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In the 1960s and 70s, Keith Arnatt (1930-2008) exhibited as a conceptual artist, documenting what he saw on film. During this period he created ‘situations’, where objects and people were often photographed outdoors. In those images, the artist and his behaviour were as important as the subject matter. The A.O.N.B. series was made near his home in Tintern1. His career was celebrated with a retrospective at the Photographers Gallery, London2 in 2007.

Sandra Blow (1925-2006) rose to prominence in the 1950s, alongside Gillian Ayres, who exhibited at RAMM in 2013. By the late 1950s, Blow was exhibiting internationally, including the John Moores in Liverpool3 and the Venice Biennale. In 1960 she won the Guggenheim award. Friends with Lanyon, Hilton and Heron, Blow stayed in ‘Eagles Nest’4, Heron’s home, whilst she found a cottage to rent in Cornwall. She returned to London to teach at the Royal College of Art2, returning to St Ives5 in the 1990s. In 2005 Tate Britain2 celebrated her 80th birthday with a major exhibition.

The early work of David Bomberg (1890-1957) was influenced by Vorticists like Wyndham Lewis, with angles and jagged lines. After serving in the First World War, Bomberg’s art became more organic in form. During the 1920s he painted figuratively, and visited the West Country and Scotland. Travel through Cyprus, Palestine, Spain and the then Soviet Union influenced Bomberg’s passion for landscapes. His later work was under-rated in his lifetime, but has since been reappraised. Bomberg’s work is held in many collections, including the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge6, Laing in Newcastle7, National Museums Liverpool3 and Tate2.

Edward Burra (1905-76) became famous in the 1930s for his moody, urban night-time scenes. He travelled extensively and was influenced by New York jazz clubs and Paris bars. Experiences in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) greatly affected Burra and his work became darker and more surreal. He was also a successful designer of ballet costumes and sets. Burra’s art can be seen in many public collections, including the National Galleries of Scotland8, Tate2 and the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester9.

Prunella Clough’s (1919-99) career spanned more than 50 years. Her interests extended to surrealism, neo-romanticism and abstract expressionism. She would often take a tiny detail of an object, or a piece of found material, and use that as the focal point for a painting, print or collage. During the 1970s Clough’s work was noticeably more open to interpretation and increasingly featured influences from nature, rather than urban. Clough’s art was much admired by fellow artists, notably Heron who wrote about her; and collected by museums as far afield as Dublin, New York, Santiago, Sydney and Vienna.

Born in Germany, Paul Feiler (1918-2013) studied at the Slade2 (1936-39). He lived in Cornwall10 from the 1950s, becoming friends with Lanyon and Frost. He also lived in Bristol11 and was married to June Miles, whose painting of Sennen12 is in this exhibition. Although Feiler became a prominent St Ives5 figure, his painting was more abstract expressionist than his contemporaries, showing influences of Mondrian and the Bauhaus. Many of his works were inspired by places along the Cornish coast, illustrating how changes in light affect the appearance of natural features. He exhibited widely across the United States and is in public collections in London2, Paris, Toronto and Washington DC.

Kenneth William A Fernee (1926-83) was a painter, born in London. During the course of his career he visited Dartmoor13 and was fascinated by the impact that the change of light had on the appearance of stone rows and buildings in the national park. He exhibited in Plymouth14 at the Arts Centre and in the Barbican area. His paintings are held in the university collections of Chichester15 and Exeter16.

Clifford Fishwick (1923-97) was principal of Exeter College of Art & Design16 from 1958-84. A longstanding member of the Newlyn Society of Artists, he exhibited at the Royal Academy2 and influenced a generation of artists. Fishwick did not achieve the international profile of some of his contemporaries, yet he was highly regarded and much admired by his peers. He lived for many years in Topsham17, and his death was commemorated with exhibitions in both Exeter16 and Plymouth14.

