24th June 2023 - NEAC Annual Exhibition 2023

The Piccadilly Waterstones café located at the back of the bookshop on the first floor, is a surprising oasis of calm in the centre of London. It was the perfect venue to enjoy a cup of tea/coffee before heading to the New English Art Club annual exhibition  on the Mall a few minutes away.

In the pleasantly cool gallery contrasting with the heat outside, artist Neil Pittaway  RA and NEAC member led a tour of the three roomed gallery. He briefly highlighted the history of the NEAC which was founded in 1886 as a response to the conservative policies of the Royal Academy of Arts. The NEAC sought to promote and exhibit contemporary, innovative and non-academic art. It played a significant role in the development of British art, particularly in the late 19th and early 20thcenturies. Artists like Walter Sicker, Vanessa Bell and Gwen John for example have been associated with the club. The club welcomes artists working in a variety of mediums, including painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture. Members and selected artists display their figurative works which are available for purchase ranging from £145 to £15 850 at the 2023 annual exhibition. It was amusing to hear from Neil Pittaway that some works can also be rejected by the jury because the framing or even the signature.

We asked Neil Pittaway to show us a delightful small oil painting by the 103 years old Diana Armfield RA “Spring Time, Entrance to Pensford Field” who has a special connection to the Lyceum Club as the niece of Constance Smedley, the club founder. He also drew our attention to the layout, arrangement and connections between the paintings to create an engaging and cohesive viewing experience. Factors liked wall colours, style, subject matter, themes or lighting are taken into consideration. There was for example a wall painted in grey, highlighting some small works clustered together. The grey wall mirrored another one in the gallery thus creating an instant connection. There was also a memorial wall for members of the NEAC who passed away in 2022/2023 : Antony Green, Dawn Sidoli, Fred Cuming and Ken Howard. 

The NEAC is a registered charity which relies on the generosity of their supporters to be able to help aspiring, emerging and established figurative artists through teaching, scholarships and exhibiting. 

 In the magnificent ballroom of the Lansdowne club, we enjoyed the beautifully interpreted pieces of Bach and Chopin played by the young and talented Italian pianist: Giacomo Tora. He is a prize winner of several piano competitions in Italy, Spain and the UK and has been the recipient of important academic awards . His most recent performances in London feature his presence at a concert presented by ABRSM and Classic FM at the South Bank Centre, multiple recitals at St James’ Piccadilly and has been invited to international concert series. He is a member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians UK.

He played works by Bach (Italian Concerto in F Major BWV 971, Aria Variata in A minor BWV 989, Prelude in C Major BWV 846, Prelude and Fugue in E Major BWV 878) and Chopin  (Prelude No 23 in F Major , Prelude No 2 in A minor, Etude Op 25 No 12, Prelude No 4 in E minor, Prelude No 7 in A Major) explaining the connection between both composers and how Chopin was influenced by Bach.

Those who decided to stay after the recital, continued the evening at the Courtyard, enjoying a friendly dinner and conversation.

Wozzeck, Alban Berg’s operatic masterpiece, was our first outing to the Royal Opera House. 

We started the evening with a pre-performance drink in the magnificent light-filled Paul Hamlyn Hall before the drama of Wozzeck began. 

Wozzeck, the hero, is a genuinely good man but he is also a traumatised and impoverished veteran. He is subjected to the misdeeds of a succession of characters, each of whom could help him but instead choose to act in ways that degrade him, one at a time, until his eventual destruction. Taunted and exploited by his superiors, he is driven to madness and revenge after he learns of his mistress’s infidelity.

For the Royal Opera’s new production, Deborah Warner sets the work in the present day. The stage is elementary and very dramatic. Deborah Warner’s focused and vivid new production avoids caricature, and, with superb singing and Antonio Pappano’s conducting, drama and music dovetail perfectly. 

At the point of crisis, a crimson moon is eclipsed, to spectacular effect, as the orchestra sounds its roaring, unison note in a terrifying crescendo. Direction and music are forged as one. 

An experience which definitely gets under your skin.

In the superb setting of Leighton House, we enjoyed the last concert of the 2022-2023 season of the Kensington and Chelsea Music Society with Guy Johnston at the cello accompanied by William Vann at the piano. They beautifully performed the cello sonatas by Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Gabriel Fauré and the contemporary British composer Joseph Phibbs.

