Exhibitions & Events

Feb – May 2013

Whitworth Art Gallery

WelcomeIt is all about the land we stand on here in Manchester this spring. As we enter the final year of the Whitworth as it has been since 1889, we present a series of related exhibitions that speak of the land and how artists present it, move through it, and draw on and in it. From Turner to Piper, Richard Long to Nancy Holt and including geological samples on loan from Manchester Museum we focus our minds on matters of the earth.

As we break ground behind the Gallery to start construction of the 21st century Whitworth, enjoy seeing the new taking root.

Maria Balshaw Director of Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester City Galleries

Architects impression of the Whitworth’s new extension. © MUMA, 2012

#NewWhitworth

Legacy Information EveningThursday 2 May Free, no need to book Venue: Manchester MuseumA special event, jointly undertaken by Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Museum and Manchester City Galleries, to raise awareness of the crucial difference that can be made to Manchester’s cultural life through the generosity of supporters who make a gift in their Will. If you have ever considered supporting arts and cultural organisations in this way, this informal event with refreshments and an optional tour offers a great opportunity to find out more.

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John Piper began to draw and paint the landscape of North Wales in the middle of the Second World War. He was sent to Snowdonia in 1943 by the War Artists Advisory Committee, and rented a succession of cottages there between 1945 and 1956; two of them, at Maes Caradog and Pentre, situated in the awe inspiring glacial valley of Nant Ffrancon. For Piper, the result of this relocation was a shift from picturing the landscape of the lowland countryside to that of the sublime Welsh mountains. The large drawings and paintings that he made in Snowdonia are amongst his strongest works and tell of Piper’s close understanding of the landscape of that place, and his connection with the rock and sky surrounding him.

Sublime Watercolours of the Welsh Landscape9 February – 16 JuneThe Whitworth also presents an exhibition of drawings and watercolours from its own historic collection that will showcase interpretations of the Welsh landscape. Exploring artists’ representation of this geologically dynamic landscape, the exhibition includes works by JMW Turner, David Cox and John Varley as well as a selection of rocks and minerals from Manchester Museum.

John PiperThe Mountains of Wales19 January – 7 April

This exhibition has been brought together by the National Museum of Wales from the collection of a private owner who has built up a wonderful group of works focused on this subject. The Whitworth will augment the exhibition with its own dramatic work by Piper of The Slopes of Glyder Fawr, 1947.

#PiperArt

John Piper, Rocks at Capel Curig. c.1950. © The John Piper Estate

The exhibition is organised by Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, Cardiff.Supported by the Colwinston Charitable Trust the Derek Williams Trust and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.Supported by Little Greene Paint Company.

Curator’s Tour: John PiperSaturday 26 January, 2pm, free

02

In 1977 Michael Landy’s father, John Landy, a miner, was seriously injured in a tunnel collapse at the age of 37. Severe spinal injuries rendered him housebound and unable to return to work. In his poignant video Four Walls, Landy explores his father’s previous enthusiasm for working around the home, referencing his collection of tools, DIY manuals, home improvement magazines and videos, assembled over decades, both before and after the accident. Reflecting on the struggles of his father’s life, the video displays photographs and line drawings of optimistic young couples and growing families pursuing the modern dream of the improved house, set alongside the recurring difficulties of blocked guttering, eroded surfaces, decayed structures, skinned knuckles and clogged drains. The images are overlaid with a soundtrack of his father whistling his favourite songs.

Four Walls originally formed part of Semi-detached, the installation of a monumental and meticulously rendered sculptural replica of the front and rear façades of his parents’ Essex home in the Duveen Galleries at Tate Britain in 2004.

#MichaelLandy

Michael LandyFour Walls9 February – 16 June

Looking at Landscapes Teacher’s PackAn educator’s resource is available for KS3-KS5 students, teachers and lecturers.

Contact Denise Bowler for further details.t: 0161 275 8455 e: denise.bowler@manchester.ac.uk

Nancy Holt, Trail Markers, 1969

Michael Landy, Four Walls, 2004

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Richard Long emphatically changed the artist’s view from that of observing the landscape to journeying through it when he made his 1967 work A Line Made by Walking. With Robert Smithson, Walter De Maria, Nancy Holt and other artists in Europe and North America, Long was at the centre of the Land Art movement. Since then, the artist has made sculptures during his many walks, the art being inseparable from his movement through the landscape. Long also works in his studio, making discrete works of art for showing in galleries. Two stone sculptures are shown at the Whitworth, White Onyx Line (1990) and Tideless Stones (2008), both made from quarried stone, alongside text works which distill the action and experience of a solitary walk into words.

