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, Curator 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 works from Procktor’s own estate, this is a chance to see many works that have not been seen by 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 Sixties 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 Sixties 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 work and engage with this prolific artist.
