Contents
April to June 2016
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Welcome Welcome 2 Exhibitions & Events 4 Adults / Film 10 Children & Young People 11 Tours and Talks 12 Visitor Information 14
2016 has got off to a fantastic start at Towner. In January, we learnt that we had been selected as a national partner for the Arts Council Collection programme, a new initiative which celebrates the 70th anniversary of this incredible collection. Over the next three years, and working closely with the other national partners (Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Birmingham Museums Trust and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool), we will present eight exhibitions from the collection and deliver a public engagement programme for all ages. In February we found out we had been successful in our application to Arts Council England for funding to build an auditorium in our ground floor gallery. Eastbourne Arts Circle have already made a significant donation and we are now able to go ahead with the project, which will be completed by Spring 2017. I have known Melanie Manchot for many years; she is an extraordinary artist whose practice employs photography, film and sound to explore performative situations. We are delighted to be working with Melanie on People Places Propositions, which will be the most significant exhibition of her work to date in the UK and which includes the world premiere of Out of Bounds. Along with our Annual Schools exhibition, Recording Britain, our Ravilious Room, talks, workshops and films, we have a rich offer for everyone at Towner this Spring. Emma Morris Executive Director
Front Cover: Melanie Manchot, Helicopter (from the series 100), 2013, C-type photograph, 90x130cm. Opposite: Melanie Manchot, Out of Bounds, 2016, 2 channel video installation, colour, sound. (A): 5 min 15 sec and (B): 12 min 25 sec
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Exhibitions & Events
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Melanie Manchot: People Places Propositions 16 April – 10 July 2016, Free
Towner presents the first major exhibition of new and recent work by London-based photographer, video and installation artist Melanie Manchot. People Places Propositions is the most significant exhibition of Melanie Manchot’s work to date in the UK, including the premiere of Out of Bounds (2016), a cinematic two-part installation shot in the alpine mountains of Engelberg in Switzerland. Out of Bounds sits alongside the multi-channel video installations Twelve (2015), an exploration of lives spent in addiction and recovery, and 11/18 (2015) a nine-screen durational studio portrait, seven
Above: Melanie Manchot, Twelve, 2015, multi-channel video installation, colour, sound. Dimensions variable. Right: Melanie Manchot, 11/18, 2015, Super8 film transferred to HD video, nine channel video installation, black and white, silent. 18 minutes
years in the making, which enquires into the nature of time, duration and commitment. Together, these distinct projects, configured as sculptural presences in the gallery, provide a rich overview of Manchot’s long-standing interest in portraiture, participation and performance, individual and collective identity, notions of control and the boundaries between documentary and fiction. People Places Propositions reveals the strength and depth of Melanie Manchot’s practice at a critical moment in her artistic career.
Exhibitions & Events
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Associated Events Curator’s Walk and Talk Thu 12 May / 2pm / Free Join Brian Cass, Head of Exhibitions, on an informal tour of the exhibition and a discussion about the themes in the show.
Melanie Manchot in conversation with Sacha Craddock Sun 19 June / 3pm / £6 / £5 conc. & members Hear Melanie Manchot talk about her exhibition, People Places Propositions in conversation with independent art critic, writer and curator Sacha Craddock.
Viewpoint: Melanie Manchot Thu 30 June / 2pm / Free Join a member of the Towner team for an informal discussion focusing on a particular work in the exhibition.
Exhibitions & Events
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Exhibition Preview David Bomberg: A Sense of Place 9 July – 11 September 2016, Free
David Bomberg (1890-1957) is now recognised as one of the most exceptional and original artists of his generation yet he died in 1957 in near obscurity. A Jewish immigrant from the East End of London, he was one of the pioneers of early modernism. During WWI Bomberg fought at the Somme and, having witnessed the atrocities, he spent the rest of his artistic career trying to find or create order, moving frequently, painting and drawing the landscapes of Palestine, Spain, Cyprus, Cornwall and London.
Towner holds a number of paintings by Bomberg in the permanent collection including one of his accomplished Palestine drawings. With loans from national institutions, including Tate, Ben Uri Gallery and Southampton City Art Gallery and from private collections, this exhibition brings together a selection of Bomberg’s landscape works to present an overview of the sense of place that he portrayed in these paintings, and how each of the landscapes was so significant to him.
