Lowry’s paintings and drawings
A slightly different topic today. But well worth showcasing I think. The University of Nottingham is hosting a terrific new exhibition of Lowry’s paintings and drawings:
This exhibition focuses on Lowry’s work from the beginning of the 20s to the immediate post-war period, from his early forays into the industrial scene to the point at which he began to achieve a degree of commercial success and his interests shifted into the territory of figure painting.
In the 1930s, personal crisis brought about by the death of his parents, and the artist’s growing sense of isolation, produced a kind of artistic derailment resulting in an extraordinary body of work whose subject matter chimes with the national zeitgeist of pre-war angst: his views of empty industrial wastelands, derelict buildings and a disturbing series of staring portrait heads will all come as a revelation to those who only know Lowry as the poet of the Lancashire mills.
Neil Walker, exhibition curator, said: “I hope that people who might come to the exhibition with a preconceived idea of Lowry based solely on his industrial subjects will leave with a much fuller appreciation of the breadth and complexity of his life’s work.”
This exhibition focuses on Lowry’s work from the beginning of the 20s to the immediate post-war period, from his early forays into the industrial scene to the point at which he began to achieve a degree of commercial success and his interests shifted into the territory of figure painting.Hugely impressive and well worth seeing. The landscapes and portraits are particularly striking. It’s on at the Djanogly Gallery, Lakeside Arts Centre at the University of Nottingham until 5 February 2012.
The exhibition is fantastic — I’ve never seen the place so busy either. Looks like it’s a big hit.