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Must see art exhibition to open at Banbury Museum and Gallery
11/12/2020
Over 45 original works by 34 different artists on display, including paintings by David Hockney, Lucian Freud and Paula Rego
An amazing exhibition of portraits by some of Britain’s most influential artists has been brought together to display here in Banbury. Portrayals begins tomorrow (Saturday 12th December) at Banbury Museum and Gallery.
Exhibition Manager Dale Johnston explained that Portrayals marks a special moment for Banbury Museum and Gallery. He said: “This is probably the biggest art exhibition that has ever been staged in Banbury in terms of contemporary art … we’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Portrayals brings together more than 45 original paintings and drawings by some of the country’s most celebrated twentieth century and contemporary artists, including Barbara Hepworth, L.S. Lowry, and Chris Ofili.
Mr Johnston said: “It’s a really lovely selection of work – the first time anything like this has been in Banbury.
“We have three Turner prize winners in the exhibition and quite a few runners up as well.
“The exhibition looks at how different artists have portrayed people in different ways over the last century. Its quite a mixture of styles. Some of it is very figurative, some of it is abstract, some of it is traditional portraits, but some of it is people in daily scenes.”
Selected to appeal to people-watchers and art lovers alike, Portrayals focuses on people, and the varied ways they have been depicted by 34 different artists across the last century. This will be the first time so many works by artists of this stature can be viewed together in the town.
The display spans over a hundred years, from Walter Sickert’s 1906 ‘Head of a Woman’ to Claudette Johnson’s 2018 portrayal of the form, figure and strength of Black womanhood in ‘Figure in Blue’.
Further highlights from the exhibition include: David Hockney’s ‘Portrait Surrounded by Artistic Devices,’ ‘Study for ‘Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy’’ and ‘We Two Boys Together Clinging; works by three Turner Prize winners – Chris Ofili, Antony Gormley and Howard Hodgkin – as well as a further four Turner Prize nominees; and original drawings and paintings by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore.
Portrayals has been made possible through loans secured from the Arts Council Collection, the world’s largest loan collection of modern and contemporary British art. The loans are supported by the Weston Loan Programme with Art Fund. Created by the Garfield Weston Foundation and Art Fund, the Weston Loan Programme is the first ever UK-wide funding scheme to enable smaller and local authority museums to borrow works of art and artefacts from national collections.
Portrayals begins tomorrow (Saturday 12th December) at Banbury Museum and Gallery. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm, Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday between 11am and 3pm. Admission is £5 per person and under 5s go free. Visits should be booked at least a day in advance via banburymuseum.org or by calling 01295 236165.
You can listen again to our interview with Dale Johnston here:
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam