Alan Davie at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery

Thanks to everyone who turned up at our recent opening night for 'Alan Davie' on 16 March 2010.

There were several familiar faces from Museum Studies on the evening, including our most wonderful work placement student, Nell Crook. Thanks Nell for helping us get the show up! I'm sure those who came to the event will agree that though the artist couldn't be there himself, his work was most inspiring...and certainly colourful!

Not sure what everyone thinks of the work, or the display itself? We did a 'snapshot' exhibition, as there wasn't a particular group of works Alan wanted us to focus on. As we're not a big space, we can't do a serious overview, so it was just a collection of highlights from his post-war career beginnings in 1948 to today. To augment this brief vision of his career, I've included some ephemera in a case: poetry he wrote to his father while serving in WWII and couldn't paint, jewellery he made in the late 40s-ea.50s when he had temporarily turned away from painting, his pilot's logbook from his gliding exploits in the 1960s and his recent rough sketches - to show the constant automatic drawing that informs his painting. We also have some experimental jazz recordings by Alan playing in the Gallery. Alan's had such a prolific career, and done so much in his life, it was really hard to represent it in such a small space! Does it work for you? Criticisms and thoughts are always encouraged...

Happy Easter all!

Layla