Volcano: Turner to Warhol
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Down its sides of liquid flame
The devastating cataract came.
JMW Turner 1815
This is a thrilling exhibition – probably the most enjoyable and accessible I have
seen at Compton Verney. It is arranged to follow the lifecycle of a volcano –
beginning with its quiescent phase as a seemingly innocuous, permanent feature
of the landscape, yet it is always changing. Then it moves to the gently
smoking phase, (with a wonderful image of an effortlessly smoking volcano
towering over a frantically puffing steam train – putting human hubris firmly
in its place), on to the full scale eruption (with accompanying sound track of
a real volcano erupting, and the shock of turning a corner to see Warhol’s
huge, joyous eruption), then the aftermath - the destruction caused, and the
beauty and new life emerging after the cataclysm. The final exhibit is a pile
of grey ash from the Icelandic eruption earlier this year – a reminder that
this is a timely exhibition.
It is a big exhibition, an elegant, tasteful exhibition with many beautiful
pictures to savour. It is a celebration of artistic expression from many
countries, times and styles; a celebration of the glory, beauty, power,
poignancy, creativity and destructiveness of nature; a celebration of the
curiosity, inventiveness, and fortitude of human beings. It moved me deeply.
Here are some highlights for me:
- a painting of a volcano in DR Congo
– the first time I have seen a painting by a Congolese artist on public display
- political cartoons illustrating
politicians ‘erupting’ on favoured subjects – those drawn in the 1800s shown
alongside images of Gordon Brown during the recent general election.
- The first earthquake warning device
– built by an amateur in a West Bromwich greenhouse – then produced and sold
commercially around the world.
- red hot lava being flung out of Stromboli in a film installation
- wondering if Peter Jackson had seen
Volaire’s ‘Vesuvius erupting at night’ because the image is so similar to that
of Frodo and Sam at Mount Doom in the climax of the Lord of the Rings
- a diary of pastel skies painted
daily for months during the Krakaota 1883 eruption
- delicate pencil drawings of lava by Ilana Halperin.
When you visit you will
probably spot something entirely different that captures your imagination – you
may also spot me sneaking out of the parish for another look.
Kate Mier
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Compton Verney to 31st Oct
Andy Warhol Vesuvius (2)
Frederick George Byron
The Volcano of Opposition
Sir William Hamilton
Observations on the Volcanoes of t (1)
Joseph Wright
Vesuvius in eruption
James Gillray
The eruption of the Mountain
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Book Review
The Picturesque Cotswolds
Bob Gilhooley loves painting landscapes, so much so that he has put together a book
of his own beautiful watercolour paintings, “The Picturesque Cotswolds”.
This is a beautiful hardback book of paintings from Moreton-in-Marsh to
Castle Combe near Bath.
The text captures the essence of the towns and villages of this part of the country,
describes the countryside before you and it certainly encourages you to park
the car, walk through the town, and visit the shop or pub. The book gives you
just enough of the local history to encourage the tourist to explore hidden
gems. The book will make a delightful and nostalgic reminder of your days out
or for a present for folks back home.
Bob makes his own prints from the paintings and is regularly seen selling them at
the Sunday Bancroft Gardens Stratford Market. Christine’s Gallery, in The
Precinct, Wellesbourne, is selling the book locally.
Stour Singers
invite you to:- ‘Come and sing!’
Choral singing is good exercise, good fun, good company and good for your health! Anyone
of any age can do it and it’s never too late to start – provided you can find a
good choir to join.
Stour Singers is about to start rehearsing its Christmas programme, which includes
Benjamin Britten’s Saint Nicolas, from 7pm – 9pm on Thursday 16
September 2010 in the Community Lounge of Shipston High School, Darlingscote
Road, Shipston-on-Stour. If you want to try or return to choral singing you are
warmly invited to come and join in. There are no auditions! The society is a
balanced choir of about 60 voices drawn from a wide area of Gloucestershire,
Oxfordshire, & Warwickshire so you won’t feel alone. Music is usually hired
and free to members. We produce CDs of the individual parts so everyone can get
to know the music at their own pace.
The public performance of this music will be on Saturday 11 December at 7.30pm in
St Edmund’s Church, Shipston with the distinguished Orchestra of the Swan – a
night to remember.
For further details please contact Vic Twyman Tel 01608 664215 and visit our website:
www.stoursingers.org.uk .
An optimist thinks that this is the best possible world.
A pessimist fears that this is true.
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