Private View at Osborne Samuel 11 January

During January 2017, the Osborne Samuel Gallery has offered Swindon Museum and Art Gallery,  space for a month at 23a, Bruton St, London W1J 6QG to give the collection some much merited publicity. Many of the 'home team' were invited along to see the results of hanging approximately 30 selected works in the gallery, along with some choice ceramic pieces. It was a lovely evening, the hang was beautifully done and looked fabulous in the gallery.
I'm pleased I managed to capture the online catalogue, so you can see exactly what's being shown in the Osborne Samuel Gallery, there are some gems which you'll see as the backdrop to the photos by clicking here: online catalogue
I'll start with the speeches, Robert Hiscox was speaking as I took the photograph, he'd taken over from Councillor David Renard, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, they explained the history of the collection, the need to move from the current inadequate premises, and their hopes for the future when the museum and art gallery will be housed in a new purpose built cultural centre in the heart of the town. The evening was opened by Gordon Samuel, one half of the Osborne Samuel partnership, he's to the right of David Renard in the photo.

 A general photo by the drinks table with Michael Ayrton's painting in the background

 You can just about see the John Nash, 'Dredgers at Bristol Docks' behind the drinks table

 Hadrian Ellory van Dekker talking with John Hoyland's 'Trickster' in the background

 and here it is again

 There were some lovely ceramics pieces hung at eye level and so were very easy to examine.

 Above we've got Grayson Perry's Perfume bottle and 3 stoppers, and on the far right Hans Coper's Spade Vase, and Lucie Rei's Bottle Vase to the left of that.

 Beside that case was another with among other things, Geoffrey Swindell's Oval Forms purchased in the late 1970s.

 The gallery was packed making it hard to take photos, these below were taken as the rooms emptied a bit. Below you can see Councillor Garry Perkins, Cabinet Member for the Economy, Regeneration and Skills at SBC, he's near the model for the proposed new museum and art gallery, on display in the centre of the middle room in the gallery.

 Below a general view of people, Nicky Alberry can clearly be seen on the left.

 Below Gordon Samuel with Terry Frost's 'Grey, Red and Black Verticals' in the background

 You can see how lovely these favourites look in the gallery

 And how fitting in the week before the unveiling of the Diana Dors Blue Plaque
that Desmond Morris's painting in the collection from 1946 'Girl Selling Flowers (Diana Dors)

 Gillian Ayres' painting 'Florestan' zinged with energy and colour, it looked great illuminated perfectly, with a wall to itself.

 Do go and have a look at the exhibition if you can, it's there until 11 February and the gallery is open Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm.