Exhibition | ‘This Was Tomorrow’

Now open at Eames Fine Art, This Was Tomorrow is a major new solo show celebrating the utopian ideals present in many of our post-war rebuilds.

From brutalist library to modernist swimming baths, landmark theatre to shopping centre, these buildings hark back to a time when commerce came second to public use.

The exhibition is in part Paul’s lament to the forgotten or now sadly lost gems that were part of the optimistic post-war architectural vision. Some, such as Welbeck Street car park and Elephant & Castle shopping centre, have submitted to the wrecking ball, others – such as Coventry Central Baths – are neglected and forgotten, and still more have an uncertain future or have in many ways been altered beyond recognition. There are, however, those – most notably of the Southbank complex – that  continue to thrive with community at their heart.

‘I wanted many of these prints to have a different atmosphere or feel from my other works; particularly with Cov Central Baths, South Norwood Library and the (former) Commonwealth Institute where I’ve conveyed the buildings as almost ghostly. The sharp lines, dramatic angles and peculiarities are still on show but fading from view’ – Paul Catherall.

This Was Tomorrow, Eames Fine Art, May 11 – June 18, 58 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UD, 020 7407 1025, eamesfineart.com 

 

 

 

 

Linocut of the modernist Coventry Station

Exhibition | ‘Sent from Coventry’

A new solo exhibition of works inspired by the postwar architecture of Coventry opens at Eames Fine Art this May.

Sent from Coventry was conceived as a celebration of the Modernist and Brutalist heritage of Paul’s childhood home – buildings that sparked the themes of Paul’s continuing work today.

But, as Coventry marks the beginning of its status as UK City of Culture 2021, sadly many of those postwar gems are under threat of demolition or removal, while some have already gone.

As a result, Paul’s images have taken on new meaning and are beautiful documents or homages to these mid-century architectural monuments.

Among the new linocuts on show are renditions of the modernist Coventry Station, the juxtaposition of the bombed out remains of its old cathedral and postwar counterpart, as well as the Three Tuns sculpture by William Mitchell, the Precinct at the iconic Bull Yard and the ‘Elephant’ sports centre.

The second part of the exhibition includes prints of London buildings also built in the postwar Modernist and Brutalist style, which Paul found himself gravitating towards when he moved to the capital. Many much-loved buildings such as the National Theatre and Royal Festival Hall sum up that mood of optimism and hope which permeated the South Bank area during the Festival of Britain in 1951 – celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.

As Eames Fine Art notes: “Sent from Coventry places Paul’s London linocuts alongside his Coventry work, making a compelling visual argument for why all of this striking architecture should be preserved and admired.”

Sent from Coventry, Eames Fine Art, May 12 – June 6, 58 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UD, 020 7407 1025, eamesfineart.com 

 

 

Lockdown linocut – ‘A Common Place’

‘Underpass’ is a new print commissioned by Eames Fine Art for the exhibition ‘A Common Place’.

This special project, conceived during Lockdown I, pairs gallery artists with writers from the collective 26 Characters to create work on the theme of “a common place”.

It’s Paul’s second collaboration with writer Olly Davy, following their hook-up for the ’26 Prints’ project in 2017. ‘Underpass’ represents the hinterlands of not-quite-city, not-quite-suburbs, where nature has overtaken the built environment.

Paul says: “Spaces like this hark back to my childhood in Coventry, where the city is encircled by ring roads and the journey outwards on foot navigates a tangle of concrete and undergrowth.”

Olly has written a poem to accompany the print, inspired by the similarly ‘edge of the city meets nature’ Hackney Marshes. Paul’s print takes elements of the Marshes – “where I would take the kids for days out during lockdown” – and transplants them beneath the Coventry ring road.

‘Underpass’ is on show with Eames Fine Art online and by appointment only from December 2. A book to accompany the exhibition is also available here, and a film to mark it by director Mike Southon can be viewed here.

‘Underpass’, linocut, edition of 20, £395, is available to buy here 

 

National Theatre… at the Royal Academy

Paul’s linocut print ‘National Grey II’ has been selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, which opens on June 10.

Curated this year by British painter Jock McFadyen RA, the annual show has run without interruption since 1769. Highlights for 2019 include an animal-themed ‘menagerie’ in the Central Hall.

You can find Paul’s print, celebrating the National Theatre, in Gallery VII (no. 1074). The space is hung around the theme of ‘urban sustainability’ and has been curated by Barbara Rae and Anne Desmet. (Top tip: take your binoculars – it’s high!). Visit the Royal Academy website for more and view Paul’s print online here.

Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, 10 June-12 August, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD, Sat – Thurs 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-10pm

Woolwich Print Fair

This huge celebration of contemporary printmaking in Woolwich’s Royal Arsenal is a real treat for art fans.

See Paul’s linocuts at the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers and Eames Fine Art stands alongside a treasure trove of work from more than 350 fellow printmakers.

Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair is the only fair in London to deal solely in contemporary printmaking, showcasing every aspect of the medium – from etching and lithography to woodblock and screen-printing.

Emerging talent sits alongside established practitioners such as Chris Ofili, Paula Rego and Norman Ackroyd RA and there is a packed programme of demos, talks and workshops.

Among Paul’s works on show will be Southbank Magenta II, Barbican Shapes, St Paul’s II and Hayward Grey II.

Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, 21-25 November 2018, Building 17, Cartridge Place, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, SE18 6ST, woolwichprintfair.com

 

Ink Paper + Print by the Seaside

Head to the sea this October for a weekend of illustration and printmaking at the annual Ink Paper + Print fair at Eastbourne’s Towner Art Gallery.

Paul will be exhibiting his linocuts and giving a guest talk on Saturday 13 October about the journey from jobbing illustrator to earning a living from making prints – including the highs and lows of creating commissioned work, touching on inspirational 20th century commercial artists such as Tom Purvis, Fred Taylor and Tom Eckersley.

Other exhibitors include Emma Mason Gallery, Michael Parkin Fine Art, Pressing Matters, Design for Today and The Mainstone Press. To book a seat at Paul’s talk click here.

Ink, Paper + Print, Saturday & Sunday 13-14 October, Towner Art Gallery, College Road, Eastbourne, BN21 4JJ, inkpaperandprint.co.uk

 

Back to Yorkshire for ‘The Original Print Show’

See Paul’s work this autumn in The Original Print Show at Yorkshire contemporary fine art gallery Zillah Bell.

Each year, celebrated printmaker Norman Ackroyd tours the Print Room at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and selects pieces for this annual show. Paul is one a number of artists handpicked to exhibit for 2018 – including Jonathan Lloyd, Neil Bousfield, Clare Cutts and Rod Nelson – giving the gallery scope to exhibit a large selection of prints by each.

On display will be Paul’s Hayward III (pictured) alongside a selection of other limited edition linocuts. For Paul, it marks a return to his family’s roots – both his parents hail from Leeds, although he and his brothers were brought up in Coventry.

The exhibition runs to September 22, with a Private View on Thursday 13 September. For more details please email info@zillabellgallery.co.uk.

The Original Print Show, Zillah Bell Gallery, to 22 September, 15 Kirkgate, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 1PQ, zillahbellgallery.co.uk

South Bank icon at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

Paul’s linocut ‘Hayward III’ is among the works selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

Billed as the ‘biggest, brightest and most colourful Summer Exhibition yet’, the annual art show marks its 250th anniversary this year and has been curated by Grayson Perry.

It runs from June 12 to August 19, and you can find Paul’s print in the Sackler South wing, artwork no.1068. Visit the Royal Academy website for more.

Royal Academy of Arts 250th Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, 12 June-19 August, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD, Sat – Thurs 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-10pm

 

Exhibition | ‘Futures Past – 20 Years of Linocuts’

In a major new solo show on London’s South Bank this spring, Paul showcases the breadth of his work across two decades of printmaking.

‘Futures Past’ is Paul’s ode to an ever-changing London skyline, taking in old classics – including now iconic prints of Battersea Power Station and Tate Modern – through commissions for high profile clients such as the Southbank Centre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Transport for London.

Paul’s commercial and book cover illustrations will also be on display, along with preparatory sketches, gouache roughs and linocut blocks revealing the process behind the prints.

Paul Catherall, ‘Futures Past – 20 Years of Linocuts’, gallery@oxo, May 3 – 13, Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street, South Bank, London SE1 9PH, Mon – Sun, 11am – 6pm, click here for map.

Modernism/Brutalism at Eames Fine Art

For the first time, a major new show at London’s Eames Fine Art will focus solely on Paul’s iconic prints of Modernist and Brutalist architecture. The exhibition, at the Bermondsey gallery, runs from November 8 to December 3, with artworks including new renditions of the National Theatre, Barbican, Hayward Gallery and Erno Goldfinger’s Trellick Tower. It will also take a retrospective look at some of Paul’s rarer early works – including prints of 1960s landmarks Centre Point and the former Telecom Tower.
Modernism/Brutalism, Eames Fine Art, 8 November – 3 December 2017, 58 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UD, 020 7407 1025, www.eamesfineart.com

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