country houses. The artist had tuned in to the growing fashion for all things pastoral. Take for instance the opening verse from Alexander Pope’s influential 1700 poem, Solitude

Happy the man, whose wish and care A few parental acres bound, Content to breathe his native air In his own ground.

The juvenile Pope (he was only twelve years of age when he wrote this poem !) enforces the prevailing mood among the aristocratic land owners of the 18th Century who looked not only to Pope for inspiration but also to the fashionable writings of the French philosopher Rousseau. The 18th Century was the great age of landscape art with huge areas of estates completely altered to conform to the in-vogue ideal of the ‘Greek Revival’. Nevertheless, latter in the

NEWSLETTERSPRING 2013

CONTENTS

1 From the Collection

2 Friends News

3 “Tom Richards” Returns to Swansea

4 TROIKA: 1963 – 1983

6 “ Composting Creativity”

8 Letter from the Chair

8 100 Club News

In August 2002 adverts appeared in The Guardian, The Stage, The London Review of Books and the Staffordshire Newsletter, advertising for an ‘ornamental hermit’ to take up residence at the Great Haywood Cliffs near Shugborough estate in Staffordshire. The adverts were placed by independent curator Anna Douglas who had conceived the idea about exploring, as she stated, the relevance and resonance of the concept of ‘ornamental hermit’ in a contemporary context, and to present the result of her enquiry in a work of art which combined elements from current art practices such as installation and performance. Douglas’s Project Solitude, as she named it, was to examine “the dread and contempt society now displays for the once fashionable ideal of solitude”.

Douglas’s art piece required the participation of a live individual but perhaps not so Richard Wilson’s art work, the painting Solitude of c.1762. I have a dread of using lazy, dreary art terms such as ‘post modernism’ but if I must then Douglas’s art piece surely falls into this clichéd bracket for part, and I emphasis only part, of the explanation of ‘post modernism’ is a certain knowingness on the part of the artist to play with elements of our artistic heritage, mix them up and present a different view of the world. Surely Wilson was not doing this with this picture? Well, yes he was in a way. Let’s examine just what this painting was about.

Richard Wilson, born near Machynlleth, trained as a portrait painter with Thomas Wright of London c.1729. Having achieved considerable popularity as a portrait artist he later abandoned the profession after ‘a road to Damascus moment’ when he encountered the visual beauty of Venice and Rome on his Grand Tour of 1750. He returned to Britain in 1757 determined to paint in the ‘Italian Manner’ which meant emulating the style of Claude Lorrain and Gaspard Dughet, two of the most renowned masters of the classical tradition. As David Solkin, a biographer of Wilson, has stated ‘the artistic persona which Wilson established for himself was that of a landscape painter in the classical, grand style’. Wilson came to believe that ‘landscapes could be metaphors for the human condition’, a very Romantic era view but even so his landscape paintings were sought after by the gentry for their

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The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Alexandra Road, Swansea, SA1 5DZwww.glynnviviangallery.org E-mail: glynn.vivian@swansea.gov.uk Telephone: 01792 516900

Registered Charity No. 516492

From the Collection Solitude by Richard Wilson (1714-1782)

Richard Wilson Solitude Oil on canvas 100 cm x 125 cm c.1762© City & County of Swansea: Glynn Vivian Art Gallery Collection

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Readers of the last two Friends Newsletters will be familiar with the story of the portrait painted by Ceri Richards of his father Tom in 1923. You will recall that the owners of the watercolour, Mair and Bryon Harry, read an article on Tom Richards in the Summer 2012 edition written by Peter Stead and decided to respond in a most generous way.

They decided that after enjoying the painting for many years they wished it to return to Swansea, the place where they had both grown up. They thought that it would be fitting to share it with others by donating it to the Friends to present to the Gallery Collection.

This kind gesture was welcomed by Jenni Spencer-Davies who said it was a fine example of an early work by Ceri Richards, which would make an excellent addition to the other paintings by him held in the Collection.

It was a most enjoyable experience when myself and my wife Rachel collected the painting from Mair and Bryon at their house in Cardiff. It was a pleasure to hear them reminisce about their time spent in Swansea, The Glynn Vivian and especially the association they had with the Richards family.

The ‘circle’ was completed at the Committee meeting in March when Don Treharne presented the picture to Jenni in the presence of Peter who had – albeit unknowingly – written the original article which had begun the ‘journey’.

The Friends and the Gallery are extremely grateful for the generosity shown by Bryon and Mair.

