ART BLOG
Another interesting evening lecture at Woodlane by ex-student Laura Smith and renowned artist France-Lise McGurn. Together they offered an interesting insight into the latest Virginia Woolf inspired exhibition on the verge of opening at the Tate St Ives.
The exhibition which is curated by Smith, explores feminist perspectives on landscape and domesticity. It includes contemporary artwork from over 80 artists, including Laura Knight, Winifred Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth and runs until late April in Cornwall. In May it travels to Pallant House, Chichester and then on to The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge in October.
McGurn’s second piece at the Tate was a result of her recent residency and is on semi-permanent show in the stairwell of the newly reopened gallery. This site-specific wall painting called Collapsing New People, spans the height of the building and features full-length figures, which are rare in McGurn’s work. Her domestic mural focusses on the function of gossip, anecdotes and the stories that circulate in an artists’ colony. Designed to be read vertically, the mural uses both spontaneous lines and repeated gestures to create loose associations about place, history and storytelling. McGurn is well known for her figurative paintings and often works directly onto walls and floors, so it was no surprise to learn that she also has an interest in the history of mural painting.
I will be visiting the exhibition towards the end of the month, so hope to enlighten you all more in a future blog.