Latest Exhibitions  

Here you will find information about upcoming exhibitions at the Somerville Gallery.

This section contains information about upcoming events, recent shows and the latest Artists who will exhibit.

Latest Exhibition

BARBARA DELANEY 'SELECTIVE AFFINITIES'
23 APRIL – 28 MAY The Somerville Gallery, Plymouth Private View
Thursday 22 April 6 – 8pm

Concurrent exhibition with Cube3, Plymouth University, Drake Circus 23 April – 28 May 2010
Barbara Delaney is an abstract painter of international standing, having exhibited ex- tensively throughout the UK since the early 1970s, as well as in the USA, Irish Republic, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. Her works are represented in more than 35 major collections. This is her 31st solo exhibition.
She says: ‘Painting, to me, means life and communication. In abstraction, I try to reach the essence of a sensation - be it the joy of dynamic colour/movement, or calm spiritual contemplation. Contrasts of opposites have always intrigued me. For many years I’ve been deeply interested in the traditional arts of other cultures - Indian Ragamala paint- ing, traditional African sculpture (the study of which toughened up my drawing no end!) and Amazonian featherworks. The circular motifs in my large paintings evolved out of the structure of Amazonian feather headdresses, as did the 3-D works on paper (of which there will be a selection on view at the Gallery). Since early childhood I have loved the colourful and formal art of the Middle Ages (my father was an art historian who specialised in that era) and later this developed into a love of Indian Ragamala painting. The ongoing Bundi and Asavari series (Asavari meaning Snake Charmer) started in 2000, and I greatly enjoy continuing to develop it.’
Rather than trying to emulate another culture’s style, she has assimilated the original images into her own visual language, resulting in exciting life-enhancing works one can live with and re-discover again and again.
Brendan Flynn, Curator of Fine Art, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery: ‘Delaney is one of that seasoned group of British painters who continue to make art that matters. These are lyrical, subtle paintings, great discs of amber and blue ... they sing to each other in modulated tones or gorgeous high voltage colours that imprint themselves on the retina and the memory.’
Art critic Andrew Lambirth, in his catalogue essay for her solo exhibition at the South- ampton City Art Gallery in 2005, writes: ‘These paintings glow and pulse with life; there is no sense of stasis here. And what a pick-me-up their vibrant colours are, especially so during the grey half of the year.’