The New Art Gallery Walsall
June to September 2015
Design by Stereographic
Exhibitions – Siân Macfarlane: We Are Illuminated – Small Worlds – St Ives Artists: from The Clive Beardsmore Gift – The Clive Beardsmore Gift – Walsall Society of Artists – Epstein’s Rock Drill: Transformed by War – Mat Collishaw Visit our website: thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk Join the blog, Facebook us or just follow on Twitter @newartgallery
Mat Collishaw is supported by:
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Artist Development is supported by
Cover Image ~ Mat Collishaw, Last Meal on Death Row, Texas: Charles Wicker, 2011 c-print, 64.8 x 47.5 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Blain | Southern
What’s On June — September 2015
Grace A Williams, Escamotage, 2015, West Midlands Open Installation view
Artists' Studio Group Occupation III & G.O. North/West Until 8 September 2015 The New Art Gallery Walsall and Eastside Projects’ Extra Special People (ESP) have teamed up for a third time to offer a series of three interconnecting residencies for eight artists this summer. Five ESP members will occupy the Artists’ Studio in groups of two and three opening up possibilities for working together. A third residency will bring together one ESP member (Birmingham), one Spike Associate (Bristol) and one Castlefield Gallery Associate (Manchester) in the Artists’ Studio for the first time, helping to develop stronger links between practitioners in the West Midlands, South West and North West of England.
ESP Group 1 5 May – 28 June - Laurence Price - Emily Warner ESP Group 2 30 June – 9 August - Andrew Gillespie - Mathew Parkin - Grace A Williams G.O. North/West 11 August – 8 September - Brian J Morrison - Lucy Harvey - Laura Phillips
Elizabeth Rowe
everything lasts forever nothing lasts forever Until 23 August Floor 1, Garman Ryan Hall Following a period of research and development in the Artists’ Studio earlier this year, Elizabeth Rowe embarked on an ambitious site responsive wall collage for the Garman Ryan Hall. The finished work explores scientific and philosophical ideas as well as the question of how far media images might be useful for imagining the world and our place within it.
Small Worlds Until 6 September 2015 Floor 3 and Rooftop Terrace AirSpace Gallery (Andrew Branscombe, Anna Francis, Glen Stoker), Graham Chorlton, Rita Donagh, Richard Forster, Cameron Galt, Andreas Gefeller, Stuart Layton, Naiza Khan, Lucy McLauchlan, Laura Oldfield Ford, Mark Power and Rashid Rana. Today, we live in a fluid culture where, within our towns and cities, different languages are spoken, different cultures and religions prevail and we can consume materials and goods from throughout the world. TV, the Internet, advertising and new technologies bring the whole of the world to our doorstep. Today’s high streets are home to a proliferation of generic global brands, peppered with Pound shops, pawnbrokers and empty shop fronts.
Mark Power, Walsall 03-2011, Hole in the Wall, 2011, colour inkjet photograph, 117 x 146 cm. The New Art Gallery Walsall. Image courtesy of the artist.
Naiza Khan, The City Soaks Up Like a Sponge, 2011, ink and watercolour on Arches paper, 36 x 51 cm. Presented by the Art Fund under Art Fund International for joint ownership by The New Art Gallery Walsall and Birmingham Museums Trust, 2013. Image courtesy of the artist and Rossi & Rossi.
The artists in this exhibition focus their attention on the urban environment. Their work allows us to reflect on a variety of considerations. How do we understand the concept of the local within an increasingly globalised context? What impact does the transformation of our local environment have on our identity and our communities? For some artists, Walsall, the Black Country and the West Midlands provide a focus for a consideration of the impact of social and economic change in those areas on the periphery of our major cities.
In Conversation Saturday 13 June, 2pm Join Naiza Khan for an informal discussion of her work. Book your free place in advance by calling 01922 65400. Saturday 25 July, 2pm Join Head of Exhibitions and curator of Small Worlds, Deborah Robinson for an informal tour of the exhibition. Just drop in!