Guy Johnston is one of the most exciting British cellists of his generation. His early successes included winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year and significant awards notably the Young British Classical Performer Brit Award. He performs with many leading international orchestras including the London Philharmonic, the BBC Philharmonic etc. He is a passionate advocate for chamber music and recitals and performs regularly at prestigious venues and festivals across Europe. He is also patron of several charities which promote music education for school children and young people.

William Vann is a multiple prize winning and critically acclaimed conductor and accompanist with an extensive discography and is also, amongst other things,  the chairman of Kensington and Chelsea Music Society.

A few minutes away from Leighton House, we enjoyed afterwards a tasty meal at the Iranian restaurant “Apadana” which has long been established as a staple of Persian dining in London since opening its doors in 1967.

  We could not have dreamt of a better day to go to the Isabella Plantation in Richmond park. The weather was perfect to visit this beautiful woodland garden planted in the 1830’s, first opened to the public in 1953 and managed by the Royal Parks. The numerous Rhododendrons, Camelias, Azaleas as well as rare and unusual trees and shrubs were starting to come alive with colours.

Dorich House, located less than a 5mn drive away from the Isabella Plantation, is a little gem on Kingston Hill and a discovery for all of us including the locals in our group. The Museum, former home of the internationally acclaimed Latvian figurative and portraitist Sculptor Dora Gordine, holds the major collection of her bronzes, paintings and drawings, and a superb collection of Russian Imperial Art, gathered by her husband, the Hon. Richard Hare. 

The two studios, gallery and top floor apartment were all designed by Gordine herself in 1935/6. She lived there until her death in 1991 at the age of 96. Her presence is everywhere in the house with ground and first floor studios connected by an industrial hoist for her heavier works. The upper floors are domestic with a lounge and dining room connected by a circular door. The house was acknowledged for its significance through Grade II listing, it was burgled, squatted and used as a film set before being acquired by Kingston University which took on the restoration and maintenance of this beautiful house. To cover the costs of renovation much of Gordine and her husband Richard Hare’s collection of Russian art was sold in a series of auctions.

Thanks to the recommendation from one of our members, we discovered the Warren Hotel tucked away in the leafy Kingston Coombe Estate. It is a Victorian manor house built in 1865 now grade II listed building with elegant interiors set within 5 acres of beautiful landscaped gardens, the perfect venue for a wedding or afternoon tea or dinner with reasonably priced food. 

 The Nederlands Dance Theatre performance on Thursday evening was both powerful and mesmerising. I cannot remember having been so drawn into a dance performance both emotionally and visually!

The evening was divided into three contrasting stories, starting with La Ruta by choreographer Gabriela Carrizo. Set on a road by a bus stop and a junction box, the performance was like a bad dream, macabre and unsettling, yet mesmerising at the same time due to the excellent dancing and choreography.

By contrast, Gods and Dogs by Jiří Kylián was harmonious and dream-like.  Set to Beethoven, the fluidity and incredible flexibility of the dancers, along with a shimmering backdrop, was almost hypnotic at times.

The highlight of the show however was Figures in Extinction [1.0] by acclaimed Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite and director Simon McBurney. 

Set as a call to arms at the increasing pace of extinction caused by human action, the performance focused on the beauty of what is being lost, forever.  From a Pyrenean Ibex to a herd of caribou, a school of graceful handfish, to orchids and glaciers, we were reminded of the pace and magnitude of our actions. An almost comical climate denier reinforced the message but also provided a sense of hope, as he too seemed to be fading into extinction. 

In additional to memorable and mind-bending performances  we certainly had a lot to talk about over a glass of wine during the intervals! 

Photo: Figures in Extinction [1.0] ©RAHI REZVANI  2022

 Jolanda Chandler’s inspiring and relaxed tour introduced us to the work of different contemporary artists  starting with the German abstract painter, sculptor, graphic designer and photographer Günther Förg at the Hauser & Wirth gallery, which displayed his final series of paintings made between 2005-2010. The Spot Paintings were partially influenced by the colourful blotches of paint in Francis Bacon’s studio when he would wipe his brushes on the walls and door of the studio to remove excess paint.

