Newcastle

Sage Gateshead, Foster & Partners, 2004

A day trip to Newcastle to see the “Challenging Convention” exhibition at the Laing, focussing on Gwen John, Vanessa Bell, Dod Procter and Laura Knight. I did enjoy it: interesting, varied and arresting – and not too big!

Gwen John was very much as I have already seen: tones so subdued that objects are barely there yet still mesmerising. I didn’t care for Vanessa Bell: the colours and compositions didn’t work, although she was the most experimental of the four.

My favourite was Dod Procter, and the painting I would have stolen was Black and White. I loved the feminine subversion of the typical still life. It’s nothing much and totally frivolous – in contrast to Laura Knight’s barrage balloon workers – but I don’t care. I was surprised by how much I liked Procter: I hadn’t been that impressed with her work at the Edinburgh exhibition where I’d first encountered her. Knight’s portrait of The Gypsy (painted in 3 or 4 hours from life) was great. So many of the sitters were women, so this was unusual. (I guess Lady Elizabeth Butler was also unusual!)

The exhibition’s publicity image was Knight’s A Dark Pool, and later in the permanent gallery I came across her husband’s painting of what looks like the same pool:

More favourites from the permanent collection (which has changed since my last visit):

Nevinson’s painting has overtones of both Goya and Blake. I’m not sure I can see Piper’s meadows (unlike Clausens’s) but the colours are beautiful.