Nancy Holt is renowned for her large-scale sculptural works in the environment, exemplified by Sun Tunnels (1976) in which pairs of large concrete pipes are aligned in a Utah desert along the axis of the rising and setting sun at the solstice. The pipes act as viewing devices for the sky, the surrounding landscape and each other, locating the viewer in the landscape and in relation to the stars. This exhibition focuses on her photography, including Trail Markers made on a visit to Dartmoor with her husband Robert Smithson in 1969, and photographs and films of Sun Tunnels.

#RichardLong #NancyHolt

Richard LongNancy HoltLand ArtRichard Long: 16 February – 16 June Nancy Holt: 20 April – 16 June

Richard Long Tideless Stones, 2008

EventsSaturday Supplement: Land ArtSaturday 27 April, 3pm, free

Writers, artists and curators discuss the role of photography within Land Art.

Curator’s Tour: Nancy HoltSaturday 4 May, 2pm, free

For further details about these events see page 08.

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Callum Innes, Exposed Painting Green Lake, 2012. Courtesy Frith Street Gallery, London

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Callum Innes2 March – 16 June

Callum Innes is one of Britain’s best-known abstract painters. His constantly evolving practice is as much about un-painting as it is about painting. Using turpentine in conjunction with oil paints Innes thins and removes layers, revealing underlying colours and leaving the evidence of his process on the canvas. In his ongoing series, Exposed Paintings, layers of black oil paint are gradually removed to reveal a deep violet, or green. In his powerful and evocative series, Monologues the washes create a visual effect like a waterfall or a mist; a natural, shifting phenomenon.

This exhibition also shows a selection of works on paper and new watercolours made especially for the Whitworth. Perhaps less well-known than his oils, Innes’ works on paper were some of his earliest experiments in abstraction, and remain an important part of his work today. His ongoing series of watercolours continues Innes’ experimentation with the power of colour, combining pigments to create an often fluid and unclassifiable hue. Throughout his work apparently simple actions create paintings with a complex depth, documents of the process and the duration of their making.

#CallumInnes

Events Saturday Supplement: Artist TalkSaturday 2 March, 2.30pm, free

Join Callum Innes as he discusses his paintings and works on paper within the exhibition. See page 08.

Curator’s Tour: Callum InnesSaturday 30 March, 2pm, free

Beryl KorotText and Commentary2 March – 9 June

Beryl Korot was an active player in New York’s emergent video art scene in the 1970s and considered a pioneer of multichannel installation in particular. Text and Commentary (1976-7) was inspired by the punch card system of the Jacquard loom and its impact on Charles Babbage, a mathematician who originated the idea of a programmable computer in the 19th century. It is a groundbreaking work comprised of weavings, videos and paperbased scores that, when first shown in 1977, moved the video medium beyond the television’s frame and into art installation.

‘The thing that attracted me to the loom was its sophistication as a programming tool – it programs patterns through the placement of threads, in a numerical order that determines pattern possibilities,’ said Korot in a 1977 New York Times article. ‘It’s like the first computer on earth.’

In Manchester, birthplace of the textile industry and the first computer – Baby, this powerful work becomes even more resonant.

#BerylKorot

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EventSaturday Supplement: Artist TalkSaturday 2 March, 1pm, freeBeryl Korot will be giving an artist talk on Text and Commentary. See page 08.

Beryl Korot, Text and Commentary, 1976-1977. Courtesy bitforms gallery nyc. Photo: John Berens

For children of all ages, their families and carers

For under 5s and their grown-ups

Toddlertastic Adventures in Storytelling, Art, Music or DanceEvery Monday 10.30 – 11.30am or 11.30am – 12.30pmCreative sessions especially for the under fives and their grown ups. Booking is essential.t: 0161 275 7450

For babies and their grown-ups

Art Baby Every Wednesday 10.15 – 11.15am or11.30am – 12.30pm Creative sensory, discovery and play sessions accompanied by a musician. Especially designed for babies before they learn to walk.Booking is essential.t: 0161 275 7450

w: manchester.ac.uk/whitworth/whatson/families/freeevents

Colourful Sundays SpecialMothering Sunday 10 March1.30 – 3.30pmBring mums, grandmas, aunties… make something special for those who mean the most to you.

Great OutdoorsOn Wednesdays 3 & 10 April Thursdays 4 & 11 April Fridays 5 & 12 April1 – 3pmDress to get messy (and stay dry) in Whitworth Park as we explore nature, art, creativity, and celebrate our natural surroundings in springtime.

Printing in the ParkWednesday 29 Thursday 30 & Friday 31 May1 – 3pmJoin an artist and create your own screen prints. Dress ready for the spring weather.

