Visiting Chichester last weekend, I was keen to have a look at the exhibitions currently showing at the Pallant House Gallery. There's always so much to see there, it's worth putting aside half a day to look round properly, and then not try and do much else that day.
I was most interested to see the exhibition entitled Radical Women: Jessica Dismoor and her Contemporaries, the main exhibition until 23 February.As it says on their website:
'An artist at the forefront of the avant-garde in Britain – from her involvement with the Rhythm group during the late 1910s, to vorticism, post-war figuration and the abstraction of the 1930s – Jessica Dismorr (1885 – 1939) has since, unjustly, fallen into obscurity.
The exhibition will explore how Dismorr and her female contemporaries engaged with modernist literature and radical politics through their art, including their contributions to campaigns for women’s suffrage and the anti-fascist organisations of the 1930s. 80 works including paintings, sculptures, graphic art and archival materials, some of which have never been exhibited before, will be on show.'
When I mentioned the exhibition to Tim, he said he'd never heard of Jessica Dismoor, thus proving the point!!
It's an exhibition well worth visiting. I've picked some personal highlights:
Above 'The Music Room, Portrait of Una Dugdale Duval' c 1912 by Ethel Wright, who had painted the suffragist leader Christabel Pankhurst. Ethel Wright became famous in 1912 for refusing to use the word 'obey' in her marriage vows. Her husband was a passionate activist for women's suffrage.
Above 'The Bouquet' by Anne Estelle Rice
There were some hilarious postcards with Votes for Women themes
The first one above portrays a woman reading the paper while the father holds the baby and darns socks. The revised marriage rules state: 'Husbands working hours 3am to 12pm. Husbands to provide themselves with new trousers out of their wives' old skirts.'
This one portrays the Origin and Development of a Suffragette: 'At 15 a little pet', at 20 'A Little Coquette', at 40 'Not Married Yet' and at 50 'A Suffragette'.
This as you can see is the Suffragist Orator with some men around making disparaging remarks.
Above this is a view of Cassis I recognise, having visited there in October, it's by Jessica Dismoor, painted when she visited around 1927 when travel to Europe was possible.
Five paintings by Jessica Dismoor with one of her quotes above: 'Give me detail, and the ardent ceremonial of commonplace'
Moving on from there was a selection of works by women in the Pallant House collection picked by Jann Haworth, Amercian pop artist.
I picked out the etching on paper 'Gilding the Lily' by Laura Knight, and this Intaglio print on paper 'Eldfell Heimaey (White House)' by Emma Stibbon. It's a striking image dominated by the dark elevated hill.
There's also an exhibition of some of Jann Haworth's work, including the fabulous soft sculpture of Cowboy made in 1964, apparently some of the stuffing is deteriorating, certainly his thighs don't look the same size any more, but he's still worth a second look.
Jann had an amazing piece with masses of snakes writhing round a woman, and is currently working on this mural which features women in history who were catalysts for change which she's working on with her daughter, Liberty Blake
There's another room featuring British Pop Art, they included artists such as Peter Blake, Richard Hamilton, Jann Haworth, R.B. Kitaj, Eduardo Paolozzi and Joe Tilson.
This is 'Babe Rainbow' by Peter Blake from 1968, it's a colour lithograph on tin and features a fictional 23 year old wrestler from New Cross, with features derived from a Marie Claire cover, apart from the broken nose.
From there I wandered round the permanent collection where Graham Sutherland's luscious depiction of Datura Flowers caught my attention
And then who could not love Duncan Grant's 'Bathers by the Pond, painted at Charleston Farmhouse in 1920
Finally in the print room near the cafe, is an exhibition of Henry Moore's work where the relational between him and his patron, Walter Hussey is explored:
'From his first glimpse of Henry Moore’s (1898 – 1986) sketches of fearful Londoner’s sheltering from the Blitz, Walter Hussey (1909-1985) sensed a “dignity and force” in Moore’s art. Captivated, the then rector of St Matthew’s, Northampton commissioned Moore’s Madonna and Child (1944) for his church and later on, as Dean of Chichester Cathedral continued to support and collect the artist’s work.'
The above work is an etching on paper of sheep.
As is obvious, there's a lot to see and enjoy at the Pallant. This is only a small snippet of the whole show. As ever, it's worth a visit. I also found a fascinating book on Lelsey Cole. It looked fascinating, but was £145. Maybe the Friends could raise the money to buy it?
I was most interested to see the exhibition entitled Radical Women: Jessica Dismoor and her Contemporaries, the main exhibition until 23 February.As it says on their website:
'An artist at the forefront of the avant-garde in Britain – from her involvement with the Rhythm group during the late 1910s, to vorticism, post-war figuration and the abstraction of the 1930s – Jessica Dismorr (1885 – 1939) has since, unjustly, fallen into obscurity.
The exhibition will explore how Dismorr and her female contemporaries engaged with modernist literature and radical politics through their art, including their contributions to campaigns for women’s suffrage and the anti-fascist organisations of the 1930s. 80 works including paintings, sculptures, graphic art and archival materials, some of which have never been exhibited before, will be on show.'
When I mentioned the exhibition to Tim, he said he'd never heard of Jessica Dismoor, thus proving the point!!
It's an exhibition well worth visiting. I've picked some personal highlights:
There were some hilarious postcards with Votes for Women themes
Moving on from there was a selection of works by women in the Pallant House collection picked by Jann Haworth, Amercian pop artist.
This is 'Babe Rainbow' by Peter Blake from 1968, it's a colour lithograph on tin and features a fictional 23 year old wrestler from New Cross, with features derived from a Marie Claire cover, apart from the broken nose.
As well as Peter Coker's arresting depiction of Sunflowers painted in 1961
'From his first glimpse of Henry Moore’s (1898 – 1986) sketches of fearful Londoner’s sheltering from the Blitz, Walter Hussey (1909-1985) sensed a “dignity and force” in Moore’s art. Captivated, the then rector of St Matthew’s, Northampton commissioned Moore’s Madonna and Child (1944) for his church and later on, as Dean of Chichester Cathedral continued to support and collect the artist’s work.'
As is obvious, there's a lot to see and enjoy at the Pallant. This is only a small snippet of the whole show. As ever, it's worth a visit. I also found a fascinating book on Lelsey Cole. It looked fascinating, but was £145. Maybe the Friends could raise the money to buy it?
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