The First Gallery
Bitterne, Southampton, UK
The most unusual gallery in the South (BBC South)
1 Burnham Chase |
1 Burnham Chase |
H. Margery Clarke at her easel 2006
"The First" Gallery is also a private house in Bitterne, where the Clarke family have for many years provided a venue for good but often little-known artists and craftspeople to show and sell their wares. They also have an important role in promoting the work of a previous generation of local artists and in keeping their memories alive. The late Leo Stable, the founder of the John Hansard Gallery on Southampton University Campus was an associate, and the City Art Gallery maintains close links. Lots of people have never heard of "The First" Gallery (part of an ordinary suburban house); many others have made a mental note to come and have a look. Do feel free to ring for directions. While we are tucked away, we're well worth finding!
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"The First" Gallery's PRIME ROLE IS
SIMPLY AS AN ENABLER, TO MAKE OPPORTUNITIES IN AN ENJOYABLE WAY TO:
ORIGINALLY THE SPACE WAS MERELY THE SQUARE HALL BUT GRADUALLY EXTENDED UNTIL IT NOW INCLUDES ALL THE HOUSE EXCEPT THE BEDROOMS. IN ORDER TO EXPAND, YET NOT INTERFERE WITH THE WELCOMING FEEL OF A FAMILY HOME, "The First" Gallery TOURING SHOWS WERE INTRODUCED AND HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, FROM THE Isle of Wight TO THE Shetlands AND FROM Falmouth to Wick. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE LITTLE Patio Show OF POTS AND GARDEN RELATED THINGS HAS ALSO "GROWED" AND A PREVIOUSLY HIDDEN PATCH OF GROUND WAS TRANSFORMED INTO THE NEW "Secret Sculpture Garden" IN June 2000.
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All the work on these special exhibition pages can be seen 'in the flesh' at "The First" by phoning 023 8046 2723 to make an appt.
mid July - 21 August 2005
Here on the Web
and for real at |
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"We tell the
stories we have to tell and perhaps return to the same stories again and again.
We tell the stories that draw us in on things we care about, the intuitive
responses to draw and paint the objects around us. We rely on trusting of
instincts rather than intellect to organise the surface, it gives us a licence
to explore, to enhance our sense of wonder, to rediscover, to intuitively
respond to the abstract qualities of familiar objects. A favourite flower, a
shopping list, a squeeze of lemon, a spoonful of kindness. All of these help us
to make objects that talk and then we can listen to them."
Left: My Birthday Jug 2005 collage
on paper
This exhibition revels in the familiar objects that Jacqueline Mair likes to explore through collage, print, mixed media and painting.
Jacqueline had a previous Travelling Exhibition curated by Margery which may still be viewed to give a feel for her work and you may
and her Contact-me Entry
On to The First Gallery Web Catalogue of Jacqui's Work
To celebrate his 75th birthday on 17th September 2005
 Peter Markey's Wave Machine with Watcher and Planes c1995 c30 x 60 x 30 cm |
Up to 24 December (many remaining items) by appointment - just ring 023 8046 2723
Warmly festive as ever, this is The First's 31st Christmas Show, featuring about 20 makers who exhibit widely but sparsely: you'll rarely find such work in "gift shops". This is the time of year when we're all on the lookout for special, individual things for the people that matter to us. At "The First" Gallery, we consciously aim to be different (without being weird!), the kind of place where you'll find things seldom seen elsewhere.
Geared to the Season of Goodwill (and Stressed Budgets) prices range from around £1 to over £100, with most between £20 and £50. There are plenty of automata [= moving toys] - spin-off from our Peter Markey Celebration - but we always feature people new to us, so look out for:
This year, we're making a substantial display of 1/12th scale DOLLS' HOUSE MINIATURES (as "substantial" as such tiny things will allow!) featuring some original creations by Geoff D. Clarke (1925 - 98), built kits and many "spare parts" for those who like making their own.
Over the past month, and still arriving as this is being written, is work by Sue Evans, Peter Lennertz, Peter Markey, Sarah Perry, Robert Race, Jane Ryan, Laurence & Angela St. Leger, Jeff Soan, and others. Have fun choosing in our welcoming, unhurried surroundings.
2006 had originally been mooted as the launch-date for the Eric Meadus, because it's his 75th anniversary. Since part of our "policy" (inasmuch as we have anything so formal!) is to keep his flame alive, we are commemorating his birthday (18 May 1931) in a small way with some activities around two exhibitions of his paper-based work (most of them never before exhibited):
Friday 19th May 2 - 7 pm
Exhibition open to view, at "The First"
Gallery
While local historians, esp. those with photographic collections, would be invaluable to this process, anyone who may have walked past the same locations day in, day out, e.g. on their way to work, might be prompted to remember what they think they've forgotten by the sight of these drawings. The discussions occasioned by the meeting of like minds often prompts more detailed recall. (During a previous exhibition, a retired beat policeman was able to identify several locations, including some consisting just of rooflines, since the police are trained to keep an eye on upper storeys, as Eric Meadus - for more aesthetic reasons! - was also wont to do. So you don't need any particular historical knowledge to be of help).
Eric drew in many areas, as well as Swaythling for which he is renowned: the City Centre (esp. round the Pirelli factory; Central Station / Polygon; Bedford Place; Manchester Street; Portland Terrace; Chapel & The Deanery; Terminus Terrace; Queen's Park, down to the Floating Bridge terminal) almost any area which had bomb-sites; St. Mary's; Northam; Mount Pleasant; Bevois Valley; probably Derby Road area (before it became red-light); St. Denys; Shirley (we believe); West End; Netley; Weston; Eastleigh; Chandler's Ford. Anyone familiar with those areas may help in our research.
On Sunday, the shop is normally closed, but it is possible Peter may open specially for the half-hour before the Ride-&-Walk-about. Eric Meadus was born in Rigby Road, right round the corner.
Collections of postcards / books with photo-illustrations by Crispin Eurich are available at "The First" Gallery now, and will be made available by mail order through this site over the coming weeks. We hope to put up a small virtual photo-gallery, so those not within geographic reach of us can enjoy the talents of this remarkable photographer.
Crispin was the son of the painter Richard Eurich RA (1903 - 92). Initially he intended to follow in his father's footsteps, so began training at Southampton Art College. An accident to his hand, coupled with winning first prize in a 1950s Photokina competition, changed his direction. Henceforward the camera became his constant companion.
Before moving to London, where he was based for most of his career, Crispin lived with his family at Dibden Purlieu, in the north-eastern New Forest near Southampton Water. Fascinated by technology, he approached Esso (who have a major oil-refinery at Fawley, a few miles down the estuary) for permission to take photos at their plant, but was refused. In typically determined Eurich fashion, he proceeded to take pictures of the terminal from outside and submitted the results to them. Immediately the gates were opened for him and he was engaged by them freelance for the rest of his life. He travelled widely on assignments and was in the midst of a successful career when, before reaching 40, he died of a brain tumour. The full breadth of his oeuvre cannot be depicted by just a few images. His background and training bring an exceptionally painterly eye to bear on his subject. There is much kindly but sly and / or hidden humour, typical of the man. Artistically, there is an astonishing level of acheivement in many fields: (among others) people, architectural, industrial; areas which are usually photographic specialisms in their own right.
In 1987, we were planning an exhibition to commemorate the Lowry Centenary. He had connections with the city (hence "The Floating Bridge" painting in the Southampton City Art Gallery Collection) but their paintings were in Salford for the big national show. We decided to show drawings, just to mark the occasion. We knew about Crispin's now famous image of Lowry standing in his black coat outside his house in Mottram (which has since become a defining image of him, used enormously enlarged at the R.A. memorial exhibition and now, with others of Crispin's portraits, at The Lowry in Salford). Thanks to the late John Bulford* we discovered the posthumous publication "The Gentle Eye" (which title has been adopted by the octogenarian photographer Jane Bown; it was originated by Richard Eurich for the book), produced [we understand] to accompany Crispin's retrospective at The Photographers Gallery, London, in 1979. (Miss Bown had requested the use of it for her own NPG exhibition in 1980).
We originally contacted Richard for permission to use the photo on our publicity but, seeing the full stature of Crispin's work and the risk of its being lost, we decided to make a joint exhibition "Two Memorable Men", giving each equal prominence. This mushroomed into a long-running national tour — and a rich friendship with the Eurich family — with the further hope (achieved, in practice) of putting Crispin's work before audiences who would be tempted to come and look because of the Lowry name. Interspersing the two men's work illustrated some unsuspected parallels of compositional ideas, subject matter and co-incidence of places.
Unfortunately, for copyright reasons, we can't put any Lowry images on the site to show you what we mean, but this highly Lowryesque shot was (surely coincidentally) taken at one of his favourite seaside resorts.
Crispin would have been 70 this year [2006]. We intended to celebrate this with a full exhibition of previously unseen work and launch a dedicated website. On reflection, it needed more time to produce the standard of show envisaged, so we have postponed it; 2008 is, we believe, 50 years since he turned professional, so we hope to have several events and exposures of his work. Meanwhile, a selection of his original prints will form part of the Xmas Show in November. "The First" Gallery is entrusted with the Eurich photographic archive, the bulk of Crispin's negatives and prints. Our aim is to re-establish his reputation, eventually with his own national tour and perhaps a publication.
Collections of postcards / books with photo-illustrations by Crispin Eurich are available at "The First" Gallery now, and will be available by mail order through this site after March 1st 2008. We hope to put up a small virtual photo-gallery, so those not within geographic reach of us can enjoy the talents of this remarkable photographer.