SchoolHolidays

SchoolHolidays

‘Where can you get this much fun for free? On my second visit this week as my grandson demanded it!’Bernard, Granddad of three

Colourful Sundays Drop-in creative workshopsEvery Sunday 1.30 – 3.30pmJoin friends, family and artists for our popular drop-in creative workshops. All year round!

Arty PicnicsOn Tuesdays 2 & 9 April, 28 May11.30am – 1pmBring your lunch and get creative whilst having a very special picnic at the Gallery.

Artists’ Skills 3D LandscapesTuesday 19, Wednesday 20 Thursday 21 & Friday 22 February1 – 3pmExperiment with materials to create a 3D landscape.

Everyday family activities...We have lots of new activities for you to pick up and enjoy any time around the Gallery and its grounds. Our award-winning Café serves child friendly meals, and there’s a park next door.

FamiliesFree Artist Led Workshops

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SchoolHolidays

SchoolHolidays

Photo: www.WeAreTape.com

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Adult ProgrammeBringing art, people and ideas together, the Adult Programme promotes new ways to use our exhibitions, collections and spaces. For the most up to date news and events visit w: whitworthadultprogramme.wordpress.com

Tuesday Talks15 January to 5 March 11am – 12.30pm Free, no need to bookEach Tuesday leading artists and curators offer an insight into contemporary art practice, through their own driving forces, influences and sources of inspiration.

In collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University.

Check website for speakers:w: manchester.ac.uk/whitworth#TuesTalks

Students…For student opportunities and events visit:w: studentengagementmanchester. wordpress.comw: facebook.com/

studentengagementmanchester

Alternative Camera ClubOn Saturdays 23 February, 30 March 27 April, 18 May 1 – 3pm, free, booking essentialGet away from talk of focal lengths, megapixels and f-stops for a more considered, conceptual approach to photography. Join photo artists for talks and discussions with the chance to share your images and ideas with the group.

YogaEvery Thursday 8.30 – 9.45am, £3, booking essentialA fantastic way to start your day. Use our gallery spaces to exercise, relax and simply feel better. Please bring your own yoga mat.

Landscapes of John PiperSaturday 30 & Sunday 31 March 11am – 4pm, £35An artist led weekend to explore the themes and practices of our exhibition, John Piper: The Mountains of Wales.

Textiles: Innovation and TraditionSaturday 25 & Sunday 26 May 11am – 4pm, £35Inspired by our textiles collection. Join a contemporary textile artist and learn traditional techniques to create your own innovative work of art.

Booking essential for weekend courses:

t: 0161 275 7450 e: whitworth@manchester.ac.uk

Serious about Art Weekend Courses

Saturday SupplementCurated days of talks, performance, discussion and debate, in which artists, curators and academics explore the themes of our current exhibitions.

Saturday 2 March11am – 4pm, free

Beryl Korot offers an intimate insight into her work, and Callum Innes discusses his paintings and works on paper. Throughout the day music performances take place responding to the exhibition John Piper: The Mountains of Wales.

For details see pages 05 & 06.

Saturday 27 April11am – 4pm, free

A programme of talks, tours, discussions and screenings explore the themes of Land Art and contemporary landscape photography.

For details see page 03.

Textile Art NowOn Saturdays9 March, 6 April, 4 May 1 – 3pm, freeMonthly talks, discussions and workshops introducing new, innovative textile artists. Learn about their practice and share the skills that make these ideas possible.

Crafternoon TeaOn Wednesdays 20 March, 17 April, 15 May

On Saturdays 23 March, 13 April, 18 May 1 – 3pm, £5, booking essential

Social art and craft workshops. Try your hand at some new, unusual techniques in a fun and friendly atmosphere. You’ll even receive a voucher to enjoy a brew in our café when you’re done!

RNCM PerformancesOn Sundays20 January, 3 & 17 February, 3 & 17 March, 7 April Free, no need to bookEnjoy music and art together in a regular series of concerts by music students from the Royal Northern College of Music. Supported by the Friends of the Whitworth Gina Miller Bequest.

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w: manchester.ac.uk/whitworth/whatson/events

TalksSarah Price: LandscapesWednesday 27 February6.30pm, £7, booking advisable

Drawing on her fine art training, Sarah Price is established as one of the most prominent garden designers in Britain. A gold medal winner at RHS Chelsea and co-designer of the London Olympic Park Gardens. Current projects include landscape designs for the Whitworth 2014.

The Art of Keith Vaughan and Patrick ProcktorFriday 5 April12.30 – 2pm, £7, booking advisable

Keith Vaughan taught Patrick Procktor at the Slade School in the late 1950s. Ian Massey, author of books about both of these influential painters will talk about their work, referencing the Whitworth’s collection.