Malcolm Hill

“Tom Richards” Returns to Swanseacivilisation’s vanities. This picture can be read as an allegory of man’s desire to return to arcadia, where he is free from the demands of an increasingly materialistic society, and he can contemplate both God and nature. Whatever the meaning Wilson put on Solitude there is no doubt this is a sensitive and beautiful work of art. Not for nothing has Wilson been dubbed ‘the Father of British landscape painting’ and admired by Ruskin, Turner and Constable.

Wilson as a post modernist? No not in the way we interpret contemporary art today, as beyond, or ‘post’, the modern movement, but to a larger or lesser degree many, many artists have borrowed symbols and concepts from the past and twisted and turned them to fit their artistic production. As the late, great art critic Robert Hughes once wrote “art does not progress, only the meanings change” and so it was for Wilson. He took ideas, like many before him, from what had been shown before in western art but changed their meanings. The big difference with Wilson was that his work was executed without irony, an almost essential element of post modernism. Anna Douglas’s successful and thoughtful art piece Project Solitude, although it was in existence for only one weekend with the artist Ansuman Biswas taking the part of the ‘ornamental hermit’, was not conducted in the spirit of irony but was a genuine attempt to explore the idea of solitude in the present day. I have a feeling that Wilson would have approved. Likewise I suspect the Welsh artist, if he were alive today, might have had a little chuckle to himself if he witnessed the Monty Python sketch on hermits. After exploring the pros and cons of the occupation of being a hermit John Cleese exclaimed “it sure beats being in public relations!”

Barry Plummer

18th Century, a reaction set in against this formal aesthetic and this is where Pope’s later writing became so influential. The poet urged a return to the ‘amiable simplicity of unadorned nature’. Many of the rich Georgians embraced the call of Pope and as well as letting topography inform the layout of their parks they took ‘naturalism’ to a different level. Not a new level, however, but what was a continuing concept of man alone in nature where the lone figure epitomizes the search for both spiritual awareness and test of character. St. Jerome springs to mind as does the story of the Roman Emperor Hadrian installing an ‘ornamental’ hermit in his villa. For the Georgian landowners employing a hermit meant not having to suffer the privations of life lived in raw nature but instead, from the comfort of their grand country houses, they could contemplate the meaning of solitude by proxy.

Richard Wilson’s Solitude captures, perfectly, the visualization of this fashionable concept. Wilson’s main figure of a hermit fits the agreed stereotype of the recluse in harmony with simple and ‘unadorned nature’. He is bearded and sports long hair - both, apparently, conditions of the contract of employment for many hermits whose term of engagement often lasted seven years with no washing or hair cutting allowed. He stands in front of a seated figure who could possibly be another hermit. There is a similar picture of Solitude by Wilson in the National Gallery of Art, Washington that too depicts two similar figures and both are described as hermits. My own feelings are that the seated figure does not conform to the typical appearance of what was universally agreed a hermit should look like and he could be a form of pilgrim reading either from the Bible or, possibly, a tract from a classical text. The two protagonists are set in a peaceful, sylvan grotto-like setting. To the right of the picture is a plinth with the fragmented statue of a lion, symbolic of

Email Updates We are currently updating our email database as many of the email addresses are out of date or have changed. To ensure you receive notification of our activities and lectures, please would you confirm your email address to me at h.a.barnes@btinternet.com or via the Contact Us page of the website, also stating your name and postal address, to enable me to check it against your records. Email is a much cheaper option than the postal service and a convenient way to keep you up to date about forthcoming lectures, events and Arts news.

New Friends Website We have recently launched a new website which can be found at www.friendsoftheglynnvivian.com

Please log on to read the latest News Updates regarding the Friends.

New Friends We are pleased to welcome Mr Richard and Mrs Doreen Wood of Sketty to the Friends and hope they enjoy the lecture programme and activities with us this year.

Former Friends Bill Anderson was a friend for many years and we thank him for his support. Bill finds he does not attend many lectures so has decided to give up his membership. The committee would like to thank him for his interest in the Friends over the years.

Sadly Mrs Mary Weston, a long standing member of the Friends, of 57 Mayals Avenue, Blackpill passed away in October 2012.

Swansea Metropolitan University Student Representative We would like to thank Tom Smith and Lauren Savigar for all their hard work whilst in post as Student Representatives. Lauren has now joined the committee as the Swansea Metropolitan University representative, which leaves the post of Student Representative to be filled.

Art Fund Cards We are corporate members of the Art Fund and have two cards for use by Friends; these are extremely useful and can save on entrance fees to many exhibitions. Should you like to make use of them please contact me.

Membership Renewal 2012-2013 We have a number of Members who have not yet renewed; should this be an oversight please do contact me. Yearly membership remains at £15 per couple and £10 single, students do not pay. Please also inform me of any change of address or email. Thank you.

