The Arts Society - Gerrards Cross

Special Interest Day

The focus of the day is looking at three different ways in which the Arts can operate within societies.

In one lecture Angela presents how Germany has used the Arts in their unique post WW2 culture of apology and atonement.

During the second lecture Angela gives insights into the role the Arts play in prisons to address reoffending.

In a third lecture Angela looks at how the ‘empty chair’ has been employed by contemporary Artists to draw attention to political issues and events.

As with all our Special Interest days, registration will start at 10.00 with the first lecture at 10.30 and the last one finishing at 3.00. Lunch, wine and coffee will be provided. More details, including the cost, will follow but put the date in your diary

Fashion is my passion - tells the story of 20th century fashion design from the Edwardian era to present day. The day consists of two lectures followed by the opportunity to handle vintage  and antique  clothing and accessories and participants are welcome  to bring along their own vintage accessories and fashion for appraisal and valuation as part of the day. Includes lunch and coffee

Simon has worked as a guide lecturer in house at Shakespeare’s Globe, the Royal Opera House, the BBC and the National Gallery. Today our lecture is on Covent Garden in 3 Acts.

His specialisms and passions are theatre, literature, fashion and art history but whatever the subject, Simon will weave a wonderful story from it.

Sarah Lenton has spent her working life in the theatre: her principal employers are the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Garsington Opera. She writes programme articles, radio and play scripts, gives lectures on the operas and ballets in the rep. and broadcasts regularly for BBC Radios 3 and 4. She is also a cartoonist. All the talks listed come with audio and/or video clips. As the technology for sound reproduction is in a very fluid state, I bring reliable kit for this by car and can adapt to the Society’s technical set up as necessary.

Lecture 1: Will follow he theatres roller coaster pre-war seasons including boxing Kangaroos, Sarah Bernhardt (paid double her usual fee) and the Aeroplane Ladies.

Lecture 2: Takes us into the Musicals. Talkies. Kisss me Kate, Annie get your Gun, then disasterwhen the theatre was turned into a cinema and saved at the last moment by the introduction of opera.

Lecture 3:  Sadlers Wells Opera moves in; it becomes English National Opera and becomes to date the Coliseum’s raison – d’etre. However, today’s company faces similar challenges to Stoll. Today’s Stagehands have to use the same equipment that Stoll first installed in 1904. There is always of course the Arts Council.

1. With the aid of Works of Art, we will hear the rise of a Corsican Soldier who became Emperor of the French before being defeated and sent into exile on the Island of Saint Helena.
2. We will also focus on his first wife Josephine one of the greatest Art collectors and Gardeners of her time.
3. We will look at the nature of Napoleons genius and his relationship with the Duke of Wellington and his place within history. Examine how Josephine’s devotion to the Arts and Horticulture provided an excellent counterbalance to the military and legalistic tenor of Napoleons regime.
A very human story of a remarkable man.

Lectures commence 10.30am, coffee from 10.00am

Finish at approx 3pm

Cost of £47 to include coffee, lectures,lunch and a glass of wine or soft drink

Study Day Wednesday 8th February 2023

Mark Hill on:

1) Curves Colours and Cool.

2) Cracking Glass.

 Mini Roadshow after lunch

You are invited to bring your ceramics and glass from the 20th Century.

James Allan read Arabic at Oxford and is the curator of  the Islamic collection and keeper of Eastern Art at the Ashmolean Museum

The  3  lectures will be :-

Islamic Art &  Design

Domes & Minarets

Taj Mahal

Held at the Colston Hall , Memorial Centre, Gerrards Cross

Lectures commence  at 10.30 am

Coffee from 10.00am

Cost of £45 to include coffee, lectures , lunch  and a glass of wine

Places allocated on receipt of booking slip and cheque  payable to the Arts Society Gerrards Cross and sent to

