Reveal 2012

Reveal - Rossendale Artists Open Studio weekend was, this year, deliberately held on the same weekend as the Horse + Bamboo Puppet Festival in Waterfoot. This enabled both events to their share publicity costs and was entirely sensible - making a larger event with lots on offer for both adults and children. The one downside for me was that I needed to be at Waterfoot for almost the whole weekend and so unable to enjoy a visit to the artists studios. So with the exception of one 15 minute visit to see Dave's exhibition at the See Gallery I saw none of the studio shows - I saw lots of great puppet shows, but no painting.

The See Gallery, which has a history of low attendances during the Open Studio event (probably because people choose to go to those exhibitions that are only open to the public once a year rather than one that is open for most of the time) had, this year, a large number of visitors. Dave's work looked great in the re-furbished gallery (above), and sales of his works on paper have been excellent - with something like 50% of the exhibits having been sold. 

Preparations

Less than a week until the 'Works on Paper' exhibition opens at the See Gallery, and preparations are well underway. The framed pieces will arrive from the framers on Tuesday, and I'll be spending that evening with Julian finalising titling and suchlike, and making sure that each piece is properly entered into the Catalogue of Work. 

I'm really excited about this show - it will be fascinating to see a selection of Dave's drawings taken from different stages throughout his life, presented in one space. The gallery itself has also had an overhaul. Julian and Jackie used to live above the gallery but have moved during the summer period of its closure, so it also be interesting to see what they've made of the newly re-arranged exhibition spaces that make up the gallery. 

At the same time Margaret Mytton is recording works in oil paint that may form the basis for a second London show some time in the future, as well as continuing her preparation of a new website focusing on the 'Book of Revelation' series made by Dave in the mid-1970s.

A forthcoming exhibition in Rossendale

This week I've been working with Julian Williams of the See Gallery in preparation for a new exhibition of Dave's work - DAVE PEARSON: WORKS ON PAPER. This is to be part of the Reveal Open Studios weekend on the 22nd and 23rd September, although it will continue until the beginning of November. 

Julian and his partner Jackie have selected the work, which is currently being framed, but I've been helping them with the publicity - including mailing lists and the press release: 

"2012 has been a year in which Dave Pearson's reputation has been seriously enhanced by an important exhibition in London; the publication of a catalogue containing major essays on his work by the noted art historian and writer Edward Lucie-Smith, and others; and coverage of his work by BBC TV.

"Interest in Dave's work has never been greater, and to follow up that interest the see gallery in Crawshawbooth has used its unique access to Dave's output to put together an exhibition that traces the artist's development throughout his 50-year career by focusing on his work on paper. Starting with drawings from the 1960s relating to his obsession with astronauts, and then the life and work of Van Gogh, through to the tremendous drawings of the 1970s based on English Calendar Customs, the Byzantium poems of WB Yeats that became his major inspiration throughout the 1980s and 90s, and then culminating in his late drawings and collages exploring his periods of ill-health. 

"This is the first exhibition to look at the artist's long career in this way and it will be a fascinating opportunity to follow his development through the graphic work on a long and always stimulating journey of discovery."

Opening times will be, for the Reveal Open Studio Weekend,  

Saturday 22^nd September 10am – 4.30pm

Sunday 23^rd September 10am – 4.30pm

After this the gallery will be open on Thursday and Fridays 10 – 4; although other times can be available by appointment. The exhibition finishes on the 2nd of November. 

The address is - the see gallery, Oddfellows Hall, Crawshawbooth, Lancashire, BB4 8AA.

Activity

All around Dave's old studio drawings, prints, gouaches and other works on paper are appearing in small piles. This is the result of Julian ongoing selection of pieces for the September exhibition 'Dave Pearson: Works on Paper' which the See Gallery will be holding during the Open Studio weekend and the surrounding month or so. 

Works are also being set aside for a possible London exhibition, of which more as the story unfolds. Finally house-keeping is taking place - security shutters have been installed at the rear of the building, and dripping taps have been fixed. Suddenly, the studio is beginning to see a lot of activity again after the quiet summer. 