We have received a membership renewal standing order reference 309546 37244268 but I am still unable to identify to whom this standing order refers. If a member is able to identify this I should be most grateful.

Judy Barnes, Friends Membership Secretary 64 Eaton Crescent, Swansea SA1 4QN Tel. (01792) 476187 e mail h.a.barnes@btinternet.com

Friends News

Don Treharne presenting the Watercolour to Jenni Spencer-Davies© photo. Sarah Tombs

Mair and Bryon Harry © photo. Malcolm Hill

Don Treharne, Peter Stead and Jenni Spencer-Davies© photo. Sarah Tombs

The exhibition also launched a new publication, troika 63-83, written by Ben Harris and Lawrence Illsley which is a very well-illustrated book that traces the entire Troika story. What is particularly satisfying about this book are the many interviews and reminiscences from seventeen former employees of Troika which intertwine and link the series of events – sometimes in a very direct and candid manner.

Throughout the twenty years of its existence the ethos of Troika was to produce pieces which would stand up on their own merit as sculpture and not merely as functional objects. Also, it was proposed from the inception that the work should appeal to tourists and art collectors alike and be ‘affordable’; a term widely used now but not at the time. This being a direct contradiction to the St Ives ‘establishment’ where Hepworth, Leach, Heron, Hilton and others held sway during this period. In fact Troika was famously “given three months” by ‘the art establishment’.

A quote by Benny Sirota highlights this. “You had people coming in, real holidaymakers who would pick up a little pot of Troika, a little ‘cube’ and actually fondle it as though they were buying a bit of art, which they were.” (ref.)

The pottery produced was not thrown but ‘slip-cast’ – a process of casting the liquid clay, or slip, in plaster moulds. (fig.1) The cast pieces were then individually hand-decorated, the number of pieces being produced depending on the working life of the mould. This resulted in a limited run of unique pieces.

“Do you know how the name Troika came about? It’s to do with my grandfather. Perhaps this is mythology but my grandfather and his wife escaped from Russia, he escaped dressed as a woman on a troika; a sledge with three horses. Then of course there were the three of us and it gelled” Benny Sirota (ref.)

Troika pottery was produced in West Cornwall between 1963 and 1983, founded at Wheal Dream, St Ives in 1963 by potter Benny Sirota, sculptor Leslie Illsley and silent partner, architect Jan Thompson. It achieved success almost immediately, developed its unique style and great appeal, relocated to Newlyn in 1970 and continued to produce there until its eventual demise in 1983.

The superb 50th Anniversary Exhibition recently held at Penlee House displayed examples of the whole, varied output over the twenty year period. The development of the work could therefore be easily surveyed and appreciated; larger works being shown separately and smaller works in groups – which particularly suits Troika.

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TROIKA: 1963 – 1983Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Penzance, January 19th – March 9th 2013

Troika achieved early critical success when the white, smooth-surface pieces, many of which were decorated sparely with single discs of dark colour, were sold at Heal’s and Liberty’s stores in London.(fig.2). (Heal’s continued to stock Troika until 1981). This served to bring Troika to a large audience quickly and provided a year-round operation, far in excess of the traditional seasonal trade in St Ives. At its peak, Troika was also on sale in New York, Sydney and Stockholm.

However, the range of work that ‘defines’ Troika and is the most easily recognisable are the textured/sculptural pieces, which were produced continuously between 1967-1983. These are considered by many to be the most successful, both critically and commercially. (fig.3)

The development of this range was born of necessity – as a quote from the painter Bryan Illsley explains “Moulds wear out very quickly, too quickly to be too much fun or be profitable, so they started scratching in designs onto the pots to disguise the flaws of an old mould. From necessity came design” (ref.).

These pieces were further developed by scoring and incising the surfaces of the moulds and also by adding sand and mine slurry to create texture. But it was the decoration which really shone through to bring these works alive. The decorators were given free rein to choose the colours and motifs to accentuate the forms – a bold move and ultimately an act of trust – Leslie Illsley and Benny Sirota being only interested in creating the form and design of the pieces. The ‘signature’ glaze colours used were primarily cobalt blue, copper green and manganese oxides.

The finished surfaces are strongly reminiscent of the topography of West Penwith, particularly the moors, coastline, ancient standing stones and the relics of Tin mining to be found between St Ives and Penzance. This is an area which has long

been a source of much inspiration to many other artists in the St Ives ‘group’. To me, Troika resonates with and encapsulates West Cornwall perfectly.

With a myriad of designs there were a huge and varied number of pieces made, including urns, mugs, cube, wheel and cylinder vases, double base vases and lamp bases as well as individual works such as ‘anvil’ and ‘pillar’ (fig.4) which were always considered as pure sculpture.

Benny Sirota left Troika in 1980 but production continued in Newlyn until the closure in 1983. This was inevitable and was due to a number of factors including increasing financial burdens and also a change in public taste which lead to a decline in orders for craft pottery. A situation which was also experienced by three other established potteries in Newlyn around this time. Namely Celtic, Leaper and Tremaen.

It is now widely acknowledged that Troika has taken its rightful place in the ‘art establishment’ and its output can be seen in many public galleries and museums as well as in commercial galleries and also appearing regularly in Antique and Fine Art auctions.

On a personal level my wife and I made our first association with Troika on visits to St Ives from 1979 onwards, at first coming across it by chance and making an instant connection with it. I am pleased to say that we were two of the ‘tourists’ mentioned above who bought the work because ‘they liked it’ – surely the only basis for buying art. We were always gratified on returning home with the work to see how well it ‘stood up and held its own’ against other and more established St Ives art. A view that has now been confirmed by many.(fig.2) Troika display at Heal’s, London, 1967

Private Collection, © The Artist’s Estate

(fig.1) Leslie Illsley working with mouldsPrivate Collection, © The Artist’s Estate

(fig.3) Display of Textured/Sculptural pieces© photo. Malcolm Hill

(fig.4) Pillar Designed by Leslie Illsley, Decorated by Anne Lewis c.1972© photo. Malcolm Hill

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For nearly twenty seven years my work has been fuelled by an interest in maps, natural geological landscapes and landlines that show the scars of man’s impact on the land. When I look at the colours, abstract patterns and textures that are the residue of open cast mining I see a thing of beauty.

Writing this article has enabled me to think about and put into words the development of my recent work. I was surprised to discover that the creative journey that has brought me to my new glass work has had a far longer gestation period than I had originally imagined.

Over the years I have purposefully avoided and tried not to delve too deeply into my own creative process, being mindful that by exploring it I might in some way stop the unconscious flow or magic in its tracks. I have for some time been trying to pare down and simplify my work by leaving areas of stillness and poetic space.

A Trip to China at the end of 2011 increased my desire to create a breathing space in my glass sculptures. After an incredible trip where I saw many splendours, the most breathtaking of which was the sight of thousands

“Composting Creativity”

of Terracotta Warriors at their burial site in Xian. I ended my travels in Hong Kong, where on show at the Hong Kong Museum of Art was an exhibition of large expressive watercolour and ink paintings by a number of contemporary Chinese artists. The show was a revelation to me and standing in front of

one particular painting I had a eureka moment. The painting was a simple representation of a landscape. A white mountain that took up three quarters of the pictorial space was contrasted against a strong line of black trees along the bottom edge, all made with thick expressive brushstrokes. I was mesmerised by its stillness and spaciousness and returned

the next day to once again contemplate the sheer beauty of it. Unfortunately I did not take note of the artist’s name.

The route to change is often surprisingly circuitous, taking it’s own course and a natural progression of time. It is as though the development of new ideas come from accumulated experiences that have lain dormant and become fertilised in the subconscious. When they then reach maturity it is as if they combust like fungus on scraps of food rotting down to make a fertile compost. This is where the seeds of the ideas can grow, but only when a catalyst is added the new work begins to form.Changes in direction and focus seem to flower in unexpected ways with their own energy and momentum.

This was born out recently when I had the opportunity to work with Shelley Doolan, a PhD student at Swansea Metropolitan University who was researching Abrasive Water Jet Technology.

I selected and simplified my landscape drawings which Shelley then translated into paths for the machine to cut and surface mill the glass. I then decided to superimposed the two landscape drawings one over the other. The information from these drawing was then imputed into the computer software for the abrasive water jet machine to translate. One drawing was made in 2008 when I was a participant in the Landscape and Mirrors International Masterclass at Northlands Creative Glass, Lybster, Scotland and the second was of a study of rocks

drawn on holiday in Corsica last Summer following a long awaited return after almost thirty years.

Working with abrasive water jet technology has proved to be a fruitful experience and has enabled me to create some new work through the dual action of hand and machine processes that I am excited by and am determined to develop further. Digital technologies are a bit of a dark art for me and I have stayed well away for fear of the result being too perfect and in some way negating the hand/creative process. The opposite proved to be the case, instead of the tool of precision control translating my simplified drawings into predictable surface textures and cut-through lines, it in fact made erratic marks.The surprising quality and unpredictability of the line produced has made me keen to explore working with these new technologies further which was not at all what I had anticipated at the outset of the case study.

These experimental works have enabled me to develop a more 3D quality allowing shadows to play an important part in the fused glass sculptures.

My forthcoming show at Oriel Ceri Richards, Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea University which opens on 28th June 2013 has been a catalyst for developing a series of new works that are pared down and that bring together current passions and creative enquiries with glass.

Nikki Cass

Nikki Cass Shadows of a Graphic Land 2013Milled and abrasive water jet cut glass© The Artist © photo. The Artist

Nikki Cass Untitled 2013Fused, milled and abrasive water jet cut glass© The Artist © photo. The Artist

I feel that Benny Sirota should have the last word though, summing up Troika in 2012 by saying:

“It’s fifty years since the creation of TROIKA. I never dreamed, and I’m sure Leslie wouldn’t have dreamed either, that it would have had such a long lasting effect. I only wish Leslie could have been here to see it”

Malcolm Hill

I would like to thank Alison Bevan, Katie Herbert, the staff of Penlee House, Ben Harris, Lawrence Illsley and Phil Monckton for their kind assistance with this article.

(ref.) All references from troika 63-83 by Ben Harris and Lawrence Illsley.

Published by It’s pronounced ‘Aitch’. © Ben Harris & Lawrence Illsley 2012.

Only available from www.troikapedia.co.uk

Benny Sirota and former Troika staff at the exhibition opening Image courtesy of Phil Monckton, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Press

Nikki Cass Dance the Land 2013Painted, fused and abrasive water jet cut glass© The Artist © photo. The Artist

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Dear Friends,

By the time this Newsletter drops through your letter-box, I am pleased to announce that the new Friends Website has been launched. Malcolm Hill was the driving force behind it and together with graphic designer Andy Davies they have produced a colourful, informative site which I am sure you will welcome and appreciate.

It can be found at www.friendsoftheglynnvivian.com

Please visit the site regularly to read News Updates regarding the Friends.

The news on the Gallery front is that the company undertaking the work is the one that was responsible for the refurbishment of the West Wing of the National Museum in Cardiff. Work started on Monday 4th February and this means that there is hope that the Gallery will re-open in late 2014. This cannot be guaranteed until the company are further into the construction work of the project when further updates will be available.

Elsewhere the lecture programme continues its successful progress. On November 30th there was a lecture by Jen Jones on Quilts. It proved to be a delightful experience even for the non-quilting fraternity. I was impressed that some of the designs from a much earlier age were surprisingly modern in their colourful geometric patterns. Friday December 14th saw Sarah Tombs

Winners so far this year:-

January Number 73 Angela George £25

74 Angela George £10

February 96 R. Paisey £25

83 Margaret B. Jones £10

March 54 John Law £25

16 Margaret Hughes £10

April 14 Janet Walker £25

32 Ursula Calvin Thomas £10

deal with Shaping Up: The Life of a Sculptor. In a most spirited lecture Sarah took us into the world of sculpture showing her work on the screen and exhibited actual examples of her attractive creations. She made the creative process involved in sculpture appear to be an easy task but creativity of her calibre is the prerogative of the few!

In the New Year of 2013 on January 11th Steven Barratt who is a regular lecturer at the National Gallery, London dealt with All That Glitters: The Use of Gold in 15th Century

Italian Painting. Using the most pleasing of illustrations we were introduced to exquisite paintings where gold was used as gold leaf and as paint when mixed with egg white. On February 15th Professor Ann Sumner, who is now the Executive Director of the Brontë Parsonage Museum led us to The Paintings of John Brett, a painter who was associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Using copious illustrations this most informative and effective lecture underlined the connections he had with Wales, and with Swansea and Pembrokeshire in particular.

The lecture series will continue with its appealing mix of varied subjects and distinguished speakers – there are treats in store.

Donald Treharne, Chair of Friends

New subscribers are welcome! We only reached 98 members last session, and it is now time to subscribe for the next. We have 22 members so far, so there is a little way to go still! Each subscription is £12 and a maximum of 5 per person is allowed. Application forms are included in the AGM posting and can also be downloaded from the Friends Website.

May I encourage you to join and support the Gallery in this way, with the chance of winning a prize each month.

Hilary Rose, 100 Club Promoter 16 Kilfield Road, Bishopston, Swansea, SA3 3DL Tel. (01792) 232808

Contact If you have any comments on this issue, or any contributions for future issues please contact the editor, Malcolm Hill on Tel. (01639) 794480 or email m.hill23@ntlworld.com

Letter from the Chair

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