Judith Swain,  116 Cliveden Gages Taplow 6SL 0GB

Mob . O7929 712789 or 01628 665738

JudithSwain12@gmail.com

3 Lectures:

The Art of Diagnosis

Pox and Pestilence

Medical Antiques

Title: The Tudors – order, power and conceit

Shakespeare put the words a ‘sea-walled kingdom’ into the mouth of Edward III’s son John of Gaunt, from whom the Tudors were descended. In three sessions, we will examine the Tudor scene and setting, richly illustrated with palaces, tapestries, portraits and, of course, gardens from Hampton Court Palace to the Pale of Calais to Gloriana’s Glass. Our final session takes a closer look at Tudor plants which weave cryptically and overtly, politely and impolitely, through Shakespeare’s plots, illustrated in Gerard’s Herbal.

1.     Devices and desires – at home with the Tudor monarchs

An outline of Henry VII at Richmond Palace sets the scene. The dynastic portrait of Henry VIII with his family at Whitehall Palace echoes the importance of Hampton Court Palace. Then Grammar School education and the Book of Common Prayer introduced by Edward VI. We will be looking at Mary I in our second session, so we will conclude with Elizabeth I – Gloriana with special reference to Kenilworth Castle.

2.     Interpreting Tudor gardens: Engraved on my heart - Mary Tudor

Remembered as Bloody Mary, Henry VIII’s eldest daughter was as well-educated as her sister and brother, the young Renaissance princess was celebrated at The Field of the Cloth of Gold. The church of Notre-Dame-de-Calais has been beautifully restored and they wanted to celebrate Mary I of England. I designed and devised a series of Human Renaissance gardens to encircle the church which we will explore.

3.     How does your garden grow Mr. Shakespeare?

Born in Stratford-upon-Avon Shakespeare knew by name and use English country flowers which he put to good effect in his Elizabethan plays enjoyed at court and The Globe. We will explore the gardens and flowers in Shakespeare’s plots and compare them with the herbal writings of his contemporary, and probable friend, John Gerard. We will focus on Ophelia both in Hamlet and John Everett Millais’s haunting painting of her death.

Suggested timings:

10           Arrive for coffee

10.30     Lecture 1

11.30     Break

11.45     Lecture 2

12.45     Questiontime

13.00     Lunch

14.15     Lecture 3

15.15     Tea and depart

Caroline Holmes

9.7.21

The Arts Society  - Gerrards Cross

DAY OF SPECIAL INTEREST

TUDORS & TUDOR GARDENS

CAROLINE HOLMES

Wednesday 10 November 2021

To be held at Colston Hall, Memorial Centre, Gerrards Cross

(Cost £35 to include lectures, lunch and glass of wine)

Coffee at 10.00 am

Lectures commence at 10.30 & finish at approx. 3.30

Places will be allocated on receipt of a completed booking slip with a cheque for £35 payable to The Arts Society Gerrards Cross and sent to:

Judith Swain

116 Cliveden Gages Taplow SL6 0GB

Telephone

Judith Swain 01628 665738 / 07929 712789

No refund after 1 November unless a replacement is found

#

Day of Special Interest – 10 November 2021

Name  .......................................................................  am/pm   Date .........

Telephone   No  ……...............................................

Email:……................................................................

 Please indicate if vegetarian lunch is required

Aspects of medicine, its relationship to art and artists

Featuring Newlyn and Lamorna artista 1880-1940

1.      Session One: Fame for the Newlyn School 1880 – 190 AtHome and Abroad. Theearly work of Stanhope Forbes culminated in his painting ‘Fish Sale on aCornish Beach’ of 1886, which brought attention from the critics for the groupof artists associated with Newlyn in Cornwall. Other Newlyn artists such asFrank Bramley achieved fame with his dramatic scene ‘A Hopeless Dawn’ 1888.Whilst, Elizabeth Forbes one of the women artists, achieved great acclaim forher depictions of children. H.S. Tuke, T.C. Gotch and F. Bramley also becamefamous not only in the UK but in Australia and New Zealand. This lecture looksat the true extent of the Newlyn School’s fame at the time. 

