VISITKENT
BEANEY HOUSE OF ART & KNOWLEDGE TO HOST ARTS COUNCIL COLLECTION EXHIBITION
Saturday 6th May to Sunday 25th June 2017
THIS MAY , THE BEANEY HOUSE OF ART & KNOWLEDGE WILL HOST DRAWN FROM LIFE : PEOPLE ON PAPER BRINGING TOGETHER SOME OF THE FINEST WORKS FROM THE ARTS COUNCIL COLLECTION
The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge by Guy Gardener
Drawn from Life : People on Paper opens at The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge in Canterbury on 6th May 2017 and brings together work by some of the biggest names in 20th and 21th century British art including David Hockney , Henry Moore , Barbara Hepworth and L . S . Lowry .
Part of a tour to celebrate the Arts Council ’ s 70th Anniversary , the exhibition includes some of the finest drawings from its collection covering the last 100 years . Although there are some surprising similarities through the decades , there is also huge diversity in the approaches and techniques used .
The Arts Council Collection is the largest loan collection of modern and contemporary British art and includes fine examples of work by all of this country ’ s most prominent artists . It is the most widely circulated of all of Britain ’ s national collections and can be seen in museums and galleries across the UK and abroad .
Jill Constantine , Director , Arts Council Collection , said : “ For 70 years the Arts Council Collection has supported artists based in the UK by purchasing their work . The Collection has been built by the many distinguished artists , curators and writers who have advised on the purchase of works and it is arguably in this very open and democratic approach to acquisition that the Collection ’ s greatest strength lies . We are delighted to be working with The Beaney in Canterbury to bring this exhibition to the people of Kent . Drawn from Life captures the breadth and vitality of the figurative drawing that is produced by artists in this country .”
The exhibition begins in the early 20th century with Gwen John ’ s delicate lines , the intricate patterns of Harold Gilman and the precision of William Roberts . Mid-20th-century works include the whimsical lines of George Fullard and John Golding and the bold markings of Frank Auerbach and John Bratby . The story is brought up to date with the imaginary figures of Charles Avery and Mimei Thompson .
The majority of works in the exhibition are drawn from observation , though some are from memory or imagination . Some are unfinished studies while others are finished works in their own right . The exhibition also includes work created early on in artists ’ careers such as a self-portrait by Richard Hamilton from 1938 , Mrs Ash Asleep by Howard Hodgkin from 1952 and Peter Blake ’ s Portrait of a Man from 1950 .
The Beaney exhibition will also be complemented by a number of loans from the British Council Collection .
Joanna Jones , Director of Museums & Galleries for Canterbury City Council said : “ The Beaney is delighted to have such a strong partnership with the Arts Council Collection . Through this collaboration we are able to bring elements of this significant national collection to Canterbury for a wide range of visitors to enjoy .”
Drawn from Life : People on Paper will be on display from Saturday 6th May to Sunday 25th June in the Special Exhibitions Room at The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge in Canterbury .
Richard Hamilton Self Portrait . 1938 . Arts Council Collection , Southbank Centre , London © R . Hamilton . All Rights Reserved , 2017 .
Free admission , see website for full opening times .
For more information about this and other exhibitions and events visit www . thebeaney . co . uk or call 01227 862162 .
Arts Council Collection is managed by Southbank Centre , London on behalf of Arts Council England
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