Works on paper

I'm back from a (partly) working holiday and straight into a meeting at Dave's old studio in Haslingden. Julian and Jackie from the See Gallery want to discuss their plans for an exhibition of Dave's work on paper as part of the Reveal Open Studio weekend in September. This will also mean the re-opening of a re-vamped See Gallery, and a great opportunity to show examples of the often overlooked output of Dave's drawings, pastels, gouaches, and prints. 

Julian and Jackie had already been through some of the folders and drawers that Margaret and I haven't found time for; and they have unearthed some gems. These will all need to be framed, and as the number of pieces are substantial the chosen works need to be at the framers by this weekend. 

So I spent an hour or so looking through their choices. The idea is to represent all stages of Dave's creative life, and I was continually astounded and surprised by the inventiveness and sheer joy of these works. 

This will be a very special exhibition. Mark 22nd and 23rd September in your diaries - the date of the Open Studio weekend, although the See exhibition will be open for a longer period than just that weekend. Full details of dates and opening times will follow.

Things to do on a Jubilee

I've  spent a wet Jubilee cataloguing the many small paintings and work on paper that have been sold during, and after, the Byzantium and Beyond exhibition (two examples above). These sales have mainly been dealt with by Julian and Jackie of the See gallery, here in Rossendale, and I'm very grateful to them as otherwise these sales would never have happened - with me completely engaged in the 'Angus' theatre production. 

It looks as if the sales of these paintings will more than cover the cost of mounting the exhibition in London. This is something I never expected, and although the three members of the Trust took a calculated gamble that the cost of the show would be worth it in terms of enhancing Dave's reputation as a painter, we were also aware that the cost would be significant, and eat into our reserves of money. The catalogue alone cost us more than £8000 to produce - and these costs were only kept as low as they were by Margaret Mytton's super-human effort working on the publication and the hang. 

But it now looks as if we will end up financially pretty much where we started - and of course we've gained tremendous publicity and have a wonderful catalogue to show for it too. 

Finally, another good slot for Derek Smith's film Dave Pearson : To Byzantium on the Community Channel - Friday 9th June at 20.00.

Another busy time

Margaret and I are both very busy with our jobs at present - Margaret with her lecturing on the Foundation Course at MMU, and myself working on a new production at Horse + Bamboo Theatre. But work for the Trust continues to move on, and in the past week we've discovered that The Return, the exhibition at The House of the Nobleman in Regents Park, London is going to remain open, and so Dave Pearson's pieces in the show will stay, for now, in this impressive setting. 

Next weekend we're expecting a visit from Edward Lucie-Smith, and a contact in London who is interested in seeing Dave's work in its Rossendale setting - at his old studio, now refurbished, in Haslingden. So I met with Julian and Jackie from the See Gallery to look at how we might fill the holes on the walls of the studio. At the moment, following the number of sales from the Reveal Open Studio weekend, there are rather a lot of these. Sales of work continue too, and Julian has had buyers visiting last weekend - and another yesterday. 

It's certainly an interesting time for the Trust. The planned exhibition in Bermondsey, London has been moved forward to May 2012; the idea of a major show at Dean Clough has also moved forward a step with a visit to the studio having been arranged, through Margaret, with the curators. Because of our own work commitments, it's incredibly valuable to have Julian and Jackie able to support the Trust in this way; without them a lot of opportunities to continue to develop Dave's reputation would be lost.

Small developments

Untypically the three of us who make up the Trust met once again this week. This time to sort out a satisfactory arrangement with Julian Williams and Jackie Taylor (who together make up the See Gallery) with regard to the increasing amount of work they are doing for us - dealing with sales of work; framing and delivering paintings to buyers, and generally doing a lot of the house-keeping jobs that we don't have time for. Although Margaret and I both have busy full-time jobs, we're also closely involved with Trust business on a day-to-day basis but the simple fact is that the amount of work has increased recently. In part this is to do with interest generated by the film, but also the success of the Reveal Open Studio weekend, and our realisation that we now need to concern ourselves with protecting the most vulnerable work, build on the interest following the film, and continue to catalogue some of the key pieces of work. 

