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.

‘Print REbels: Haden, Palmer, Whistler & the Origins of the RE’, School of Art Gallery, 18 February – 3 May 2019

In the Spring of 2018, the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (the RE) marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of the founder and its first President Sir Francis Seymour Haden, with Print REbels an exhibition which reflects on its past and present members, the history, and the legacy of the Society. The exhibition brings together a prestigious collection of prints by Haden and those who inspired him such as Rembrandt and Dürer and his contemporaries, including Samuel Palmer and James Abbott McNeill Whistler.

Exploring the School of Art Collection 2018

As part of the first year art history module Exploring the School of Art Collections, students have the opportunity to write a small piece for this blog. This year the group decided on the theme of ‘The Stage’. Each student had the opportunity to choose from a selection of prints, drawings and photographs featuring theatres, concerts, ballets, circuses and more. They only had one week to undertake some research before presenting their drafts. They all worked very hard on these projects so please take the time to view their efforts.

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.)

Postgraduate Exhibition at the School of Art, 10th – 26th September 2018

The private view of this year’s postgraduate exhibition is

on Saturday, 15th September 3pm – 4.30pm.

All welcome.

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

 

 

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Mai Thomas (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Angharad Taris (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Sophie Lewis (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Claire Murray (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

(Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

(Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Frida Lyholm Limi (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

(Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Gemma Woolley (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Grace Warwick (Photo: Courtesy Grace Warwick)

(Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Sarah Spencer (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

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

Mai Thomas (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Richard Boalch (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Genevieve Wilson (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Raine Eaday (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Megan Elsey (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Claire Murray (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf

Megan Elsey (Photo: Courtesy Grace Warwick)

Ellie Hall (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Kara Knowler-Davies (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

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

Ashley Caldwell (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Sophie Mockett (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Brian Swaddling (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Emily Griffin (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Rachel Rea (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Polina Kyprianou (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Annabelle Aston (Photo: Courtesy Grace Warwick)

Abi Graves (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Brigitte Bailey (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Simon Robert Tune (Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Dean Mather (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Sophie Lewis (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Alecia Jackson (Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Sydney Fletchter (Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Heledd Grug Jones (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

(Photo: Courtesy Joanna Bonarek-Gnat)

Clodagh Metcalfe (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Sophie Long (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Luciana Marçal Barata (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Biran Swaddling (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Sophie Long (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Anna Greenwood (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Clodagh Metcalfe (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Richard Boalch (Photo: Courtesy Karen Westendorf)

Joe Dunlop (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Junko Burton (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

(Photo: Courtesy John Harvey)

Luciana Marçal Barata (Photo: Courtesy Paul Croft)

Abi Graves (Photo: Courtesy Grace Warwick)

(Click on the images to enlarge them.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joseph Wolf – “The best all-round animal painter that ever lived.”

Joseph Wolf, Lance Chalkin, 1890, the Zoological Society of London (Source: Wikipedia)

Joseph (Mathias) Wolf was born on the 22^nd January 1820 in the little village of Mörz, near Koblenz, Germany. His father, Anton Wolf (1788-1859) was a farmer and headman of the village. As a boy, Wolf loved spending time outdoors, observing and sketching the local wildlife. Sometimes, he would shoot specimens to dissect them at home in order to achieve a better understanding of their anatomy, plumage or fur. He would also capture live birds and mammals to draw them. He built special traps to catch large birds of prey without harming them. His obsession, apparently, earned him the unflattering nickname ‘bird fool’ from his father. Watching wildlife became a lifelong passion and, although he killed some for study, he abhorred the mindless slaughter of animals that many Victorians regarded as a ‘manly’ pastime and sport. According to his biographer and friend Alfred Herbert Palmer (1853-1931), son of artist Samuel Palmer (1805-81), Wolf accused these ‘sportsmen’ of having “no desire to know about a thing. Their only desire is to kill it.” He also called man “the most destructive and carnivorous animal in the world.”

‘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

Postgraduate Exhibition at the School of Art, 11 – 28 Septemer 2017

This year’s postgraduate exhibition features a variety of media such as photography, painting, illustration, printmaking and video installation.