Full Circle exhibition
The renowned collection of art which is owned by the people of Southampton and housed in the city’s art gallery is the subject of the latest exhibition at Solent Showcase Gallery.
Exhibition: Full Circle – selected works from Southampton City Art Gallery collection
Date: 26 February – 16 April 2016
Venue: Solent Showcase Gallery
Artists: Roger Ackling, John Bellany, Edward Burra, Tony Cragg, Simon Cutts, Richard Eurich, George Fullard, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, Richard Long, Nick Monro, Guy Moreton, Ben Nicholson, David Redfern, Ray Smith, Bill Woodrow
Preview: Thursday 25 February 2016, 6–8pm
The renowned collection of art which is owned by the people of Southampton and housed in the city’s art gallery is the subject of the latest exhibition at Solent Showcase Gallery.
In 1974 the City Art Gallery, under the guidance of Elizabeth Goodall, began to collect work by contemporary artists, some of whom went on to become internationally famous. The next year, Les Buckingham, currently one of Southampton Solent University’s Curators at its Showcase Gallery, started his career at Southampton City Art Gallery.
For this exhibition he has made a selection of some of the stars of the City’s collection – to celebrate the incredible quality of the art, and to map a personal experience with that art over time.
Les Buckingham, who worked for Southampton City Art Gallery from 1975 to 1983, says: “Southampton has one of the greatest collections of art in any city in the UK. It is a great honour to be able to choose from such an amazing array of artists. We are very grateful to the city for allowing us to create this exhibition from the collection.”
Along-side classics that include some of the greatest names of UK sculpture in the 1980s – Richard Long, Tony Cragg, and Bill Woodrow – he has also chosen some unexpected artists such as David Redfern, who was a great favourite of the late Southampton City Councillor Eddie Read.
The great vaudeville comic actor Max Wall also makes an appearance, as does Alfred Wolmark in a drawing of very few lines by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska.
From Scotland comes John Bellany, with his evocation of a hard fishing life, while from the south coast a completely different view of the sea in Richard Eurich’s Farewell to the Herzogin Cecilie.
Les, who has had a long-standing relationship with the city and its art says: “As well as showcasing a feast of artistic talent, Full Circle also explores the deep, personal relationship that we ourselves can have with art.”
The exhibition also celebrates the work of Ray Smith, who has enjoyed a strong relationship with both Southampton City Art Gallery and Solent University, where he was artist in residence. The City Art Gallery has given permission for his Roto Relief to stay up in the main hall of the gallery so that it can be seen in context with Ray’s stunning commission for the north wall of the University’s Sir James Matthews building, 360 Degree Roll, a superb evocation of the Spitfire aeroplane.
Solent Showcase Gallery’s opening times are Monday-Friday 11am-6pm, Saturday 11am-5pm.
