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Modern British Masters at Reading Museum & Gallery

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Written by rubin   
Monday, 06 July 2009 01:17

David Bomberg, 1890-1957 - Southeast Corner of Jerusalem, 1950 - Art Fund Purchase

READING,UK - ‘Modern British Masters: drawings and paintings on paper’ is the title of Reading Museum & Gallery’s latest exhibition. The show offers treasures from the Museum’s collection of twentieth & twenty first century art and illustrates some of the approaches to drawing and painting that British artists have developed in the twentieth century.  Visitors will enjoy works by leading British artists from wartime portraits to 1960s landscapes and 1990s abstracts. They will see how artists have explored the properties of pastel, charcoal and collage and new types of paint to make great art.

Eric Ravillous 1903-1942 - 'Pilot Boat', 1932 - Watercolor on paper Private collectionCommenting Elaine Blake, Senior Art Curator Reading Museum & Gallery said “This is an exciting show for both serious art aficionados and a great introduction to those looking for the threads that connect modern British art in the twentieth century. There are works by over twenty artists produced throughout every decade of the past century including Alan Davie, Keith Vaughan, Charles Ginner, Eric Kennington, Gilbert Spencer, David Bomberg, John Piper, Elizabeth Blackadder, Diana Rattray and Eric Ravillous”

Traditionally drawing and watercolour were used to record what artists observed or to develop ideas for finished works. The finished works, which were usually oil paintings, were then made in their studios.

From the late nineteenth century, traditional definitions of types of art blurred and works on paper became more valuable in their own right. Drawing and painting on paper became central to the exploration of ‘Modern’ ideas of expression, experimentation and the investigation of abstract theories.

The materials used on paper – principally pencil, charcoal, pastel, ink, watercolour and gouache – have an immediacy which allows artists to record their sensations and emotions quickly. They are portable and relatively cheap compared with other art materials, which means they can be mixed, incorporated with collage or discarded if the artist is dissatisfied. This frees the artist to be spontaneous and to work on a number of images simultaneously or as part of a series exploring a particular idea.

The hands-on galleries at the Museum of Reading display a fascinating range of objects. The galleries are housed in Reading's Town Hall, a fine example of Victorian gothic architecture. The galleries are accessible to all and full facilities are provided for disabled users. A parent and baby room is available. There is tactile signage throughout the building and each gallery has its own icon to help you find your way around the Museum.

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