New Works and an Exhibition Announcement

New artwork into the gallery

We loved summer last week, but it all felt very un-Cumbrian; heat without precipitation, how exactly does that work? Weather aside, we’ve brought a number of new works back to Castlegate from our travels, all of which may be seen HERE

Woman in Snow, Aspatria by Sheila Fell (RA)

Firstly, a typically brooding 1958 charcoal by the late Sheila Fell (RA). Acquired and almost instantly sold by us a number of years ago, Woman in Snow, Aspatria has now made its way back to the gallery and awaits its next custodian. Having spent most of its life in a single private collection, it was loaned to and exhibited within the 1990/91 major UK touring retrospective, including at the Royal Academy of Arts. 

A wonderful 1948 painting by Dorothy Mead

Next, Standing Models from 1948  by the late Dorothy Mead. Dorothy was a founding member of the Borough Group in the 1940s, a group formed of David Bomberg’s tutelage at the Borough Polytechnic, London. Dorothy became a key member of the group, alongside Bomberg himself together with Miles Richmond, Cliff Holden and Dennis Creffield. Standing Models is about as archetypal a Borough Group painting as you can get; fabulous.

Frank Auerbach

Dancing on the sidelines of the Borough Group, but determined to cut his own furrow, was the lauded Frank Auerbach. We’ve long dealt in his work and were very pleased to have acquired his 1966 screenprint of Reclining Figure 1. This is only the second time in nearly fifteen years we’ve been able to acquire one of these works, so we were very pleased to have done so recently.

Pure 1960s

Fourthly, a new addition into our more affordable Mid Century Modern Alternatives selection, is this “couldn’t-be-more-1960s-if-it-tried” semi abstract painting by the Herfordshire artist, Nina Ross. As we’ve often said, we get an awful lot of enjoyment in finding works for this selection from the 1920s to the 1970s; affordable art we come across on our travels and can’t walk away from. In truth we don’t really make a great deal from these, it’s more the hunt, it helps feed the obsessive collector in us rather than the dealer.

Jessica Pigott

Many of you may remember Jessica Pigott; Jess was a graduate of Wimbledon College of Arts in 2014 and we were blown away by the four paintings she had on show for her BA graduation. We were so blown away we bought all on the promise from her we could represent her. We sold all four within one day. Thereafter followed two exhibitions with the equally talented Alex Hain. Well, Trees ii, one of those four initial paintings, has come back to Castlegate after twelve years of appreciation and now seeks an equally caring new home. Trees ii is exactly why we fell for Jess’ work.

Exhibition announcement

Finally, we’ll be opening the Castlegate doors to a new exhibition on July 18^th; Landscape will showcase new works from the very talented Stefan Orlowski (of BBC Countryfile fame), John Moores prize-winning Martin Greenland, together with the ever-popular Sheila Fell (RA). More of this to follow, but it should be an excellent showing to take us through the height of summer.

All for now,

Steve and Christine