One of these key series is, naturally, the truly awesome Byzantium series of paintings. One of which, Bridge Street, is shown above. Made up of two panels - like most of Byzantium its a group of panels - it's nearly 2.5 metres high by over 2.75 metres width. Now, with Margaret Mytton having photographed the series, I've been able to bring these images together with the measurements and finally add them to the catalogue of work.  

Come and visit

The Open Studios weekend in Rossendale starts in less than an hours time. All the main studios in the Rossendale Valley open their doors from 10.30 until 5.00 pm today and tomorrow. A great opportunity to see some excellent art and some really fascinating studio spaces.

Dave Pearson's studio at 54 Manchester Road in Haslingden (BB4 5TE) is no exception. Last night all the artists did a road trip around one another's studios. Above we see a group watching To Byzantium, the new film about Dave which will be on screen throughout this weekend, and also Julian and Jackie of the See Gallery who have helped the Trust curate the exhibit. 

A new phase

Last weekend the Trust met. We normally have a formal session every six months, although we meet more frequently, and it's not unusual for us to be in touch, over specific issues, several times a week by email.

The main items on the agenda related to the film. First the need to prepare for the launch at the Cornerhouse in Manchester set for the beginning of September; and secondly how to follow this up in order to create a momentum of interest about Dave's work. One hope would be to extend the undoubted interest that exists in the North-West to London, and that has been helped enormously by some advice and suggestions of where to show the work by Edward Lucie-Smith.

The workload involved will be large, and it has been clear for some time that neither Margaret Mytton or myself have the capacity outside of our own work to manage something on this scale. As a result we discussed taking up the proposal by Julian Williams of the local See Gallery to work more closely with us and project manage both the cinema launch and any follow-up exhibition in London.

The Trust discussed this option, and Julian came along at one point to outline his proposals. We have had three exhibitions of Dave Pearson's work at the See and have been impressed by Julian and Jackie's integrity and genuine commitment to the work. As a result the Trust have agreed to enter into this agreement with Julian, and since the meeting we've been looking at time-lines and how to formalise the arrangement. 

Sifting through...

Over the past two Mondays Julian Williams of the See Gallery has been at 54 with a collector friend going through the many unsorted files, folders and cases of works on paper that neither Margaret Mytton or I have had time to check through. In the course of doing this he has put some work aside, either because Dave, our collector friend, was interested in buying them, or because he considered that we might be particularly interested in them for a variety of reasons.

Above Julian is looking at some work from Dave's student days including a self-portrait drawing and a drawing from the Astronaut series (from, probably, the late 1950s).   

The stag on the ceiling

It has been an eventful week; on Thursday I took two head teachers from local junior schools around Dave Pearson's studio. One of the heads had participated, at her previous school, in a scheme organised by the National Gallery called 'Take One Painting'. A painting from their collection was used as a source for exploration by the school-children. This could simply turn out to be a week of art lessons, or it could be a term of study researching something that developed out of looking at and studying the artwork in depth - perhaps a history project; research on costumes; or looking at customs from another time or from another culture. Anything that the children might wish to discover from the painting and follow in their own way, guided by the teachers.

This had been so successful a project that she wished to follow it with something similar in her new school - which happens to be in Haslingden. Dave Pearson's work had been mentioned, and so the visit was arranged in order to look at his work in the context of the studio, and discuss how we might choose a piece of his work and work together on such a project. The heads were very excited - it's early days yet, but I know this is the kind of thing that Dave would have loved and applauded. 

Then yesterday I met up with a collector I've got to know through his enthusiasm for Dave's work. Over the past couple of years he has bought a good number of pieces from the Trust - always well chosen and considered. Having visited his house I know that wall-space is now at a premium, so he had the idea of mounting a largish piece on the ceiling of his bedroom. Unconventional, and something I couldn't quite imagine - so I was presented with a pen-drive full of photographs of the piece in situ. He has even developed his own hanging system with specially designed slotted plates, and screw fittings with washer heads to hold the painting securely in place. Our collector friend is delighted at the result, and is now considering adapting another ceiling - and an even larger painting!

Finally, I also met with Julian and Jackie at the See Gallery to sort out the finances of the recent exhibition. Along with the proceeds from other recent sales, I'll now be able to pay another cheque into the Trust account. The Trust feel that we can use some of this income to help further the work in local schools. 