Terry Frost’s (1915-2003) long career began when his talent was commented on by artist Adrian Heath, during his time as a prisoner-of-war in 1941. In his 30s Frost went to Camberwell School of Art2 and was mentored by Victor Pasmore. He lived in St Ives5 from the 1950s and worked as assistant to Barbara Hepworth on her ‘Festival of Britain’ sculpture (1951). He travelled widely, with years spent teaching in Leeds18, as well as California, Newcastle7 and Reading19, before settling in Newlyn20 in the 1970s. Frost was a great champion of art in Cornwall and supported the development of Tate St Ives5 in the 1990s.

Hilary Goddard (b. 1935) was head of fine art at the Maynard School in Exeter16 from 1970-93. During that time she encouraged and influenced a generation of young artists. Goddard’s artwork illustrates and reflects themes in nature as well as humanity’s responses to it. She works in different media, including sculpture and calligraphy, though is best known for her paintings. Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery14 holds three of her works in their collections.

Patrick Heron (1920-99) was a textile designer, writer and painter. He lived in St Ives5 1925-30 and returned to Cornwall in 1956, living at the ‘Eagle’s Nest’ in Zennor4. He wrote about art for New Statesman and Nation (London2) and Arts magazine (New York). He exhibited at the São Paulo Biennial (1953/54) and won first prize at the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition3 (1959). His work is in collections around the world including Lisbon, New York, Tokyo and Toronto. The large and colourful window in Tate St Ives5 was designed by Heron in 1992.

Roger Hilton (1911-75) studied at the Slade School of Art, London2. He served with the commandos during the Second World War and spent three years as a prisoner-of-war. Hilton originally painted figurative pieces, then, during the mid 1950s, became closely identified with the abstract expressionists. In many paintings from this period, Hilton’s interest in the colours and forms found in nature could be seen in his work. He became an influential figure in contemporary art, winning the John Moores Prize (1963). He died in Botallack, Cornwall21; a place which inspired Paul Feiler’s painting in this exhibition.

Justin Knowles (1935-2004) was a sculptor and painter from Exeter16 whose abstracts captured the public imagination when they appeared in magazines during the 1960s. Heron was an admirer of Knowles’ work and wrote about it in Studio International magazine. In 1973 a studio fire prevented Knowles from working. It was not until the 1990s that his work would be ‘rediscovered’ after Heron and others encouraged Knowles to exhibit again. At the time of his death, Knowles was enjoying a renaissance, with exhibitions in Plymouth14, Truro22, London2 and Prague, and commissions for Winchester23 and Exeter16 cathedrals.

John (‘Jack’) Knox (b. 1936) studied in Glasgow24 and Paris. Early in his career Knox painted abstract pieces using mixed media. Following a visit to museums in the Netherlands, he changed direction. The artist began painting colourful, succulent images of food. Knox said that he was inspired by the still life paintings and the way the food in the café was presented. He taught art in both Dundee25 and in Glasgow24, where he became head of painting at the School of Art.

Peter Lanyon (1918-64) was a central figure in St Ives5 and one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. His work made clear reference to the Cornish landscape, particularly cliff edges and sky, and was strongly influenced by his interest in abstract expressionism. In the late 1950s he and Terry Frost taught together. Lanyon also taught in the USA and Czechoslovakia (today the Czech Republic and Slovakia), exhibiting in New York. His passions included gliding which was an inspiration for several major paintings. His early death, aged 46, was a result of a gliding accident near Taunton26.

Richard Long (b. 1945) is among the most well-known artists in the country and has been making art and exhibiting for more than 40 years. He works in photography, paint and sculpture and it is for the sculptural pieces that Long is most famous. Winner of the Turner Prize in 1989, he has exhibited across the world, from Poland to South Korea, Brazil to Belgium. The artist’s work reflects his interest in the relationship between humanity and nature. Long is based near Bristol11.

Rachel Lowe (b. 1968) is an artist whose work combines drawing and painting with video, projection and Super 8 film. She studied at Newcastle College of Arts & Technologies7 and Camberwell and Chelsea Colleges of Art2. Lowe has described her creative process as intuitive and this is reflected in her work. She has exhibited widely including the Whitechapel Art Gallery, London2 (1998), British Art Show 5 (toured the UK in 2000), and internationally, including Shanghai (2010), Karachi and Melbourne (2013).