Mat Collishaw, Children of a Lesser God, 2007, lightbox, 210 x 200 x 9 cm Courtesy of the artist and Blain | Southern
Mat Collishaw 25 September 2015 — 10 January 2016 Floors 3 and 4 Mat Collishaw is fascinated by the darker side of human nature. He has never shied away from difficult or challenging subject matter as images concerning death, destruction and decay are revealed as beautiful, hypnotic and compelling. In Collishaw’s world, seduction meets repulsion, the shocking becomes alluring, the beautiful becomes squalid and desire meets pain. As an artist, he is only too aware of the power of the image to manipulate and he draws his inspiration from a range of sources such as the slick world of advertising, the rich seams of art history, television, the media and popular culture, nature, mythology and the proliferation of images available through the internet. In pursuit of his distinctive conceptual language, he appears to move seamlessly between media and techniques, embracing both old and new technologies. This major survey exhibition, the first in a UK public gallery for over ten years, will testify to the richness and breadth of Collishaw’s practice and will include sculpture, photography, film and installation. It will also provide an opportunity to explore some of the overriding themes and preoccupations within his work. Concurrent with his exhibition in Walsall, Collishaw will be presenting a new body of works at the Library of Birmingham, inspired by the Library’s photography collection (18 September 2015 — 10 January 2016). The New Art Gallery Walsall and The Library of Birmingham have jointly commissioned a limited edition print to both celebrate and raise income for both projects. The print can be purchased from the Gallery Shop priced £195 + VAT (unframed). Please see the Gallery Shop page or our website for further details and to see an image of the work entitled Third Degree.
Preview: Thursday 24 September, 6-8pm
Mat Collishaw, Insecticide 24, 2008, c-type photograph, 182 x 182 cm Courtesy of the artist and Blain | Southern
Siân Macfarlane, We Are Illuminated (film still), 2014-15, HD video, Courtesy of the artist
Siân Macfarlane We Are Illuminated Until 26 July 2015 Floor 4 Over the past 12 months, artist Siân Macfarlane has immersed herself in the history of Walsall at leisure and in celebration from the 1800s to the present day. Siân discovered a vibrant scene of carnivals, pageants, theatre, cinema and the famed Walsall Illuminations. The culmination of this research takes the form of a multi-layered film, rich in references to the variety of these pastimes. Central to the film is the 1951 script, ‘The Pageant of Walsall’, written by Walsall Councillor Charles Bardell. The play charts poignant events and characters from Walsall’s history and was first performed in the Town Hall as the finale to Walsall’s Festival of Britain celebrations. Extracts from the play are reenacted by local students in Siân’s film, with tableaux recalling stories of the founding of ‘Wealshall’ by Elthelfreda Princess of Mercia in AD 916, Sister Dora and the Bayard Colts.
Rarely seen artefacts and memorabilia are displayed as part of the exhibition. Visitors are invited to reminisce, be enlightened and become illuminated. Siân Macfarlane is based in Wolverhampton. Her exhibition extends research developed during her 2014 residency at The New Art Gallery Walsall, which was funded by Turning Point West Midlands.
weareilluminated.webly.com sianmacfarlane.com In Conversation Saturday 20 June, 2pm Book your free place in advance by calling 01922 654400.
Walsall Society of Artists Annual exhibition 7 August — 13 September 2015 Floor 4 This year, the 66th annual exhibition by Walsall Society of Artists will take place during the summer. The exhibition brings together works in a range of media by local artists. Many of the works are available for sale and every Saturday during the exhibition, members will demonstrate their skills here in the Gallery. Come along and take a look! Preview: Thursday 6 August, 6-8pm
The New Art Gallery Walsall will once again be delivering its Artist Development programme in partnership with Turning Point West Midlands. Throughout the year, we will be offering events, opportunities for studio visits, micro-residences, research visits, practical advice and networking opportunities to support artists in the region. Waving not Drowning: Surviving as an Artist in the West Midlands, School of Fine Art, Birmingham City University. Photo: Hannah Anderson
For the latest information, please visit tpwestmidlands.org.uk
St Ives Artists from The Clive Beardsmore Gift
Until 23 August 2015 Floor 2, Garman Ryan Temporary Exhibition Space This in-focus exhibition from The Clive Beardsmore Gift looks at a body of work by artists associated with the Cornish harbour town of St Ives, which following the Second World War had become home to a wide range of leading abstract artists, who had sought quiet refuge from the atrocities happening across Europe, and inspiration away from the hectic pace of London.
