From the Queen's gallery in Buckingham palace to the Hatton gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, we list the best art exhibitions across the country that opened in the past month.
Jeremy Gardiner: Jurassic Coast
The Victoria Art Gallery in Bath hosts this exhibition featuring the celebrated Jurassic Coast seen through the eyes of landscape artist Jeremy Gardiner, who is well known for his unique portrayal of the British coastline.
17 January to 1 March 2015
The Victoria Art Gallery, Bridge Street
, Bath
BA2 4AT
www.victoriagal.org.uk 01225 477233
The Sea: John Virtue
The paintings are vast in scale and have a powerful presence, the black and white paint freely applied to the raw canvas surface with brushes, hands and rags. These beautiful images convey the constant motion of the sea and bring a breath of sea air into the gallery.
17 January to 12 April
Towner, Devonshire Park, College Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4JJ
www.scva.ac.uk 01323 434670
Adventures of the Black Square: Abstract Art and Society 1915 – 2015
Bringing together over 100 artists from all over the world, the exhibition celebrates a century of Abstract art. A multimedia event, it features a diverse spectrum of paintings, sculptures, film and photographs. This is a must for any serious student or connoisseur of modern art.
15 January to 6 April
Whitechapel Gallery
77-78 Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 7QX
www.whitechapelgallery.org 020 7522 7888
Cairo to Constantinople: Early Photographs of the Middle East
In 1862, Francis Bedford, the royal photographer, accompanied the 20-year-old Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) on an educational tour of the Middle East. This exhibition displays Bedford’s photos of Egypt, Palestine and the Holy Land, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Greece. The photos are accompanied by objects collected on their travels. A fascinating insight into a region which was, even then, fraught with conflicting ambitions.
Until 22 February
The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA
www.royalcollection.org.uk 020 7766 7301
Gold
Gold hosts a selection of 50 objects from the Royal Collection, charting humanities’ obsession with the element from the Early Bronze Age to the 20th century. From an Ecuadorian crown, to a jewel-encrusted tiger’s head from the throne of the ruler of Mysore in India, this exhibition will bring out the magpie in everyone.
Until 22 February
The Queen’s Gallery. Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA
www.royalcollection.org.uk 020 7766 7301
Boyle Family: Contemporary Archaeology
Their artworks have been described as ‘contemporary explorations of the world’, presenting their own interpretation of the environment surrounding them. The highlight of the show are their facsimiles of the ground, taken from randomly chosen locations throughout the world, which create a landscape within the walls of the gallery.
Until 14 March
Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 5AL
01539 722464
Richard Skelton and Autumn Richardson, Memorius Earth: A Longitudinal Study
This exhibition focuses on the artists’ Cumbrian projects and combines music, text, film, and objects. They reflect the natural history of the Cumbrian landscape, from the ‘post-glacial wasteland to the present day.’
Until 14 March
Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 5AL
www.lakelandsarts.org.uk 01539 722464
The Illustrated Aviary
Over 70 works from a remarkable collection of rarely-seen 18th and 19th century bird illustrations amassed by Victorian naturalist Thomas Eyton, including engravings and hand-coloured lithographs by James John Audubon, Edward Lear and John Elizabeth Gould, complemented by a new large-scale installation from contemporary artist, Mister Finch.
31 January to 14 June
Museums Sheffield: Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate, Sheffield S1 2PP
www.museums-sheffield.org.uk0114 278 2600
Mr Turner- An Exhibition
Turner’s fishing rod, fob watch and travel painting kit are among the ephemera on show in the display, hosted at Petworth, the home of his patron, the 3rd Earl of Egremont. The exhibition integrates the location with the story of how Mike Leigh made the film, Mr Turner. The tour culminates with the four Turner landscapes inset into the panelling of the Carved Room.
Until 11 March
Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0AE
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/petworth-house 01798 342207
Mr Turner’s Prints
Turner was not only a prolific painter, but also dedicated much of his career to the creation of prints of his work. This exhibition houses 50 of these prints, including rare examples of his large prints. This is an excellent opportunity to purchase a copy of your own favourite Turner. Prices range from £2500 to £4000.
Until 11 March
Kevis House Gallery, Lombard Street, Petworth, West Sussex, GU28 0AG
www.kevishouse.com 01798 215007
Peter Yates: Paintings 1939-1982
Peter Yates, while best known as an architect, was also an accomplished painter. Many of the paintings on display were inspired by the artist’s extensive travels around Europe, and his landscapes often focus on presenting the unique buildings associated with the places he visited, but always in his own modern style.
Until 9 May
Hatton Gallery, Kings Road, Newcastle University,
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU
www.twmuseums.org 0191 208 6059
Arts and Crafts Metalwork
This show focuses on the work of two blacksmiths, Bill Thornton and Charley Downer, who moved with the Guild of Handicraft from London’s East End to Chipping Campden in 1902. Alongside the fine silver and jewellery produced to Ashbee’s design in the workshops of the Old Silk Mill, they made a variety of fittings for furniture and buildings as well as domestic pieces, mainly in wrought iron, to be used on a daily basis.
Until 29 March
Court Barn Museum, Church Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, GL55 6JE
www.courtbarn.org.uk 01386 841951
Renato Guttuso: Painter of Modern Life
This is the first major exhibition in the UK for almost 20 years to focus on the career of Renato Guttuso (1911-1987). Guttuso is one of post-war Italy’s most widely respected painters whose powerful brand of expressionist realism vividly conveyed the angst of a generation.