Alexander Mackenzie (1923-2002) was a member of the St Ives School5 and lived in Cornwall20 from the 1950s. His work was mainly abstract, though some paintings were more representational in style. In the late 1950s and 60s he exhibited in cities as diverse as Bogota in Columbia, Milan and Rome in Italy, London2 and New York. From 1964 he taught at Plymouth College of Art14 where he stayed for over 20 years, becoming head of fine art.

June Miles (b. 1924) has lived and worked in Cornwall27 and France, as well as Bristol11 where she taught art at the Folk House and Bristol Polytechnic11 (now University of the West of England). She trained at the Slade in London2 and during the Second World War drew maps for the Admiralty. She was married to Paul Feiler whose painting Botallack21 is included in this exhibition. Her work is in the collections of Bristol’s Museums Galleries & Archives11 and the Royal West of England Academy11.

Alexander (‘Mac’) McNeish (1932-2000) studied at Edinburgh College of Art8 (1952-57). A visit to Salzburg in 1960 inspired him to exhibit more widely. McNeish taught at Wolverhampton College of Art28 in 1962; then moved to Exeter College of Art16 in 1965 to take up the position of head of painting, a role he held for 15 years. He was known as a passionate painter and communicator, so was ideally suited to encourage other artists. On his death the Scotsman newspaper affectionately described Mac as a member of the hard-core ‘Scottish Mafia’ of art teachers.

George Shaw (b. 1966) has become a leading figure in contemporary art, using enamel paints to create his distinctive work. Exhibitions across the UK and in France, Germany, Switzerland and the USA have made Shaw’s art familiar to an international audience. He studied at the Royal College of Art2, and has work in the collections of the British Council, RCA and Tate2. In 2011 he was nominated for the Turner Prize and exhibited at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead7. He is based on the north coast of Devon29.

Jack Smith (1928-2011) was a realist, then later, an abstract painter. From the mid 1940s to mid 50s he studied at Sheffield College of Art30, St Martin’s School of Art2 and the Royal College of Art2. His tutors at the RCA included John Minton and Carel Weight. In 1950s the realist work of Smith and others was described as ‘Kitchen Sink School’. During the 1960s he moved into abstraction, with brightly coloured forms which he continued throughout the rest of his career.

Jem Southam (b. 1950) is one of the UK’s leading photographers. He documents the changing seasons and the impact on landscapes. Southam’s photography has been exhibited internationally, and is in the collections of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Museum Folkswang in Dusseldorf, Yale Center for British Art in New Haven and the V&A in London2. The artist is professor of the School of Art & Media at Plymouth University14.

John Wells (1907-2000) trained in medicine and worked as a doctor in the 1930s and 40s. After the Second World War he decided to pursue his passion for art and settled in Newlyn20. Wells worked with Hepworth in the early 1950s and she remained a great influence throughout his life. From the 1950s onwards he exhibited in London2 and internationally. His work is held in collections across the UK including National Museums Northern Ireland31, National Galleries of Scotland8 and Tate2.

Clare Woods (b. 1972) studied at Bath College of Art32 and Goldsmith’s College, London2. Over the past ten years she has established herself as one of the UK’s leading artists, with solo exhibitions in Southampton City Art Gallery33 and the Hepworth, Wakefield34. The Contemporary Art Society commissioned Woods to create art for the Olympic Park in London2 in 2012. The result was a colossal piece, 125 metres long and comprised of 88,000 tiles.

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Detached and Timeless is an exhibition of work by 25 artists with works spanning seventy years. A number of them knew each other, or worked together; and some of the earlier figures inspired those who came later. Many of the artists shared ideas and values, and occasionally points of inspiration and debate. This provides some background to the people in the exhibition.

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DaT guide.indd 2 07/07/2014 16:28