Review: Ian Stephenson - Planes of Heaven
Studio International review by Dr. Beth Williamson
Ian Stephenson, Eclipse, 1966-67. Oil on canvas, 167.7 x 182.9 cm (66 x 72 in).
Visiting exhibitions in the New Art Centre at Roche Court is always a pleasure. With this oasis of calm in the middle of the Wiltshire countryside, Madeleine Bessborough has created something very special. The New Art Centre was founded by Bessborough in London in 1958 to provide a space for young artists to exhibit and sell work. In 1994, it relocated from its Sloane Street premises to Roche Court a 19th-century house in the Wiltshire countryside that became the New Art Centre, Roche Court Sculpture Park.
The latest exhibition Ian Stephenson: Planes of Heaven is special for several reasons. Stephenson (1934-2000) had his first solo exhibition at the New Art Centre in London in 1962. It is remarkable that the relationship between gallerist and artist, and later his estate, has sustained for more than six decades. The exhibition itself is unique for the scale of paintings it is showing, focusing on large works from the late 60s and early 70s. Truly monumental, it is exceptional to be able to view such works in a space that feels somewhere between inside and outside, embedded in the landscape and the world, making us even more curious about our place in the universe. This is Bessborough’s last exhibition as director after a long and illustrious career championing the arts, although I suspect she will still have a hand in what comes next……..