Samuel John Peploe: A Scottish ModernistFriday 17 May12.30 – 2pm, £7, booking advisable

Samuel John Peploe was part of a group of painters known as the Scottish Colourists. Guy Peploe, Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, talks here about his grandfather’s work.

These talks are free to students on production of ID card. To book advance tickets, e: fow@manchester.ac.uk

How Green was my ValleyFriday 8 MarchLife is hard in a Welsh mining town in this dramatic adaptation of Richard Llewellyn’s novel, starring Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara and a real Welsh choir.Dir. John Ford.1941, Cert U, 118 mins

Under Milk WoodFriday 22 MarchDylan Thomas’s delightful and peculiar story of life in a Welsh fishing village, starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Peter O’Toole.Dir. Andrew Sinclair.1972, Cert 15, 87 mins

The Englishman who went up a Hill but came down a MountainThursday 28 MarchComedy starring Hugh Grant, in which residents of a small Welsh town are deeply offended when a cartographer tells them their mountain is only a hill!Dir. Christopher Monger.1995, Cert PG, 99 mins

Movie NightsThree movies offering a flavour of Wales.

After HoursSaturday 30 March7.30 – 10.30pm Free, no need to book

An evening of digital and live music responses to our collections. Using digital technologies to create new platforms for artists and visitors alike to connect with our exhibitions.

Friday 17 May 7.30 – 10.30pm Free, no need to book

To celebrate Museums at Night, we welcome a selection of new, innovative artists, musicians and performers. Shedding new light on our exhibitions with their creative interventions.

All movies start at 6.15pm. Come early for a glass of wine. Advance tickets £5 (£6 on the night). Students free on production of ID card. To book advance tickets, e: fow@manchester.ac.uk

Friends of the Whitworth

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Open Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 12 – 4pm

The Gallery is closed on Good Friday, 29 March, and is open as usual on Bank Holiday Mondays. Entry to the Gallery is free.

Find us We are in Whitworth Park, 1.5 miles south of Manchester city centre.walk: 40min from Manchester city centre. Flat paved route, not traffic-free.bike: Sheffield stands on-site, lockers on-site (£1 coin, refundable)bus: 15, 41, 42, 43, 140 – 143, 147. Ask for bus-stop nearest MRI, Oxford Road.tram: St Peter’s Square + bus 10min or + walk 30mintrain: Oxford Road + bus 10min or + walk 30mincar: On-street parking (max 2hrs) on Denmark Road. Nearest car park Cecil Street. See map.Manchester travel information line t: 0161 228 7811

The Gallery Café Good Food Guide’s Best Family Restaurant in the UK 2009. Mon to Sat 10am – 4.30pm, Sun 12 – 3.30pm

The Gallery Shop Offering a great selection of art books, cards and gifts the shop also stocks Little Greene paints and wallpapers.

Manchester Museum The Museum is 10 minutes’ walk from the Gallery with collections and activities for families and adults. t: 0161 275 2648 w: manchester.ac.uk/museum

Friends of Whitworth Park We are working to make the Gallery’s setting even better. We need your help! t: 0161 928 5744 e: shones@altrincham.freeserve.co.uk

The Whitworth Needs You! We’ve started work on our £12m building project to transform the Gallery, adding new exhibition spaces, study rooms, learning studio and Art Garden. We still need funds and there has never been a better time to support us! To make a donation large or small please contact Jo Beggs, Head of Development. t: 0161 275 7474 e: jo.beggs@manchester.ac.uk

You can now make a donation by text. Send the message: WAGM14 and the amount you wish to donate to 70070.

Whitworth Art Gallery The University of Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER

t: 0161 275 7450 f: 0161 275 7451 e: whitworth@manchester.ac.uk w: manchester.ac.uk/whitworth /whitworthartgallery @WhitworthArt

Access Wheelchairs, rollators, seating, free portable stools. Low lighting in most galleries. Guide Dogs welcome.

For a large print version of this leaflet please call 0161 275 7450, email whitworth@manchester.ac.uk or pick up a copy at the welcome desk.Friends of the Whitworth Get more involved with the Gallery and its work. Friends memberships are on sale in the Gallery Shop, now with a free limited edition bag.t: 0161 275 7496 w: friendsofthewhitworth.org.uk

Paints by Little GreeneLittle Greene’s environmentally friendly paints and wallpapers, including designs from the archives at English Heritage and the Whitworth, bring beautiful colour, timeless elegance and enduring appeal to your home. Little Greene is the Whitworth’s official paint sponsor. w: littlegreene.com

Paper by GFSmithGFSmith is an independent British company that has been providing the creative world with inspiration for over a century.

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