Alex Katz - Give Me Tomorrow at Tate St Ives

Not much blogging again this month - Mainly because I've just started an Art and Design access course at Exeter College which is pretty much full-time. Nevertheless, I did attend Plainsong's penultimate gig at the David Hall, South Petherton last Friday - This was a great evening and I have some video which I'll post soon.

Meanwhile, this weekend is the final chance to see the Alex Katz Give Me Tomorrow exhibition at Tate St Ives. After the previous disappointing Simon Fujiwara exhibition Since 1982 (except for the excellent Alfred Wallis room) this show definitely should not be missed.

Alex Katz's wife, Ada

85 year-old Katz has produced a wealth of original and influential work during the past six decades. His work typically features his friends, his wife and his cool social circle, while his use of flat colour predates Pop Art, and his subjects are often portrayed using cinematic devices.

Alex Katz

In addition to the Give Me Tomorrow exhibition, the gallery is showing an interesting selection of works personally chosen by Katz from the Tate's collection, which range from Mondrian to Hodgkin.

At the same time, in the 'study room', there is a fascinating small exhibit showing photographs and other documents relating to the meeting of Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood with Alfred Wallis in St Ives in 1928. This, too, is well worth seeing.

If you are around St Ives this weekend and have not yet seen the Katz exhibition, I recommend that you take this final opportunity to see his work.

Mondrian & Nicholson at the Courtauld Gallery

Just a brief reminder that the Mondrian/Nicholson: In Parallel exhibition at the Courtauld closes on 20 May. This is a small exhibition but one that is well worth seeing if you can get to it this weekend.

To quote the Courtauld: "This exhibition explores the largely untold relationship between Piet Mondrian and Ben Nicholson during the 1930s. At this time the two artists were leading forces of abstract art in Europe ... This is a unique opportunity to experience some of the greatest works ever produced by these two exceptional artists."

Mondrian: Composition with yellow, blue and red (1942)

The Courtauld is a great little gallery - far more intimate and manageable than the Tates or the National etc. When you have done Nicholson/ Mondrian you can explore the main collection that the gallery houses. A highlight for me is the collection of paintings by the Fauves (including key works by Matisse, Derain and Dufy), the German Expressionist paintings, and the works by Kandinsky.

Ben Nicholson: Painting (1943)

However, the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists are also well represented (with well known pictures by Van Gogh, Degas, Cezanne, Manet and Gaugin), and there are some exquisite works from earlier periods (including paintings by Gainsborough, Goya, and Rubens). This introductory video summarises what's on show:

You can take a virtual tour of most of the gallery here.

Westcotts Gallery, St Ives

Since this was written Wescotts Gallery has sadly closed but has in mid 2012 reopened as an exhibition space for the Porthminster Gallery. Jonathan Grimble Modern Art & the Sandra Blow Estate are now based at Bullans Court, Bullans Lane, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 1RB. Sandra Blow's paintings and prints can be bought from there and studio tours are available by arrangement. See the website for further details.

Sandra Blow

St Ives is stuffed full of galleries. One of the best is Westcotts, which features modern British art and is owned and run by Jonathan Grimble and Denny Long.

The gallery is a great space which is packed with art and ceramics plus a few books etc. Jon is an executor for the Sandra Blow estate and does tours by appointment around her former studio which is nearby.

When I visted the gallery a couple of weeks ago the highlights included a number of works by Sandra Blow and some by Breon O'Casey.  O'Casey, who sadly died at the end of May, was one of the last of the St Ives school - an artist who was versatile in several media and, incidentally, was the son of playwright Sean O'Casey.

The gallery features a mixture of established artists: Sandra Blow, Terry Frost, Peter Lanyon, Ben Nicholson and others, but also newer ones too. Works by the big names are mainly priced in thousands but other stuff is more affordable. Amongst these are some fine retro-style linocuts by Laura Weston, a print artist from the Wirral:

Since doing a printing taster course at Double Elephant in Exeter last year I've become more interested in linocuts and I have invested in one of Laura Weston's artist's proofs (not this one).

The Wescott gallery occasionally also has prints by Joe Tilson, pop art veteran and contemporary of Peter Blake. I didn't see any of his prints the last time I was there but I've recently shelled out for, and am now the proud owner of, a small Tilson print of my own:

Westcott's is just along from the harbour, opposite the Arts Club.