Above: David Bomberg, Valley of La Hermida Picos de Europa, Asturias, Spain, 1935. Image courtesy Museums Sheffield. © The Estate of David Bomberg. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2016
Exhibitions & Events
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Recording Britain
6 February – 26 June 2016, Free Associated Events
‘A soft hued selection of delicate English scenes… It is lovely, in the most literal sense of the word’ Nancy Durrant, The Times At the outbreak of the Second World War an ambitious scheme was set up to employ artists on the home front to record the changing landscape of Britain. Sir Kenneth Clark commissioned artists to paint ‘places and buildings of characteristic national interest’, documenting rural and urban environments and precious buildings under threat, not only from bombs but from the effects of ‘progress’ and development. The result was a collection of more than 1500 watercolours of which 49 are on display in this exhibition. Now held by the Victoria and Albert Museum, Recording Britain features many beautiful watercolours by prolific artists such as John Piper, Kenneth Rowntree and Barbara Jones along with a number of lesser-known contributors. By focusing on quiet corners and local scenes, Recording Britain takes us off the beaten track of iconic British landmarks and postcard images. In addition to works from the original collection, the exhibition features a selection of contemporary works including paintings and photographs by Conrad Atkinson, Richard Long, David Nash and Laura Oldfield Ford. Exhibition organised by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London Above: Kenneth Rowntree, Grainfoot Farm, Derwentdale, Derbyshire, 1940, Watercolour, Given by the Pilgrim Trust, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Art In Focus 6 week course / Tuesdays / 26 April, 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 May / 10.30am-1pm / £125 / £110 conc. & members A six week art course with tutor Jill Denman looking at Towner’s Collection and the Recording Britain exhibition. See page 10 for more information Viewpoint: Recording Britain 28 April & 26 May / 2pm / Free Join a member of the Towner team for an informal discussion focusing on a particular work in the exhibition.
Generously supported by Eastbourne Arts Circle
Exhibitions & Events
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Ravilious Room
Permanent Display,* Free *Advance notice: the Ravilious Room will be closed from 27 June – 8 July inclusive as we change the display and install our next exhibition, David Bomberg A Sense of Place.
Towner holds one of the largest public collections of works by Sussex artist Eric Ravilious (1903-1942). Our permanent Ravilious Room is a dedicated space to admire a selection of his finest watercolours, explore our unique archive and browse books on the artist. To coincide with the Recording Britain exhibition, this display focuses on Ravilious’ work that records the British landscape, in particular Sussex, at a time when the threat of war was imminent. The painting, Cuckmere Haven, is an example of his foresight to record a familiar Sussex view in the March of 1939 prior to the outbreak of war later that year. This display features war time works that capture military aircraft and barrage balloons and their presence in the British countryside. In 1939 Ravilious was invited to be a war artist for the War Artists Advisory Committee (WAAC), a scheme prompted by Sir Kenneth Clark. It was whilst on an RAF mission that his plane disappeared in Iceland in September 1942 and he was presumed dead.
Above: Eric Ravilious, Tents by an Airfield, 1941-42. On loan to the Towner Collection
Supported by Eastbourne Arts Circle Eastbourne Arts Circle Talks These popular talks look at the lives and work of great painters through the ages. For dates, please see their website: eastbourneartscircle.org.uk
Exhibitions & Events
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Annual Schools Exhibition 2016: Walking the Line 24 March – 5 June 2016, Free Our Annual Schools Exhibition is one of the largest professional exhibitions of school age students’ work held in the UK. The project draws on our collection to explore how one artist may see and depict the same subject or theme in a very different way to another. The theme this year is ‘Walking the Line’ which can be interpreted in many different ways: from drawing and mark-making as a fundamental form of expression; lines as boundaries with the ability to both invite and exclude; to walking through, around and beyond. Over 2,000 children and young people took part in creative activities, in the gallery, at school, college and home. Through research, discussion, experimentation and artist-led workshops, they created new works in response to the theme. @townereastbourne #walkingtheline
Comments from last year’s show... Amazingly creative and imaginative. Well done schools! I think this art work is amazing! The other schools have worked so so hard and I can’t believe my work is in here! Art was never so innovative when I was at school 60+ years ago. Fantastic exhibition. Above: Hans Hartung, L12, 1957, Lithograph, 1957, © Fondation Hartung-Bergman. Towner Collection
What’s On
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Adults
Film
Art In Focus
The Lost Weekend
with Jill Denman 6 week course / Tuesdays / April 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 / 10.30am-1pm / £125 / £110 conc. & members This six week course offers the opportunity to discover more about the lives, times and work of some of the key artists in our collection and the Recording Britain exhibition. As part of the course, you will have access to our Art Store, offering the chance to examine and discuss individual works. These friendly and inclusive sessions, facilitated by Jill Denman who specialises in adult learning, will give you the tools to describe your perspective and express your views about the art works in focus. Refreshments will be provided as part of the session.
Drawn to the Page with Wendy Ann Greenhalgh Sat 23 April / 2pm-5pm / £30 / concession rates available Come and explore Melanie Manchot: People Places Propositions and gain creative inspiration through this writing workshop. You will develop ideas through group discussion, creative writing exercises, individual writing time and sharing. No previous experience necessary. Book: newwritingsouth.com/events
Days of Wine and Roses Sun 15 May / 2.45pm / PG / 1hr 57min / Free Dir: Blake Edwards / 1962 The Seventh Continent Sun 29 May / 2.45pm / 15 / 1hr 44min / Free Dir: Michael Haneke / 1989
Programmed to accompany our exhibition Melanie Manchot: People Places Propositions, this season of films explores addiction, recovery and obsessive, traumatic behaviors in a number of contemporary and classic films that inspired, or were used in the development of Manchot’s major multichannel video installation Twelve (2015). Entry is free. For information and booking, see our website. The Lost Weekend Sun 17 April / 2.45pm / PG / 1hr 41min / Free Dir: Billy Wilder / 1945 Chemsex Sun 1 May / 2.45pm / 18 / 1hr 23m / Free
Dir: William Fairman, Max Gogarty / 2015
Under the Volcano Sun 12 June / 2.45pm / 15 / 1hr 52min / Free
Dir: John Huston, Danny Huston / 1984 Requiem for a Dream Sun 3 July / 2.45pm / 18 / 1hr 42min / Free
Dir: Darren Aronofsky / 2000 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Sun 10 July / 2.45pm / 12 / 2hr 11min / Free
Dir: Mike Nichols / 1966
What’s On
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Children & Young People Every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday plus Tuesday to Friday during school holidays / Open to all / Free Create your own art work with materials in our Welcome Area. Enjoy the current exhibitions with special Explorer Jackets for ages 2-5 years. Please collect from the Welcome Desk.
Tiny Towner
Tuesdays / Drop-in anytime between 10.30am-12.30pm / 0-5 years / Free
Photo: Annis Joslin
introduce yourself to your neighbours. You may even see someone you know! Inspired by the Recording Britain exhibition, we will consider what being part of a neighbourhood means to you today.
Inspired by Melanie Manchot’s People Places Propositions, come and create filmed selfies using different portraiture techniques and props in our photographic studio. Consider how we represent ourselves and contribute to a series of films which will be projected in our own installation.
Because you’re mine. Animate the Line! A welcoming space for under-5s and their parents and carers to be creative together.
Towner Street with artist Elizabeth Doak Mon 30 May / Drop-in anytime between 10.30am12.30pm and 2pm-4pm / Open to all / Free Create your own house on ‘Towner Street’ using drawing and collage then
Photo: Elizabeth Doak
The Living Selfie with artist Lynn Weddle Wed 1 June / 1-4pm / 11-18 years / £5 per session / Book in advance
with artist Annis Joslin Thu 2 June / 5-7 years: 10.30am-12.30pm / 8-12 years: 2pm-4pm / £5 per session / Book in advance Watch your toys, teddies and trinkets come to life through the magic of stop-motion animation. Inspired by the Annual Schools Exhibition, Walking the Line, use collage, drawing and iPads. All materials provided but please bring a favourite toy.
