Summer Exhibition

We are exhibiting for the first time four new prints by Rhys Coren (b. 1983) entitled The Trees of Elephant & Castle. These screenprints constitute a reflection on the meditative qualities of walking and depict, in Coren's unique visual language, the trees and local landmarks of Elephant and Castle, an area in South London where the artist lives and works. Three new hand-painted screenprints with carborundum by Joe Tilson (b. 1928) celebrate Tilson's passion for the city of Venice and its architectural history. The new prints, which depict church façades paired with bold geometric patterns of stone and tiled walls and floors, are collectively entitled Stones of Venice, a title borrowed from John Ruskin's three-volume examination of Venetian art and architecture published in the nineteenth century.

A new hand-coloured etching by Pablo Bronstein (b. 1977), entitled Dressing table, Lisbon earthquake, 2019, is an ironic, imaginary view of the aftereffects of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake in the form of a shattered domestic dressing table at the moment of impact. Elements of the composition, including the dressing table, are Baroque in style. Bronstein's depictions of eighteenth-century silverware are often also inspired by his own personal collection. This new edition is displayed together with prints from his 2017 body of work featuring silverware placed into architectural settings.

Ian Davenport (b.1966) presents a striking exploration of colour in a series of large etchings which are abstract interpretations of the four seasons. Dream Homes, 2018, by Richard Woods (b. 1966), whose work is characterised by the use of bold brick, tile, wood and stone patterns and designs, features prints made with a combination of woodblock and stencil, taking as its central motif the black outline of a house.

This exhibition also includes collages depicting still life and portraiture by Clare Woods (b. 1972); recent drawings that celebrate intimate, fleeting moments of drama from contemporary film by Marie Harnett (b. 1983); and new prints by Paul Noble (b.1963) entitled Rooms with Wallpaper, that depict what the artist describes as 'sublime prisons'. Each image portrays a section of a seemingly endless room with no doors or windows, a meditation on the possibility of freedom within containment.

For Julian Opie (b. 1958) printmaking and the production of editions continue to play a central role in breaking down the barriers between high art and the vernacular. The exhibition includes new bronze editions depicting standing figures from the series Boston Statuettes., 2020. These are displayed together with Michael Craig-Martin's (b. 1941) first venture into editioned metal reliefs. Inspired by modernist design, Craig-Martin pays homage to famous chairs, such as the Thonet and Saarinen chairs.

Christiane Baumgartner (b. 1967) depicts the effects of sunlight and moonlight in a series of new works including Pink Moon, 2019, six woodcuts which depict the moon on the horizon. The imagery is taken from stills of a film Baumgartner recorded whilst driving across Rügen, a German island in the Baltic Sea, on a late April evening. Recent works on display by Emma Stibbon (b. 1962)  include a new woodcut, entitled Isfjorden, Svalbard, 2020, made in response to a recent residency in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard which lies on an island in the Arctic Ocean. Stibbon continues to work in and be fascinated by environments in flux, exploring the impact of natural forces and human activity on some of the most inhospitable and environmentally vulnerable parts of the world.

For the duration of our Summer Exhibition the gallery is open by appointment only from 11am - 4pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

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