Exhibitions
Celia Paul (Marlborough Fine Art, till 19 October) Ray Atkins (Art Space Gallery, till 17 October) Critic's Choice (Beaux Arts Gallery, Bath, till 12 October)
Sixties secessionists
Giles Auty
My return to reviewing last week coin- cided with the comeback of Pop Art after what seemed to me too short an absence. This week I am relieved to write about art which engages me more, although, by com- parison with their Pop Art counterparts from the swinging Sixties, its 'skilled practi- tioners remain relatively unknown. Although social historians and makers of television documentaries may disbelieve me, young men did exist during that blessed decade who never described any- thing as lab' or 'gear'. There were young women likewise who preferred to wear sun- glasses elsewhere than on the tops of their heads. And then there were artists, also, who believed that the first light in the world emanated neither from David Hock- ney's gold lame coat nor his peroxide bot- tle. While Pop Art folklore concentrates exclusively on the Royal College and its students, it might be salutary to recall that other postgraduate courses existed which were dedicated to less evanescent ideals.
Four of the painters I am writing about this week were at the Slade in the Sixties while a fifth, Celia Paul, studied there much more recently. Ray Atkins, John Wonnacott, John• Lessore and Leonard McComb were students at the Slade during the Pop Art explosion. Perhaps all were working so hard at their drawing that they failed to hear the bang. Happily, each has developed subsequent- ly as an artist of genuine individuality and has been largely overlooked, until recently, for this very reason. In a climate infected increasingly with mass-media hype — wit- ness last week's orchestrated eulogising of Pop — it tends to be stylistic stampedes alone which make art world headlines. Even art critics are not immune from lem- ming-like urges, although most lead the rush only so far as the cliff edge. Once there, few feel called upon to jump them- selves, leaving such commitment to their artist apostles.
At Marlborough Fine Art (6 Albemarle Street, WI) the paintings of Celia Paul, who is in her early thirties, belong not only to an old tradition but also look like those of an older artist. Sombre, sober and sin- cere, Miss Paul treats the weighty issues of humanity with an equally ponderous build- up of paint. A number of heads she has painted are virtually in relief. Here is paint- ing of a kind thought of as typical now of the 'School of London'. Freud, Kossoff and Auerbach are senior practitioners of this genre, with Hals and Rembrandt invoked as distant ancestors. My major reservation regarding Miss Paul concerns a lack of con- trast either in mood or subject matter. After a time, relentless sincerity can come to seem inhuman, nor does thick paint altogether camouflage occasional short- comings in structure.
Ray Atkins preceded Miss Paul at the Slade by some 15 years and is an artist who merits more recognition than has come his way so far. By contrast with Miss Paul, who paints the human figure in an indoor set- ting exclusively, Atkins strides the Cornish moors working from the subject in all weathers. His paint is thick, but his heart and palette are much less heavy. Atkins is a gritty artist, nevertheless, since outdoor exuberance is more difficult to convey con- vincingly than many suppose. Those who would gladden their lives a little should take a look at Atkins's work at Art Space Gallery (84 St Peter's Street, N1). The artist's magnificent eight-foot 'Landscape: Gulf Crisis' deserves a properly apprecia- tive home.
Modesty might have dissuaded me from mentioning the current exhibition at Beaux Arts Gallery in York Street, Bath, since I am the critic responsible for the choosing. However, my editor persuaded me that my choice of artists may interest readers. Given my unorthodox views, such opportu- nities seldom come my way. I am particu- larly glad therefore to provide a chance for readers resident in the South West to see work by artists who do not court cheap popularity. The show comprises work by five senior painters, four younger talents and three very promising sculptors. The painters are Lotte Laserstein, Leonard McComb, John Wonnacott, John Lessore, Alan Wood, Victoria Rees, Piers Browne, Peter Lloyd- Jones and Jenny Wood and the sculptors Sadiq, Ivan Klapez and Vanessa Pooley. Last year's inaugural critic's choice at this gallery was selected by the late Peter Fuller who believed in the need for true artistic individuality as passionately as I do. Those responsible have hung the exhibition with real flair and feeling. I hope some readers, at least, will make the trip.
'Gorse Bush V, by Ray Atkins
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