Pop and Prosperity Art Snap 10

Pop and Prosperity exploring the post war changes in the sixties might be something you'd think would be easy to access, however not the case to the untrained person, however Katie opened my eyes to these three works she discussed, especially the Richard Hamilton, loved by so many people.
I have postcards of this work, and used to hesitate to send them to Friends with messages on the back, but no longer! This is what the information with the Artsnap says:
'This episode of Art Snaps looks at three pieces in Swindon Museum and Art Gallery's exhibition 'Pop and Prosperity'. Following on from Episode Two about abstract painting on show, Katie looks at Pop Art and Conceptualism, through works by Richard Hamilton, Michael Craig-Martin and Tom Phillips.'
Here are photos of the pieces, taken form the computer screen, so not of the best quality.

Above is a poorly reproduced 'Interior Study A' by Richard Hamilton which depicts a collaged living room wonderfully explained by Katie Ackrill in the Artsnap, a link to which appears at the end of the photos. I will just say that the glamorous woman in the picture was apparently originally looking at a washing machine in an advertisement.

A great favourite, especially with children is 'The Box that Never Closes' by Michael Craig-Martin in 1967.
And thirdly this piece by Tom Phillips with a very long title. I find this harder to appreciate.

But to find out lots more about these three pieces, please click on the link below:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P38YHtvqDOQ

Abstract Painting in the 1960s Podcast 2

Episode Two of Art Snaps brings you a sample of works currently on show at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, in ‘Pop and Prosperity’. Katie Ackrill looks at three exciting abstract paintings on show, including Terry Frost’s ‘Grey, Red and Black Verticals’. Katie explores abstract art and the public's reaction to it in post war Britain, this podcast is an edited edition of the lunchtime talk given on 28 February, details of which can be found here.

 and William Gear's 'Presence on White' painted in 1961, seen below with Erik Burnett-Godfree standing in front of it because I couldn't find it on the ArtUK website.

and Richard Smith's whirling painting called 'Once'

Here's a link to the second podcast: Podcast 2

Free Lunchtime Talk: Abstract Painting in the '60s

There are quite a few people who regularly like to attend the Friday lunchtime talks in the main gallery, and so when Sophie Cummings left, there was concern among other things, about the fate of the lunchtime talks. Fortunately Katie Ackrill, Art on Tour Project Engagement Officer at the museum is doing a series of talks, including the lunchtime ones.

On 28 February, Katie gave her first lunchtime talk which was advertised like this:

'This tour of Pop and Prosperity will focus on a selection of abstract paintings on display, including works by Howard Hodgkin, Roger Hilton and William Gear. Katie will discuss the context in which abstract art flourished during the 1960s, and shed some light on some of the more challenging works on display.'

 I'm going to start with a definition of abstract art from Wikipedia:

'Abstract art uses visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world' The word 'degree' is interesting there because I would have left it out in a definition, if it's there, abstract art is harder to identify.

 Definitions aside, there were over 20 people attending the talk, in fact it was quite difficult to get a good photo of Katie, just about visible, because there were so many people, in these 2 photos.

 Katie started by talking about the William Gear painting 'Presence on White painted June 1961, and a gift from the artist's family in 2015. After Katie had talked about it, I looked more carefully at it than before and quite liked it.

Here's Katie, seen below, talking about Jack Smith's 'Night Sky' painted in 1957, gifted by H.J.P.Bomford in 1960, and conserved with the support of the Friends in 2017. The painting zings and sparkles after its conservation.

 And here's Katie talking about Roger Hilton's painting 'November' painted in 1955 and gifted by the Contemporary Art Society, seen face on below

Next Katie encouraged us to look at Sir Terry Frost's 'Grey, Red and Black Verticals' painted in 1962, another gift of the CAS

 and below 'Once' painted in 1962 by Richard Smith purchased with the support of the V&A Purchase Grant in 1972.

 And Howard Hodgkin's 'Gramophone' 1964-66

 Katie included 'The Thames' painted in 1962 by Mary Fedden. I thought this couldn't be classified as abstract art because it looks recognisable as boats on water with flowers and walls in the foreground on the right hand side of the painting. Reading through the definition above, it can be included as an abstract piece.

 After the talk, people went on talking to each other, and Katie, about the paintings for some time which was great.

 Please note that I have kept details of what would have happened this year, due to Covid-19, and the consequent lockdown, all activities for the moment have been cancelled.
As soon as anything is happening, I will put out messages.
The next lunchtime talk in the gallery would have been:

A Celebration of Colour (with Katie Ackrill)

Friday 1^st May, 12:30pm

This tour will highlight the use of colour in artworks included in Pop and Prosperity, as well as 2D and 3D works in our ceramics exhibition A Celebration of Colour. Starting in the main gallery, Katie will discuss the significance of colour in selected paintings on show. The tour will conclude in the downstairs galleries, with a focus on the gorgeous glazes of Swindon’s studio ceramics. 

Katie will be giving talks about artworks on display at STEAM and the Civic Offices beginning in March/April, and all the dates are on our website, and the museum's website
Also copies of posters sent over by Katie, this one lists Civic Office dates:

 and this one Steam dates:

 Also a poster advertising the lunchtime talks

Friends' January Social

To mark the opening of the exhibition, Pop and Prosperity:1960s British Art from the Swindon Collection, we held an opening night, and also took the opportunity to introduce two new part time outreach workers at the museum and unveil a new painting we had been given by our Patron, Desmond Morris.
We started the evening with an opening of the exhibition by Katie Ackrill who has been appointed Art on Tour Project Engagement Officer at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery.

 Art on Tour is a project to advertise our Collections more widely, currently at STEAM Museum and also the Civic Offices in Euclid St.

 Mags Parker, seen in the picture above near the wall, also spoke about her new role as Education Officer at Swindon Museum and Art Gallery. On a recent visit to New College, she asked how many of the students studying art had been to the Museum, out of a group of approximately 15 students, 2 had visited the gallery.

 I took a few photos of the assembled Friends, it was a very popular evening, with about 80 present.

 After Katie and Mags introduced themselves and how they saw their roles, the big event of the evening for me, was to unveil the painting we had been given by Desmond Morris, the choosing of the picture is written about in the previous blog post. The painting had been very well wrapped by Rona Marsden, who runs Rona's Gallery where Desmond's work was being shown, but was finally revealed. Erik Burnett-Godfree kindly agreed to talk about Desmond Morris and the painting, and a bit about why we had chosen it.

I love the painting and think people were very pleased with our choice.

 There was then time to chat and look at the Glyn Uzzel exhibition in the smaller part of the gallery

We now have three paintings by Desmond Morris, from his early period, Girl Selling Flowers, 1948, currently in the Civic Offices as part of the Art on Tour project

 and Mysterious Gift, 1965 which is in the current exhibition