Tony O’Malley, Storm Birds, etching, c.1973, copyright the estate of the artist
Although many of the Modern British Artists rejected total abstraction following the war and returned to more figurative work, the St Ives Artists embraced the abstract values of Modernism and applied it to an appreciation of the landscape of Cornwall. St Ives to this day continues to have a unique appeal for artists attracted by the quality of light and the dramatic coastline. Among the artists represented in The Clive Beardsmore Collection are Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Sandra Blow, Patrick Heron, Terry Frost, Peter Lanyon and Tony O’Malley.
Terry Frost, Red, Blue, Orange on Yellow (K51), 1969, lithograph, copyright the estate of the artist
Curator’s Tour Saturday 11 July 2015, 2pm Curator’s Tour of The Clive Beardsmore Interventions and St Ives Artists exhibition All talks are free, everyone welcome. Book your free place in advance by calling 01922 65400.
Peter Lanyon, The Returned Seamen, 1973, lithograph, copyright the estate of the artist
Jacob Epstein with Torso in Metal from Rock Drill, unknown photographer, c.1952, Epstein Archive, The New Art Gallery Walsall
Epstein’s Rock Drill Transformed by War
4 September 2015 — 24 January 2016 Floors 1 and 2 Rock Drill (c.1913-15) is Epstein’s most radical and celebrated sculpture, often described as ‘the best thing he has ever done’. The totemic sculpture represents ‘a dramatic, revolutionary moment when sculpture in Britain first became uncompromisingly modern.’ However between the end of 1915 and the beginning of 1916 Epstein destroyed the original Rock Drill, discarding the drill and mutilating the figure, to form the truncated Torso in Metal from Rock Drill (c.1915-16).
Almost sixty years after its destruction, Kathleen Garman agreed to a reconstruction of her late husband’s iconic sculpture following proposals that ‘if someone were to reconstruct the original version of Rock Drill it could substantially alter the history of the modern movement.’ Marking the centenary of Epstein’s dismantling of Rock Drill, and bringing together works from the collections of Tate, The British Museum, National Portrait Gallery and Birmingham Museums Trust, this exhibition will reveal how the sculpture’s un-making is as significant as its making. Preview: Thursday 3 September, 6-8pm Exhibition talk: Saturday 3 October, 2pm Join Epstein Research Assistant Elin Morgan for an in-depth look at the exhibition
William Gear, Bridge on the Seine, Paris, c.1937, ink on paper, copyright the estate of the artist
The Clive Beardsmore Gift
Interventions in the Garman Ryan Galleries Until 24 January 2016 Floors 1 and 2 This selection of Interventions into the Garman Ryan Collection galleries are some of the highlights of a donation of 200 artworks received by the Gallery in 2014 from Birmingham-based private collector Clive Beardsmore. Clive has a longstanding association with our collections, having worked at the old Walsall Art Gallery in the early 1970s, coinciding with the time Walsall received Kathleen Garman’s gift. This body of work is the largest individual donation to our collections since The Garman Ryan Collection. Works from The Clive Beardsmore Gift are exhibited throughout the 1st and 2nd floor in the ten themed Garman Ryan rooms, featuring works on paper by leading Modern British Artists such as Edward Bawden, John Bratby, Patrick Procktor and Keith Vaughan, all artists previously not represented in our collections. Two works feature by Clive’s former neighbour and Head of Fine Art at Birmingham College of Art, William Gear, whose centenary is this August. There is also a print by Sonia Delaunay, who has a large-scale retrospective at Tate Modern over the Summer, and whose husband Robert’s painting of Stravinsky in The Garman Ryan Collection was one of Kathleen Garman’s favourites.
Albert Houthuesen, Dancer, 1974, lithograph, copyright the estate of the artist
Sonia Delaunay, Composition, 1971, lithograph, copyright the estate of the artist
Events Saturday 11 July, 2pm - Curator’s Tour of The Clive Beardsmore Gift exhibitions ARTWORK OF THE MONTH Free, short introductory talks on specific artworks in the Interventions series Saturday 27 June, 2pm Maggie Hambling Portrait of Derek Jarman, 1998 Screenprint Chosen by Harriet Green (Portraits Room)
Saturday 1 August, 2pm William Gear Landscape Study, 1959 oil on canvas Chosen by Jonathan Hajdamach (Landscape and Townscape Room)
Saturday 18 July, 2pm Edward Bawden Borough, 1967 Lithograph Chosen by Andrea Tibbitts (Work and Leisure Room)
Saturday 19 September, 2pm Jacob Epstein Francis and Joan, 1939 Black chalk drawing Chosen by Julie Jones (Children Room)
The Garman Ryan Collection The Garman Ryan Collection was gifted to the Borough of Walsall in 1973 by Lady Kathleen Epstein (nĂŠe Garman), widow of the great 20th century sculptor, Jacob Epstein. Kathleen was originally from Wednesbury and, although had spent much of her life in London, wanted to give something back to the Black Country where she had grown up. She had formed this important collection with her close friend, Sally Ryan, granddaughter of an American tycoon and talented sculptor in her own right, following the death of Epstein in 1959. Together they collected 365 important works, including those by renowned artists including Van Gogh, Monet, Constable, Picasso, Degas and Matisse, as well as by friends and family members, including Epstein, Matthew Smith, Theo Garman and Lucian Freud, alongside artefacts from many cultures around the world. Works are displayed in the thematic groupings proscribed by Kathleen on her donation, which allows the opportunity to make unexpected links and comparisons across different cultures and centuries.
The Permanent Collection The New Art Gallery Walsall has an impressive Permanent Collection of over 3000 works, which have been collected since the foundation of the original art gallery in Walsall in 1892. As well as historic works and works with a particular resonance to Walsall, the Gallery retains a strong commitment to contemporary collecting, reflected in acquisitions made through the Contemporary Art Society Special Collection Scheme and Art Fund International, as well as collecting works from contemporary artists who have exhibited or had residencies at the Gallery.
Mat Collishaw, Third Degree, 2015, Lamba print Courtesy of the artist and Blain | Southern
Art Library & Archive
Gallery Shop
The Art Library is a public reference resource, with free internet access, a large range of art books, exhibition catalogues, and art magazines. Staff can also act as a point of contact for any queries relating to our collections or exhibition programme and can assist with access to books and information and can also take enquiries regarding access to our archive.
Mat Collishaw Third Degree, 2015 70 x 70 cm + white border Lamda print Edition of 100 + 5 AP’s £195 + VAT unframed (+ postage and packaging if applicable)
Venue Hire A unique setting for inspiring and creative events at affordable rates. Be surrounded by fascinating art collections and exhibitions in a signature building designed by Caruso St John. Enjoy panoramic views from the roof terrace adjoining the newly refurbished Floor 4 Conference Facility and hospitality by recommended caterers Costa Coffee. Frequent train services from Birmingham and parking available nearby. Contact venuehire@thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk
New in the shop this season is a limited edition print by renowned artist Mat Collishaw to accompany his major solo exhibition (25 September 2015 — 10 January 2016). A monograph, published by Blain | Southern, is also available. To order, call 01922 65 4400, email info@thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk or purchase in store. The Gallery Shop stocks a wide range of books on art, architecture and local history, arts & crafts for children, postcards and Gallery souvenirs. Every purchase supports the Gallery.
