Patrick Procktor: The Last Romantic, TheGallery, Arts University Bournemouth

Patrick Procktor: The Last Romantic, TheGallery, Arts University Bournemouth

TheGallery, Arts University Bournemouth (AUB), is delighted to announce a major collaboration with The Redfern Gallery, London’s longest established commercial art gallery, to present a new exhibition showcasing the work of Patrick Procktor RA. Curated by Art Historian and Biographer of the artist, Dr. Ian Massey, this major exhibition of paintings, drawings, watercolours and prints traces this prolific artist’s career over the course of four decades. Including important loans from public and private collections, and pieces from Procktor’s own estate, this is a chance to see many works that have not been showed to the public for decades.

Procktor’s first show opened to great critical acclaim at The Redfern Gallery in May 1963 – less than a year after he graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art. Launching him as a star of the art scene in 1960s London, he became part of a mythical circle that included David Hockney, fashion designer Ossie Clarke and textile designer Celia Birtwell. His wide and varied social circle included Cecil Beaton, Princess Margaret, Gilbert & George, and Derek Jarman. Subjects for his portraits included rock stars Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger, and actors Jill Bennett and Terence Stamp. Procktor’s sensibility was an essentially romantic one, and in his art he balanced a romantic impulse with classical restraint. A gifted water-colourist with great facility and lightness of touch, Procktor also worked substantially in oils and other media. Amongst work of the 1960s are remarkable canvases, in which the artist can be seen to engage with the stylistic idioms of the day, moving progressively towards the signature style for which he became renowned.

Professor Emma Hunt, Deputy Vice Chancellor of AUB said: “Procktor’s support for art education and drawing are testament to the long tradition of art education in the UK and one that the AUB proudly continues. This exhibition is a must for anyone wishing to learn more of the interactions between art and design and society in the 1960’s and beyond, and the gradual re-emergence of figurative painting in the UK today.” More recently, Procktor’s work has resonated with contemporary artists who find empathy with his artistic vision. This exhibition offers the chance to look afresh at Procktor’s oeuvre.

On 11 February, curator Dr. Ian Massey will discuss in detail the life and work of Procktor, his influence on art today and how his legacy lives on. This is a free event, held between 5pm and 6pm at TheGallery. To book please visit the AUB Online Store. To continue the focus on Patrick Procktor, The Redfern Gallery, London, will be hosting a sister exhibition Pure Romance from 2–27 February 2016, also curated by Dr. Ian Massey. Taking its title from a painting by Patrick Procktor, this group of paintings, drawings, photographs and prints is formed of both historical and contemporary artefacts, dating from the 1920s to the present day. Amongst artists confirmed to take part in the show are Cecil Beaton, Marc Camille Chaimowicz, Kaye Donachie, Silke Otto Knapp, Robert Medley, Elizabeth Peyton, Patrick Procktor and Alessandro Raho.

Patrick Proctor: The Last Romantic, until 25 February, TheGallery, Arts University Bournemouth.

For more details, visit www.aub.ac.uk and www.redfern-gallery.com.

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Credits
1. Patrick Procktor, 1968, Courtesy of The Redfern Gallery.