Painting a Century: works by Modern British artists

18 Mar – 30 Apr 2017

The New Art Centre is perhaps most associated with sculpture but it also has also had a long history of exhibiting the work of many important painters. Indeed, 2017 will focus attention on painting with a series of special shows. The year began with Peter Frie: Path which has proven so successful that it will continue in the Orangery. Whilst in the Gallery, we have curated a beautiful exhibition which brings together painters such as Sandra Blow, Merlyn Evans, Ian Stephenson and Victor Pasmore. These are shown alongside works which have a particularly painterly approach such as Anthony Caro, Phyllida Barlow, Richard Long and Johannes Nagel. By juxtaposing diverse works from the 1950s onwards, this new show is a riposte to our exhibition examining sculpture organised in 2016 called Shaping a Century. However, it also questions the very nature of painting and examines the diverse techniques, materials and supports used. This theme continues in the Artists House with works by Kenneth Armitage, Barbara Hepworth, Howard Hodgkin, John Hubbard, Ceri Richards Bruce McLean, David Ward and Clare Woods.