Content overview

This exhibition features art inspired by landscapes, nature and the seasons. The content spans a period starting in the late 1940s through to 2009.

The starting point for the exhibition was a group of paintings in RAMM’s collections from the middle of the 20th century, a defining period in modern and contemporary art. These works are by David Bomberg, Edward Burra, Terry Frost, Patrick Heron and others. We wanted to present the paintings in a wider context, alongside fellow artists of the era. In considering the collections of RAMM and those held by our partner, Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery, we developed a theme around atmosphere and locations; the ‘spirit of place’ that inspires artists.

Many of the individuals featured can be described as abstract artists or abstract expressionists. By selecting loans from the Arts Council Collection we extended both the artistic media and the time period. So the exhibition grew, from being focussed on painters in the mid 20th century, to a 70-year range, with photography, film and sculpture, adding texture to the exhibition.

In discussing content with colleagues in the Arts Council Collection, we determined that some artworks were especially relevant. Being able to show the work of Bomberg, Burra and Heron with partner pieces was essential. We wanted to feature Prunella Clough and Peter Lanyon, not represented in RAMM, but featured in the Arts Council Collection and Plymouth.

Extending the selection into the present century are pieces by Clare Woods, George Shaw and Jem Southam. The inclusion of Rachel Lowe’s video and Richard Long’s Fourteen Stones added another dimension to the themes of time and timelessness.

Detached and Timeless has been curated by RAMM in collaboration with the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre, with loans from Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery. RAMM is very grateful to colleagues from both organisations for their support of this exhibition.

12 July to 2 November 2014

The artistsMany of the artists featured in the exhibition became famous outside the UK. Senior figures in British art – like Blow, Clough, Heron, Frost and Long – successfully made the transition to international audiences and collections. Others – like Clifford Fishwick and Alexander Mackenzie – have a popular following, though are more familiar at home, than overseas. Fishwick was principal of ExeterCollege of Art & Design, and Mackenzie was head of fine art at Plymouth College of Art. All of the artists demonstrate a particular resonance with their environment. As well as the core group of Burra, Bomberg, Clough, Frost, Heron and Lanyon, we have included many of their contemporaries. This was so that visitors could see art by people who sometimes shared ideas and values, and occasionally points of inspiration and debate

We have strayed from the abstract when it was felt it illuminated an artist’s practice. Examples of this are Burra’s Winter. His figures are always fascinating to observe, and the image of winter was relevant to the theme of seasons and time. The early Lanyon, almost post-Impressionist in its loose, still manner, contrasts with the abstracts for which he became famous. The inclusion of Bomberg’s self-portrait, although earlier than anything else in the exhibition, gives visitors a chance to see one of these sketchy paintings of himself. It provides insight into the artist who painted the vivid landscapes displayed alongside.

The title of the exhibition is taken from a quote by Prunella Clough. In 1961 she went to work with Stanley Jones at the Curwen Studio, Plaistow. Printmaking in a workshop appealed to Clough who compared the process to being on a train ‘detached and timeless (and extremely pleasant)’. Examples of Clough’s printmaking are included, illustrating her fascination with the environment and found objects from nature.

Spirit of PlaceImaginary, mystical places have provided the stimulus for several of the artists in the exhibition. Others have resulted from experiences at real locations, mainly in the West Country. A few of the artworks touch on themes of spirituality and paganism. The products are often abstract, sometimes representational and occasionally other-worldly.

The artworks in this section have been inspired by the atmosphere of a place, or by folklore or legend. This ‘other’ spirit of place, less easily defined than recognisable geographical locations, is sometimes mysterious and ambiguous.

Here the large-scale Daddy Witch by Clare Woods presents a surreal and fantastic landscape. Familiar natural features like pools, rocks and plants are modelled into images that are unsettling and uncertain.

The trio of Patrick Herons present aspects of an artist who was strongly influenced by the atmosphere of the north coast of Cornwall. In the late 1950s Heron had created a series of ‘garden paintings’, which were abstract expressions of the gardens at his home ‘Eagle’s Nest’. Those paintings marked his transition to abstract art, which is illustrated by the three paintings here from the 1960s.

Richard Long’s interest in the environment and nature is reflected in his sculpture and land art. The observer’s response to Fourteen Stones depends on the context in which it is viewed, and on the visitor’s own cultural references. To some it has echoes of the ancient. Others see something more contemporary in the form.

NatureNature has inspired creativity for as long as there have been artists. The abstract expressionists, as several of the artists in this exhibition would be described, were strongly influenced by the natural environment around them.

This small section presents some of the more recognisable representations of nature and leads into the more abstract pieces elsewhere in the exhibition. The oak tree by Edward Burra, the gingko leaf by Prunella Clough, and the pears by Jack Knox are easily recognisable.

The natural world becomes more abstracted when viewing the shell by Roger Hilton, or the lines that form the vegetation by Clough. The rhythm and colours of the natural world strongly influenced Hilton and his contemporaries, though the images created seem, at first sight, far removed from the original source. Constant critical reappraisal of work made during these years makes this one of the most interesting periods in art.

Seasons and timeThe passing of time and the seasons have long provided rich themes for artists.

This section includes examples of artists who have presented moments in time. Terry Frost’s Lemon & White Spring acts as a counter-point to the chill of winter, as pictured by Edward Burra and Jack Smith. Rachel Lowe’s video A Letter to an Unknown Person passes time on a loop. It draws the viewer into moments captured on betacam video, which in itself was a very time-specific medium.

Sandra Blow’s Painting 57 captures a moment in time, at a defining period in the artist’s life and career. This painting was made during the year she first lived in St. Ives, renting a cottage at Tregerthan.

Prunella Clough’s Waiting is an ambiguous and reflective painting. As with many of her works from this period the image is open to interpretation. Some observers may find something reassuringly familiar about George Shaw’s The End of Time. Others might find the half-lit street unnerving, accentuated by the contrasts between light and dark. Though Clough and Shaw and their art are completely different, the titles both leave the viewer guessing.

LocationsReal places are represented in this section. Specific locations are named, like Botallack in Cornwall, Bideford in Devon and Birling Gap in East Sussex. There are also less defined settings which have provided a stimulus for artists: the coastline and landscape of the West Country, in particular Dartmoor, and the coves of Cornwall and Devon.

This section illustrates both the representation of open spaces through art, and the abstracted images an artist creates from their experience of being in a place. Alexander Mackenzie and June Miles reflect Bonehill and Sennen respectively. Along with Kenneth Fernee’s Clay Workings in Dartmoor, these are individual interpretations of place which remain recognisable to someone familiar with the locations. Contrast those with the abstraction of Paul Feiler’s Botallack, and the almost surreal landscape of Burra’s Dartmoor.

The art in this section begins with the energy and organic lines of Bomberg’s 1940s paintings, to the detail of Jem Southam’s photography in 2000. Southam’s Birling Gap shows the impact of coastal erosion, something even more resonant since the storms of winter 2013/14. In the photography of Keith Arnatt his concern and disillusion with how the environment was being cared for, is shown in the imagery and irony of A.O.N.B. (‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’).

In the 1960s and 70s, Keith Arnatt exhibited as aconceptual artist, documenting what he saw on film.During this period he created ‘situations’, where objectsand people were often photographed outdoors. In those images, the artist and his behaviour were as important as the subject matter. The A.O.N.B. series was made near his home in Tintern. His career was celebrated with a retrospective at the Photographers Gallery, London in 2007.

Keith Arnatt (1930-2008)

Untitled AONB series (1982-84)Gelatin silver printArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre This series was created near the artist’s home at Tintern, Monmouthshire.

Sandra Blow rose to prominence in the 1950s, alongside Gillian Ayres, who exhibited at RAMM in 2013. By the late 1950s, Blow was exhibiting internationally, including the John Moores in Liverpool and the Venice Biennale. In 1960 she won the Guggenheim award. Friends with Lanyon, Hilton and Heron, Blow stayed in ‘Eagles Nest’, Heron’s home, whilst she found a cottage to rent in Cornwall. She returned to London to teach at the Royal College of Art, returning to St Ives in the 1990s. In 2005 Tate Britain celebrated her 80th birthday with a major exhibition.

Sandra Blow (1925-2006)

Painting (57) 1957Oil on canvasArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre Painted during Blow’s stay in Tregerthen. She rented a cottage for a year in Cornwall, and sought to capture the atmosphere of the area.

The early work of David Bomberg was influenced by Vorticists like Wyndham Lewis, with angles and jagged lines. After serving in the First World War, Bomberg’s art became more organic in form. During the 1920s he painted figuratively, and visited the West Country and Scotland. Travel through Cyprus, Palestine, Spain and the then Soviet Union, influenced Bomberg’s passion for landscapes. His later work was under-rated in his lifetime, but has since been reappraised. Bomberg’s work is held in many collections, including the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge, Laing in Newcastle, National Museums Liverpool and Tate.

David Bomberg (1890-1957)

Self-portrait (David) 1937Oil on canvasArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Trendrine, Cornwall 1947Oil on canvasArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre Created during Bomberg’s period of landscape painting, inspired by his travels.

