Bromley Art Society Bringing Artists Together since 1947

Broadly speaking I found this year’s Summer Show at the RA to be disappointing but then, so have those of the last few years.  In my opinion there are too few works which demonstrate the artistic skills which are expected at such an  important national academic institution.  These are often easier to find in regular  exhibitions in the Mall Gallery.  Historically the RA was pilloried because it would  not accept “avant guarde” work, now it accepts too much!

Having said that, hidden amongst the big brash canvases shouting “look at me!”  there were quite a few works of quieter skill, some of which I would like to mention in case you missed them or have yet to pay a visit there. 

The Small Weston Room always contains a number of treasures - if you spend  enough time craning your neck to find them.   I ticked my catalogue against no.  310 - “Two Yellow Plums” by Ann Brains, 313 - “Birdbath with Foxgloves” by  John Boulden, 315 - “Driftwood Girl” in egg tempera by Benjamin Senior, 317 -  “Digging for Rainbows” another tempera painting by Peter Messer, and 333 -  “Brass Blow Torches” by Liam Thomson.  I went on to give approving ticks to nearly forty further paintings in this one room; these included “The Studio  Mantlepiece” by Peter Brown which I particularly liked.  My approbations were  more sparse as I passed through the rest of the show - but there were some  larger works which impressed me.  In the large gallery (III) I liked the very long  eye-catching “The Herbaceous Ground, Kew” by Adrian Berg.  In this large room  there were a few other works which caused me to linger not least the “Sketch for  a Large Painting in Four Parts” by Stephen Farthing - it would be good to see the  finished work.  It was also nice to see Mary Feddon, David Curtis, Stephen Gore  and Diana Armfield still exhibiting. 

With very few exceptions the sculpture did not excite.  For me the highlights were  Jeff Koon’s superb “Cracked Egg”, “Suburban Totem” by Ivor Abrahams, “Pour”  by Phillip King and James Butler’s small girl. How I missed the “Ping Pong Table”  by Ron Arad I do not know but I am told that its shape and mirror finished stainless steel would have wowed me had I not been looking so intently at the walls! I am not sure that the RA’s did it deliberately, but they left the best ‘til last. Room X redeemed my flagging opinion of the show.  Ken Howard, William Bowyer, and  Olwyn Bowey with their large oils saved the day - but there was one more treat -  hung in a position that would ensure that most visitors would pass it by - in the  exit lobby - were the two best watercolours in the exhibition - “Bonefacio” by  Carey Clarke and “Kirkdale” by Simon Palmer. 

To sum up - I wish there had been more work to excite me but it was still worth  the journey, I shall hope for more of the better things next year.

Pat Tucker