| LONDON: Art: Ten Decades Edinburgh College of Art Centenary Exhibition |
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From Tuesday, 29 January 2008
To Saturday, 05 April 2008
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by SILadmin |
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Ten Decades: Edinburgh College of Art Centenary Exhibition
Touring from the City Art Centre, Edinburgh to London
Life Study (Sean Connery)
Al Fairweather
1952
Oil on canvas
A major exhibition of works by some of the most distinguished former students of Edinburgh College of Art is to be mounted by The Fleming Collection, and Edinburgh City Art Centre.
10 Decades marks the centenary of eca, and the show has been co-curated by Selina Skipwith, Keeper of Art at The Fleming Collection and David Paterson from the City Art Centre. Drawn from both these permanent collections, the exhibition will examine the work of artists that have emerged from the college in the last 100 years. In January, the exhibition transfers from the City Art Centre to The Fleming Collection in London.
Famous names to be featured include Dame Elizabeth Blackadder OBE, RA; John Bellany CBE, RA; Sir William Gillies, Sir Robin Philipson, Moyna Flannigan, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, John Houston, Callum Innes, Anne Redpath and the Edinburgh School, Alan Davie and Eduardo Paolozzi, as well as a number of more recent graduates including Graham Flack, Janice McNab and Paul Chiappe.
One of the paintings on show will be an oil on canvas life study of Sir Sean Connery (above) by Edinburgh-born eca alumnus and jazz musician Al Fairweather. Fairweather was a student in the School of Drawing and Painting when Connery, the recently named ‘world’s sexiest senior’ was a life model at the College in 1952. It was painted just before Connery auditioned for a stage production of South Pacific, which led to stage, TV and film work, and ultimately global superstardom for his role as James Bond 007.
In April 2008, The Fleming Collection will be celebrating the centenary of Ian Fleming (grandson of Robert Fleming, founder of Flemings Bank) with an exhibition Bond Bound: Ian Fleming and The Art of Cover Design of book covers and film poster art from this iconic series, some of which feature Connery, as arguably 007’s most popular incarnation.
One of those who remember Connery as a life model was John Houston; the husband of Elizabeth Blackadder, whose flower study, Poppies and Roses will be part of the exhibition. Houston works in the best tradition of Scottish Expressionism. He is known for his intense atmospheric landscapes exploring the dramatic effects of weather and light. His remarkable paintings of the Bass Rock in the River Forth have become a theme for his art, but he is also recognised for his exciting studies of flowers, such as this 1983 work.
More recent alumnus Janice McNab’s 2006 painting Philosophers Ridge will also feature in the exhibition. The work shows a small group of people, viewed from a great distance, peering into a crater. The title refers to the name of a hiking path one can follow on Mount Etna. The legend goes that a sage, Pliny the Elder, dived into the boiling crater to reach the tragic conclusion that he could not fly. The work shows the viewer abstracted patterns of smoke or clouds with little figures that peer into the depths from the safe distance of the path.
The Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation was established in April 2000, receiving endowment from the Fleming banking family. This enabled the Foundation to acquire The Fleming Collection from Robert Fleming & Co. Limited prior to the sale of the bank the same year. Started in 1968, The Fleming Collection is widely regarded as the finest collection of Scottish art in private hands, and contains works from 1770 to the present day.
Established in April 2000, The Fleming-Wyfold Foundation aims to raise the profile of Scottish art, which is poorly represented in museums and galleries outside Scotland, by introducing it to a wider audience. The intention is that The Fleming Collection shall remain a living collection through further acquisitions, focusing in particular on young Scottish artists.
October 2007
The Fleming Collection is supported by the Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation
For further information and images:
Abi Gold/ Anna Trubrig
Cawdell Douglas
10-11 Lower John Street
London W1F 9EB
T: + 44 (0)20 7439 2822
F: + 44 (0)20 7287 5488
Notes to Editors:
Bond Bound: Ian Fleming and The Art of Cover Design
22 April - 28 June 2008
The Fleming Collection is mounting an exhibition celebrating Ian Fleming’s creativity and the art of cover design. Fleming's own life was a fascinating backdrop for his stories of the renowned 007. Grandson of Robert Fleming (1845-1933), the founder of Flemings, Ian was the second son of Valentine and Eve Fleming.
The exhibition is collaboration between The Fleming Collection and Ian Fleming Publications working closely with Ian Fleming’s worldwide publishing partners. Loans will include previously unseen archival material.
Ian Fleming's first biographer, John Pearson, has identified 15 January 1952 as the "birth date" of James Bond. The first book, CASINO ROYALE, was published by Jonathan Cape in 1953. Ian Fleming worked on the cover design himself, describing it as one of 'exquisite symmetry and absolute chastity'. He sent the manuscript to Paul Gallico, who he had met in the course of his work at the Sunday Times, and Gallico was happy to give James Bond his first literary endorsement. "The book is a knockout."
May 28th 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ian Fleming - author, journalist, sportsman, naval commander, traveller, bon viveur, spy and creator of one the most legendary literary characters, James Bond.
The Fleming Collection
13 Berkeley Street
London W1
Tel: +44 (0)20 7409 5730
Fax: +44 (0)20 7409 573
Opening hours: (Admission Free)
Monday Closed to general public
Open by appointment for group visits and educational events 10am - 5.30pm
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5.30pm
Sunday Closed
Nearest tube: Green Park
John Houston OBE RSA RSW (b.1930)
Poppies and Roses, 1983, Oil on Canvas
© The Artist / The Fleming-Wyfold Art Foundation
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Location: The Fleming Collection, 13 Berkeley Street, London, W1, England
Contact: Abi Gold at Cawdell Douglas on 0207 439 2822 |
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