Bideford, Devon 1946Oil on canvasRoyal Albert Memorial MuseumPainted during Bomberg’s time travelling the west country, this is a companion to ‘Trendrine’, from the following year.

Edward Burra became famous in the 1930s for his moody, urban night-time scenes. He travelled extensively and was influenced by New York jazz clubs and Paris bars. Experiences in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) greatly affected Burra and his work became darker and more surreal. He was also a successful designer of ballet costumes and sets. Burra’s art can be seen in many public collections, including the National Galleries of Scotland, Tate and the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester.

Edward Burra (1905-1976)

Blasted Oak 1942Watercolour on paperArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Winter 1964Watercolour on cardboardArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Dartmoor 1974Watercolour on paperRoyal Albert Memorial Museum

Rooted 1990Hand-drawn lithograph (edition 30)Private collection An example of Clough’s lithography, produced for the Curwen studios, which shows her inspiration from nature, whilst also retaining an ambiguity of form.

Prunella Clough’s career spanned more than 50 years. Her interests extended to surrealism, neo-romanticism and abstract expressionism. She would often take a tiny detail of an object, or a piece of found material, and use that as the focal point for a painting, print or collage. During the 1970s Clough’s work was noticeably more open to interpretation and increasingly featured influences from nature, rather than urban. Clough’s art was much admired by fellow artists, notably Heron who wrote about her; and collected by museums as far afield as Dublin, New York, Santiago, Sydney and Vienna.

Prunella Clough (1919-1999)

Untitled 1965Oil on canvasArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Primitive Plant 1994Hand-coloured etching on paper (artist’s proof)Private collectionThis is one of only three hand-coloured etchings of the prehistoric gingko biloba leaf, which was also produced in a small monochrome edition.

Vegetation 1999Ink on paperArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Tree 1989Work on paper: collageArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Grammar of Ornament 1993Hand-drawn lithograph (edition 30)Private collection The title refers to Owen Jones’ influential design sourcebook published in 1856 which was used by William Morris and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Prunella Clough (1919-1999)

South West Nocturne 1970Oil on canvasArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Waiting 1991Oil on canvasPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Clay Workings, Dartmoor acquired 1964Oil on hardboardPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Born in Germany, Paul Feiler studied at the Slade (1936-39). He lived in Cornwall from the 1950s, becoming friends with Lanyon and Frost. He also lived in Bristol and was married to June Miles, whose painting of Sennen is in this exhibition. Although Feiler became a prominent St Ives figure, his painting was more abstract expressionist than his contemporaries, showing influences of Mondrian and the Bauhaus. Many of his works were inspired by places along the Cornish coast, illustrating how changes in light affect the appearance of natural features. He exhibited widely across the United States and is in public collections in London, Paris, Toronto and Washington DC.

Paul Feiler (1918-2013)

Kenneth William A Fernee was a painter, born in London. During 1951-56 he studied at the Southern College of Art. During the course of his career he visited Dartmoor and was fascinated by the impact that the change of light had on the appearance of stone rows and buildings in the national park. He exhibited in Plymouth at the Arts Centre and in the Barbican area. His paintings are held in the university collections of Chichester and Exeter.

Kenneth William A Fernee (1926-83)

Botallack 1961Oil on boardPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Secret Cove 1966Oil on canvasRoyal Albert Memorial Museum

Clifford Fishwick was principal of Exeter College of Art & Design from 1958-84. A longstanding member of the Newlyn Society of Artists, he exhibited at the Royal Academy and influenced a generation of artists. Fishwick did not achieve the international profile of some of his contemporaries, yet he was highly regarded and much admired by his peers. He lived for many years in Topsham, and his death was commemorated with exhibitions in both Exeter and Plymouth.

Clifford Fishwick (1923-97)

Orb III acquired 1966 Oil on canvas Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Terry Frost’s long career began when his talent was commented on by artist Adrian Heath, during his time as a prisoner-of-war in 1941. In his 30s Frost went to Camberwell School of Art and was mentored by Victor Pasmore. He lived in St Ives from the 1950s and worked as assistant to Barbara Hepworth on her ‘Festival of Britain’ sculpture (1951). He travelled widely, with years spent teaching in Leeds, as well as California, Newcastle and Reading, before settling in Newlyn in the 1970s. Frost was a great champion of art in Cornwall and supported the development of Tate St Ives in the 1990s.

Terry Frost (1915-2003)

Yellow Suspended Form 1979Acrylic on paper collagePlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Lemon & White Spring ’63 1963Acrylic on canvasRoyal Albert Memorial MuseumThis shows Frost’s move into bolder colours, which would become his trademark, from the more muted tones a decade earlier.

