PRINTMAKERS, landscape painters and an abstract artist are among the six local artists featuring in an ongoing art exhibition on Bradford’s big screen.
The Not Just Hockney project’s Past and Present digital presentation aims to highlight the cultural connections between past visual artists and those of today.
Silsden art enthusiast Colin Neville set up the Not Just Hockney website to showcase the array of artists who live and work in the district.
The latest big screen presentation was refreshed at the beginning of December and will run for two months before the artwork changes again.
Mr Neville said: “The recent successful bid of Bradford Council to become a ‘national portfolio organisation’ in the arts means that Bradford Museums receive over £380,000 a year from the Arts Council between 2023 to 2026. It presents a great opportunity for the Museums Service to display artwork by some of the lesser-known artists from the district.
“In the case of the three past artists to be featured on Bradford Big Screen during December and January - Adeline Illingworth, Derek Hyatt and Gerald French - ‘lesser-known’ does not mean lesser quality. Quite the reverse in fact.
“All three artists enjoyed success and recognition for their work in their lifetimes, but in the world of visual art, as in other spheres of life, the grass can quickly grow over your mound unless individuals are championed by others, particularly by local museums and galleries.
“The Arts Council grant gives Bradford Museums an excellent opportunity to do just that, for example, by dusting off paintings by Hyatt and French from their own storage areas, and by acquiring work by some of the largely forgotten past women painters of the district – Adeline Illingworth, May Tremel, and Doris Schrecker, for example.
“The work of Hyatt, French and Illingworth could also be exhibited alongside work by some of the very talented current artists who live and work in the district today – such as Clare Caulfield, Ben Snowdon and Martin Cosgrove, whose matched work is also shown on the Big Screen in the ‘Past and Present’ presentation.”
More details on the six artists involved this time include:
Adeline Illingworth and Clare Caulfield
Adeline Illingworth (1858 - 1942): etcher and printmaker
Adeline Illingworth was a Bradford-born artist, etcher and printmaker who specialised in architectural subjects. She exhibited her artwork extensively, including on over 20 occasions with the Royal Academy. The British Museum has examples of her work in their print collection.
Clare Caulfield: artist/printmaker
“I am a Bingley-based artist whose work is inspired by my travels to some of the world’s greatest cities including Paris, Venice and New York. Working in a lively drawing style, I aim to capture the life and vibrancy of these iconic locations. I create my paintings using watercolour, acrylic, pencil, pen & ink along with various printmaking techniques.”
Derek Hyatt and Martin Cosgrove
Derek Hyatt (1931 - 2015) landscape painter
The Ilkley artist, Derek Hyatt, was a landscape painter of mainly Yorkshire scenes. His artwork, which tended to an abstract style, was widely exhibited during his lifetime. His work can be found today in many private and public collections, including with Bradford Museums and Galleries, Harvard University and the New York Museum of Modern Art.
Martin Cosgrove: fine artist
“I am a fine artist working primarily in oils, acrylic ink, graphite and pencil. My main focus is depicting landscapes and the human figure, my techniques in general pretty abstract and exploratory. I am really interested in using serendipity when developing a piece of art and hope to create a painting that you can enjoy and explore with your imagination.”
Gerald French and Ben Snowdon
Gerald French (1927 - 2001): painter
Gerald French was a Bradford painter of portraits, landscapes and abstracts. He studied part-time at Bradford School of Art alongside David Hockney, whom he sketched on a number of occasions. Gerald’s work can be found today the collections of Dean Clough in Halifax, Cartwright Hall in Bradford, and at The Hepworth, Wakefield.
Ben Snowdon: painter and sculptor
“My work explores the theme of erosion and the effects it has on the physical and mental state of a person and the world we live in. Erosion wears away inner light, but it can also clear away the dead weight that clutters your path. I use painting and sculpture to communicate a positive and constructive view of the world.”
The Not Just Hockney exhibition runs every day at 12.30pm on the big screen in Bradford’s City Park.
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