About Me

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Bristol , United Kingdom
I'm co-director of the Leaping Word Poetry Consultancy, which provides advice for poets on writing, editing and publishing, as well as qualified counselling support for those exploring personal issues in their work - https://theleapingword.com. My fifth poetry collection, Learning Finity, is now available from Indigo Dreams or directly from me.

Sunday 7 July 2013

Picturing Arcadia at the RWA

I've been a bit remiss because they've been on for a few weeks now, but the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol has a couple of interesting exhibitions on over the summer. 

First, there's Monumental by Sophie Ryder which runs until 8th September.  Some years ago now Ryder hit on the figure of a woman with the hare of a head to counterbalance the mythical figure of the Minotaur, and she has been fascinated by it ever since, as this exhibition shows.  I don't think I've ever seen the same theme explored in so many different media by one artist, from huge sculptures in wire, bronze, fibreglass to maquettes and needlepoint miniatures.   

My favourite exhibition, though, is Picturing Arcadia, which draws on the RWA's permanent collection and features work by John Piper, Duncan Grant, David Inshaw, George Tute, Arthur Homeshaw and many more Academicians. And it's lush, look, this is Piper's print of Hautbois Church, which makes my eyes feel like they are bathing in dreams:


And this is George Tute's strange wood engraving, Landscape with Balloons, which shares the enclosed, even claustrophobic feel of landscapes by Robin Tanner, but in a more modern and slightly threatening (rather than threatened) sort of way:
And I had to love this one - Scorhill by Arthur Homeshaw, whom I mentioned in yesterday's blog and who reminded me, patiently, that I hadn't blogged about the exhibition.  


Picturing Arcadia is only on until 25th August, so do get along there soon.  It costs £4 to get in, £4,50 if you gift aid your entry fee.    



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