2.    Session Two.  The Forbes School of Painting 1899 - 1939 In its forty year existence over 200 artists wentthrough the doors of the Forbes School in Newlyn. They were taught by StanhopeForbes, whose own style and approach to painting was to influence his teachingalong with his wives Elizabeth and then Maud Forbes. This lecture looks atForbes’ work and that of some of his students, some came from as far as NewZealand for the experience, some were to become well know such as Dod andErnest Procter and many of them were some

3.      Session Three: Love,Art and Tragedy –
Close encounters in a Cornish Art colony . The setting is a remote Cornish valley called Lamorna; the time, theearly 1900s, the characters include Alfred Munnings, his young wife FlorenceCarter-Wood, Laura and Harold Knight, Ella and Charles Naper, Captain Evans andLamorna Birch. They all become very close and in the melting pot of creativity,a tragedy occurs. This talk looks at the art that was being created by theseartists and the story behind the tragedy.

Carole Petipher has worked as a guide/ lecturer in and around Paris using converted barges as her base. She has in depth knowledge of the Seine river having worked on a number of vessels along its course; hence the inspiration for this series of lectures.

This wonderful river in France, often referred to as the River of Light, was a great influence on the 19th century artists and the development of Impressionism. From the luminescent estuary which first attracted them, to the area west of Paris which became known as the Cradle of Impressionism they came to seek inspiration. This series of three lectures follows the course of the river and the exploits along it and will aim to uncover new revelations!

Lecture 1  The Seine Estuary  - Capturing the 19th century imagination

The ever changing sky and sparkling Seine estuary where sky, sea and earth seem to fuse, attracted  19th artists, writers and musicians. Through the guidance of the “Master of the Skies,” painter Eugene Boudin, Monet took his first ever painting lesson in the open air here. A new way of approaching art was opened up resulting in Impressionism. This lecture will look at the host of artists who flocked to the picturesque harbour of Honfleur and its surroundings to capture, in Baudelaire’s words “this green and rose vastness which goes to my head like an intoxicating drink”.

Lecture 2  Belle Epoque Paris and the Cradle of Impressionism to the West

In this second lecture we first look at the Capital which Haussmann had revitalised into one of the most elegant and outwardly prosperous cities in Europe, and then look at the context in which the artists worked. “The Modern Age”!  From there we move onto a tiny loop of the Seine nicknamed the cradle of Impressionism where our artists struggled to make a living and gain recognition; a far cry from the universal popularity they have today.

Lecture 3  The Path to Success  - collectively or independently

In this the last  lecture I want to explore how our artists came to terms with a radically changed and depressed art market and economy following the Franco Prussian War and how they continued nevertheless to grow their careers in art. They gradually started to drift away from each other often following the course of the Seine to pastures new, sometimes even a tributary of the Seine in search of that ever special motif.

From Victoria herself in the Scottish Highlands to Mary Kingsley in West Africa and Isabella Bird in the Rocky Mountains and Hawaii, this is a world tour in exciting company.

In Session 1 we define "feistiness" and then celebrate the achievements of Victorian women travellers, starting with Victoria and taking the story of travel into the age of railways and steamships.

Session 2 covers numerous lady travellers and writers including Mary Kingsley and Margaret Fountaine.

After lunch in Session 3 we concentrate on two heroines - Marianne North (1830 - 1890) and her paintings and Isabella Bird (1831 - 1904) and her books.

By the end of the 19th century most artists and designers were tired of re-working all the old styles. They wished to forge a new artistic style, which addressed contemporary issues. In Vienna this art and design revolution was dubbed the Secession, encompassing a group of artists including the painter Gustav Klimt, the architect Otto Wagner and the designers Josef Hoffmann and Kolo Moser. The Secession took a different turn from the Art Nouveau of France and Belgium, being more influenced by the English Arts and Crafts Movement and the Glaswegian Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Anne Anderson specialises in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts Movement. She holds various reserach fellowships in Britain and the USA, while also curating national exhibitions.

