.burgess@royalacademy.org.uk Restaurants Shops

11 8

1 1

3 4

2 6

the chesterfield mayfair

Berkeley Square, 35 Charles Street W1, 020 7491 2622 chesterfieldmayfair.com

2 3

A short walk from the Royal Academy is The Chesterfield Mayfair, home of the ‘Charlie and The Chesterfield’ themed afternoon tea, priced at £36.50 and hosted by Willy Wonka himself. Perhaps add a glass of Champagne to give the occasion added sparkle.

1 14 9

13 10

1 5 7

Please note: not drawn to scale

Restaurants 1

avenue

Serving up new American cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Monday to Sunday, Avenue captures the buzz of the New York dining scene whilst nodding to its St James’s roots with stunning art-focused interiors and a French and American-driven wine list. Newly appointed Head Chef Dominic South has created a bold and distinct menu with his signature Manhattan-style dishes given a Mayfair twist. The bar at Avenue is a destination in its own right for pre-dinner and after-work drinks, serving up craft beers and classic cocktails inspired by the US Prohibition era. 7-9 St. James’s Street SW1, 020 7321 2111 avenue-restaurant.co.uk

2 Bentley’s Oyster Bar and Grill

Hidden just around the corner from the Royal Academy, Bentley’s is a local resting place for weary art lovers and gourmands for over 98 years. Trading from midday to midnight, Champagne and native oysters, traditional fish and chips, or for those who care not for the mollusc, beautiful lamb or a simple slab of steak. A ‘best of British’ menu, designed by the controversial and twice Michelin-awarded chef Richard Corrigan. We have private dining facilities to seat up to 60 guests and run regular

cookery schools.

11-15 Swallow Street W1, 020 7734 4756 bentleys.org

as, “the only real brasserie in London”, it is open from 11.30am to midnight, seven days a week and serves great French food at remarkably low prices, with two course prix fixe menus starting at £9.75. 20 Sherwood Street W1, 020 7734 4888 brasseriezedel.com

cut at 45 park lane

Created by internationally-acclaimed chef founder Wolfgang Puck, CUT at 45 Park Lane is a modern American steak restaurant, and his debut restaurant in Europe. Enjoy delectable prime beef, succulent pan-roasted lobster, sautéed fresh fish and seasonal salads. Outstanding cuisine is accompanied by an exceptional wine list of over 600 wines, featuring one of the largest selection of American wines in the UK. Breakfasts are another highlight and on Sundays you can relax with brunch as you listen to live jazz. 45 Park Lane, Mayfair W1, 020 7493 4554 dorchestercollection.com

benihana

Just one minute’s walk from the Royal Academy is Benihana, an exclusive Japanese culinary experience, providing Teppan-Yaki style cooking. Diners can enjoy the luxury of a personal chef preparing fresh and delicious meals at their table. A variety of seafood and steaks are cooked to perfection; fresh sushi is also available. 37 Sackville Street W1, 020 7494 2525 benihana.co.uk 4

BOULESTIN restaurant

Warm, convivial, relaxed and elegant, Boulestin is inspired by legendary food writer and restaurateur, Xavier Marcel Boulestin, and uses many of its namesake’s original recipes, as well as lighter and more contemporary dishes created by head chef, Elliot Spurdle. Offsetting the Parisian-style dining room, is the beautiful courtyard for when the weather is good. Open Monday to Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 5 St James’s Street, SW1, 020 7930 2030 boulestin.com

MAHARANI SOHO

Open all day and situated in the heart of Soho, this family-run restaurant established 42 years ago offers the best cuisine that the north and south of India has to offer, with its own little twist. All dishes are cooked fresh to order, using free-range meat and locally-sourced

BRASSERIE ZEDEL

A large, bustling, grand and elegant Parisian brasserie with an authentic 1930s interior, Brasserie Zedel is perfectly located for the Royal Academy, just off Piccadilly Circus. Described by renowned French chef Pierre Koffman

autumn 2016 | ra magazine 109

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Restaurant & Shopping Guide vegetables. A special set lunch menu priced at £6.95 runs until 5pm, or you can choose from the mouth watering à la carte menu which offers excellence without pretension. Counted as one of the best Indian restaurants in London, to avoid disappointment it is best to make a reservation. Last orders 11.30pm.

77 Berwick Street W1, 020 7437 8568 maharanisoho.com 9

franco’s

Franco’s, founded in 1946, has acquired a brand new sleek interior. Open all day, Franco’s evolves from a bustling breakfast service, to a charged lunch atmosphere, to romantic evenings. From MondaySaturday, the beautifully-appointed private dining room with curtained and mirrored walls can accommodate between 16 and 55 guests, providing the ideal setting for a range of private events.

serves an all-day dining menu, inspired by Francesco’s home region of Calabria and surrounding areas of Italy. Described as a “temple of Italian cuisine” and the only restaurant on Savile Row, Sartoria has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment by acclaimed designer David d’Almada. Boasting a heated terrace, destination bar, cicchetti counter, two private dining rooms and wine cellar, the exquisite and timeless design lends itself perfectly to its glamorous Mayfair location. Sartoria is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday. 20 Savile Row W1, 020 7534 7000 sartoria-restaurant.co.uk

which to welcome friends, family or colleagues for a truly memorable meal. 55 Jermyn Street SW1, 020 7629 9955 wiltons.co.uk 14

THE WOLSELEY

A café-restaurant in the grand European tradition and located just a few minutes’ walk from the Royal Academy, The Wolseley is open all day from 7am for breakfast, right through until midnight perfect for Friday late-night exhibitions. Its all-day menu means it is possible to eat formally or casually at any time, whether a full three-course meal or a coffee and cake. Whilst booking in advance is advised, tables are always held back for walk-ins on the day.

Gieves & hawkes

Gieves & Hawkes has been located at No.1 Savile Row, a short stroll from Burlington House, for over 100 years. With a tradition of military and fine bespoke handwork, the firm has enjoyed the continuous patronage of royal families both at home and abroad over three centuries. Today, No.1 Savile Row houses the company’s bespoke workshops, private tailoring suites and the flagship ‘ready-to-wear’ store, selling stylish British menswear. Do pay us a visit. No.1 Savile Row W1, 020 7432 6403 gievesandhawkes.com

160 Piccadilly W1, 020 7499 6996 thewolseley.com

61 Jermyn Street SW1, 020 7499 2211 francoslondon.com

QUAGLINO’S

A legendary hot spot with a glamorous Art Deco-inspired restaurant, two stunning bars and private dining rooms. The modern European menu designed by Executive Head Chef, Mickael Weiss, changes seasonally and always uses the highest quality ingredients. The restaurant offers a host of menu options, along with Q Brunch now available on Saturdays and Sundays, accompanied by bottomless bubbles. The bars boast an iconic cocktail list and an extensive wine list. The Main Bar also serves up an Afternoon Tea from 3-5pm. From 9pm, the restaurant transforms, showcasing live music from an exciting, varied list of bands and renowned DJs. Open Monday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sundays for lunch service, with the bars open until 1am Monday -Thursday and 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, with late bar food also available. 16 Bury Street SW1, 020 7930 6767 quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk

SARTORIA

With renowned Italian chef Francesco Mazzei at its helm as chef patron, Sartoria

VEERASWAMY

Victory House, 99 Regent Street W1, 020 7734 1401 veeraswamy.com

Established in 1936, N.Peal is London’s iconic cashmere store. Known for exceptional quality and specialism in cashmere knitwear. The contemporary design and attention to detail create a modern timeless style for both men and women. Burlington Arcade W1 Sloane Street SW1 020 7499 6485 npeal.com

Shopping 1

FREYWILLE boutique

Inspired by Gustav Klimt’s worldfamous Art Nouveau masterpiece “The Kiss”, the FREYWILLE in-house artists designed THE ULTIMATE KISS collection as a pure and powerful tribute to the power of love. Elegant fire enamel jewellery in bold colours and gold layers framed in 18kt solid gold and diamonds available in our boutique. 13

WILTONS

Offering a selection of traditional menus for memorable parties and a range of exciting wine packages for 10 guests or more, Wiltons’ private dining room is an ideal venue for any occasion. The ‘Jimmy Marks Room’ offers guests an exceptional, discreet environment in

N.Peal Cashmere V I E W T H E F I L M AT: W W W. G I E V E S A N D H AW K E S. C O M

The true taste of tradition, Veeraswamy is superbly located overlooking Regent Street, just two minutes walk from Piccadilly Circus. Veeraswamy offers divine dishes, lovingly prepared and beautifully served in sumptuous surroundings. Sunday lunch is offered at £26 for three courses. Lunch and pre- and post- theatre menus are available. Veeraswamy is part of MW Eat Group consisting of Chutney Mary, Amaya and Masala Zone.

45 Piccadilly W1, 020 7734 0981 freywille.com

RICHARD OGDEN

In Medieval times signet rings were used to seal and authenticate letters and documents, using crests taken from family heraldic shields. The impression these rings made when pressed into wax seals would represent the authority of the wearer, a tradition which continued well into the twentieth century. Nowadays signet rings are often presented to celebrate a 21st birthday or a graduation. We keep a copy of Fairbairn’s Book of Crests at our premises and can help you find your own family crest. 28 Burlington Arcade W1, 020 7493 9136 richardogden.com

110 ra magazine | autumn 2016

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Classified Courses

Holidays C u r we n Print Study C e n t re

EXCELLENCE IS A FINE ART Courses for artists of all abilities and ages

2015 Printmaking brochure out now NEW www.curwenprintstudy.co.uk 01223 892380 01223 enquires@curwenprintstudy.co.uk curwenprintstudy.co.uk 892380 enquires@curwenprintstudy.co.uk

AUTUMN ART COURSES IN CORNWALL at Boconnoc House, nr. Lostwithiel Landscape & Botanical

Three day courses with luxurious accommodation Excellent tutors, small classes & magical surroundings 01208 872507 www.boconnoc.com

Saturday life classes

All media, all levels with professional tutoring. Long & short poses. Experienced portfolio advice for students. Elianor Jonzen. Tel: 020 7221 4525

Brecon Beacons

Art Course weekends, weekdays near Hay-on-Wye

Life classes, portrait, landscape, still-life, monoprinting, colour, spacious studio, rural surroundings, professional tuition, excellent food. Tel: 01874 711 212

www.artcourseswales.com

Art

Venice Centre

France: Nice

Stunning view over the roofs of the old town. Quiet sunny 2 room balcony flat. Sleeps 2/3. 30 minute bus to airport. £550 pw. Tel. 020 7720 7519 or 01736 762013

Tuscan/Umbrian border

Find Donatello, Piero, Burri near our splendid villa. Pool, gardens, glorious views, ancient towns. Flexible rates. www.lafoce.co.uk; 020 7059 0278

Venice

Two spacious luxury flats in a scenic, peaceful location. Great local shops & restaurants. Full details/booking on our website www.ourflatsinvenice.co.uk

Self-catering apartments in a charming c15th palazzetto, sleeps 2/5. www.valleycastle.com

The Kyffin Gallery Woodstock, Oxfordshire

Italy: Spoleto, Umbria

Chic, elegant self-contained flats in historical residence, town centre. Studio flat w/balcony, separate kitchen, sleeps 1/2. One bedroom flat, bathroom & spa tub, sleeps 1/2. Short/long let. Call Cristina: 07950 141489 cristinamarignoli@gmail.com

Nice: Cote d’Azur

Specialising the the works of Sir Kyffin Williams RA OBE. We purchase Kyffin oils, watercolours and drawings.

Beautiful apartment in Art Deco building. 2 bedrooms, sleeps 4. Fully equipped, a/c, 2 small balconies. Well positioned for Old Town, transport links, restaurants & beach. From £600 p/w.

t: 07712188585 e: sjajones@yahoo.com

Marrakech

Chic, elegantly restored 18th century riad in Medina. Four double bedrooms, seductive baths, cook and housekeeper. Tel: 07770 431194. www.riadhayati.com

www.thekyffingallery.com Roberta@kyffingallery.com Tel: 07801 737631

Barbara McMillan RBA Cathar Country_Text and Logo_LeftJustification.indd 23/10/2015 1 16:32

Beautiful Tuscan Villa Perfect for holidays, parties, and events

www.villacorsano.com

France: Menton

2 bedroom house in grounds of 1860s town villa. Pool and beautiful Property for Sale views of sea and old town. Charming For sale: beautiful, vibrant flower studies courtyard with lemon trees. Easy Corsano_Sum16_2.indd 1 and landscapes in pastel and walk to covered market, sea,Villa train For Sale: Cornwall house 03/05/2016 12:45 and bus station. Off-street parking oil paint by Barbara McMillan RBA. and barn available. Now booking 2017 Detached character house & converted 01726 833471 Tel: 07900 916729 pattiebarwick@ barbaramcmillan@hotmail.co.uk barn in Golant waterside village, nr barbaramcmillan.co.uk gmail.com www.mentonsejour.com Fowey. House: 3 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1 ensuite. Lounge with log fire, dining room, kitchen, breakfast Menton Town Centre room, seperate utility & WC. River Sleeps 12. Enjoy the eclectic art views from all rooms. Central heating. collection and interior design of this Parking. Barn: Artists studio/flat restored 1860s villa and separate Fine Art Bronze Casting with kitchen & bathroom. Gallery, guest house town centre, 5 minute Welding – Patina Specialists workshop, open garage. Courtyard space, walk to shops and beaches. Beautiful Ceramic Shell hillside gardens with summer house garden with views. Lovely pool Contact: Jerry 020 7515 8052 and river views. Moorings available. area with shady places to sit and jerry@abfineart.com London mainline station 4 miles. read. Secluded dining areas. Enjoy 1 Fawe Street, London E14 6PD £650,000 no chain. Photos available. versatility of 2 houses on one site. www.abfineart.com barbaramcmillan@hotmail.co.uk Ideal for 2 families. Off-street parking for 2 cars. Now booking 2017 Tel: 07900 916729 For Sale: Studio House pattiebarwick@gmail.com Dernacueillette, France www.mentonsejour.com

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carving courses by the sea

Exciting opportunity to carve stone with renowned sculptor and enjoy wholesome food. julietaylor1@hotmail.com t 07971 489449 / 07900 022372 www.seasculpt.co.uk

To advertise in the Restaurant, Shopping and Classified pages please contact

Sicily Spacious 5-bedroom villa with pool near Taormina. Stunning sea and Etna views. Photo gallery: www.villaama.net

+44 (0)7952 578523.

