Borough Road Gallery presents new works by LSBU's first Artist-in-Residence
New paintings and drawings by LSBU's Artist-in-Residence, Susan Sluglett, will go on display at a free exhibition at the Borough Road GalleryThe Borough Road Gallery's forthcoming display, Hands Rhythm: Susan Sluglett (A Conversation with the Borough Group), brings together over 10 new artworks by London South Bank University (LSBU)'s inaugural Artist-in-Residence Susan Sluglett.
The exhibition, which runs from 24 April - 4 July, features works in the medium of oil painting, charcoal drawing and ink, all inspired by the artist's three-month open studio residency at the Borough Road Gallery, part of LSBU's multi-disciplinary School of Arts and Creative Industries.
Throughout the residency, Susan took inspiration from the paintings, drawings and prints in A David Bomberg Legacy – The Sarah Rose Collection, a collection of over 150 works spanning a period of nearly 100 years, cared for by LSBU. The collection is centred on the practice and influence of David Bomberg, widely considered to be one of the most significant British artists and teachers of the 20th Century, and who taught at LSBU in the 1940s and 1950s.
Hands Rhythm: Susan Sluglett (A Conversation with the Borough Group) will also feature several works from A David Bomberg Legacy – The Sarah Rose Collection, carefully selected with the artist to counterpoint her work. Highlights include two significant works in the collection, Bomberg's Flowers Rhythm, and Hands by Dorothy Mead, one of Bomberg's students at LSBU. Hands serves as the starting point for a new series of paintings by Sluglett, inspired by a conversation with Dorothy Mead's sister during the residency. This conversation revealed that Mead often asked for white paint for Christmas because it was particularly expensive. The resulting group of paintings by Sluglett, called For Dorothy, depict pairs of white gloves, each with a different rhythm and character.
Susan Sluglett is a contemporary painter whose gestural and expressive work explores narratives and characters. She was recognised in 2013 by being awarded the prestigious Jerwood Painting Fellowship, with a related exhibition at Jerwood Visual Arts. She has also shown at Southampton City Art Gallery as part of From David Bomberg to Paula Rego (2014) and also at the Lion and Lamb Gallery (2014).
The Borough Road Gallery opened in June 2012 with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. A David Bomberg Legacy – The Sarah Rose Collection provides a resource and inspiration for a dynamic programme of exhibitions, talks, newly commissioned texts, workshops, new oral histories and a growing Digital Archive.
Borough Road Gallery Curator Rachel Fleming-Mulford commented: "It has been wonderful to see A David Bomberg Legacy – The Sarah Rose Collection discovered, explored and interpreted in a new way by Susan Sluglett through Borough Road Gallery's residency programme. The works resulting from the residency are a striking example of Bomberg's continuing legacy and influence. I hope that audiences both familiar with Bomberg and the Borough Group and those discovering these artists for the first time will enjoy Susan's compelling interpretations."
A private view of the exhibition will be held on 23 April, 6.30-8.30pm. During exhibitions, the Borough Road Gallery is open Wednesday to Friday from 1pm to 5pm, Saturday from 12pm to 5pm, admission free. Exhibition dates: 24 April - 4 July 2015.