Rigby Graham: Recording far-flung places, encapsulating time, flinging oranges.

By Heather Beales

Figure 9. Rigby Graham, ‘Balloon Race’, colour woodcut on white wove paper, 44.5x53cm, 1990. Image courtesy of Goldmark Gallery

Rigby Graham was an artist who worked within the British landscape tradition and enjoyed provoking the offence of traditionalists with his unusual juxtapositions, use of bold colour and materials. He was extremely prolific and produced a great many books and artworks in various types of printmaking, painting, illustration and stained glass. The School of Art Museum and Galleries owns a large collection of his prints, and a few of his drawings and watercolours. In 1987 John Piper admired Graham for his “unusual and indeed enviable capacity to make romantic and dramatic images out of ‘simple’ scenes – sometimes almost totally deserted ones”, (Ayad). Graham was interested in places that had history and had deteriorated with time, and many of his images are of castles, old churches and ruined monuments – and also of a shipwreck.

Justine Allison: The Language of Clay – Shifting Lines, Ceramic Gallery, 02/02-31/03/2019

‘Justine Allison’s ceramics are skilfully made, precious to touch and a delight to the eye’. Professor Moira Vincentelli

Holden Holcombe’s ‘This Is How It Feels’ – PhD exhibition, School of Art, 22/11/2018 – 08/02/2019

This Is How It Feels explores the intimate stories of eighteen transgender men and their journeys of transition from female-to-male. Holcombe uses new media art techniques, including augmented reality, to give audience members a glimpse of the FTM transgender experience through their own perspective. The exhibition features manipulated QR (quick-response) codes that explore the relationship between the lived experiences of the transgender man and the fabricated world of social media. These codes, in turn, ask audience members to participate in a new context of social media, both inside and out of the gallery space.

History of Printmaking – Lifelong Learning course for 2018/19 starts 24th October

Coursers, Harry Morley, 1931, engraving

Did you know Aberystwyth University holds an outstanding collection of prints? If you would like to learn about the different ways prints are made, and get hands-on experience of our print collection, then History of Printmaking is for you. The course surveys the development of printmaking from the 15th century to the present with reference to the work of many famous artists including Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya, Piranesi, Gillray, Whistler and Picasso. By the end of the course you will know your mezzotint from your aquatint, have a good historical understanding of the role of the print in society and be able to start collecting prints with confidence.

Tutor: Phil Garratt

Fee £110, course code CA109

Dydd Mercher / Wednesday, 1.30-4.00pm, Oct 24, Nov 7, 21, Dec 5 19, Jan 9, 23, Feb 6

 Contact Phil Garratt on pjg@aber.ac.uk if you are interested in enrolling or would like further details about the content of the course.

 ( 01970 621580   : learning@aber.ac.uk     www.aber.ac.uk/sell

Addysg Uwch yn y Gymuned / Higher Education in the Community

Postgraduate Show September 2018 – Some Impressions

Our Postgrads have worked hard to create this exhibition and they can be proud of what they have achieved. Here are some impressions of the show and the private view, which was on Saturday, 19th September.

The show is still open Monday, 24th & Tuesday, 25th, 10am-5pm, and Wednesday, 26th September, 10am-3pm. You’re very welcome to visit and explore the postgraduate show and the Sea Change & Discourse: Reynolds to Rego exhibitions in our public galleries! The latter are still on until Friday, 28th, 10am-5pm daily.

Alecia Jackson

Gemma Woolley

Gemma Woolley

Rachel Hannah Luxton with tutor Dr. June Forster

Megan Elsey

Megan Elsey

Alecia Jackson

Sarah Spencer

Michele Shiels

Brian Swaddling

Ellie Hall

Emily Griffin

Rachel Rea

Amelia Sellers

Carmel Reid

Carmel Reid

Emily Griffin

Kara Knowler-Davies

Claire Murray

Bronwen Pritchard

Jenny Mynett

Michele Shiels

Bronwen Pritchard

Simon Robert Tune

Kayla McInnes

Brian Swaddling

Rachel Rea

Simon Robert Tune

Jenny Mynett

Claire Murray

Simon Robert Tune

Kara Knowler-Davies

Leanne Blairs

Sarah Spencer

Leanne Blairs

Sarah Spencer

Claire Murray

(Click on the images to enlarge them.)

Degree Show & Postgraduate Show Opening, Saturday 19th May 2018 – A Photo Gallery

 

 

Polina Kyprianou (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Simon Robert Tune (Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Luciana Marçal Barata (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

(Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Claire Murray (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Luciana Marçal Barata (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

(Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Claire Murray (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Sophie Lewis (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Rachel Rea (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Clodagh Metcalfe (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Joseph Coyle (Apologies for the bad quality of the photo. The reflections were unavoidable.) (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Raine Eaday (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Gemma Woolley (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Megan Elsey (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Mai Thomas (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

(Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Joe Dunlop (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Joanna Bonarek-Gnat (Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Kara Knowler-Davies (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Sophie Mockett (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Emily Griffin (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Sophie Lewis (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

(Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Biran Swaddling (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Abi Graves (Photo: Courtesy Grace Warwick)

