Celebrating Michael Ayrton: A Centenary Exhibition

 On a recent visit to the Lightbox in Woking, I was struck once again by what a fabulous place it is, and how smoothly it appears to operate. I love their philosophy: 'At The Lightbox gallery and museum, we strive to put art and well being at the heart of everything we do'.They have three collections, the most significant being The Ingram Collection; two catalogues showing works in the Ingram collection are available from the shop, and are great to look at.

I'd specifically gone to see their Michael Ayrton exhibition: 'Celebrating Michael Ayrton: A Centenary Exhibition. Apart from the subject matter, what really attracted me to the exhibition was the fact that 'Roman Window' by Michael Ayrton was their featured painting in all their advertising.

There's the poster, with 'Roman Window' on loan from Swindon Museum and Art Gallery featured as THE image.

The gallery is light and airy, and had a long plinth down the middle for the sculptures, Roman Window can be seen at the end of the gallery with someone looking at it.

I picked out a few paintings to include, the one above is 'Cycladic Shore at Dusk' 1961

This was stunning 'The Red Chair (Portrait of Elizabeth)' 1954. Elizabeth was Ayrton's wife.

We're familiar with this painting on loan from Swindon

This painting 'Catalan Caged Birds' has been loaned to Swindon and often appeared in exhibitions in the gallery at Apsley House.

'Pond at Bradfields' 1953 is a charming painting of a child, who I think may have been a step child inherited when he married Elizabeth. 

Elsewhere there was an exhibition entitled: Night Shaking with the Ingram Collection', these 2 pieces were fabulous. The first by Dora Carrington, 'Iris Tree on a Horse' c 1920, 'one of the few depictions of a woman on a horse portrayed in such dynamic action'

This is 'Ghost Boat' 2003 by John Behan, the shadows it cast were tremendous.

So that was my recent visit to the Lightbox, as you will have seen from the poster above, the exhibition only runs until 8 August, this Sunday, but it's well worth a last dash there.

A link to the talk by Justine Hopkins about Roman Window appears below:

 https://friendsofsmag.blogspot.com/2019/11/a-traveller-in-space-and-time-michael.html

The information with the exhibition was good, I've included it here: