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20 Years at the Boundary Gallery 1 July – 12 August 2006 Works by artists who contributed to the Boundary Gallery’s success over the last 20 years April 1986 saw the Boundary Gallery open its doors for the first time with an exhibition of Modern British Masters including David Bomberg, Jacob Epstein, Mark Gertler and Josef Herman. Twenty years down the line the Boundary Gallery has carved a reputation for specializing in these artists. The other side of the gallery’s activities feature contemporary figurative artists with a strong, expressionistic approach to their work with good draughtsmanship and palette. During twenty years the gallery has sold to museums and galleries in the UK and worldwide including The National Portrait Gallery, London; British Museum, London; The Tate Gallery, London; The Henry Moore Sculpture Foundation, Leeds; Brecknock Museum, Wales; Walsall New Art Gallery,Walsall; National Museum of Wales, Cardiff ;The Jewish Museum, New York; Metropolitan Museum, New York; the Bezalel Museum, Jerusalem; Milwaukee Museum US. A few highlights from the gallery’s history: May 1986 Ghisha Koenig’s sculpture exhibition coincided with a major Arts Council exhibition at the Serpentine Art Gallery that provided a record of a vanishing way of industrial life. We had the smaller works and for the first time ever, her drawings. A second memorial exhibition was held in April 1994. May 1987 The first one man London exhibition of work by Neil MacPherson, the beginning of a remarkable career in the UK and worldwide. He had five shows since 1987 here and had touring museum solo exhibitions in Scotland over the years. July 1987 saw the first of many exhibitions dedicated to Jacob Epstein including one in 1989 In Praise of Humanity; 1991 Works on Paper (a museum touring exhibition curated and organized by the Boundary Gallery); Bronze Sculpture and Fleurs du Mal drawings in August 2002 and 2006. Oct 1987 The first one man show featuring Josef Herman. Over the years the gallery has exhibited Josef Herman’s work many times including the Retrospective Exhibition in 1998 and his Memorial Exhibition in 2004. The gallery has gained a reputation for having early, quality Herman works and is handling his estate. Two large catalogues were published by the gallery. His paintings and drawings are in museums all over this country, including the Tate, V & A, British Museum, most provincial UK museums and in Europe as well as the world. April 1989 The first solo exhibition of Sonia Lawson; a further five solo exhibitions have followed of this highly talented, individual artist who has works at many museums including Sheffield, Wakefield, British Museum, Tate Gallery and the Vatican Collection. Nov 1989 Centenary Retrospective of Horace Brodzky, the Australian master who settled in this country and who represented Britain in the Prix de Rome in 1911. He introduced lino cuts to this country and his remarkable series of 1920 (puiblished in New York) are in most UK museums. Dec 1989 Introduced the work of Morris Kestelman, head of the Central School of Arts for 20 years. Further exhibitions showing his early figurative and later abstract works were held in 1993, 1995 and 2001. His works are at the Imperial War Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum. July 1990 Mario Dubsky – pupil of Dorothy Mead who was taught by Bomberg. His early death put an end to a great career but not before the Tate acquired one of his large paintings. October 1990 The Anglo Jewish Contribution exhibition displayed works by David Bomberg, Jacob Epstein, Jacob Kramer and Alfred Wolmark to coincide with the Chagall to Kitaj, Jewish Experience in the Art of the 20th Century exhibition at the Barbican Gallery. Jan 1992 Mark Gertler and his Circle exhibition coincided with a major retrospective exhibition at the Camden Arts Centre marking the centenary of Gertler’s birth. October 1992 Centenary Exhibition Jacob Kramer – the Leeds based artist whose early works were celebrated widely; his paintings are in all leading museums in the UK including the Tate, Leeds City Museum, British Museum, National Portrait Gallery etc In September- October this year we are holding a solo show of Kramer oils and works on paper to celebrate the launch his first ever biography. Sept 1993 The Royal Academy’s major autumn exhibition was American Art in the 20th Century, held at both the RA and Saatchi Gallery. Of the 65 artists included only five were women. Therefore the Boundary Gallery took the initiative to concentrate on works on paper by American women artists who were left out of the RA exhibition. The Female Perspective: American Art in the 20th Century was a great success and attracted a record number of visitors June
1996 Peter Prendergast first exhibited at the Boundary Gallery.
The last ten years have seen a further four one-man exhibitions at the
gallery, culminating in: Nov 1999 Ana Maria Pacheco was the Associate Artist at the National Gallery. The Boundary Gallery showcased her works on paper and small scale sculptures simultaneously with her extraordinary Dark Night of the Soul exhibition at the National Gallery. This show attracted a record number of visitors who queued up to purchase her works. June 2001 Anita Klein first solo exhibition. Her prints are known and collected by a great number of people but the Boundary Gallery is the only gallery where her original paintings, drawings and watercolors can be obtained. Later this year she will be featured by three exhibitions simultaneously: the Boundary Gallery at the Bankside for larger works; the Boundary Gallery itself for medium and smaller ones and Advanced Graphics for her prints. A 72 page book is published on the artist, with an introduction by Mel Gooding. Dec 2004 Bomberg and his Pupils exhibition. This was the first time in 50 years that a commercial gallery was showing the works of the Borough Group painters. It was while we were researching work for this exhibition that we discovered the paintings of Dorothy Mead June 2005 Dorothy Mead had a first ever solo exhibition, 30 years after her death. April 2005 Boundary Gallery Figurative Art Prize was launched the aim of which is to encourage aspiring professional artists to engage in figurative art as an important and compelling means of artistic expression. In its second year now, we contact 40 art schools from all over the UK. From the nominations by tutors, a jury selects the finalists who share £10,000 prize money. Other remarkable contemporary artists who are in the gallery’s “stable” are Albert Louden, David Breuer-Weil, Davina Jackson, June Redfern (once an artist in residence at the National Gallery), Phillippa Clayden and the Glasgow Girls. Agi Katz has been at the helm of the Boundary Gallery for twenty years and her enthusiasm, knowledge and dedication has ensured the gallery’s survival and success. |