Bruce Haines

Weekend in Valmouth

15 Sep - 29 Oct 2011

WEEKEND IN VALMOUTH
15 September - 29 October 2011

Ancient & Modern presents 'Weekend in Valmouth', an exhibition proposing an imaginary gathering of artists in the fictional West Country seaside resort 'Valmouth' described in Ronald Firbank's 1919 novel of the same name, a centenarians' haven due to its pure air and rejuvenating qualities.

Like Firbankian prose, the works presented here indulge in frivolous and eccentric conversations across generations, styles and media by artists including Kai Althoff, Tim Braden, Volker Eichelmann, Jane England, Nicky Haslam, Richard Hawkins, Audrey Reynolds, Stephen Tennant (1906-1987) and Michael Wishart (1928-1996).

Conduit for these exchanges is Eichelmann's long standing pre-occupation with the likes of Firbank, Tennant, Wishart, William Beckford, Brian Howard and James Lees-Milne. This coterie of artists, aesthetes and doyens of taste provides the text extracts featured in Eichelmann's recent paintings which conjure a sense of place or atmosphere often whimsical and capricious in nature.
 

Tags: Kai Althoff, Tim Braden, Volker Eichelmann, Jane England, Richard Hawkins, Audrey Reynolds