Over three sessions Anne will explain how the Viennese avant-garde changed the course of European art, ushering in 20th century Modernism. This artistic renaissance was short lived: tragically the flu epidemic of 1918 decimated the artistic community and brought this golden age to an end.

STUDY DAY

Wednesday 8th November 2017 

     From Moore to Kapoor:

       The changing face of post-war public sculpture

The study day takes a critical look at the vast range of public sculpture in our midst today, and considers what makes a successful public sculpture commission.  Public sculpture often attracts a mixed reception today, and while some works stand the test of time, outstanding works seem relatively rare. We will examine the rise of public sculpture in the ‘brave new world’ of post-war Britain, and go on to consider why public sculpture is booming today, with new works appearing all the time in our towns and cities.  We look in detail at the commissioning process, and at corporate commissions, modern memorials, and sculpture created specifically as part of the social and economic re-generation of a city or region.  In final session we will discuss the increasing popularity of temporary sculpture projects like the celebrated Poppies at the Tower of London, and the Fourth Plinth series in Trafalgar Square and whether they point the way to the public art of the future.  

Mary Yule 2017

Booking now.  Tickets available from Judith Swain 01628 602621 cost £32 for the day.  The day starts at 10.30 and concludes after lunch at around 3pm.

Lecture 1

Although Venice was well known in Britain through the paintings of Canaletto, comparatively few Englishmen visited Venice on the Grand Tour.   Julian Halsby will discuss how Venice was put on the map by JMW Turner, who was followed by artists such as Samuel Prout, Richard Parkes Bonnington and Clarkson Stanfield.   Ruskin visited in 1835, returning to start work on his guide book the “Stones of Venice” and which laid the foundation for the Gothic Revival and Arts & Crafts Movement.

Lecture 2 will be devoted mostly to Whistler in Venice and

Lecture 3 will concentrate on Sargent and Sickert in Venice

Booking opens at the October 2016 meeting

If you wish to attend please contact info@gxdfas.org.uk after 26/10/2016

Programme:  Coffee 10.00, lectures commence 10.30 and finish 3.30 approximately

snuff boxes, patch boxes, etui, bonbonnieres etc

Naomi Motley has a degree in History and a postgraduate diploma in the Fine & Decorative Arts and has been involved with the art world for some 30 years.

Mrs Motley will start the day describing the items deemed necessary for gracious living in the 18th Century, illustrating snuff boxes and patch boxes, Chelsea toys, etuis and necessaires, fans and canes in various media: mother of pearl, tortoiseshell, enamel, silver, gold and soft paste porcelain.  She also discusses how such items were made, where they were made and how they were used.

The second morning lecture will look at the craftsmen involved in making these items.  She will also consider the role of toy shops in London, looking at their locations and the Huguenot families who ran them.   Finally she will examine the influence of the Georgian coffee house on London craftsmen and artists.

For the afternoon session members are welcome to bring in their own snuff boxes etc. for identification, but the lecturer will also bring examples to study and handle.

 Booking opens at the June 2016 meeting

If you wish to attend please contact info@gxdfas.org.uk after 22/06/2016

Programme:  Coffee 10.00, Lectures commence 10.30 & finish 3.30 approx

On the basis of sensational new evidence from archaeological fieldwork, Neil Faulkner will contrast the legend of Lawrence of Arabia with the true story of what happened in the famous desert war of 1916 to 1918.  Is the legend a myth?  Was Lawrence, as some claim, a liar and a charlatan? Or does the legend reflect reality?  Was he, in fact, a brilliant military commander and a sincere advocate of the Arab national cause?   Dr Faulkner's book on the Great Arab Revolt is due to be published in late 2015

Lecture 1: Creating a legend --The cultural construction of the 'Lawrence of Arabia' legend between 1919 and the present-day through memoirs, photos, films, paintings, biographies, and TV documentaries.  Lawrence's post-war life and fame.  The controversy over his reutation.

Lecture 2: Trains, trenches, and tents: the archaeology of a desert war -- The historical context of the Great Arab Revolt.  The imprint of the war on the desert landscapes of southern Jordan, including stunning air photos.  The archaeological team's programme of research and discovery.

