Brighton bumble

At 11 Hanningtons Lane the restored Hanningtons 3-train turret clock is on display. 

A large central portion of Brighton Square has been portioned off leaving little room for passing pedestrians, especially when other shops have tables and chairs outside.

The emergent Shelter Hall due for completion later this year.

View looking east.

In Kellie Miller's art gallery, eye-catching surrealism by Steve Fricker, oil-on-canvas, £2800.

Restoration of the Corn Exchange's Goddess

An Art Deco statue depicting the Roman Goddess of Agriculture is being restored as part of the building refurbishment. Standing above the entrance to the Corn Exchange on Church Street, Ceres was sculpted in 1935 by renowned artist James Woodford OBE RA (1893-1976).

The statue was crafted by Woodford in a distinct ornamental style to compliment the architecture of the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Dome buildings. Specialist restoration work has been undertaken by local conservator, Sarah Mayfield.

See: https://brightondome.org/news_blog/ceres_restoration/

Surreal Brighton

'Daydream' by Alberto Martinez

Alberto was born & studied in Cuba but has now lived in Brighton for 10 years and is a regular participant in the Artists Open Houses May festival. This and other examples of his work are to be seen at the Cube Gallery in the Southdowns Heritage Centre, Hassocks.

A royal collection for the Royal Pavilion.

While Buckingham Palace is being renovated over a period of 3 years a major collection of original Royal Pavilion decorative art and furniture will be returned on loan to the Royal Pavilion by the Royal Collection Trust. This will include porcelain pagodas originally placed in the Music Room, a Kylin Clock, an extraordinary extravaganza partly made in France and partly in England from Chinese and Japanese elements and the French designed Rock Clock from the Music Room. All the items were originally acquired by the Prince Regent, who later became King George IV, for his exotic Brighton residence.

George IV especially chose Chinese ceramics mounted in France and England with gilt-bronze mounts, Chinese export porcelain and furniture, and English and European furniture in exotic styles.

The contents of the Pavilion were moved to London by Queen Victoria in 1847, on the sale of the residence. The Royal Pavilion was sold to the Town of Brighton.

"The Snowman" comes to Brighton.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Snowman, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, together with Penguin Ventures (part of Penguin Random House) are showing an  exhibition of the original book artwork created by Raymond Briggs. Raymond taught illustration at Brighton College of Art and still lives near Brighton.

In 1982 The Snowman was adapted for screen and has been shown on Channel 4 at Christmas every year since, becoming a firm favourite with children and adults all over the world and an intrinsic part of family festive traditions.

Some of the original hand-drawn cels, celluloid sheets used for traditional animation, from the TV adaptation will also be on display.

Since it was first published forty years ago, The Snowman has been produced in 21 languages around the world and has inspired a number of additional stories including a sequel animation, The Snowman and the Snowdog.

To commemorate the anniversary, children’s author Michael Morpurgo has reimagined Raymond Briggs’ original tale as a chapter book. Illustrated by Robin Shaw, The Snowman by Michael Morpurgo will appeal to middle-grade readers. Robin Shaw has also created a short animation especially for the 40th anniversary celebrations that will premiere in the gallery from 4 December.

Families will be able to enjoy a fun-filled Christmas day out by visiting The Snowman show and Christmas at the Royal Pavilion where the Pavilion is decked out in sumptuous festive decorations including a replica of Queen Victoria’s sleigh for the ultimate Christmas family photo.

The exhibition will also be the inspiration of a new artwork by the museum award-winning artist Helen Marshall. Using festive images submitted by the public throughout October and November Helen will create a collage portrait of The Snowman and James which will be unveiled and on display in the gallery from 4 December.  Festive photographs of Christmas memories, snow scenes, or all things wintery can be submitted at  www.thepeoplespicture.com. 

Brighton surrealism

Oils paintings by Brighton resident Alberto Martinez currently on display at the Cube Gallery.

Alberto was born in Cuba in 1977 and took a Fine Art degree at the Academy of Fine Arts 'Oscar Fernandez Morera' in Cuba. He has been living in Brighton for over a decade.

Gilbert & George at Brighton Museum

You don't get many Gilbert & George works to the gallery wall but what the exhibition lacks in number it more than makes up for in the stunning, visual impact of the art.

Playful and ambiguous, the works on show explore themes essential to humanity and contemporary society including sex, faith, and identity. The exhibition comprises works ranging from 1969 to 1991 including 'Existers' created in 1984 and later works such as 'Hunger' and 'Thirst', both created in 1992 and 'Family Tree' 1991. The works use the artists’ own image, their place as misfits in society and their concept of ‘art for all’.

Many of the big, brightly coloured works are from the 1980s, a period of huge energy and change for the artists, when Gilbert & George were also developing new and specifically modern techniques of photography and printing.

Shrigley on Shrigley

Guest director David Shrigley talks us through his events at the Brighton Festival 2018:

• A Problem in Brighton https://goo.gl/zaC1rR, 
• Life Model II https://goo.gl/Yq9pMn, 
• A Shit Odyssey https://goo.gl/wNaMa1
• and a talk about his work (not in the slightest bit boring) https://goo.gl/xwnf8m 

The Fabrica Gallery

A 'Latest TV' video discussion on the past, present & future of this popular gallery.