* Southampton Art College tutor, who taught Crispin cabinet-making (which would have formed part of his complementary studies, as would have been standard practice in the 50s)
33rd Christmas Show |
 Pictures from the Show |
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porcelain by Sasha Wardell glass by Jonathan Andersson and Andrew Potter & Rebecca Morgan papier-mâché by Philip Cox and Renate Forsyth watercolours & acrylics by Jan Janes photographs & hand-made books by Liz Knight jewellery by Wai-Yuk Kennedy (her first showing in the Central South) and Iona MacKenzie Laycock wood-turning by Colin A. Smith
Regulars include: POTS by Alvin Betteridge ¡ Clive Bowen ¡ Lotte Glob ¡ Sarah Perry PAINTINGS by Philippa Bambach ¡ H. M. Clarke ¡ Richard Head ¡ Eric Meadus (1931 – 70) ¡ Tim Robinson FABRIC by Lynne Hudson ¡ Elizabeth Nash ¡ Rachel L. Reynolds JEWELLERY by Geoff D. Clarke (1925 – 98) ¡ Lynne Hudson ¡ Sarah Perry AUTOMATA by Robert Race ¡ John Lumbus ¡ Peter Markey ¡ Jeff Soan ¡ Angela & Laurence St. Leger also TOYS ¡ FRAMING ¡ PRINTS
sculpture Jacqui Lea Suzie Marsh Geoff Poulton leadlights Colin Twinn forged iron Jayne Wilson photographs Crispin Eurich (1936 – 76) turned wood Tony Caplin Peter Westermann Malcolm Wiggins and others | |
29 March - 12 April 2008 - now Extended to 20 April (this overlaps with our glass display)
Follow Link for an Extensive set of Reproductions on the web
Open until Sunday 18th May by appointment only.
Work by William Walker, Potter-Morgan (Andrew Potter & Rebecca Morgan), Tim Casey, Jonathan Andersson, Colin Twinn, Lotte Glob, Geoff. D. Clarke (1925 - 98) and probably others.
Follow link for pdf file with images and descriptions of many of the works on display.
ELIZABETH NASH . SUSAN ANDERSON
ELIZABETH KNIGHT . MAURA SUMMERS
View, discuss and buy artwork direct from the makers
Price range c. £30 – £150+
Though not here in person (and believe me, we tried!), Cuban designer
Many print-based media: engraving, monoprint,
collagraphy, etching, screenprint, photography, etc.
While all the exhibitors are printmakers (in some sense of the word)
most will also be displaying other aspects of their output. Some artists
may undertake small-scale demonstrations during the day.
‘ THE FIRST ’ GALLERY The First Burnham Chase Bitterne SOUTHAMPTON (023) 8046 2723
Sat 13th - Sat 27th September 2 - 7pm (or by appt.) daily, incl. Suns.
TONY ÉVORA has a display of ’70s / ’80s work in The Space Upstairs.
Sat 12th & Sun 13th July 11.30am – 4.30pm
In practice, most artists will be present from 11am. If coming to see anyone especially, do
ring to check their availability. On Saturday, both Sarah van Niekerk and Elizabeth Nash
are travelling from a distance, hence our later ‘official’ start-time; on Sunday, only Liz Nash is.
"September Already?" Paul Spooner hits 60
The most widely-known UK automatist in the world (may still be true, even without "UK") marks the year of reaching his dotage with a display of new (and probably some past) work. In salute of his qualifying for free bus-travel, some 30 other automata-makers, and about a dozen other creative friends, family members and fans exhibit work alongside. We think this is the largest concentration of automatists ever in the South. Since new names are still being located, and invited, it may turn out to be the UK's biggest ever, with a fair-sized international contingent.
Although no longer available in this format pending the 75th Anniversary Tour (or thereabouts), it may be of interest to see what was done then.
For additional information about Meadus, click here.
It was based on her one-woman exhibition in June 1997 at the Aspex
Gallery, Portsmouth, organised by Les Buckingham (who also
wrote the catalogue) but with later additions, including some relating to Mexico.
Jacqueline Mair Tour
[No Longer available in this form]
was previewed
with a selection of the works at "The First" Gallery on Sunday 19 September
1999.
Spring 2006
Newsletter:-
Peter Markey's Birthday Party * Meadus mini-Shows and Walkabout
* Plans
A selection of works by "The First" Gallery artists
2004 Programme and News
2003 Programme and News
2002 Programme and News
2001 Programme and News
2000 Programme and News
1999 Programme, News and Brief Artistic History
The First ... 25 Years
Summary of 1996-1998 Programme
Web design © Wessex Antithesis 2002-4. |
For links to related organisations, see Viewpoint Arts
Online on the Southampton University Server, and Hampshire County Council's Hantsweb. |
