Rowley Gallery Blog
Our featured display of the work of Jonathan Gibbs continues at The Rowley Gallery. There is a good selection of his wood engravings, many of which have been used as illustrations and book jacket designs, notably by Faber & Faber and the Folio Society. An often recurring formal theme is the playful combination of ripples and grids, like a game of snakes and ladders. Continue reading “The River & The Sea”
A couple of months ago I drove down to Southampton to collect a car load of paintings and prints from Jonny Hannah. Since I was going one of Jonny’s publishers asked if I might return some of his books. I couldn’t refuse. It was a privilege to carry this select library of his marvelous book jacket designs. And I couldn’t miss the opportunity to photograph them. Feast your eyes. Continue reading “Jonny’s Jackets”
There’s a great little Chillida exhibition at Ordovas until the end of July. It is the first dedicated exhibition of his sculptures to take place in London for almost twenty years. It features work made in steel and in alabaster as well as some of his paper works. There is also a wonderful film by Susana Chillida which is not to be missed; you can see it here – The Artist, his Work and his Art. And if you enjoy that you might also like this – Signs Of Chillida.
This painting by David Hollington was for me the highlight of his recent exhibition, Apocalypse Of Love, at Lauderdale House. I suspect it is a self-portrait; he’s not drowning like Ophelia but enjoying a moment of rejuvenating hydrotherapy amongst his friends and familiars. The painting takes its title from a poem by Thomas Stanley, one of the English metaphysical poets; another, Andrew Marvell, is commemorated with a nearby plaque on the wall of Waterlow Park. Continue reading “The Magnet”
This is a recommendation from Christopher Corr, recently at Union Chapel to see much anticipated Irish/New York music collective The Gloaming. They sound fantastic, they’re a surprise to me but now I’m eagerly looking forward to their new album and their next visit to London.
David Bond is concerned. His kids’ waking hours are dominated by a cacophony of marketing, and a screen dependence threatening to turn them into glassy-eyed zombies. Like city kids everywhere, they spend way too much time indoors – not like it was back in his day. He decides it’s time to get back to nature – literally. In an attempt to compete with the brands, which take up a third of his daughter’s life, Bond appoints himself Marketing Director for Nature. Like any self-respecting salesman, he sets about developing a campaign and a logo. With the help of a number of bemused professionals, he is soon selling Nature to British families. His humorous journey unearths some painful truths about modern family life. His product is free, plentiful and has proven benefits – but is Nature past its sell-by date? www.projectwildthing.com
If I could take off for 24 hours I think I’d like to walk on Alderney, stepping from stone to stone of Andy Goldsworthy’s recent installation of rammed earth boulders positioned around the island. I read about it at The Island Review; please take a look, it’s a great website, and also see Alderney Stones on Andy Goldsworthy’s own website, and Sticks & Stones by Kevin Rushby at The Guardian. Further information can be found at Art & Islands Foundation. And what a perfect cow photo this is!
The latest issue of Christie’s house magazine arrived on my desk last week. It was unexpected and a nice coincidence because there was a feature on Chillida, just as I was writing about him: Signs Of Chillida. But what was even more surprising, what made me sing and dance, were four lovely pages of Jelly Green! She was interviewed at home in Suffolk for a piece entitled Rural Revival. Continue reading “Christie’s Magazine”
Just over a week ago, when everyone else was at Wembley to see Bruce Springsteen, we were at Ronnie Scott’s to witness the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. This was the highlight. They came storming on stage, firing on all cylinders with an extended, extra-exuberant version of Voodoo. Kirk Joseph was practically hyperventilating on sousaphone and I’ve never heard a more slippery baritone saxophonist than Roger Lewis. It was an extraordinary, virtuoso performance. More here.
Soon after I first arrived at The Rowley Gallery, maybe in 1988, I took advantage of the opportunity to use the shop window. I started making small drawings specifically to sell to benevolent passers-by. I began with a sheet of paper which I carefully tore and cut into pieces, each piece was worked on separately, lines inscribed/impressed into the paper, rubbed with layer upon layer of wax crayon, shaved with a Stanley knife blade then reassembled as a single sheet again. Continue reading “Scullery”