What’s On
Tours & Talks
12 Perspectives on… The Lyons Lithographs Sat 21 May / 2pm / £7 / £6 conc. & members
Art Store Tours
the day. Find out more about the individual paintings and some of the themes and stylistic features that they share.
Alternate Sundays / 17 April, 1& 15 & 29 May, 12 & 26 June, 10 July / £6 / £5 conc. & members Edwin La Dell, Clare Bridge, Cambridge, 1953-55. For J Lyons & Co Ltd. © The Artist’s Estate
Enjoy a fascinating behindthe-scenes introduction to our impressive art collection. Learn about how our collection has developed, from the original Victorian bequest through to some of our most recent acquisitions of works by contemporary artists. Although key artists such as Ravilious will always feature, there is flexibility for visitors to make specific requests, ensuring no two tours are ever the same.
Perspectives on… Themed Tours
Our popular themed tours are a great way to learn more about a particular artist, genre or theme represented in our collection. Numbers are kept low to ensure a quality experience, so book early to avoid disappointment.
In the post-war years, catering giant J. Lyons & Co. commissioned three series of lithographs from some of Britain’s most popular artists including Edward Bawden, John Piper, Edward Ardizzone and John Nash. The intention behind the commission was to reinvigorate the tired interiors of their teashops after years of wartime decline. Through the company’s imaginative approach to interior decoration, the cream of modern British art reached a wider public audience. Perspectives on… The Towner Bequest Sat 2 July / 2pm / £7 / £6 conc. & members Towner’s art collection began in 1920 with John Chisholm Towner’s bequest of 22 paintings to ‘the people of Eastbourne’. The bequest included Victorian paintings of landscapes, animals and children by popular artists of
Thomas Sydney Cooper, Cattle and Sheep, 1850. Towner Collection
Exclusive Private Tours We also offer private tours of our art store at a time of your choice for £7 per head (minimum charge £35). An ideal gift for any art lover or an inspiring social excursion for your group. To arrange a visit, contact towner@townereastbourne. org.uk
Open Ended
First Tuesday of the month, 5 April, 3 May, 7 June, 5 July / £3 (including refreshments) + carers come free A special initiative for those with memory loss and their carers. Explore our collection through conversation supported by specially trained gallery staff. For more information please call us on 01323 434670.
What’s On
Sussex Modernism
A series of free talks presented by the Centre for Modernist Studies at the University of Sussex. Sussex Modernism and Charleston Wed 4 May / 2.30pm / Free Hope Wolf (University of Sussex) will compare the artistic and domestic experiments at Charleston – Sussex home of the Bloomsbury group – with those of other modernist communities in Sussex. Sussex Modernism and Farley Farm Wed 11 May / 2.30pm / Free Farley Farm was the home of the surrealist painter Roland Penrose and his wife, the American photographer Lee Miller. Alistair Davies (University of Sussex) will explore the importance of Penrose and Miller as leading figures in British and European surrealism. Sussex Modernism and Ditchling Wed 18 May / 2.30pm / Free Ditchling was and remains a key centre for Arts and Crafts in this country. Focusing on the work of those who lived there in the early 20th century (including Eric Gill, David Jones and Ethel Mairet), Hope Wolf will explore the relationship between modernism and craft.
13 Malcolm Lowry, Edward Burra: Surrealism in Rye Wed 25 May / 2.30pm / Free Writer Malcolm Lowry and artist Edward Burra both lived in Rye. Nigel Foxcroft (University of Brighton) will explore their relationship as well as their indebtedness to surrealism and to the cultures of Mexico and Spain.
The Coastal Culture Trail Along a 25-mile strip of East Sussex coastline, you will find three of the best contemporary art galleries in the South of England – Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne, De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill and Jerwood Gallery in Hastings. We have packaged ideas for your weekend in Sussex including where to enjoy local food, drink and
hospitality, where to hire bikes and what else there is to see and do! Coastalculturetrail.com @CoastalCultureT Cycle tours Saturdays / 30 April, 28 May, 25 June / £7 Cycle the Coastal Culture Trail with Sustrans as part of a group. Enjoy the best of the East Sussex coast and guided tours of the latest exhibitions in all three galleries. A fairly gentle cycle which does encounter a couple of busy roads, this tour is recommended for confident cyclists over 12 years.
Project has been funded as part of Driving Devonshire Forward (DDF) initiative by Coastal Communities Fund. DDF is managed by Eastbourne Borough Council & Eastbourne Homes Limited.
Visitor Information
Visitor information Towner Devonshire Park, College Road Eastbourne BN21 4JJ Tel 01323 434670 Email towner@townereastbourne.org.uk Web townereastbourne.org.uk Tues-Sun 10am-5pm Bank Holiday Mons 10am-5pm Admission is free
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Accessibility
Towner supports the i-go Access All Areas scheme, an initiative to improve access to venues for young people with disabilities across East Sussex. Towner strives to be accessible to all. There is a lift to each floor and a manual wheelchair can be provided. See our website for more information or call us on 01323 434670 if you would like to discuss any specific needs.
Travel and parking
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By bike Why not cycle? Secure bike racks to the rear of the building.
Grange Rd
By car College Road car park is pay and display. There are 7 blue badge holder spaces in the car park next to Towner.
South St
Grange Rd
By train By train, Eastbourne is 35 minutes from Brighton and just 1hr 25 mins from London. There are direct rail links from London, Brighton and throughout the South East – see our website. By bus, Eastbourne is 1 hour from Brighton.
Gildredge Road
By bus The no. 3 bus stops next to the Congress Theatre adjacent to Towner, and other buses include 12, 12A, 12X and 13X and 98 & 99.
Eastbourne Station G ro ve Rd
Towner is only a 10-minute walk from Eastbourne train station and a few minutes from the seafront. Follow signs to Devonshire Park.
Visitor Information
Venue Hire
Our versatile and stylish spaces are available to hire, during the day and also for evening events. To find out more contact Niamh on 01323 434679 or roomhire@townereastbourne.org.uk
Shop
Visit our gallery shop to find inspiring art, beautiful books and special gifts for all ages, including a full selection of limited edition giclee prints. You can also shop online at shop.townereastbourne.org.uk
Urban Ground at Towner
Our light and airy top floor café is the perfect spot to relax, meet friends and enjoy some top quality coffee, homemade cakes and freshly prepared light lunches.
Anyone for Tennis?
Towner is a great spot to soak up the atmosphere during the annual AEGON International Tennis Championships which run from 18 – 25 June. Enjoy great views of the action from our top floor café. Please note there will be car park and road closures during this period.
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Support Us Become a volunteer Volunteers are a key part of the Towner team. If you are interested in art, love interacting with people and are keen to develop new skills or gain experience, then we would love to hear from you. If you are interested visit our website or contact volunteer@ townereastbourne.org.uk Membership Join us and discover more with membership. Become a member of Towner, and you can start enjoying the many benefits membership offers while allowing us to continue to make art accessible to all. Sign up at townereastbourne.org.uk/join-us/ membership/ Mailing list Join our e-newsletter mailing list to receive information about our exhibitions, events, special offers, and invitations to private views. Sign up at townereastbourne.org.uk/ mailing-list/
Conservation Services
Do you have a painting, print or object that requires specialist cleaning or repair? Towner is pleased to offer professional conservation services, undertaken by our fully accredited conservator Corinne Farmer, ACR. Specialist areas include paper, photographic material, works on paper and works on canvas. To book a free consultation contact Corinne on 01323 434670 or corinne.farmer@ townereastbourne.org.uk
towner art gallery
Towner Devonshire Park, College Road Eastbourne BN21 4JJ Tel 01323 434670 Email towner@townereastbourne.org.uk Web townereastbourne.org.uk Follow us on /townergallery @Townergallery /townergallery Tues-Sun 10am-5pm Bank Holiday Mondays 10am-5pm Admission is free
We are very grateful to EY, our corporate supporters Thanks to Devonshire Park Hotel for their on-going support