Although it’s been a challenging year for many, a line from our Leigh Davis show last Spring gave us all cause for optimism and hope. “The solitude of the various lockdowns made me more creative, more adventurous,” Davis revealed.
To us, that felt like a confirmation of the restorative power of art we celebrate at The Nine British Art. There was certainly something about Davis’ vivid and expressive new work in Further into Abstraction which spoke to our age. His paintings and sculptures were full of movement and vigour - yet also thought-provoking and moving when the piece demanded a more considered, reflective approach. It was a hugely successful show - and rightly so.
Such diversity of style, tone and expression was also more than apparent in our summer show St Ives, Modern British, Contemporary. Another beautifully varied collection from eminent British artists such as Glyn Philpot, Jack Smith and Trevor Bell alongside fresh new pieces from Jonathan Clarke and Peter Joyce. It was wonderful to see so many of our regular clients exploring this show in person in the gallery, enticed back by such a strong collection.
That interest continued throughout the autumn, making us even more excited about our plans for 2022. The international art calendar will once more begin with London Art Fair, after the digital-only iteration of the show in 2021. We’re always delighted to take part in this celebration of modern and contemporary art from the best galleries in the UK and beyond, which takes place in person next month at Islington’s Business Design Centre from January 19-23.
Please do come and see us on Stand 39 if you are visiting the Fair, we shall be concentrating on highlighting a wide range of sculpture, presenting some sought-after 20th century work from Robert Adams, Bernard Meadows, Brian Wall, and Donald Wells. The latter two artists’ pieces are perfectly complemented by new steel sculptures from Tommy Rowe and Richard Fox’s shapeshifting Moebius in Bronze VI.
Another date for your diary is Jonathan S Hooper’s eagerly awaited exhibition of new work, focusing on the changing landscape through the seasons. Planned for mid-March, it’s another deep dive into the evocative vistas of north Cornwall that he investigated so memorably in his last show for The Nine British Art, 2019’s In Landscape. Please sign up via this link to find out more about this show - earlier this year we shared a first look at Gorse Storm, a canvas which exploring colour, movement and light on Treswallock Downs.
Two upcoming shows to look forward to, then, at which we hope to introduce you personally to plenty of remarkable artworks. However, we do completely understand that the continued uncertainty with Covid means that some find coming to the gallery or attending art fairs too difficult at this present time. It’s really important to us that you still feel a connection with The Nine British Art and to that end we’re always happy to discuss delivery of paintings for viewing in the comfort of your own home.
Please also look at our easy-to-use Room View service, where you can email us an image of a wall in your home or office - and we will provide an accurate vision of a chosen painting hanging in that space.
For now, thank you so much for your support of The Nine British Art in 2021 and we hope you have a happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.