Italy: Triora in Liguria

House in Medieval village. Spectacular views, vine-covered terrace and garden. Mediterranean and San Remo ½ hr away; Good restaurant in village. Available June/July/Aug/Sep. jenniferadams50@hotmail.com

Beautiful old-stone studio house with garden bordered by rivulets & protected view over wooded hills to Mont Tauch. The Mediterranean & Spain both 1 ½ hours away. €270,000. bryan.guthrie.carvalho@gmail.com

Charlotte Burgess on 020 7300 5675 or charlotte.burgess@ royalacademy.org.uk

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Events, excursions and other RA experiences

What’s On

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BITTERSUITE AT OPEN HOUSE As part of the RA’s Open House weekend, BitterSuite transforms the Fine Rooms into multi-sensory spaces. Past works include classical concerts where blindfolded audience members are led through an experience that stimulates the senses (Burlington House, 17 & 18 Sep, free, part of a range of Access Events at the RA). DRAWING & MUSIC: PICTURING MOVEMENT WORKSHOP This weekend practical course explores the relationship between art and music. Draw directly from musicians and explore drawing techniques used to capture the human form in movement and with music (Burlington House, 10 & 11 Dec, 10.30am– 5.30pm, £420 inc. materials). WILTON’S MUSIC HALL Once a Victorian sailors’ pub, Wilton’s enjoyed 30 years as a successful music hall until it was ravaged by fire in 1877. Take a tour, view unique footage of old music-hall productions and discover the history of this Grade II*-listed venue (Friends Events, Wilton’s Music Hall, 26 Oct & 21 Nov, 11am–1.15pm, £26). 1920S JAZZ AGE EXHIBITION Delight in the fashions of the flappers on this private curated tour at the Fashion and Textile Museum. The display features haute couture and photographs of the 1920s Jazz Age, including portraits of silver-screen stars Fred Astaire and Gilda Gray (Friends Event, Fashion and Textile Museum, 2 Nov, 6.30–8.30pm, £28). RA LATES: MANHATTAN SWING Grab your fedora and take a trip to downtown New York. Think free jazz, Beat poetry and classic cocktails, as you swing dance your way through an evening of art and themed performances that bring 1950s Manhattan to Burlington House (22 Oct, 7–11.45pm, £35). CAROLS EVENING Beginning with a drinks reception at Burlington House, this annual festive evening of carols features the choral splendour of chamber choir Vivamus and readings by eminent Academicians and other special guests (Friends Event, St James’s Church, Piccadilly, 13 Dec, 6.30–9pm, £35 with reception/£20).

for full listings, VISIT royalacademy.org.uk/events – book online or call 020 7300 8090

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Free spirits

MUST-SEE MUSIC-RELATED EVENTS THIS AUTUMN

p h oto gra p h: car o l i n e f o r b es

Roger Ackling (‘it involved power tools and construction’); and a long friendship with the Scottish painter and musician Alan Davie RA. ‘Alan definitely saw my work as the sonic equivalent of Jackson Pollock throwing paint around,’ says Parker. ‘I can’t disagree with him seeing it, but I think the connections are much more complex. I can only see artists and musicians waving in a friendly way to one another across a chasm.’ Over the past 50 years, Parker has played in hundreds of duets, trios, quartets and larger ensembles, and guested with the likes of Scott Walker, Robert Wyatt, David Sylvian and Vic Reeves. But he is best known for his solo performances – garrulous improvisations that use circular breathing, overblowing and harmonics to create intense flurries of sound. ‘Solo performances are a dialogue with the audience, rather than a dialogue with other musicians,’ he says. ‘More Evan Parker, who plays at the RA in November specifically, a dialogue with the instrument, the acoustics, and then – through that communication or lack of communication – a conversation with the audience. The discipline john lewis talks to jazz giant Evan Parker of working on a painting, until about links between music and art, as he prepares you’re happy with it, is more akin to play during the Abstract Expressionism show to recording in a studio. There you’re in control, pacing around, Ever since the saxophonist Ornette Coleman looking at what you’ve got and what it needs.’ used a Jackson Pollock painting on the front Parker has talked about going into a kind of cover of his 1961 album Free Jazz, people have trance while improvising. ‘It’s the shift from leftmade connections between free improvisation brain to right-brain dominance; moving from the and Abstract Expressionism. But the saxophonist analytic and the technical towards the holistic Evan Parker – one of the world’s most renowned and the emotional. You’re no longer thinking exponents of free improvisation – isn’t so sure. about the detail. It’s like if a centipede had to ‘For some, free jazz is a splatter painting set analyse each of his movements, he probably to music,’ he says, ahead of his concert to coincide wouldn’t move very far.’ with the Academy’s ‘Abstract Expressionism’ Is that the parallel between painting show. ‘But you can only go so far in looking for and music? That art arises where technique parallels when it comes to mental processes and becomes irrelevant? aesthetic outcomes. It’s something I’ve always ‘Possibly,’ he chuckles. ‘I’ll leave you to debated with friends who are painters.’ flesh that one out…’ This includes a lengthy discussion with Swiss Jazz Abstractions with Evan Parker Reynolds Room, artist Dieter Roth on a flight from Reykjavík to 11 Nov, 6.30pm–8pm, £12/£8 concs. The concert, part of London (‘concluded by a heavy drinking session the RA’s ‘Abstract Expressionism’ programme, is followed at Heathrow’); there was also a collaborative by a discussion between Parker and David Ryan, and performance artwork with the late sculptor takes place in partnership with EFG London Jazz Festival

A child can do it Illustrator posy simmonds says you’re never too young to start drawing, ahead of a Big Draw event at the RA

A drawing that Posy Simmonds made, aged nine

Small children love drawing. I did. Aged three, I remember drawing little men with lots of buttons on their coats. When I was eight, my father gave me a ream of paper, the size wonderfully known as double elephant (huge sheets of cartridge, wider than I could stretch my arms), which lasted all my childhood. I drew every day, largely from my imagination. Drawing in early childhood is pure fun: for the toddlers scribbling with fat crayons; for the five year olds who tell stories as they draw and who enjoy showing off their pictures – skylines with superradiant suns and gigantic butterflies, cats bigger than houses. But older children often lose this confidence and spontaneity as they discover the pressure for realism, that there’s a ‘right’ way to draw.

Three questions for… A.C. Grayling You’re reading a short story at the next Pin Drop event at the RA. What have you chosen to read?

It’s a story I wrote about the concept of perfect numbers, which are numbers that are equal to the sum of their aliquot parts – the parts into which they divide without remainder. It’s an attempt to associate the fascination and mystery of numbers with the mystery of a fictional situation.

p h oto gra p h: car o l i n e f o r b es

For full listings, visit royalacademy. org.uk/events – and see page 121 for Friends priority booking

Why did you choose the short story form, rather than an essay?

You can pack a great deal of content into a very brief space in an essay, and if you can do it in a way that is enticing and suggestive and leaves an aftertaste of thought on the friends priority booking begins 6 september: see page 121

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This is the time when children really benefit from encouragement – encouragement that they are less likely to receive at school today, due to the downgrading of art in the national curriculum. Happily, there is encouragement to be found in events such as those run by the RA and the Big Draw, which takes place in September. Drawing is important for all children, whatever their ability. Of course drawing is fun, but it is also a discipline: it teaches you how to look and by looking, to understand how things work; it allows children to use their imagination, to explore ideas and to connect with their emotions. Power to the pencil! As part of the Big Draw Festival, the RA presents Family Studio: Make: Shift: Draw, a free drop-in workshop for all ages, Burlington House, 2 Oct, 11am–3pm

mind, then that’s a successful essay. A short story can work in a rather similar way. And for those who enjoy the spoken word, short stories can have more immediacy when they are read aloud – they become somehow more human when heard. What is the biggest challenge of the short story form?

It’s like being a sculptor, where you have to keep chipping away, trying to find an expression that can carry a lot of freight but at the same time remain perspicuous. It’s a very interesting challenge. I also think of written language as a form of music, which lightens and deepens and goes more swiftly or slowly as the content develops. An Evening at the RA with A.C. Grayling & Pin Drop Reynolds Room, 21 Oct, 6.30–7.30pm, £12/£8 concs.

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What’s On

From the ﬁrst Summer Show to ‘Sensation’, exhibitions have changed the way we appreciate art, says sam phillips, as the Academy launches a course on the subject ‘Nothing that the visitors will see in the exhibition galleries, neither the works of art, nor the light fixtures, not even the partitions, is at present permanent,’ writes a museum director, declaring

poster for the Royal Academy’s 1997 exhibition ‘sensation’

Marvellous marbles annette wickham hails a long-awaited display of John Gibson’s sculptures John Gibson RA (1790–1866) was at one time Britain’s most famous sculptor, his popular brand of neoclassicism appealing to a large, international and often aristocratic clientele. Living at a time when neoclassical ideals had been made fashionable by the Grand Tour, Gibson was captivated by the art of Ancient Greece and Rome, and he sought to achieve a similar balance

of grace, naturalism and idealised beauty in his own work, whether creating marble sculptures of scenes from ancient myths (Narcissus, 1838, right) or statues of the leading figures of his day. So it is surprising that it has taken 150 years for a show to focus solely on his work – the RA’s autumn display of over 30 of Gibson’s sculptures, reliefs, casts and drawings, drawn from the artist’s bequest to the RA when he died in 1866. Gibson studied under Europe’s leading

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the institution ‘a laboratory’ in whose ‘experiments the public is invited to participate.’ If this sounds like Nick Serota’s manifesto for the newly expanded Tate Modern, then you would be mistaken. The quotes date from 1939 and are from Alfred Barr, Director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The gallery as a place for participation is nothing new, it seems. Such ideas about exhibitions – from our role as the viewer, as participator or observer, to the design of galleries and the hanging of artworks – are the abiding interest of Andrea Tarsia, the RA’s Head of Exhibitions, who oversees the delivery of the Academy’s world-renowned programme. This autumn he leads a ten-week course at the RA, ‘Great Exhibitions: From the 18th Century to the Future’, which explores, through landmark exhibitions, changing tastes in the display of art. These include the RA’s ‘Sensation’ show (poster left), which brought Young British Artists such as Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin RA to public prominence, and helped to make installation art mainstream in the process. ‘When we see exhibitions with a particular format – for example, a retrospective of a modern artist – we, of course, focus primarily on the artworks,’ explains Tarsia. ‘But those formats always have their own history.

They have become conventional for a reason, and on this course I examine why. Why is art hung the way it is?’ ‘The course has a focus on the 20th century,’ Tarsia continues, ‘when the exhibition really started coming into its own. But it will also go back to the foundation of the RA in the 18th century. Artists have always led in the formulation of exhibition models, and that includes the Academicians’ first Summer Exhibitions, which, together with salon shows in other cities, set the tone for European art exhibitions. Then, in the 19th century, it was artists like the Impressionists who led the way.’ The first Impressionism exhibition of 1874 took place in the former studio of the photographer Nadar. ‘Monet himself was in favour of more pared-back displays of art. Rather than filling every inch of the room with art, he would hang works only two high, and wanted a neutral background on the walls.’ More recent developments in exhibition concepts include institutional critique, where the museum or gallery itself becomes the subject, such as the 1992 show ‘Mining the Museum’, when artist Fred Wilson rehung an American art collection to highlight the history of Native and African Americans. But the exhibition never rests on its laurels. ‘A question now is how digital technologies are going to be absorbed into physical exhibitions, or constitute digital exhibition in themselves. Art constantly changes, so exhibitions must change.’ The ten-week course great Exhibitions: from the 18th century to the future The Life Room, Royal Academy schools, Wednesdays, 12 oct–14 dec, 6–8pm (£540 for 10 weeks, £290 for five weeks). other highlights of the RA’s Academic programmes include the weekend-long courses Abstract Expressionism: Expressions of change and Art business: managing for Resilience, sustainability and Value.

neoclassical sculptor, Antonio Canova (1757–1822), in Rome, learning to execute full-scale sculptures according to his master’s methods. He settled in the city for life, explaining that in Britain his talents would be wasted on making nothing but ‘busts and statues of great men in coats and neckties’. Putting his work into context with Canova’s, this RA show explores why Gibson became one of Britain’s best-known sculptors despite spending most of his life abroad. John gibson RA: A british sculptor in Rome Tennant Gallery and Council Room, 8 sep–18 dec (closed mon). see Readers’ offers page 104 for a discount on the book that accompanies the show. Free curator’s collection talks on the exhibition: 9 sep and 4 nov, 2.30–3pm

d Es i Gn: W H y n oT As s o Ci AT Es/ p H oTo GR A p H y: R o CCo R Ed o n d o A n d p H oTo d is C . © R oyA L ACA d Em y o F A R Ts

The art o� the art show

foR full listings, Visit RoyAlAcAdEmy.oRg.uk/EVEnts – book onlinE oR cAll 020 7300 8090

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Piecing the past together ARCHITECTURE and london tour highlights

Several works relating to architectural history are being placed at key points across the RA, in a new project by architect duo charles holland and elly ward

LONDON BEYOND BREXIT Can London remain a global city outside the EU? Should it? Join our panel as they delve into the implications of Brexit on a city where 60 per cent of the population voted to remain (Geological Society, 7 Nov, 6.30–8pm, £12). TRINITY LABAN CONSERVATOIRE OF MUSIC AND DANCE Take a tour of the Laban Faculty of Dance, designed by Herzog & de Meuron as an urban ‘streetscape’, the dance studios within wrapping around a central auditorium (Friends Events, 12 Oct & 16 Nov, 11am–12pm, £19). ZAHA HADID IN FOCUS Join us as ten speakers discuss the work and legacy of the late Zaha Hadid RA, whose designs both provoked controversy and attracted critical acclaim (Geological Society, 12 Dec, 6.30–8.30pm, £12). A drawing of a cornice that follows the curves of the Essex coastline, by Holland and Ward’s firm Ordinary Architecture

The nave of St Paul’s Cathedral

d es i gn: wh y n ot as s o ci ates/ p h oto gra p h y: R o cco R ed o n d o a n d Ph oto d is c . © r oyal aca d em y o f arts

What’s On

ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL TRIFORIUM TOUR In this behind-the-scenes tour, visit the Triforium gallery which boasts incredible views of the nave of the Cathedral, and houses the Trophy Room, Geometric Staircase and Library (Friends Events, 25 Nov & 2 Dec, 11.30am–12.45pm, £36). ROYAL ARSENAL WALKING TOUR The Royal Arsenal was once the biggest munitions factory in the world. Friends tour its historic site, which includes buildings purportedly by Hawskmoor and Vanburgh (Friends Events, Woolwich Arsenal station, 21 & 28 Oct, 11.30am–1.30pm, £28). THE SAVILE CLUB Tour the interiors and learn about the rich social history of this exclusive members club in Mayfair. Formed in 1868, the club was once frequented by the likes of H.G. Wells, Rudyard Kipling and Thomas Hardy (Friends Events, 28 Oct & 16 Nov & 2 Dec, 10.30am–12.15pm, £30).

The history of architecture is full of origin myths, stories of how and where architecture – as opposed to building – began. Each of these myths privileges particular ideas or ideological positions at any one time. The 18th-century abbot Marc-Antoine Laugier put forward his theory of the ‘primitive hut’: developing an idea that classical architectural language was an abstraction of timber construction, of trees lashed together with rope etc. Quite distinctly, the 19th-century German architect and art critic Gottfried Semper saw the origins of architecture in the hanging of animal skins and fabrics – concerned with decoration and shelter, rather than structure or tectonics. These origin myths are fascinating because they describe the point at which architecture becomes culture, or where building becomes imbued with cultural meaning. The title of our RA project, ‘Origins’, describes the origins of architectural design: the processes we go through, where we get inspiration from, what we might be referring to. How, in effect, we begin. For the project, we have designed a series of interventions based upon themes from the history of architectural ideas. The interventions are realised through a number of techniques and materials that explore the origins of architecture through contemporary allegory and narrative. For example, we have created a cornice that follows the curves of the Essex coastline (above), riffing on the ‘typical’ cornice shown on the front cover of John Summerson’s seminal book The Classical Language of Architecture (1966). Each piece is displayed without immediate explanation, leaving them open to interpretation and creating

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‘Origin myths are fascinating because they describe the point at which architecture becomes culture’ a sense of mystery. Scattered in several different locations around the RA, each is ‘found’, with the viewer gradually realising that they are part of the same project. The interventions occupy specific places around Burlington House that, though currently empty or in transition owing to the RA250 project (page 15), are important – not just to the building’s layout, but also to the story of its own architecture. The spaces – alcoves, niches and ceiling roses – usually contain paintings and sculptures that depict allegories of the arts, reflecting the activities that take place within the RA. Our interventions take advantage of a moment when many of these works are temporarily in storage to construct a parallel series of contemporary allegorical works related to the origins of architecture. The project reveals something about the history of the RA’s buildings and their development over time; we want to make people aware of parts of the building that are often overlooked due to their ‘in-between’ nature. At the same time we want to engage visitors to the RA in ideas about architecture that are perhaps lesser known or explored, but run parallel to the story of art. Origins: A Project by Ordinary Architecture Burlington House, 15 Oct–15 Jan 2017

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What’s On

sam phillips discovers the achievements of the Ancient Greeks as well as the Romans on a Royal Academy art tour around the Bay of Naples Our base for the week was Sorrento, a pretty town that spectacularly straddles cliffs overlooking the bay. Our group of 12 would leave at around 9am each morning, a small private bus whisking us to sites across the region for days jam-packed with new experiences. We returned at sunset, reconvening before dinner for an informal lecture from Nigel, on subjects as diverse as the four canonical styles of Pompeian fresco, the eruption of Vesuvius, the Roman penchant for pederasty and how the British, from the 18th century onwards, became obsessed with all things ancient. Our ideas about the ancient have been filtered through the imagination of writers, from Virgil, whose Aeneid helped connect the Romans to Homeric myth-history, to Suetonius, whose tomes on the emperors revelled in their debauchery. When we visited Nero’s villa in the former coastal resort of Baia, and the Cuma archaeological park that features the cave of the priestess Sybil, these stories flooded into the gaps where physical evidence was no longer present. But at Pompeii and Herculaneum, the centrepieces of the tour, the

RA Friends worldwide art tours, created by Cox & Kings, include the six-day tours Bay of Naples: Pompeii & Herculaneum 23–29 Oct and 25–31 Mar 2017. For full details of this and other overseas tours, call 020 7873 5013 or visit coxandkings.co.uk/ra

co urtesy cox & K i n gs

On a spring day in southern Italy, wandering among wild flowers and the kind of trees one sees in a Turner watercolour, we encountered one of the most astonishing ancient sites in Europe: Paestum, in which columned temples command the countryside, their pillars soaring to the sky. It was beautiful enough to make us worship Zeus – and not the Roman deity Jupiter, because although our RA tour, created by Cox & Kings, was exploring the Bay of Naples, these buildings were Greek. Dating from 600BCE, Paestum was established on the Italian peninsula by Greek immigrants. Over a lovely local lunch of caprese salad and panna cotta, the tour’s leader Nigel Spivey, a Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Cambridge, discussed the speculation about why Greeks colonised the area. Did their patrilineal social system, in which the eldest son inherited all, force younger sons to seek land elsewhere? Or were the earliest colonisers – Euboeans who reached the island of Ischia in the eighth century BCE – actually criminals, banished from Greece but successful traders in Italy?

sites were so well preserved that we had no need for others’ ideas, the architecture and artefacts stimulating our own interpretation. As an art critic, it was the mosaics and frescoes that had me bewitched. Claudia Bouchcinsky, our Neapolitan guide during the week, explained that the black-and-white colour of the floor tiles had a functional purpose, the white reflecting moonlight in order to guide people through each space. Yet this simple colour scheme also gave the mosaics such a strong aesthetic power: a work depicting a triton surrounded by dolphins, in the baths of Herculaneum, had the graphic style of a German Expressionist woodcut. And, at the climax of our day in Pompeii, we visited the Villa of the Mysteries, whose restored frescoes represent the initiation rites of some type of Dionysian cult, including a drinking satyr and a winged figure wielding a whip. These works prove that the Romans could really paint, such is their detail, perspective and rich sense of colour, the figures emerging sharply from a blood-red background. But while the Romans’ skill was on a par of that seen today, their subject matter reminded us how different they really were.