Movement: Green & Black 1952Oil on canvasArts Council Collection, wSouthbank Centre

Hilary Goddard was head of fine art at the Maynard School in Exeter from 1970-93. During that time she encouraged and influenced a generation of young artists. Goddard’s artwork illustrates and reflects themes in nature as well as humanity’s responses to it. She works in different media, including sculpture and calligraphy, though is best known for her paintings. This is one of three paintings by Goddard which Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery hold in their collections.

Emerging Plateau III, 1970Oil on paperPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Hilary Goddard (b. 1935)

Patrick Heron was a textile designer, writer and painter. He lived in St Ives 1925-30 and returned to Cornwall in 1956, living at the ‘Eagle’s Nest’ in Zennor. He wrote about art for ‘New Statesman and Nation’ (London) and ‘Arts’ magazine (New York). He exhibited at the Sao Paulo Biennial (1953/54) and won first prize at the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition (1959). His work is in collections around the world including Lisbon, New York, Tokyo and Toronto. The large and colourful window in Tate St Ives was designed by Heron in 1992.

Patrick Heron (1920-1999)

Ultramarine, Cinnamon & Dull Yellow August 1960 Oil on canvas Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Two Vermilions, Green & Purple in Red 1965 Oil on canvas Royal Albert Memorial Museum

Green Painting with white disc 1964 Oil on canvas Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Roger Hilton studied at the Slade School of Art, London. He served with the commandos during the Second World War and spent three years as a prisoner-of-war. Hilton originally painted figurative pieces, then, during the mid 1950s, became closely identified with the abstract expressionists. In many paintings from this period, Hilton’s interest in the colours and forms found in nature could be seen in his work. He became an influential figure in contemporary art, winning the John Moores Prize (1963). He died in Botallack, Cornwall; a place which inspired Paul Feiler’s painting in this exhibition.

Roger Hilton (1911-1975)

Shell 1968Oil on canvasArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Untitled 1968Oil on canvasPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Justin Knowles was a sculptor and painter from Exeter whose abstracts captured the public imagination when they appeared in magazines during the 1960s. Heron was an admirer of Knowles’ work and wrote about it in ‘Studio International’ magazine. In 1973 a studio fire prevented Knowles from working. It was not until the 1990s that his work would be ‘rediscovered’ after Heron and others encouraged Knowles to exhibit again. At the time of his death, Knowles was enjoying a renaissance, with exhibitions in Plymouth, Truro, London and Prague, and commissions for Winchester and Exeter cathedrals.

Justin Knowles (1935-2004)

Three Reds with WhiteOil and acrylic on boardPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

John (‘Jack’) Knox studied in Glasgow and Paris. Early in his career Knox painted abstract pieces using mixed media. Following a visit to museums in the Netherlands, he changed direction. The artist began painting colourful, succulent images of food. Knox said that he was inspired by the still life paintings and the way the food in the cafe was presented. He taught art in both Dundee and in Glasgow, where he became head of painting at the School of Art.

Jack Knox (b. 1936)

Oysters in a Basket 1979PVA on boardArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Big Basket, Pears & Shadow 1973Oil and charcoal on canvasRoyal Albert Memorial Museum

Peter Lanyon was a central figure in St Ives and one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His work made clear reference to the Cornish landscape, particularly cliff edges and sky, and was strongly influenced by his interest in abstract expressionism. In the late 1950s he and Terry Frost taught together. Lanyon also taught in Czechoslovakia (today the Czech Republic and Slovakia) and the USA, exhibiting in New York. His passions included gliding which was an inspiration for several major paintings. His early death, aged 46, was a result of a gliding accident near Taunton.

Peter Lanyon (1918-1964)

Early LandscapeOil on canvasPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Bicyclist in Penwith 1952Oil on chipboardArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Moore Cliffe Kynance 1953Oil on boardArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Soaring Flight 1960 Oil on canvas Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre This work was inspired by Lanyon’s passion for gliding.

High Field 1957Oil on canvasPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Peter Lanyon (1918-1964)

Richard Long is among the most well-known artists in the country and has been making art and exhibiting for more than 40 years. He works in photography, paint and sculpture and it is for the sculptural pieces that Long is most famous. Winner of the Turner Prize in 1989, he has exhibited across the world, from Poland to South Korea, Brazil to Belgium. The artist’s work reflects his interest in the relationship between humanity and nature. Long is based near Bristol.