Drop in anytime
Open all day
The Family Gallery is a space to explore together and understand what an art gallery is. This space is an introduction to using the gallery and explore ways of looking at art. Each artwork has an interactive that you can play with and a question next to it to start your thinking. There’s also a set of discussion cards to help you explore and talk about each artwork. Each month there will be a family friendly Saturday Playdate to make something together. Pop in and see us to find out what’s happening. Check out our Pinterest site www.pinterest.com/NAGEducation to see photos of what we’re making!
Family Sundays Drop In Check out our Family Sundays. Come and join our drop in workshop - only £1.50 per child, with carer. Buy your workshop ticket at the reception desk on the day. Workshops run 1-3pm. These are for all ages, everyone is welcome.
Soap Carving
My World
Ice Cream
Boat Building
Create your own carving inspired by Mexican sculpture.
Build your own small world in a box.
Make an ice cream that won’t melt.
Make a boat today to leave summer behind.
7 June
i
5 July
2 August
6 September
Over July and August all our workshops will have a weekly theme. We will be dressing up to match the theme and you can too. We start with Science, then Modern Foreign Languages, Geography, Maths, English and History. Come and see us each week! Visit the gallery website for more information on alll events thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk
Tuesday Tots
Please pre book £1.50 per child
£
For toddlers up to 4 years old with their carer. Workshops run 11am – 12noon.
Creative Colour Hello, Un, Deux, Lab 21 July Trois 28 July
Sun on a Stick
Spot to Spot
Palm Reading
Solid Drawing
Make a glove puppet with a character for each finger.
Create a plaque with plaster of paris, it's messy.
Create and explore marbling patterns.
4 August
Make a sock puppet. Can you Make the weather - clouds, sun help them to learn a language? and rain and a rainbow too.
11 August
Make your own leopard and sew on his spots.
18 August
25 August
Wednesday Workshops Everyone can join in together on Wednesday workshops. Free and drop-in subject to space. All workshops run 1-3pm.
Spin Around
Wunderbar
Dirty Drawings
Make spinners, tops and wheels to mix colours.
Make an animal and name it in a different language.
Create a landscape using materials from nature.
22 July
Shared Vision 12 August
29 July
5 August
Letterforms
Egyptians
19 August
26 August
Help build a huge picture Create your own beautiful using tessellation. letter picture.
Friday Fun
Please pre book £2.50 per child
Make an Egyptian inspired armband. £
For families with children 4 years and older, who want to be creative together. Workshops run twice each day, 11-12.30pm and 1-2.30pm.
Plastercast 24 July
Fantastico 31 July
Learn to cast and see how Create a dry point liquids change to solids. etching.
Woodcut Print 7 August
Explore woodcutting to make your own print.
Pattern 14 August Calligraphy 21 August Egyptians 28 August Lino print and tessellate your prints onto fabric. £
Learn the art of calligraphy and make your own book.
Cast a figure and decorate it in the Egyptian style.
Pre book on 01922 654400 or at reception. Collect your ticket when you’ve paid. Any bookings made for paid workshops will be held for seven days without payment.
Regular Family Events
Events for Everyone
Baby Palace*
Walsall Town Festival 2015
Fridays: 26 June, 17 July, 25 September 10.30-11.30am, 12-1pm, 2-3pm
Join us in a multi-sensory environment with your baby and meet other new parents.
Art Start*
Wednesdays: 8 July, 9, 16 & 23 Sept 11am-12 noon each day
Sessions for pre-school children 1 year old and upwards with carers. Explore an artwork and make things together. * £1.50 per child per session. Book both in advance on 01922 654400 (Collect your session ticket from reception when you’ve paid.)
Arts Award
You can do the Arts Award at all levels with us. Discover for 5-9 year olds, Explore for 7-11 year olds, Bronze for 11-14 year olds, Silver for 14-16 year olds and Gold for 16-25 year olds. We are running different dates throughout the year. Please check out the website or ask at reception for a full set of dates.
Saturday 18 – Sunday 26 July An eight day celebration of Walsall in the town centre and Arboretum in July. This includes a weekend of performances by No Fit State Circus, a contemporary circus you can join in with. For more information email towncentre@walsall.gov.uk
Baby Day
Friday 4 September, 10am-3pm A grand day out for bumps, tinies, tots, parents, carers and grandparents to explore the gallery, play with the activities, try out the Tod Bags, and more. There will be music, games, messy play and Baby Palace. Keep an eye on the website or twitter #BabyDay for more info.
Regular Activities Borrow one of our free activity or trail bags from reception, four to choose from:
NEW NEW
Frisky Bags: Tod Bags: Drawing Bags: Exhibition Bags:
Great for families with children 6-12 years old. Especially for 3-5 year olds with their carers. Materials and paper to use in the gallery. Try it out to explore the current exhibition
Adult Workshops
Adult Talks
Woodcut Printing
Understanding Art Language and Art
Saturday 6 June, 10.30-4.30pm, £20
A workshop for beginners to experience the whole process of woodcut printing. This safe and environmentally friendly printmaking method can create bold or delicate imagery.
Drypoint Etching
Saturday 20 June, 10.30-4.30pm, £20 An introduction to drypoint etching, a simple etching method without chemicals.
Painting Portraits
Saturdays 5/12/19/26 September 10.30-1.30pm, £15 per session / £50 for 4 sessions (Limited places) A short course to explore portraits in the collection and develop techniques in the application of oil paints, to create a photo realistic painting. * To book any workshop phone 01922 654400, or pop in and see us.
4 June - The Barber Institute of Fine Arts 11 June - The New Art Gallery Walsall 18 June - Wolverhampton Art Gallery 25 June - Ikon Gallery, Birmingham £20/£16 (concs), for 4 sessions
To book call the Ikon Shop: 0121 248 0711 E-bookings via: www.ikon-gallery.org A diverse course across the four venues, exploring ways language, text and literature are used to inspire and create art. At the Barber, explore ways literature has inspired artists and artists have influenced literature. Discover the Epstein Archive and the work it inspired by Bob and Roberta Smith at The New Art Gallery Walsall. At Wolverhampton learn about theatrical influences in Victorian art and media in Pop Art. At Ikon Gallery, discuss the work of Czech artist Pavel Büchler who uses quotes from Franz Kafka and obsolete technologies to explore distortions of language and communication.
Looking at Art: A beginners course
Thursdays, 1-3pm, 24 September – 3 December 2015 OR Saturdays, 11-1pm, 26 September – 5 December 2015 £55, 10 week non-accredited course
To book call Wolverhampton Adult Education 01902 558180 or www.aeswolverhampton.gov.uk A beginner’s course set across four Black Country and Birmingham art galleries exploring art from the Renaissance to Jacob Epstein; Pop Art and the work of Black Artists to contemporary art today. For adult learners of all ages with no previous art knowledge.
Opening times
Tuesday – Saturday 10am-5pm Sundays 12noon – 4pm Closed Mondays and Bank Holidays
Shop
Gallery Publications, Limited Edition Prints, Catalogues, Books, Gifts, Postcards and more – buy when you visit or order via info@thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk
Costa
Monday – Saturday 8.30am-5pm Sundays 10am-4pm
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Venue Hire
For corporate events and meetings, email venuehire@thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk or call 01922 654400 for further details. The New Art Gallery Walsall Gallery Square, Walsall WS2 8LG 01922 654400 thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk Follow us on Twitter: @newartgallery Free WiFi available throughout the building.
Access guides and alternative versions of all printed materials are available on request. For more information please contact 01922 654400 Disclaimer: every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this edition of What’s On, which was correct at the time of publication. Walsall Council cannot be held responsible for any changes.
Talks and Tours
See our events programme or book a bespoke private tour for your group.
Education
For a full schools and colleges programme visit our website or contact 01922 654400.
Friends
Become a Friend of the gallery, check the website or pick up a leaflet for more details.