If you ever find yourself near Chichester, West Sussex, then you should make a little visit.
And if you should find yourself strolling around the little streets in the city centre be sure to find North Pallant and there you will find the Pallant House Gallery. The gallery itself is a comfortable mix of old and new - the old Pallant House sits cheek by jowl with a contemporary extension, but in such a way that each enhances the other.
And the Gallery is a little gem.
So it was that last weekend, in the pouring rain (it was so tempting not to make the effort!) we found ourselves wading through puddles to reach said gallery in search of Eric Ravilious prints.
Now I have blogged about Eric Ravilious before (and I would share the link - but I cannot find it!) but then it was his water colours. I love Ravilious - a talent sadly taken in his prime as he was a war artist and died in 1942 I think - and this exhibition was about his work as a printmaker. And it was just fabulous.
I love printmaking as you may have noticed. But I am such an amateur. Ravilious was a master. His woodblocks, and the detail he achieved with them, are breathtaking. Rather than me going on about Ravilious the blog by Poul Webb is a brilliant source of information and images. Have a look.
The lovely thing about Galleries is finding the unexpected! And Pallant House did not disappoint! In fact the unexpected actually quite blew me away.
The Gallery runs an initiative called 'Outside In' to support artists who do not come to the art world via a conventional route - they don't go to art school etc. They were running an 'Outside In' event called Squalls and Murmurations featuring the work of Kate Bradbury.
And you know that lovely feeling when you realise that you really are looking at something quite special. Well, that is what Kate's ink drawings and up cycled characters gave me - a really warm inside glow.
Kate's ink drawings are quite exquisite - the photos don't really do them justice. They are very detailed.
Kate used ink and chinese paper - in many places the effect was like lace and you had to really look hard to realise it was drawing.
Magical and whimsical.
Kate is also a performance artist as Diego and the Fairy (think I have that right!).
This is a fascinating post - thank you so much for sharing the gallery. I especially liked Kate Bradbury's quaint little figures and her lovely ink drawings. Chichester is a long way east of where I live but maybe one day I will make it over there. I hope so.
ReplyDeleteKeep an eye out for Kate Bradbury. Hew work has been shown in other galleries. And also you might find a gallery near you that supports the Outside In initiative. I know that Milton Keynes Gallery does. It's such a great idea.
DeleteThanks a lot for this great post. I've never made it to the Pallant Gallery, but it is on my list to visit, particularly as the Stanley Spencer paintings usually in the memorial chapel are going to be there in early 2014.
ReplyDeleteI'll be back there for that one!!
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