Lecture 3: Lawrence of Arabia's War: a new military history -- A new narrative and analysis of the war based on archaeological evidence.  A new assessment of Lawrence's role and achievements.  A critical look at the relationship between art and reality.

Booking opens at 28 October meeting.

John Benjamin, a jewellery expert on Antiques Roadshow, worked for Phillips Auctioneers for 23 years. He was admitted to the Goldsmiths' Company in 2000.

Mr Benjamin will start the day speaking about jewellery from the time of Elizabeth I to Queen Victoria’s reign. The second part of the morning will focus on jewellery in the 20th Century. After lunch, he will hold a “Surgery” in which members' own jewellery will be identified and appraised. Members may bring two items each for Mr Benjamin to look at.  (Regrettably no valuations can be given).

Programme: coffee 10.00 am, lectures commence 10.30 and finish 3.30 pm approx. Booking opens at the 24 June 2015 meeting.  After that if you wish to attend, please contact info@gxdfas.org.uk.

Frank Woodgate is a Lecturer & Guide at Tate Britain, Tate Modern & a Lecturer at the Dulwich Picture Gallery Established in 1984 and causing controversy almost every year since, the Turner Prize is regarded by many as a great showcase for British avant-garde art but by others as conceptual rubbish. Nevertheless, the exhibitions each Autumn continue to draw large crowds and many of the much-criticised early nominees are now household names, admired by the general public. In this Day of Special Interest, Frank Woodgate will look at the artists who have won and many who failed to win, discuss the ideas behind the competition and why the artists were nominated. We will also have an opportunity to see what the artists have done in later years. Over the years, artists have produced an extraordinary range of works which can be amusing, thought-provoking, challenging and often surprisingly beautiful. A great opportunity to find out if you consider the Turner Prize to be serious art or the “King’s Magic Suit of Clothes”! Booking opens at October 2014 meeting If you wish to attend please contact info@gxdfas.org.uk after 22/10/2014 Programme: Coffee: 10.00am. Lectures commence at 10.30 and finish at 3.30 approx.

Dr Anderson will explore how new money and a determination to collect modern art provided great opportunities for up and coming artists. Learn more about the Glasgow Boys who included James Guthrie, Atkinson Hornel, George Henry and John Lavery and also the group known as The Four who included Charles Rennie Mackintosh, his wife Margaret, her sister and husband. The three sessions will be: Fin de Siecle Glasgow: Forging the Mackintosh Style Viennese Interlude Success and Failure in the New Century Booking opens at June 2014 meeting The cost is £32 which includes coffee and lunch. Please contact Angela Webb if you wish to join in this Day of Special Interest at info@gxdfas.org.uk

During the three sessions Douglas Skeggs looks into the turbulent history of this extraordinary family, under the following headings: 1. God’s Bankers 2. Popes and Patrons 3. From Riches to Royalty Coffee at 10.00am Lecturer commences at 10.30am and finishes at approximately 3.30pm The cost is £32 which includes coffee and lunch. Please contact Yvonne Suckling if you wish to join in this Day of Special Interest at info@gxdfas.org.uk

The topics in more details are: 1. Craftsmen in wood - Carpenters,joiners, turners, carvers and inlay worker. 2. Old Oak Furniture - How it was arranged in rooms and how it was used 1500-1700 3. Patterns & Designs in carved oak furniture 1500-1750

The areas covered include the influence of Rodin, Cubism, and Futurists. Followed by Giacometti and Surrealism, and post War British and American sculptors. The last session looks at the effect of modern consumer culture, minimalism and Land and Performance Art, among other things. For further details click on About Us and then on Documents

Jackie Marsh-Hobbs is a lecturer in House History and Design at Sussex and Brighton Universities, tutor in local history, architecture and houses for the Centre for Community Engagement, University of Sussex; and a specialist guide in Brighton, the Royal Pavilion, Preston Manor and Brighton and Hove Museums.