Detached and Timeless Content Overview

This exhibition features art inspired by landscapes, nature and
the seasons. The content spans a period starting in the late
1940s through to 2009.
The starting point for the exhibition was a group of paintings
in RAMM’s collections from the middle of the 20th century,
a defining period in modern and contemporary art.
These works are by David Bomberg, Edward Burra, Terry
Frost, Patrick Heron and others. We wanted to present the
paintings in a wider context, alongside fellow artists of the era.
In considering the collections of RAMM and those held by our
partner, Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery, we developed
a theme around atmosphere and locations; the ‘spirit of place’
that inspires artists.
Many of the individuals featured can be described as abstract
artists or abstract expressionists. By selecting loans from the
Arts Council Collection we extended both the artistic media
and the time period. So the exhibition grew, from being
focussed on painters in the mid 20th century, to a 70-year
range, with photography, film and sculpture, adding texture to
the exhibition.
In discussing content with colleagues in the Arts Council
Collection, we determined that some artworks were especially
relevant. Being able to show the work of Bomberg, Burra and
Heron with partner pieces was essential. We wanted to feature
Prunella Clough and Peter Lanyon, not represented in RAMM,
but featured in the Arts Council Collection and Plymouth.
Extending the selection into the present century are pieces by
Clare Woods, George Shaw and Jem Southam. The inclusion of
Rachel Lowe’s video and Richard Long’s Fourteen Stones added
another dimension to the themes of time and timelessness.
Detached and Timeless has been curated by RAMM in
collaboration with the Arts Council Collection at Southbank
Centre, with loans from Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery.
RAMM is very grateful to colleagues from both organisations
for their support of this exhibition.
12 July to
2 November
2014

The artists
Many of the artists featured in the exhibition became famous
outside the UK. Senior figures in British art – like Blow, Clough,
Heron, Frost and Long – successfully made the transition
to international audiences and collections. Others – like
Clifford Fishwick and Alexander Mackenzie – have a popular
following, though are more familiar at home, than overseas.
Fishwick was principal of ExeterCollege of Art & Design, and
Mackenzie was head of fine art at Plymouth College of Art.
All of the artists demonstrate a particular resonance with their
environment. As well as the core group of Burra, Bomberg,
Clough, Frost, Heron and Lanyon, we have included many
of their contemporaries. This was so that visitors could see
art by people who sometimes shared ideas and values,
and occasionally points of inspiration and debate
We have strayed from the abstract when it was felt it
illuminated an artist’s practice. Examples of this are Burra’s
Winter. His figures are always fascinating to observe,
and the image of winter was relevant to the theme of seasons
and time. The early Lanyon, almost post-Impressionist in its
loose, still manner, contrasts with the abstracts for which he
became famous. The inclusion of Bomberg’s self-portrait,
although earlier than anything else in the exhibition, gives
visitors a chance to see one of these sketchy paintings of
himself. It provides insight into the artist who painted the
vivid landscapes displayed alongside.
The title of the exhibition is taken from a quote by Prunella
Clough. In 1961 she went to work with Stanley Jones at the
Curwen Studio, Plaistow. Printmaking in a workshop appealed
to Clough who compared the process to being on a train
‘detached and timeless (and extremely pleasant)’. Examples of
Clough’s printmaking are included, illustrating her fascination
with the environment and found objects from nature.

Spirit of Place
Imaginary, mystical places have provided the stimulus for
several of the artists in the exhibition. Others have resulted
from experiences at real locations, mainly in the West
Country. A few of the artworks touch on themes of spirituality
and paganism. The products are often abstract, sometimes
representational and occasionally other-worldly.
The artworks in this section have been inspired by the
atmosphere of a place, or by folklore or legend. This ‘other’
spirit of place, less easily defined than recognisable
geographical locations, is sometimes mysterious
and ambiguous.
Here the large-scale Daddy Witch by Clare Woods presents
a surreal and fantastic landscape. Familiar natural features
like pools, rocks and plants are modelled into images that are
unsettling and uncertain.
The trio of Patrick Herons present aspects of an artist who
was strongly influenced by the atmosphere of the north coast
of Cornwall. In the late 1950s Heron had created a series of
‘garden paintings’, which were abstract expressions of the
gardens at his home ‘Eagle’s Nest’. Those paintings marked
his transition to abstract art, which is illustrated by the three
paintings here from the 1960s.
Richard Long’s interest in the environment and nature is
reflected in his sculpture and land art. The observer’s response
to Fourteen Stones depends on the context in which it is
viewed, and on the visitor’s own cultural references. To some
it has echoes of the ancient. Others see something more
contemporary in the form.

Nature
Nature has inspired creativity for as long as there have been
artists. The abstract expressionists, as several of the artists in
this exhibition would be described, were strongly influenced
by the natural environment around them.
This small section presents some of the more recognisable
representations of nature and leads into the more abstract
pieces elsewhere in the exhibition. The oak tree by Edward
Burra, the gingko leaf by Prunella Clough, and the pears by
Jack Knox are easily recognisable.
The natural world becomes more abstracted when viewing the
shell by Roger Hilton, or the lines that form the vegetation by
Clough. The rhythm and colours of the natural world strongly
influenced Hilton and his contemporaries, though the images
created seem, at first sight, far removed from the original
source. Constant critical reappraisal of work made during these
years makes this one of the most interesting periods in art.

Seasons and time
The passing of time and the seasons have long provided rich
themes for artists.
This section includes examples of artists who have presented
moments in time. Terry Frost’s Lemon & White Spring acts as
a counter-point to the chill of winter, as pictured by Edward
Burra and Jack Smith. Rachel Lowe’s video A Letter to an
Unknown Person passes time on a loop. It draws the viewer
into moments captured on betacam video, which in itself was
a very time-specific medium.
Sandra Blow’s Painting 57 captures a moment in time, at a
defining period in the artist’s life and career. This painting was
made during the year she first lived in St. Ives, renting a cottage
at Tregerthan.
Prunella Clough’s Waiting is an ambiguous and reflective
painting. As with many of her works from this period the image
is open to interpretation. Some observers may find something
reassuringly familiar about George Shaw’s The End of Time.
Others might find the half-lit street unnerving, accentuated
by the contrasts between light and dark. Though Clough and
Shaw and their art are completely different, the titles both
leave the viewer guessing.

Locations
Real places are represented in this section. Specific locations
are named, like Botallack in Cornwall, Bideford in Devon and
Birling Gap in East Sussex. There are also less defined settings
which have provided a stimulus for artists: the coastline and
landscape of the West Country, in particular Dartmoor, and the
coves of Cornwall and Devon.
This section illustrates both the representation of open spaces
through art, and the abstracted images an artist creates from
their experience of being in a place. Alexander Mackenzie and
June Miles reflect Bonehill and Sennen respectively. Along
with Kenneth Fernee’s Clay Workings in Dartmoor, these are
individual interpretations of place which remain recognisable
to someone familiar with the locations. Contrast those with
the abstraction of Paul Feiler’s Botallack, and the almost surreal
landscape of Burra’s Dartmoor.
The art in this section begins with the energy and organic lines
of Bomberg’s 1940s paintings, to the detail of Jem Southam’s
photography in 2000. Southam’s Birling Gap shows the impact
of coastal erosion, something even more resonant since the
storms of winter 2013/14. In the photography of Keith Arnatt
his concern and disillusion with how the environment was
being cared for, is shown in the imagery and irony of A.O.N.B.
(‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’).