Alecia Jackson (Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Abi Graves (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Brian Swaddling (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Richard Boalch (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Anna Greenwood (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Clodagh Metcalfe (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Ellie Hall (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Junko Burton (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

(Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Annabelle Aston (Photo: Courtesy Grace Warwick)

Ashley Caldwell (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Sydney Fletchter (Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Frida Lyholm Limi (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Brigitte Bailey (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Sophie Long (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Sarah Spencer (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Mai Thomas (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Megan Elsey (Photo: Courtesy Grace Warwick)

Grace Warwick (Photo: Courtesy Grace Warwick)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Angharad Taris (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Sophie Long (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Genevieve Wilson (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Heledd Grug Jones (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Richard Boalch (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Dean Mather (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

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‘the TAKEOVER’ at the Arts Centre, 8th May 2018

The Creative Arts 3rd year curatorial team and course director Miranda Whall are very excited to welcome you to the Arts Centre Aberystwyth on Tuesday May 8th from 12.00 – 3.00 for the third 2nd & 3rd year annual student TAKEOVER exhibition.

The exhibition includes performance, installation, text, video and audio projects.

You will be greeted at the welcome desk (outside the Great Hall) by Miranda and the students with various goodies, a publication and guide map and a cup of elderflower cordial.

Please arrive for one of the guided tours at either 12.30. 1.30 or 2.30 for the 40 minute (approx) tour, you can leave the tour at any time if you cannot stay that long.

 

There will be a Q&A in the cinema from 3.00 – 4.00 we would be delighted if you could also join us for that.

https://www.instagram.com/thetakeover2018/?hl=en

https://aberartexhibition.wixsite.com/thetakeover2018

‘Visual Theology 1: Transformative Looking Between the Visual Arts and Christian Doctrine (1850– Now)’

Professor John Harvey will be keynote speaker at ‘Visual Theology 1: Transformative Looking Between the Visual Arts and Christian Doctrine (1850– Now)’, 19-20 October 2018, The Palace, Chichester, Sussex

For more information: http://www.visualtheology.org.uk

‘To hell with nature!’ A Reappraisal of Charles Tunnicliffe Prints – at the School of Art Gallery, 12/02/-16/03/2018

‘To hell with nature!’ – A Reappraisal of Charles Tunnicliffe Prints

Painter-printmaker Charles Tunnicliffe (1901–1979) grew up on a farm near Macclesfield in Cheshire. A scholarship enabled him to study at the Royal College of Art in London. Soon after his studies, Tunnicliffe gained a reputation as an etcher of farming subjects. Today, he is widely regarded as Britain’s foremost twentieth-century wildlife artist.

Towards the end of a career spanning six decades, Tunnicliffe was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. In an interview published in the Society’s magazine, Tunnicliffe stated:

‘I have shocked quite a lot of people by saying ‘To hell with nature!’ Nature is made to be used, not to be dictator, as far as the dyed-in-the-wool artist is concerned.’

Tunnicliffe’s exclamation expresses the frustration of an artist whose pictures are often judged on the strength of their fidelity to nature. Instead, Tunnicliffe’s prints show us nature transformed by culture and outdone by art. They demonstrate their maker’s knowledge of art history, his love of design, and the need to tell his own story.

Printmaking earned Tunnicliffe his Royal Academy of Arts membership in 1954. By then, he rarely produced fine art prints. For decades, Tunnicliffe’s work in various media appeared in magazines, on calendars and biscuit tins.

The stock market crash of 1929 had made it necessary for Tunnicliffe to rethink his career. Turning from etching to wood engraving, he became a prolific illustrator. His first project was Tarka the Otter.

Anglesey was no retreat for Tunnicliffe. Working on commission, he created colourful paintings he described as ‘decorations for modern rooms.’ He also continued to turn out mass-reproduced designs that promoted anything from pesticides to the Midland Bank.

Since the mid-1930s, Tunnicliffe’s work has been appreciated mainly second-hand. Until last year, when Robert Meyrick and I put together a catalogue raisonné of his etchings and wood engravings, Tunnicliffe never had a printmaking exhibition at the Royal Academy.

For some of his early prints, no contemporary impressions are known to exist. The plates were proofed by School of Art printmaker Andrew Baldwin.

Tunnicliffe’s career does not fit into the narrative of Modernism. It is a product of modernity. In his work, at least, he never said ‘to hell’ with culture. Pragmatic yet passionate, he made images to make a living.

Harry Heuser, exhibition curator

Curatorial team: Phil Garratt, Neil Holland, Robert Meyrick, Karen Westendorf

Karen’s Cabinet of Curiosities December 2017

 

(Click on images to enlarge them.)

Curiosity: 2 miniature portraits of Napoleon Bonaparte

Created: 1824

Artist: Maestro di Pavia

Measurements: Full-length portrait: 183×118 mm

                              Head portrait: 74×62 mm

These two miniature portraits have come to the University museum’s collection through the bequest of George Powell of Nanteos. As with so many of his objects, we have unfortunately no idea how, when and where he bought them. Holland and Meyrick explain that “Powell was very taken with Romantic struggles for liberty and nationhood. Like many other collectors in the 19^th century he collected material associated with Napoleon Bonaparte.” This and the exquisite execution of the portraits might have been his reasons for acquiring them.