The Greek Temple of Neptune at Paestum, Italy

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for full listings, VISIT royalacademy.org.uk/events – book online or call 020 7300 8090

12/08/2016 17:27

p h oto gra p h b en ed i ct j o h ns o n

Walking among wonders

New on the menu Homes from home

Friends can take tours of the homes of artists, diplomats and politicians on Friends Excursions this autumn. Exquisitely designed furniture, textiles and ceramics are some of the treasures to be discovered on a trip to Kelmscott Manor (27 Oct, 10am–7pm, £88; woodcut below), the Cotswolds country home of artist and textile designer William Morris. Highlights

p h oto gra p h b en ed i ct j o h ns o n

co urtesy cox & K i n gs

What’s On

Savvy sourcing and fuss-free food are key ingredients on the new menu at the Keeper’s House restaurant, as its head chef explains to rebecca swirsky ‘I see running a kitchen as like conducting an orchestra,’ explains Richard Oxley, Peyton and Byrne’s affable Executive Chef at the RA. ‘You’ve got different chefs on different sections, doing different jobs, and you’ve got to pull it all together. That takes years of experience.’ We are lunching at his pride and joy – the Keeper’s House Restaurant. Historic architectural casts from the RA Collections hang on its green baize walls, while gentle jazz plays in the background. It’s a soothing space to enjoy food while digesting art seen at the Academy. Oxley is everything you might hope for in a chef; friendly, yet charmingly fierce about food. His days begin punishingly early with a green smoothie at 5am, before he travels into London from Kent and tours his kitchens. Having spent a decade at Tate, he is now in charge at both the National Gallery and the RA. Under his stewardship, the Keeper’s House Restaurant has been accredited with the Soil Association Award in Bronze, meaning that at least 70 per cent of its produce originates from an organic source.

include a special viewing of Morris’s personal books and items from his private Kelmscott Press, which he founded in 1890. Morris was a passionate activist and also founded The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in 1877. Campaigning against over-zealous restorations of historic buildings, the society implored architects to treat ‘ancient buildings as monuments of a bygone art’. Friends tour the society’s headquarters, situated in Spital Square in east London (29 Nov, 6.30–8.30pm, £30). One house where the architectural fabric has remained untouched is Benjamin Franklin House, where Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, lived between 1757 and 1775 on the eve of the American Revolution. Friends tour this historic building and enjoy a demonstration of Franklin’s famous ‘glass armonica’ (11 Oct, 6.45–8.15pm, £28). A private tour of the Argentine Ambassador’s Residence reveals the interiors of another political home (20 Oct, 11am–12.15pm, £40). Rarely open to the public, this tour features a collaboration between the Argentine Embassy and contemporary artists as part of Open House London. Home to kings and noblemen since 1341, the magificent Penshurst Place in Kent is owned by the Sidney family and is the location for this year’s festive tour (8 Dec, 9am–7.30pm, £90). Fires will be lit and the house will be decorated for Christmas as Penshurst welcomes Friends of the RA for a private tour of the important collection of portraits, Baron’s Hall, the Buttery and St John the Baptist Church. friends priority booking begins 6 september: see page 121

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Oxley’s own credentials are as impeccable as the provenance of his food. His father was head chef at the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn for 25 years, and Oxley recalls memories there at Christmas as a seven-year-old, assisting his dad with the plucking and gutting of turkeys. I ask Oxley what it’s like catering for an art crowd. ‘Gallery to gallery it varies,’ he tells me. ‘Tate Modern is a younger audience, whereas Tate Britain is more mature. What I like about the Royal Academy is that it’s varied, a mix. And the people who work here are enthusiastic, always coming up with new ideas.’ In fact, Oxley’s own plans are what we’re here to discuss. ‘Previously, the Keeper’s House focused more on fine dining, but not everyone wants to eat a three-course meal at lunchtime. The food was fussier. Now if a dish says it’s with peas, then it’s with peas, rather than a foam or gel. And everyone is welcome, whether they just want to enjoy a salad or a soup, or a starter and a drink. Today, one diner dropped in who owns the vineyard where some of our list comes from. His favourite is the fish stew – the bouillabaisse uses baby mullet.’ Our dish of lamb arrives atop a bright pile of broad beans, samphire, peas and plump cherry tomatoes. The tender meat, the sea-taste of the samphire and sweet depth of the tomatoes are a special combination. ‘Much of our meat comes from Yorkshire,’ Oxley continues, ‘where we know what the cattle have been fed on, what age they were, and how long they were hung.’ How does one go about composing a menu, I wonder? ‘Paramount is listening to the suppliers with whom I’ve worked for years.’ Oxley smiles. ‘If you spend time and effort sourcing your ingredients, that’s half your job. I’m particularly proud of our handpicked white crab that, like all our fish, comes straight off the boat in Cornwall – that will always stay on the menu. For me, restaurants are all about those relationships, with diners as well as suppliers.’ The Keeper’s House Restaurant Mon–Sat, 12pm–11.30pm; 020 7300 5881. Every month the Keeper’s House hosts Fish Fridays, with Cornish cod paired with wine, as well as Oyster and Champagne Evenings. Friends Events include a Hawksmoor Tea-Infused Cocktail Workshop (14 Oct), Craft Beer with Spiegelau (20 Oct) and A Truly British Tea Tasting with Tregothnan (3 Nov).

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Art Tours Worldwide Art | Archaeology | Architecture

Cox & Kings is the travel partner for the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) and our programme of small-group tours has been specially created with the Friends of the RA in mind, although they are open to everyone. The tour collection focuses on the art, architecture and archaeology of many of the world’s most culturally-rich destinations. The tours are accompanied by expert lecturers who help to design the itineraries, give talks along the way and, in many cases, open doors that would normally be closed to the general public. The 2017-18 brochure features 27 itineraries to 19 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Far East, including destinations as diverse as Spain, Romania, Uzbekistan and Cambodia.

For reservations, please call 020 3773 1419 For detailed itineraries and prices, please request a copy of the 2017-18 RA Art Tours Worldwide brochure by calling 020 3773 1419 quoting reference RAARTS, or visit coxandkings.co.uk/ra

2017-18 highlights BAY OF NAPLES: Pompeii & Herculaneum

CÔTE D’AZUR: Matisse & Modern Art

7 Days & 6 Nights

4 Days & 3 Nights

25-31 Mar 2017 with Dr Steve Kershaw

21-24 Mar 2017 with Gerald Deslandes 3-6 Oct 2017 with Lydia Bauman

The Bay of Naples was once one of the greatest centres of classical Roman civilisation. The excavated remains of Pompeii, Herculaneum and the Villa Oplontis, entombed in ash in the Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79AD, provide a special glimpse into this lost world. The region’s highlights include Baia thermal springs, Sibyl’s Cave and the Greek temples of Paestum.

Explore the paradise discovered by artists in the south of France at the beginning of the 20th century. Visit Matisse’s celebrated Chapelle du Rosaire and the Fondation Maeght, which contains a stunning collection of artwork by Braque, Miro and Giacometti. Experience museums dedicated to Bonnard, Chagall, Leger and Picasso.

• See unrivalled displays of exceptionally well-preserved Roman archaeology • Explore signiﬁcant Greek settlements at Paestum & Cumae • See less-visited Roman villas in Stabiae

• In-depth lectures on the artists of the Côte d’Azur and the area that inﬂuenced them. • Focus on Matisse at work and see where his masterpieces were created • Enjoy some of the prettiest villages, landscapes and seascapes in Provence

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Dionysian wall paintings at the Villa of the Mysteries, Pompeii

ST PETERSBURG: Pictures & Palaces

IRAN: Persian Palaces & Gardens

6 Days & 5 Nights

11 Days & 10 Nights

19-24 Feb 2017 with Lydia Bauman 7-12 May 2017 with Dr Colin Bailey

3-16 Apr 2017 with Hilary Smith 9-22 Oct 2017 with Diana Driscoll

St Petersburg is one of the most majestic and compelling cities in the world, much of it unchanged since the 18th and 19th centuries. It is home to sumptuously decorated and furnished palaces and a wide variety of cathedrals, churches and monasteries. It also features numerous museums, including one of the world’s largest and ﬁnest – the Hermitage.

Iran warmly welcomes visitors to explore its majestic Persian monuments, spectacular Islamic architecture and Zoroastrian Towers of Silence. As well as the must-see sights of Tehran, Yazd, Shiraz, Persepolis, Pasargadae and Isfahan, this tour also includes the little-visited city of Kerman, the exquisite Shazdeh garden in Mahan and the desert citadel of Rayen.

• Out-of-hours access and behind-the-scenes visit to the Hermitage museum • Visit Yusupov Palace for a special viewing of the lavish gala rooms & private apartments of Zinaida and Felix • Visit the new Fabergé Museum to marvel at the tsars’ jewels in the opulent setting of Shuvalov Palace

• Ancient Persian palaces at Persepolis & Pasargadae • Mysterious Zoroastrian sites in Yazd • Spectacular Islamic architecture & gardens • Travel oﬀ the beaten track to Kerman • Two full days exploring Isfahan

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What’s On 2017 3 1 Bolshevik, 1920, by Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev 2 American Gothic, 1930, by Grant Wood 3 Gourds, Issyles-Moulineaux, 1915–16, by Henri Matisse 4 0 through 9, 1961, by Jasper Johns 5 Duchamp and Dalí playing chess during the filming of A Soft Self-Portrait, 1966, photographed by Robert Descharnes and Paul Averty

On show in the year ahead The Royal Academy has a spectacular programme of loan exhibitions coming up in 2017, so make sure you put the dates into your diary 1. Revolution: Russian Art 1917–1932 Main Galleries 11 February–17 April 2017

One hundred years after the Russian Revolution, this powerful exhibition explores one of the most momentous periods in modern history through its art, surveying the entire artistic landscape of post-revolutionary Russia, from the dynamic abstractions of Malevich to the emergence of Socialist Realism, and including pioneering films, ceramics, textiles, graphic design and architecture. 2. America after the fall: Painting in the 1930s The Sackler Wing 25 February–4 June 2017

The Great Depression has often been seen as a time of narrowing vision in America, yet it was a period of great artistic diversity, as painters

sought styles to capture the character of a country undergoing change. One of America’s most famous paintings, Grant Wood’s American Gothic (1930, above), is at the centre of a show that reveals the richness of 1930s art and includes works that have never before left the US. 3. Matisse in the studio The Sackler Wing 5 August–2 November 2017

Henri Matisse’s studio was full of his treasured objects from the far corners of the world – Buddhist statuary from Thailand, Bamana wood carvings from Mali, textiles from Polynesia, African gourds – and they appeared in his work again and again, in different guises and across many decades. This sumptuous show offers a rare glimpse into Matisse’s personal collection of objects, as well as the paintings, sculptures and drawings it inspired.

4. Jasper Johns Main Galleries 23 September–10 December 2017

One of the most important artists of the 20th century, Jasper Johns has occupied a central position in American contemporary art since his arrival in New York in the 1950s. This exhibition is his first major London retrospective, and includes his celebrated target, flag and number paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints. 5. Dali/Duchamp Galleries I and II, and Weston Rooms 7 October 2017–7 January 2018

Marcel Duchamp and Salvador Dalí are usually seen as opposites in almost every respect – but in fact they were friends, and shared attitudes to art and life that are manifest in their work on many levels. This exhibition explores the aesthetic, philosophical and personal links between the two men, giving a fresh view of two of the 20th century’s most influential artists. To watch a video exploring these exhibitions, presented by RA Artistic Director Tim Marlow, visit http://roy.ac/2017-exhibitions

State T ret yakov G allery/ Ph oto © State T ret yakov G allery. T he Mus eu m o f M o d er n A rt, New Yo rk . Mrs . S i m o n Guggen hei m F u n d, 10 9.1935/ Ph oto © 2016 . D i gi tal i m age , T he Mus eu m o f M o d er n A rt, New Yo rk /Scala , F lo ren ce . © Succes s i o n H . Mat is s e / DAC S 2016 . F r i en ds o f A m er i ca n A rt Co llect i o n 1930. 934, T he A rt I ns t i tute o f Ch i cago. Tate , Lo n d o n 2016 . Ph oto R o b ert Des char n es/© Des char n es & Des char n es s arl 2016

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What’s On

Friends for life how to book events

As Friends draw from life in a series of courses and taster sessions, mark hampson from the RA Schools shares some advice

friends priority booking ● 6 September

Priority booking opens for Friends at 10am ● 9 September

Public booking opens at 10am Friends of the Academy enjoy priority booking on RA events, as well as an exclusive programme of Friends Events. Priority booking begins on 6 September – and there is another opportunity to book when a number of new tickets are released for public sale on 9 September. This magazine explores highlights from the autumn events programme. Complete listings of all the RA’s events are published online. By signing up to a regular email, Friends can be first to discover all the latest news on RA events and exhibitions. ● BOOK ONLINE

royalacademy.org.uk/events ● Book by telephone

020 7300 8090 ● Book IN PERSON

at the Academy’s Box Office ● Sign up for email updates

royalacademy.org.uk/friendsenews

Friends benefits Friends benefit from free entry to all RA exhibitions together with a guest. Other benefits include Preview Days, where Friends see shows ahead of the public, and access to The Keeper’s House lounges, restaurant, cocktail bar and garden. Friends also enjoy a bespoke programme of events, a 10 per cent discount in the RA Shop, in store and online, and RA Magazine delivered each quarter. Friends must show their membership card along with valid ID (a driving licence, bank card or credit card) at the gallery entrance. For more information, call 020 7300 8090, visit royalacademy.org.uk/ friends, email friends@royalacademy.org.uk and follow @friendsofthera on Twitter.

