In October (2024) I organized for a group of my students to take a tour of The Shape of Things exhibition at Pallant House.
The afternoon consisted of an hours exclusive guided tour of the exhibition with a guide from the gallery giving the talk. Then there would be two hours of sketching in the exhibition and the rest of the gallery with support from myself, followed by the opportunity to stay on for the last hour before closing to explore the gallery further.
We started by meeting in the reception/café area of the galley and several of us took the opportunity to visit the Print Room where works by Nana Shiomi were on display.
“Shiomi’s sophisticated woodcut prints combine relief and intaglio methods. They are rooted in the traditional technique of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking, yet also reference European artists, such as Paul Cezanne, Marcel Duchamp, Albrecht Dürer and Giorgio De Chirico.”
(scroll through images and click to enlarge)
Find out more about this exhibition-
The Shape of Things
At 1pm we met our guide who took us upstairs to the Reserve Collection Room. Here we gathered for a short talk about the Gallery and the type of works housed in their collection.
Artists mentioned are only those referenced during our talk. Other images supplied*
The Tour
We began in Room 1. I will give a brief over view of the rooms and the artists highlighted during the talk:
Room 1.1
This initial area displays a mixture of artwork comparing ‘traditional’ and modern work from 1600’s to 2000’s.
Our guide spent time talking to us about Memento mori and highlighting the use of chiaroscuro and the dark backgrounds used in many of these works.
Mary Moser - Summer Flowers on a Ledge (one of the Founders of RA)
Room 2
British Post-Impressionism
In the early 20th century, British artists from the Bloomsbury and Camden Town Groups were influenced by French Modernists like Cézanne, Manet, and Gauguin, who pioneered still life as an avant-garde subject. Post-impressionists used bold colours and simplified forms to break from naturalism, inspiring artists like the Scottish Colourists and others who were also influenced by Matisse's Fauvist use of colour.
William Nicolson - The Silver Casket and Red Leather Box
Where our guide pointed out that we may be able to spot the underpainting of a different image.
John Duncan Ferguson - The Blue Lamp
We were also introduced to works by members of The Bloomsbury Group
Room 3
Order, Reality and Dreams 1920-50’s
In the 1920s and 1930s, British still life took diverse paths, with some artists returning to realistic depictions reflecting a desire for stability after WWI, while surrealists used startling compositions to challenge societal norms. Artists like Eileen Agar defied gender expectations through surrealism, and groups like the Seven & Five Society and Unit One, including Paul Nash, merged abstraction and surrealism, shaping future artistic developments.
Eric Ravilious - Ironbridge Interior + Kettle, Teapot, Breadboard, Matches
Cedric Morris - Irises and Tulips
Paul Nash – Dead Spring. There were also a set of wood engravings in the case which we were encouraged to view in our own time after the talk.
Gluck - Lords and Ladies
Our guide noted that Gluck rejected personal titles, gender stereotypes and dressed in trousers and none gender specific clothes.
Room 4
Paths to Abstraction
In mid-20th-century Britain, still life offered abstract artists a way to experiment with colour, form, and volume, moving away from naturalistic representations. The Cornish town of St Ives became a hub for abstract modernism, attracting artists like Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, and Patrick Heron, who drew inspiration from both their surroundings and everyday objects.
Ben Nicolson - Still Life, 1934 + 1946 (still life, cerulean) + 1943–45 (St Ives, Cornwall)
Ivor Hitchens – Flowers
Our guide asked us to find the other Ivor Hitchens works in Pallant house, she said ‘they were lucky to have’, which includes one of my favourite works in the gallery - Curved Barn.
Barbara Hepworth -Conoid, Sphere and Hollow III
Here we were encouraged to look at the sculpture and think about what it may represent. Is it a vase and orange perhaps? Or is it a family, the ball representing the child, the dip representing the mother and the large looming shape the father?
Room 5
Death, Decay and Postwar Austerity
The Second World War caused immense loss in Britain, with continued rationing into the 1950s. British art of the time reflected themes of death and decay, with artists often referencing the "memento mori." We entered a stygian part of the exhibition, dark walls and a small thin gallery space.
Madam Yevonde - Crisis (A.R.P.)
This was the first work that was not a traditional painting or sculpture, but a photograph. Signifying the change in art methods and what was now considered fine art.
Room 6
Abundance and Consumer Culture
Artists in this room have started to blurred the line between high and low art by using consumer imagery to present modern brands and packaging accessible to all.
Jann Haworth - Donuts, Coffee Cups and Comic
John Bratby - Still Life with Chip Frier (This work was pointed out to us in preparation for a work we would see in the next room.)
Room 7
Stillness and Reflection
Still life invites slow, mindful observation, offering a pause in our busy lives to reflect on the beauty of the everyday. Artists like Rachel Whiteread and Edmund de Waal emphasize the significance of negative spaces, while others, such as Elizabeth Blackadder and Jean Cooke, draw inspiration from plants and flowers, symbolising hope and resilience. Still life art examines the familiar, allowing us to find meaning in ordinary objects that reflect our own lives and the fragility and beauty of existence. This room had a contemplative feel, with several works along one wall being white, cream or light tones. Such as Jane Simpson work Our Distant Relatives.
Joan Cooke - Through the Looking Glass. Our guide drew us back to the previous work of John Bratby and explained how John and Joan had once been married, and Joan had finally left what was an oppressive and controlling relationship.
Room 1.2
Still Life Now
Still life remains a vibrant and relevant art form to this day, offering contemporary artists a space for formal, intellectual, and emotional exploration. While engaging with tradition, they also push boundaries, using the genre to challenge expectations and address modern societal issues.
Mona Hutoun - Natura morta (medical cabinet)
Wolfgang Tillman - Hampstead still life
Find out more about this exhibition- *and details of other images.
Sketching and Reflection
After the tour, I encouraged students to revisit the rooms and choose a work to sketch. By sketching, many students found that they noticed details they hadn’t seen on first glance. It was wonderful to see everyone so engaged, forming small groups to sketch and discuss the artworks.
By the end of the session, most students had completed their sketches. Some took the opportunity to explore other parts of the gallery or visit the shop, while others enjoyed a relaxing break in the café.
It was a truly wonderful afternoon, filled with learning, creativity, and reflection.
I’m so glad we could share this experience, and I hope to organize more gallery visits in the future!
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