Richard Long (b 1945)

Fourteen Stones 1979Stone installationArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

A Letter to an Unknown Person 1998Video: betacam sp videoArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Rachel Lowe is an artist whose work combines drawing and painting with video, projection and Super 8 film. She studied at Newcastle College of Arts & Technologies and Camberwell and Chelsea Colleges of Art. Lowe has described her creative process as intuitive and this is reflected in her work. She has exhibited widely including the Whitechapel Art Gallery, London (1998), British Art Show 5 (toured the UK in 2000), and internationally, including Shanghai (2010), Karachi and Melbourne (2013).

Rachel Lowe (b 1968)

Alexander Mackenzie was a member of the St Ives School and lived in Cornwall from the 1950s. His work was mainly abstract, though some paintings were a more representational in style. In the late 1950s and 60s he exhibited in cities as diverse as Bogota in Columbia, Milan and Rome in Italy, London and New York. From 1964 he taught at Plymouth College of Art where he stayed for over 20 years, becoming head of fine art.

Alexander Mackenzie (1923-2002)

Bonehill, Dartmoor 1973Oil on hardboardPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Celtic 1972Oil on hardboardPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Alexander (‘Mac’) McNeish studied at Edinburgh College of Art (1952-57). A visit to Salzburg in 1960 inspired him to exhibit more widely. McNeish taught at Wolverhampton College of Art in 1962; then moved to Exeter College of Art in 1965 to take up the position of head of painting, a role he held for 15 years. He was known as a passionate painter and communicator, so was ideally suited to encourage other artists. On his death the Scotsman newspaper affectionately described Mac as a member of the hard-core ‘Scottish Mafia’ of art teachers.

Alexander McNeish (1932-2000)

Landscape on a Bar c.1964Acrylic on panelRoyal Albert Memorial Museum

The End of Time 2008/09Enamel on boardArts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

June Miles has lived and worked in Cornwall and France, as well as Bristol where she taught art at the Folk House and Bristol Polytechnic (now University of the West of England). She trained at the Slade in London and during the Second World War drew maps for the Admiralty. She was married to Paul Feiler whose painting Botallack is included in this exhibition. Her work is in the collections of Bristol’s Museums Galleries & Archives and the Royal West of England Academy.

June Miles (b. 1924)

Sennen I 1971Oil on canvasPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

George Shaw has become a leading figure in contemporary art, using enamel paints to create his distinctive work. Exhibitions across the UK and in France, Germany, Switzerland and the USA have made Shaw’s art familiar to an international audience. He studied at the Royal College of Art, and has work in the collections of the British Council, RCA and Tate. In 2011 he was nominated for the Turner Prize and exhibited at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead. He is based on the north coast of Devon.

George Shaw (b. 1966)

Birling Gap 2000C-type photographsArts Council Collection, Southbank CentreThe images show the impact of coastal erosion on the cliffs of East Sussex.

Winter Blizzard 1955/56Oil on hardboardPlymouth City Museum & Art GalleryThis is an example from Jack Smith’s realist period prior to moving into abstraction.

Jack Smith was a realist, then later, an abstract painter. From the mid 1940s to mid 50s he studied at Sheffield College of Art, St Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art. His tutors at the RCA included John Minton and Carel Weight. In 1950s the realist work of Smith and others was described as ‘Kitchen Sink School’. During the 1960s he moved into abstraction, with brightly coloured forms which he continued throughout the rest of his career.

Jack Smith (1928-2011)

Jem Southam is one of the UK’s leading photographers. He documents the changing seasons and the impact on landscapes. Southam’s photography has been exhibited internationally, and is in the collections of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Museum Folkswang in Dusseldorf, Yale Center for British Art in New Haven and the V&A in London. The artist is professor of the School of Art & Media at Plymouth University.

Jem Southam (b. 1950)

63/11, 1962Acrylic on boardRoyal Albert Memorial Museum

Involute No 5 acquired 1964Oil on hardboardPlymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

John Wells trained in medicine and worked as a doctor in the 1930s and 40s. After the Second World War he decided to pursue his passion for art and settled in Newlyn. Wells worked with Hepworth in the early 1950s and she remained a great influence throughout his life. From the 1950s onwards he exhibited in London and internationally. His work is held in collections across the UK including National Museums Northern Ireland, National Galleries of Scotland and Tate.

John Wells (1907-2000)

Daddy Witch 2008 Enamel and oil on aluminium Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre

Clare Woods studied at Bath College of Art and Goldsmith’s College, London. Over the past ten years she has established herself as one of the UK’s leading artists, with solo exhibitions in Southampton City Art Gallery and the Hepworth, Wakefield. The Contemporary Art Society commissioned Woods to create art for the Olympic Park in London in 2012. The result was a colossal piece, 125 metres long and comprised of 88,000 tiles.

Clare Woods (b. 1972)

Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery Queen St, Exeter EX4 3RX

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