How Friends help The RA is a charity that receives no revenue funding from the Government. It relies on the generosity and loyalty of its Friends and supporters to continue its programme of exhibitions, debate and education.

When the Royal Academy Schools was formed in 1769, life drawing was held in much regard as a central skill necessary for all artists. While the rise of abstract and conceptual art saw the decline of life drawing during the 20th century, it retains crucial and relevant functions in the development of an artist’s arsenal of approaches. It enables artists to hone their understanding of pictorial composition, artistic invention and visual awareness. As David Hockney RA has said, ‘Drawing makes you see things clearer, and clearer and clearer still, until your eyes ache.’ The Academy provides practical courses and classes designed to teach the essentials of drawing as an introduction to the foundations for all other techniques, including painting, printmaking and sculpture. Its drawing courses take place in the historic Life Room of the Schools (above), still in the same semi-circular set-up in which the likes of Joshua Reynolds PRA and J.M.W. Turner RA once worked. Friends are also offered a chance to enjoy monthly life drawing sessions in the Sir Hugh Casson Room: led by artist Michael Kirkbride, these practical sessions provide tutorled experiences within a social environment, and are designed to be both rewarding and fun. Whether you’re a seasoned sketcher or

complete beginner, there are principles to keep in mind while drawing from life. The first is to look at the model more than your paper: there is no point in having a figure if front of you if you don’t learn from it. Take the time to familiarise yourself with the weight, proportion and pose of the figure, so that your drawing can represent a cohesive whole. Then ensure that you give equal attention to everything you draw, and don’t avoid the difficult bits – face up to the challenges of drawing heads, faces, hands and feet. Not every drawing you make will be a masterpiece. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Correcting, erasing and on occasion abandoning a failing drawing are all worthwhile. And remember that practice may make perfect, but technical perfection rarely makes great art. Learn to develop the differences and imperfections in your drawing. The creative interpretation of the human form is more valuable than sedulous aping. Above all, experimentation is essential in developing your unique approach. Upcoming courses and classes in the RA’s Academic Programmes include Drawing Texture, Drawing & Music and Anatomical Drawing. Monthly RA Friends Life Drawing sessions Sir Hugh Casson Room, The Keeper’s House, 19 Sep & 3 Oct & 28 Nov

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What’s On RA Diary PH-950, 1950, by Clyfford Still The Skate, 1892, by James Ensor right Edith Devaney, 11th, 12th, 13th February, 2016, by David Hockney RA left

Main Galleries Abstract Expressionism

THE SACKLER WING Intrigue: James Ensor by Luc Tuymans

David Hockney RA: 82 Portraits and 1 Still-Life

Exploring an unparalleled period in American art, this long-awaited exhibition is the first major survey of Abstract Expressionism since 1959. In the era of free jazz and the Beat Generation, artists such as Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Mark Rothko, Arshile Gorky, Willem de Kooning, Clyfford Still and Joan Mitchell broke loose from accepted conventions to unleash a new confidence in painting. Often monumental in scale, their works are at times intense, spontaneous and deeply expressive. At others they are more contemplative, presenting large fields of colour that border on the sublime. Lead sponsor BNP Paribas Supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art

29 October–29 January 2017

Until 2 October

The theatrical, the satirical and the macabre come together in the art of James Ensor, one of Belgium’s most significant modern artists. Ensor exerted considerable influence on the development of Expressionism, after a childhood spent in his family’s curiosity shop where his wild imagination was cultivated. This exhibition, curated by his compatriot, artist Luc Tuymans, presents a unique body of work seen through the eyes of one of today’s leading painters. Organised by the Royal Academy of Arts in association with the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp 2009-2017 Season supported by JTI Supported by the Government of Flanders

David Hockney returns to the RA with a remarkable new body of work. Embracing portraiture with a renewed creative vigour, he offers an intimate snapshot of the LA art world and the people who have crossed his path. His subjects – friends, family and acquaintances – include office staff, fellow artists, curators and gallerists. Each work is the same size, showing his sitter in the same chair, against the same vivid blue background and all were painted in a time frame of three days. Sponsored by Cazenove Capital Management

Friends Preview Days 21 September 10am-10pm, 22 & 23 September 10am–6pm

Friends Preview Days 26 October 10am-10pm, 27 & 28 October 10am–6pm

tennant gallery & council room John Gibson RA: A BRITISH SCULPTOR IN ROME

Library Print Room FLOWING LINES OF GRACE: Drawing Drapery in the Late Nineteenth Century

24 September–2 January 2017

8 September–18 December (Tue–Sun)

Until 7 October (Tue–Fri)

The Architecture Space Peter Cook RA: Floating Ideas

THE KEEPER’S HOUSE art sales exhibitions Ken Howard’S SWITZERLAND

Until 2 October

Origins: A Project by Ordinary Architecture

15 October–15 January 2017

Weston Rooms The Veronica Scanner: LIVE 3D PORTRAITURE

2–11 September

Until 30 October

SURFACE CUTTING

7 September–20 February 2017

Academicians in focus: Olwyn Bowey RA

2 November–27 March 2017

To help ensure the best possible experience, Friends are required to book a ticket to visit this exhibition. You can book advanced tickets online, by phone on 020 7300 8090 or by visiting the RA.

main galleries and sackler wing OPENING HOURS

Sat–Thur 10am-6pm; Fri 10am–10pm; (last entry 30 minutes before closing)

The Academy closes at 12 noon on 11 October plan your visit

For full visitor information, including opening times of the Tennant Gallery & Council Room, RA Shop, Library and the Keeper’s House, visit http://roy.ac/visit or call 020 7300 8000. Access

The RA welcomes visitors with disabilities and their carers, family and friends. Visit http://roy.ac/access for information and details of an expanded programme of Access Events.

Cly ff o r d St i ll Mus eu m , Den ver /© Ci t y a n d Co u n t y o f Den ver / DAC S 2016 Ph oto co urtesy the Cly ff o r d St i ll Mus eu m , Den ver , CO/ Ph oto: Co urtesy o f the Cly ffo r d St i ll Mus eu m , Den ver , CO © Ci t y a n d Co u n t y o f Den ver . R oyal Mus eu ms o f F i n e A rts o f Belgi u m , Brus s els/ Ph oto © R oyal Mus eu ms o f F i n e A rts o f Belgi u m , Brus s els/ p h oto: j . Gele y ns – R o s ca n /© DAC S 2016 . © Dav i D H o ck n e y/ P H oto creD i t: r i cH arD s cH m i Dt

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1969, ed 500, signed in plate, 65 x 50 cm

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Pablo Picasso lithograph after Picasso, ÂŁ3,500 more at

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