Braintree Station, Bawden
To get out of my freezing flat, Esmeralda costs too much when she bothers to ignite, I accepted the offer of filling in for a couple of hours this afternoon at the museum. I wandered down there in temperatures just below freezing with rumours of snow in places irritating me passing frozen noses and many an ungloved hand thrust into not very warm pockets.
The time was well spent, I cleaned hundreds of cups left over from the day before and spent some time proof reading labels soon to be attacked to exhibits. The amount of work to ensure an exhibition is put on properly is astounding, mostly I avoid it. There were few changes to be made and when we closed I wandered around gazing at the pictures already in place.
Edward Bawden and the many other artists who gathered in the wee villages of Great Bardfield to the north of town in the twenties and thirties onwards are the subject of the exhibition. Based on a book, 'Life in an English Village' we show many of the works and expect a large number of adoring art lovers to visit in the coming weeks.
HMS Glorious, Ravilious
On Saturday we have the official opening and already over fifty people have decided to be there, so will I, probably washing glasses again! The works themselves do look to me as very 40's and 50's as many were done by the artists following on from the originators Bawden and Eric Ravilious. Bawden continued working for some years but Ravilious unfortunately obtained work as a war artist and was sent to Iceland which at that time was an RAF base. Not long after he arrived an air sea rescue mission was launched for a missing plane and he went along on one of the four aircraft searching. Only three of those planes returned, Ravilious and his aircraft were never seen again.
The pictures are a bit iffy to me some of them. I saw several very good ones and too many of the type often called 'naive,' I think people who pay large sums of cash for them are naive myself.
I must look out my crayons...
5 comments:
I like Ravilious' stuff - there are a great many current famous 'artists' who could have better been lost off Iceland rather than him.
I used to follow a blog about his work....either it has stopped or I have lost it.
Now, if you are on chief cook and bottle washer duties again I suggest you lay by a bottle to help you through the stress of it all. By the time you finish it even the worst of the art will have lost its sting.
Like beauty, art is in the eye of the beholder. What appeals to one person may not appeal to another.
Ravillious was from Sussex, so I am familiar with his art and I like it very much.
Such a shame that he died so young.
Fly, He had not long moved his family into a place at Shalford when he went to Iceland. Sad loss for them.
Lee, Nothing in todays art appeals.
Kay, You educated woman you!
I didn't get round to commenting on this but I do love the pictures. I didn't know Ravilious and Bawden were around that area. Your museum certainly puts on some first class shows, if I am anywhere around I will come and see this exhibition.
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