In the 1960s and 70s, Keith Arnatt exhibited as a
conceptual artist, documenting what he saw on film.
During this period he created ‘situations’, where objects
and people were often photographed outdoors. In those
images, the artist and his behaviour were as important as the
subject matter. The A.O.N.B. series was made near his home in
Tintern. His career was celebrated with a retrospective at the
Photographers Gallery, London in 2007.
Keith Arnatt (1930-2008)
Untitled AONB series (1982-84)
Gelatin silver print
Arts Council Collection,
Southbank Centre
This series was created near the artist’s
home at Tintern, Monmouthshire.
Sandra Blow rose to prominence in the 1950s, alongside
Gillian Ayres, who exhibited at RAMM in 2013. By the late
1950s, Blow was exhibiting internationally, including the John
Moores in Liverpool and the Venice Biennale. In 1960 she
won the Guggenheim award. Friends with Lanyon, Hilton and
Heron, Blow stayed in ‘Eagles Nest’, Heron’s home, whilst she
found a cottage to rent in Cornwall. She returned to London
to teach at the Royal College of Art, returning to St Ives in the
1990s. In 2005 Tate Britain celebrated her 80th birthday with
a major exhibition.
Sandra Blow (1925-2006)
Painting (57) 1957
Oil on canvas
Southbank Centre
Painted during Blow’s stay in Tregerthen.
She rented a cottage for a year in
Cornwall, and sought to capture the
atmosphere of the area.

The early work of David Bomberg was influenced by
Vorticists like Wyndham Lewis, with angles and jagged
lines. After serving in the First World War, Bomberg’s art
became more organic in form. During the 1920s he painted
figuratively, and visited the West Country and Scotland.
Travel through Cyprus, Palestine, Spain and the then Soviet
Union, influenced Bomberg’s passion for landscapes.
His later work was under-rated in his lifetime, but has
since been reappraised. Bomberg’s work is held in many
collections, including the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge, Laing in
Newcastle, National Museums Liverpool and Tate.
David Bomberg (1890-1957)
Self-portrait (David) 1937
Oil on canvas
Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre
Trendrine, Cornwall 1947
Oil on canvas
Created during Bomberg’s period of
landscape painting, inspired by his travels.
Bideford, Devon 1946
Oil on canvas
Royal Albert Memorial Museum
Painted during Bomberg’s time travelling
the west country, this is a companion to
‘Trendrine’, from
the following year.

Edward Burra became famous in the 1930s for his moody,
urban night-time scenes. He travelled extensively and was
influenced by New York jazz clubs and Paris bars. Experiences
in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) greatly affected Burra and
his work became darker and more surreal. He was also a
successful designer of ballet costumes and sets. Burra’s art
can be seen in many public collections, including the
National Galleries of Scotland, Tate and the Whitworth
Art Gallery, Manchester.
Edward Burra (1905-1976)
Blasted Oak 1942
Watercolour on paper
Winter 1964
Watercolour on cardboard
Dartmoor 1974
Watercolour on paper

Rooted 1990
Hand-drawn lithograph (edition 30)
Private collection
An example of Clough’s lithography,
produced for the Curwen studios, which
shows her inspiration from nature, whilst
also retaining an ambiguity of form.
Prunella Clough’s career spanned more than 50 years.
Her interests extended to surrealism, neo-romanticism and
abstract expressionism. She would often take a tiny detail of
an object, or a piece of found material, and use that as the
focal point for a painting, print or collage. During the 1970s
Clough’s work was noticeably more open to interpretation
and increasingly featured influences from nature, rather
than urban. Clough’s art was much admired by fellow artists,
notably Heron who wrote about her; and collected by
museums as far afield as Dublin, New York, Santiago,
Sydney and Vienna.
Prunella Clough (1919-1999)
Untitled 1965
Oil on canvas
Southbank Centre
Primitive Plant 1994
Hand-coloured etching on paper
(artist’s proof)
Private collection
This is one of only three hand-coloured
etchings of the prehistoric gingko biloba
leaf, which was also produced in a small
monochrome edition.
Vegetation 1999
Ink on paper
Southbank Centre

Tree 1989
Work on paper: collage
Southbank Centre
Grammar of Ornament 1993
Hand-drawn lithograph (edition 30)
Private collection
The title refers to Owen Jones’ influential
design sourcebook published in 1856
which was used by William Morris and
Frank Lloyd Wright.
Prunella Clough (1919-1999)
South West Nocturne 1970
Oil on canvas
Southbank Centre
Waiting 1991
Oil on canvas
Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery

Clay Workings, Dartmoor acquired 1964
Oil on hardboard
Born in Germany, Paul Feiler studied at the Slade
(1936-39). He lived in Cornwall from the 1950s, becoming
friends with Lanyon and Frost. He also lived in Bristol and
was married to June Miles, whose painting of Sennen is in
this exhibition. Although Feiler became a prominent St Ives
figure, his painting was more abstract expressionist than his
contemporaries, showing influences of Mondrian and the
Bauhaus. Many of his works were inspired by places along
the Cornish coast, illustrating how changes in light affect the
appearance of natural features. He exhibited widely across
the United States and is in public collections in London,
Paris, Toronto and Washington DC.
Paul Feiler (1918-2013)
Kenneth William A Fernee was a painter, born in London.
During 1951-56 he studied at the Southern College of Art.
During the course of his career he visited Dartmoor and was
fascinated by the impact that the change of light had on
the appearance of stone rows and buildings in the national
park. He exhibited in Plymouth at the Arts Centre and in
the Barbican area. His paintings are held in the university
collections of Chichester and Exeter.
Kenneth William A Fernee (1926-83)
Botallack 1961
Oil on board

Secret Cove 1966
Oil on canvas
Clifford Fishwick was principal of Exeter College of Art &
Design from 1958-84. A longstanding member of the Newlyn
Society of Artists, he exhibited at the Royal Academy and
influenced a generation of artists. Fishwick did not achieve
the international profile of some of his contemporaries, yet
he was highly regarded and much admired by his peers.
He lived for many years in Topsham, and his death was
commemorated with exhibitions in both Exeter
and Plymouth.
Clifford Fishwick (1923-97)
Orb III acquired 1966
Oil on canvas

Terry Frost’s long career began when his talent was
commented on by artist Adrian Heath, during his time as a
prisoner-of-war in 1941. In his 30s Frost went to Camberwell
School of Art and was mentored by Victor Pasmore. He lived
in St Ives from the 1950s and worked as assistant to Barbara
Hepworth on her ‘Festival of Britain’ sculpture (1951). He
travelled widely, with years spent teaching in Leeds, as well as
California, Newcastle and Reading, before settling in Newlyn
in the 1970s. Frost was a great champion of art in Cornwall
and supported the development of Tate St Ives in the 1990s.
Terry Frost (1915-2003)
Yellow Suspended Form 1979
Acrylic on paper collage
Lemon & White Spring ’63 1963
Acrylic on canvas
This shows Frost’s move into bolder
colours, which would become his
trademark, from the more muted tones
a decade earlier.
Movement: Green & Black 1952
Oil on canvas
wSouthbank Centre

Hilary Goddard was head of fine art at the Maynard School
in Exeter from 1970-93. During that time she encouraged
and influenced a generation of young artists.
Goddard’s artwork illustrates and reflects themes in nature
as well as humanity’s responses to it. She works in different
media, including sculpture and calligraphy, though is best
known for her paintings. This is one of three paintings by
Goddard which Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery hold
in their collections.
Emerging Plateau III, 1970
Oil on paper
Hilary Goddard (b. 1935)

Patrick Heron was a textile designer, writer and painter. He
lived in St Ives 1925-30 and returned to Cornwall in 1956,
living at the ‘Eagle’s Nest’ in Zennor. He wrote about art for
‘New Statesman and Nation’ (London) and ‘Arts’ magazine
(New York). He exhibited at the Sao Paulo Biennial (1953/54)
and won first prize at the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition
(1959). His work is in collections around the world including
Lisbon, New York, Tokyo and Toronto. The large and colourful
window in Tate St Ives was designed by Heron in 1992.
Patrick Heron (1920-1999)
Ultramarine, Cinnamon & Dull Yellow
August 1960
Oil on canvas
Southbank Centre
Two Vermilions, Green & Purple in Red
1965
Oil on canvas
Green Painting with white disc 1964
Oil on canvas
Southbank Centre