14 January to 4 April
Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, 39a Canonbury Square, London N1 2AN
www.estorickcollection.com 020 7704 9522
The Scottish Show
The Scottish Show is an opportunity to see some of the best established Scottish artists and witness the launch of a selection of those up and coming young painters discovered during the previous year north of the border. Now the leading showcase for Scottish art in London, it’s a more cultural way to spend Burns night than drinking whisky!
27 January to 20 February
Panter and Hall, 11-12 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5LU
www.panterandhall.com 020 7399 9999
Breon O’Casey: Sculpture, Painting and Collage
The first show of his work since his death in 2011, this exhibition looks back over his extraordinary career, as part of St Ives generation. His work ranged from textiles, to sculpture to painting, and this selling exhibition features a variety of these medias. The son of the Irish playwright Sean O’Casey, his Celtic roots permeated his aesthetic as he came to artistic maturity in St Ives, where he was apprenticed to Barbara Hepworth and Denis Mitchell. He had a passion for art and craftsmanship and was taught metalwork at Dartington Hall School in Devon by Naum Slutsky, previously head of metalwork at the Bauhaus. His life and background gave him myriad influences, from Modigliani to Ben Nicholson to ancient Cycladic sculpture. His stunning visual language oscillates between figuration and abstraction.
28th January to 14th March 2015
Pangolin London, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG
www.pangolinlondon.com 020 7520 1480
William Gear: Centenary Exhibition of Works on Paper 1947-1996
This exhibition displays 48 of the hundreds of works that Gear produced during his lifetime, to celebrate the centenary of his birth. His abstract style is characterized by bright colours and decisive brush strokes.
1 February to 21 February
The Fosse Gallery, The Manor House, The Square, Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire GL54 1AF
www.fossegallery.com 01451 831319
Marc
An exhibition of caricatures, cartoons and cartoon strips by Mark Boxer.
Until 22 March
Cartoon Museum, 35 Little Russell Street, London WC1A 2HH
www.cartoonmuseum.org
Waterloo at Windsor: 1815 – 2015
To celebrate two hundred years since the victory at Waterloo, Windsor Castle is hosting this exhibition, including trophies from the battlefield, documents from the Royal Archive, and items belonging to Napoleon himself. The centerpiece is the Waterloo Chamber, commissioned by the Prince Regent (the future George IV) to create a lasting memorial to the battle.
31 January 2015 to 13 January 2016
Windsor Castle, Windsor and Maidenhead SL4 1NJ
www.royalcollection.org 020 7766 7304
Self: Image and Identity – self-portraiture from Van Dyck to Louise Bourgeois.
This exhibition celebrates the National Gallery’s acquisition of Van Dyck’s last self-portrait, with a collection of works from over 100 artists. Ranging from the astonishingly accurate, to figurative translations of their identity, this exhibition explores the ancient tradition of self-portraiture.
24 January to 12 May
Turner Contemporary, Rendezvous,
Margate
, Kent
CT9 1HG
www.turnercontemporary.org 01843 233 000
Image and Word: The Julian Francis Collection of Prints and Illustrated Books
An exhibition of prints and illustrated books from the collection of Julian Francis, including works by Edward Ardizzone, Barnett Freedman, Lucian Freud, Eric Gill, Enid Marx, John and Paul Nash and Eric Ravilious, on display with a selection of material from the artists’ archives.
Until 27 March
Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections Gallery, 3rd Floor, Sir Kenneth Green Library, All Saints, Manchester M15 6BH
www.specialcollections.mmu.ac.uk/exhibitions 0161 247 6107
New Forest: Ponds, Puddles and Paths
Pete Gilbert’s bright and bold paintings, explore the hidden corners of the New Forest. These interpretations of the landscape are accompanied by Hugh Lohan’s evocative photography of the forest and its inhabitants.
Until 28th February
St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery, Lymington, Hampshire
www.stbarbe-museum.org.uk 01590676969
Empire Builders: 1750-1950
Drawings, watercolours, photographs and models from the RIBA’s unique collections, showing the contribution made by British architects working abroad in a variety of scales and styles. Talk on 26 February: ‘British Architecture in India’
Until 15 June
RIBA, Room 128a Victoria and Albert Museum, Exhibition Road, London W7 2RL
www.architecture.com
Unseen
Works from the Courtauld Collection that have not been seen in the last 20 years, often by fascinating lesser-known artists. Ranges across the centuries, from the Renaissance to the birth of Pop Art. On show in the new gallery space, the Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery.
Until 29 March
Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery,
Somerset House,
Strand,
London WC2R 0RN
www.courtauld.ac.uk
Rubens and His Legacy: Van Dyck to Cezanne
Great works by the Flemish master are shown alongside works by artists who were inspired by him, during his lifetime and up until the 20th century, including Van Dyck, Watteau, Turner, Delacroix, Manet, Cezanne, Renoir, Klimt and Picasso. The exhibition has six themes encompassing Poetry, Elegance, Power, Lust, Compassion and Violence. See preview in Country Life (21 January, 2015)
Until 10 April
Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD
www.royalacademy.org.uk 020 7300 8027
Sir Jacob Epstein: Babies and Bloomsbury
Although better known for his more public commissions, Epstein made many portraits of children. Epstein said, of it ‘To work from a child the sculptor has to have endless patience. He must wait and observe, and observe and wait.’ These touching works span his entire career, from his time in Bloomsbury next to the Foundling Hospital, to his portraits of his grandchildren.
30 January to 10 May 2015
The Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 1AZ
www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk 02078413600