We then went to the Waddington Custot gallery and focused on the beautiful work of French painter Fabienne Verdier. She paints vertically in ink, standing directly on her stretchers with giant brushes and tools of her invention suspended from her studio ceiling. She studied the art of calligraphy in China and recounts her ten year experience as an apprentice painter in a beautiful book recommended by Jolanda : “Passagère du Silence : Dix ans d’initiation en Chine”.

At the Flowers gallery we looked at the wonderful prints of Brazilian photographer Sebastiao  Salgado from this new series Platinum-palladium. He is one of the most celebrated photojournalist working today. Whilst inescapably memorable for their beauty, Saldago’s photographs are laden with political purpose exposing the social and environmental problems facing our planet.

We finished our tour at the NFT Gallery showcasing the Ukrainian graphic designer and illustrator Varvara Alay’s incredibly colourful and intricately detailed work. The Coin Girl series explores the world of blockchain technology and NFTs. Turning art into nonfungible tokens is something that many artists are exploring as a potential way to sell their work. NFTs allow art to be sold in a digital form by establishing the secure ownership of an original digital asset and they can open up access to communities of interested buyers. NFTs offer a new way to prove the ownership of the original item through the creation of a digital register on a blockchain. NFTs, a new concept to most of us,  raised a lot of interest and questions in our group.

We enjoyed afterwards the friendly and cosy atmosphere of the Courtyard at the Landsdowne Club just down the road.

    Food writer Jenny Linford, author of Food Lovers’ London and editor of the Kew Gardens Cookbook shared with us her knowledge of London’s food scene in a delightful and informative walking tour of Soho and Covent Garden. 

We were treated some delicious tasting on the way, which ranged from freshly baked  almond croissants and a fragrant cup of cappuccino or expresso, to some exquisite Parma ham and truffle mortadella and British farmhouse cheese.

Walking through China town, we not only tasted freshly baked Chinese buns but also discovered a three story food shop with an extensive range of Chinese and South East Asian foodstuffs, ranging from fresh Chinese broccoli and Thai basil, to a remarkable array of store-cupboard ingredients.

All the shops were a treat to visit and a welcome escape from your typical soulless trip around the supermarket. Some of us had even wisely anticipated bringing a large enough shoulder bag to carry all the food bought along the way!

We started the afternoon with a cup of coffee/tea in the elegant surroundings of the Kensington hotel which gave us the opportunity to catch up with members and get to know new people joining the event.

The biopic “Simone, a woman of the century” completes the trilogy film director Olivier Dagan began with the Edith Piaf biopic  “La Vie en Rose” and “Grace of Monaco”. In “Simone, a woman of the century” he paints the portrait of the French politician, women’s rights champion and Holocaust survivor Simone Veil who challenged and transformed her era. In bringing her extraordinary  life to the screen, the film also shines a light on some key moments in 20th century France : the Algerian war, the May 1968 riots for example. Her humanist message is still keenly relevant today.

The film quickly climbed to the top of the French box office and has become one of the leading French films of the year. The Cine Lumière auditorium at the French Institute in London was full and testifies for the success of the film here in the UK. 

Our group similarly found the Simone Veil’s biopic as inspiring , a woman triumphing in the face of terrible adversity, as it was harrowing with the dark horror of the Shoah in the last part of the film. A powerful film indeed. 

  Making Modernism was an intimate and thought-provoking view of life in the early 1900's in Germany through the lens of four pioneering women: Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Mariane Werefkin.  

Regardless of talent, and privilege in the case of Gabriele Münter who was also in a decade long relationship with Wassily Kandinsky, they were all denied access to the art academies and largely excluded from the canon of their male counterparts.  

The central gallery space, devoted to the theme of intimacy revealed  Käthe Kollwitz’s powerful drawings and prints. Her self portrait and the etching on paper “Woman with Dead Child” were particularly striking.

It is worth mentioning that Käthe Kollwitz, well known in Germany, has a museum devoted to her in Cologne, and was a member of the International Lyceum Club of Berlin.

We then enjoyed a friendly and warm (thanks to the blankets and heaters!) lunch in the cosy atmosphere of the Courtyard at the Lansdowne Club.