Roger Hilton studied at the Slade School of Art, London. He
served with the commandos during the Second World War
and spent three years as a prisoner-of-war. Hilton originally
painted figurative pieces, then, during the mid 1950s, became
closely identified with the abstract expressionists. In many
paintings from this period, Hilton’s interest in the colours and
forms found in nature could be seen in his work. He became
an influential figure in contemporary art, winning the
John Moores Prize (1963). He died in Botallack,
Cornwall; a place which inspired Paul Feiler’s painting
in this exhibition.
Roger Hilton (1911-1975)
Shell 1968
Oil on canvas
Southbank Centre
Untitled 1968
Oil on canvas

Justin Knowles was a sculptor and painter from Exeter
whose abstracts captured the public imagination when
they appeared in magazines during the 1960s. Heron was
an admirer of Knowles’ work and wrote about it in ‘Studio
International’ magazine. In 1973 a studio fire prevented
Knowles from working. It was not until the 1990s that
his work would be ‘rediscovered’ after Heron and others
encouraged Knowles to exhibit again. At the time of his
death, Knowles was enjoying a renaissance, with exhibitions
in Plymouth, Truro, London and Prague, and commissions for
Winchester and Exeter cathedrals.
Justin Knowles (1935-2004)
Three Reds with White
Oil and acrylic on board

John (‘Jack’) Knox studied in Glasgow and Paris. Early in his
career Knox painted abstract pieces using mixed media.
Following a visit to museums in the Netherlands, he changed
direction. The artist began painting colourful, succulent
images of food. Knox said that he was inspired by the still life
paintings and the way the food in the cafe was presented. He
taught art in both Dundee and in Glasgow, where he became
head of painting at the School of Art.
Jack Knox (b. 1936)
Oysters in a Basket 1979
PVA on board
Southbank Centre
Big Basket, Pears & Shadow 1973
Oil and charcoal on canvas

Peter Lanyon was a central figure in St Ives and one of
the most influential artists of the 20th century. His work made
clear reference to the Cornish landscape, particularly cliff
edges and sky, and was strongly influenced by his interest in
abstract expressionism. In the late 1950s he and Terry Frost
taught together. Lanyon also taught in Czechoslovakia (today
the Czech Republic and Slovakia) and the USA, exhibiting
in New York. His passions included gliding which was an
inspiration for several major paintings. His early death, aged
46, was a result of a gliding accident near Taunton.
Peter Lanyon (1918-1964)
Early Landscape
Oil on canvas
Bicyclist in Penwith 1952
Oil on chipboard
Southbank Centre

Moore Cliffe Kynance 1953
Oil on board
Southbank Centre
Soaring Flight 1960
Oil on canvas
Southbank Centre
This work was inspired by Lanyon’s
passion for gliding.
High Field 1957
Oil on canvas
Peter Lanyon (1918-1964)

Richard Long is among the most well-known artists in the
country and has been making art and exhibiting for more
than 40 years. He works in photography, paint and sculpture
and it is for the sculptural pieces that Long is most famous.
Winner of the Turner Prize in 1989, he has exhibited across
the world, from Poland to South Korea, Brazil to Belgium.
The artist’s work reflects his interest in the relationship
between humanity and nature. Long is based near Bristol.
Richard Long (b 1945)
Fourteen Stones 1979
Stone installation
Southbank Centre
A Letter to an Unknown Person 1998
Video: betacam sp video
Southbank Centre
Rachel Lowe is an artist whose work combines drawing and
painting with video, projection and Super 8 film. She studied
at Newcastle College of Arts & Technologies and Camberwell
and Chelsea Colleges of Art. Lowe has described her creative
process as intuitive and this is reflected in her work.
She has exhibited widely including the Whitechapel Art
Gallery, London (1998), British Art Show 5 (toured the UK in
2000), and internationally, including Shanghai (2010),
Karachi and Melbourne (2013).
Rachel Lowe (b 1968)

Alexander Mackenzie was a member of the St Ives
School and lived in Cornwall from the 1950s. His work
was mainly abstract, though some paintings were a more
representational in style. In the late 1950s and 60s he
exhibited in cities as diverse as Bogota in Columbia, Milan
and Rome in Italy, London and New York. From 1964
he taught at Plymouth College of Art where he stayed for
over 20 years, becoming head of fine art.
Alexander Mackenzie (1923-2002)
Bonehill, Dartmoor 1973
Oil on hardboard
Celtic 1972
Oil on hardboard
Alexander (‘Mac’) McNeish studied at Edinburgh College
of Art (1952-57). A visit to Salzburg in 1960 inspired him to
exhibit more widely. McNeish taught at Wolverhampton
College of Art in 1962; then moved to Exeter College of Art
in 1965 to take up the position of head of painting, a role
he held for 15 years. He was known as a passionate painter
and communicator, so was ideally suited to encourage other
artists. On his death the Scotsman newspaper affectionately
described Mac as a member of the hard-core ‘Scottish Mafia’
of art teachers.
Alexander McNeish (1932-2000)
Landscape on a Bar c.1964
Acrylic on panel

The End of Time 2008/09
Enamel on board
Southbank Centre
June Miles has lived and worked in Cornwall and France,
as well as Bristol where she taught art at the Folk House and
Bristol Polytechnic (now University of the West of England).
She trained at the Slade in London and during the Second
World War drew maps for the Admiralty. She was married
to Paul Feiler whose painting Botallack is included in this
exhibition. Her work is in the collections of Bristol’s Museums
Galleries & Archives and the Royal West of England Academy.
June Miles (b. 1924)
Sennen I 1971
Oil on canvas
George Shaw has become a leading figure in contemporary
art, using enamel paints to create his distinctive work.
Exhibitions across the UK and in France, Germany,
Switzerland and the USA have made Shaw’s art familiar to
an international audience. He studied at the Royal College
of Art, and has work in the collections of the British Council,
RCA and Tate. In 2011 he was nominated for the Turner Prize
and exhibited at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in
Gateshead. He is based on the north coast of Devon.
George Shaw (b. 1966)

Birling Gap 2000
C-type photographs
Southbank Centre
The images show the impact of coastal
erosion on the cliffs of East Sussex.
Winter Blizzard 1955/56
Oil on hardboard
This is an example from Jack Smith’s realist
period prior to moving into abstraction.
Jack Smith was a realist, then later, an abstract painter. From
the mid 1940s to mid 50s he studied at Sheffield College of
Art, St Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art.
His tutors at the RCA included John Minton and Carel
Weight. In 1950s the realist work of Smith and others was
described as ‘Kitchen Sink School’. During the 1960s he
moved into abstraction, with brightly coloured forms which
he continued throughout the rest of his career.
Jack Smith (1928-2011)
Jem Southam is one of the UK’s leading photographers.
He documents the changing seasons and the impact on
landscapes. Southam’s photography has been exhibited
internationally, and is in the collections of the Rijksmuseum
in Amsterdam, Museum Folkswang in Dusseldorf, Yale Center
for British Art in New Haven and the V&A in London.
The artist is professor of the School of Art & Media at
Plymouth University.
Jem Southam (b. 1950)

63/11, 1962
Acrylic on board
Involute No 5 acquired 1964
Oil on hardboard
John Wells trained in medicine and worked as a doctor in
the 1930s and 40s. After the Second World War he decided
to pursue his passion for art and settled in Newlyn. Wells
worked with Hepworth in the early 1950s and she remained
a great influence throughout his life. From the 1950s onwards
he exhibited in London and internationally. His work is held
in collections across the UK including National Museums
Northern Ireland, National Galleries of Scotland and Tate.
John Wells (1907-2000)

Daddy Witch 2008
Enamel and oil on aluminium
Southbank Centre
Clare Woods studied at Bath College of Art and Goldsmith’s
College, London. Over the past ten years
she has established herself as one of the UK’s leading artists,
with solo exhibitions in Southampton City Art Gallery and
the Hepworth, Wakefield. The Contemporary Art Society
commissioned Woods to create art for the Olympic Park in
London in 2012. The result was a colossal piece, 125 metres
long and comprised of 88,000 tiles.
Clare Woods (b. 1972)

Royal Albert Memorial
Museum & Art Gallery
Queen St, Exeter EX4 3RX
Home to a million thoughts Free entrywww.exeter.gov.uk/ramm
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