20th January – Toby Faber
T S Eliot in Art
TS Eliot was indebted to, and himself inspired by some of
the 20th Century’s greatest artists. He influenced his
counterparts in the visual arts. Edward McKnight Kauffer
and David Jones illustrated his work, Patrick Heron and
Wyndham Lewis painted him and Jacob Epstein sculpted
him. There are paintings and compositions inspired by him
and the reverse is also true. The Waste Land employs
techniques borrowed from modern art.
17th February – Laura Wickwire
Murano Glass, the Jewel of Venice
We explore how Murano became the epicentre of
glassmaking across the world. After seeing how Venice was
built we take a short gondola ride to the island of Murano.
Here we learn of the many enduring styles of Murano glass
and delve into the lives of these ancient artisans .
Followed by
GET TOGETHER FOR RECENT MEMBERS
17th March – Chris Aslan
Unravelling the Silk Road
Wool, silk and cotton have each played a part in the fortunes
of Central Asia. Silk was more valuable than gold and used
as currency, creating a network of trading routes that led to
globalisation. Silk Road products stratified wealth, displayed
religious and political entrenchments and changed the
fortunes of this part of the world.
21st April – Antony Penrose
The Legendary Lee Miller
The life of Lee Miller, told with reference to those with
whom she exchanged creative inspiration – Man Ray, Roland
Penrose, Pablo Picasso, David E. Scherman, her father
Theodore Miller and her son Antony Penrose. A definitive
view by her son and biographer, this presentation has been
acclaimed for its ability to embrace many different levels of
the history of art and photography, social commentary and
emotional connection with the subject.
*Contains some wartime images which may be disturbing*
Tuesday 15thSeptember
DAY OF SPECIAL INTEREST
29th April – Ian Swankie
The Brilliance of British Architecture &
Design
See more under Events
19th May – Colin Schindler
60 Years On – Life in the Sixties on Film
The four elements of this lecture are: the emergence of the
North (A Taste of Honey etc) ; Swinging Britain (Alfie etc);
Last days of Empire (Zulu etc) and finally the drastic change
in the depiction of sex, from Victim in 1961 to Women in
Love, 1969.
16th June – Jacky Klein
Decoding Contemporary Art
Many of us find contemporary art challenging, strange,
provocative or downright silly. This lecture unravels the step
changes in art since the 1870s, exploring how we got from
impressionist paintings to the interactive, immersive,
ephemeral and “post- medium” art of today.
21st July – Jackie Marsh-Hobbs
Regeneration of the British Seaside
Resort
Traces from 3 centuries of seaside holidays are still present
in our historic coastal towns, their architecture and
environments. Mass transport contributed to their
development but later drew people away with cheap flights
abroad. The opening of new galleries and public art works
are reviving their fortunes.
15th September – Sarah Ciacci
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood –
Artworld Rebels
This group of young artists came together in 1848 to shake
up an art world they considered stultified and untruthful,
because they were encouraged to copy only the old masters.
Consequently, they sought inspiration from artists that came
before Raphael with more truthful and honest subject
matters.
AGM at 10am – Doors open at 09:30
20th October – Ray Warburton
Sculpture in Britain, Today and tomorrow
British sculpture enjoyed a renaissance in the 20th
century with Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and
Elizabeth Frink
leading the way. But who came afterwards and with
what effect? Whiteread, Gormley, Hamblin, Kapoor,
Long and Nash. After examining their work we review
the adornments to the fourth plinth and the rising stars
of British Sculpture.
17th November – Ian Swankie
Bottoms Up – the Art of Intoxication
Since the early Romans and Greeks alcohol has been an important subject for artists. We examine the way drink and drinking are depicted, the social messages portrayed, happy and unhappy consequences and how alcohol affected the lives of many artists, their families and friends.
Followed by:
FESTIVE DRINKS AND MINCE PIES