Help Keep Fabrica

Only £5000 of £20,000 target to go.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/keep-fabrica

"Gilbert & George" for Brighton

Existers 1984

Works by the artist partnership Gilbert & George are to visit Brighton Museum. The display will comprise works ranging from 1969 to 1991 including bold-coloured works such as Existers created in 1984 and later works such as Hunger and Thirst, both created in 1992 and Family Tree 1991. The works explore the artists’ own image, their place as misfits in society and their concept of ‘art for all’.

Many of the big, brightly coloured works are from the 1980s, a period of huge energy and change for the artists, when Gilbert & George were also developing new and specifically modern techniques of photography and printing.

This exhibition draws from ARTIST ROOMS, a touring collection of over 1,600 works of modern and contemporary art by more than 40 major artists. The collection is displayed across the UK through a touring programme, supported by Arts Council England, Art Fund and Creative Scotland. ARTIST ROOMS was established through The d’Offay Donation in 2008, with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund and the Scottish and British Governments.

Dorothy Coke - artist

'Leach" was the name of a famous Brighton fishing family who later turned to other activities.

Dorothy Coke, 1897-1979 was a popular mid 20th.C watercolour artist who taught at Brighton Art College from 1939 until her retirement in1967. During WW2 she received a short-term commission from the War Artists Advisory Committee to depict the work being performed by women in various services. She was elected a member of the Royal Watercolour Society.

The Imperial War Museum holds some of her works & the Aldrich collection at University of Brighton has 34 of her sketches. Sadly there are none held by Brighton Museum.

Seafront sculpture sacrilege

Aug 2017

Notwithstanding the reputation of Brighton as a centre for the arts and artists philistines seem to be alive and kicking.

The setting of an important 20thC artwork has been recently ruined by the unthinking addition of a motley collection of seafront clutter. It is no consolation that some of it may not be permanent. Even the security camera mast, in itself, is sufficient to spoil the composition.

How it should look.

See also: Passacaglia postscript

Passacaglia postscript

'Passacaglia' 

The existing 'information' plate

It is poignant to consider that it won't be many years now before Charles Hadcock's 20thC tour de force cradles an empty patch of sea. In the meantime a legible information plate might underline its status in the world of art and satisfy the curiosity of interested passers-by.

The location on the beach is vulnerable to both extreme weathering and casual vandalism.  It suggests the use of cast or engraved bronze firmly anchored into a concrete base.

See also: Passacaglia & Fugue.

A Visit to St. Wilfred's

St. Wilfred's, Elm Grove, grade II listed, was designed 1932-4 by modernist architect Goodhart-Rendell, a local resident, who also designed Prince's House in North Street. The style is said to be Rational Eclectic but showing influences of Norman Shaw and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. In other words it is pretty unique and Brighton is lucky it has survived albeit in the form of residential apartments. The conversion has, however, been sensitively handled.

Inside the tower.
The white walls are those of the inserted apartments. 

An original upper walkway

An added walkway

Narrow aisles allowed for a wide nave giving all worshippers a clear view of the altar.

St.Wilfred's has an added claim to fame in the murals that were added to the plain walls of the Sanctuary in 1940. These were by the Modernist artist Hans Feibusch.

LH wall, the Three Kings

Behind the altar, 'the Nativity'

RH wall, 'The Shepherds'

The murals deteriorated seriously after the church closed in 1980, due partly to a leak above the LH wall. They have now been restored thanks to a fund-raising campaign led by the Hyde Group who manage this property and contributions from American Express and Axis.

The area in which the murals are situated is self-contained within the building and above one end of the ground floor car-park. The possibility thus exists for the murals to be made accessible to the public by inserting a small staircase or lift. Phase 2 of this Hyde Group project is to raise the funds for this through a crowdfunding campaign.

Interest in the works of Hans Feibusch has soared in recent years with growing appreciaton of the Modernist Movement in the first part of the 20th Century. One of his murals in St.Mark's, Coventry, which is 40ft. high, is also undergoing restoration.

St. Wilfred's mural restored

A historically-significant mural in a converted Brighton church has been restored, thanks to a fundraising campaign initiated by the Hyde Group. The mural is the oldest surviving one in the UK but had suffered in recent years from a leak in the roof of the building. This has since been repaired, but left the mural damaged. The restoration to stabilise the plasterwork and bring it back to its former glory has been carried out by a specialist company.

The Nativity was painted on the walls of St Wilfrid’s church by renowned 20th Century artist Hans Feibusch. The artist is one of note in the art world, with paintings held at the National Gallery, and his personal collection is held at the Pallant Museum in Chichester.

Feibusch was a prominent artist in Germany between the World Wars. When the Nazis rose to power in 1933 he emigrated to England and undertook a number of commissions for the Chichester Diocese. His work has been exhibited at the Tate in London.

Hyde Group are now aiming to crowdfund further work to make the mural accessible for public viewing. 

Festival 2017 scrappost

"For the Birds"

One of the best promenade events in recent years. Unmissable.

Constable and Brighton.

Chain Pier Brighton 1826-27

Go visit the current exhibition at the Art Gallery if only to see this much-reproduced image "in the paint" so to speak. It is beautifully hung and lit and seems to make more of an impression here than it did in its normal home at Tate Britain.

The rest of the exhibition has also much of interest. The paintings are grouped according to Constable's three favourite walks from which he drew his inspiration; west to Shoreham, north to the Devil's Dyke and east to the Chain Pier. Everything is well lit and the information boards are succinct and easily read.

See also:
The Curator speaks about the Constable Exhibition
Blue plaque to John Constable unveiled
Rainstorm over the Sea

The Curator speaks about the Constable Exhibition