2011

So after a break from working on Trust business over Christmas and New Year I'm back picking up the reins. One thing is to get the pieces that were on show at the See gallery (a selection of work from Dave's old studio at Globe Arts) into the DPT Catalogue. I had planned to do this months ago but a mix up with Margaret about photographing these works has slowed things down so I'm getting close to forgetting which pieces were in the show and having to rely on my notes. Not something I would advise; we realise we must systemise our photographic recording of exhibitions in the future. I also need to meet with Jackie and Julian of the gallery (I hope to do this later today) and sort out the sales and expenditure on the show. 

Slowly my mind turns back to the on-going issue of the Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and their query about the value of the work on Dave's death. This really has to be cleared up soon - it's a weight hanging over both the Trust and Chris Pearson. 

Addendum: By the evening I managed to track down and photograph all the paintings from the See exhibition. Julian and Jackie paid a visit too, bringing along two friends who explored the collection in a mood of awe and wonder and then finally bought 6 pieces of work. So it turned out to be 5 hours spent at the studio and, as ever, the revelation of new and unseen (to me) pieces of work; new delights...  

The last weekend of filming

It has been a full-on weekend; Derek Smith capturing the missing pieces of film he needs, plus what he calls the "master interviews", namely interviews with Margaret Mytton and myself. So on Saturday I was filmed moving work around the studio in Haslingden, and reliving the period of time around Dave's death when I filmed the decaying mess of a building that it was at that time, before it had its makeover. In the afternoon I drove Derek around Haslingden; figure-of-eight circuits that enabled him to film from my car. Then, in the evening, I was interviewed at the Boo, talking about a wide range of topics relating to Dave, but feeling very tired and with my voice slowly breaking up...

In between times Derek set up various 'missing' shots - a Rossendale Free Press billboard about the discovery of Dave's paintings at Globe Arts; exterior shots of the buildings; and close-ups of some of Dave's etchings and notebooks. Then on Sunday morning it was the turn of Margaret Mytton, who went with Derek to Bolton Abbey, where they walked to the Valley of Desolation, one of Dave's favourite places. At that spot, Margaret did her interview. Sunday afternoon we held a meeting of the Trust at 54 Manchester Road, discussing finances; the on-going problem with the HMRC/Inland Revenue about the valuation of Dave's Estate; our relationship with the See Gallery (very positive), and how we recompense the many people who help us out from time-to-time. 

So Derek returns to London today, and with the exception of one or two interviews left to film, the filming has been completed. We hope to have the finished film by Easter.

Another chapter.

Derek Smith tells me that the filming at MMU went well, and that next weekend he wants to interview Margaret Mytton and myself and after that the filming for the documentary on Dave Pearson will be complete. Today was the final day of the exhibition at the See gallery, and next week I'll take the unsold pieces back to the studio at 54. So almost the end of  another chapter. It would be nice if the Inland Revenue would resolve their issue with death duties - then we could start 2011 knowing where the Trust stands.

This year we're better prepared for the cold weather - the water at the studio has been turned off, and the background heaters are on. Important to avoid another burst, especially as the cellar (that was partly flooded last winter) now houses more work as a result of moving the pieces out of Globe Arts Studios.

Selling - and the Buy Art Fair

Since the opening of Dave's show at the See Gallery we've sold a number of paintings from visitors to the gallery who were directed on to the studio in Haslingden. Haslingden is about 5 miles from Crawshawbooth, so it's not a long haul to travel on to visit the studio. The Trust are considering formalising this arrangement, so that Julian and Jackie (at the gallery) have a key to the studio and can show and sell work from there as well as  from their gallery. 

This has the benefit that Margaret and I, who are often not available because of our other commitments, can rely on there being access to all the work for potential buyers, even when we're busy. For the See gallery it extends their ability to sell, as well enabling them to discuss work with their clients even when they don't have it on show, in the knowledge that they can also market those pieces. It means, however, that we have to have a very well mapped out and developed plan of pricing, pieces that aren't for sale, and work that needs to be set aside for one reason or another. 

Yesterday I went to the Buy Art Fair in Manchester, an annual jamboree, this year in Spinningfields, for dealers, galleries, and artists to show and sell their work to the public, who pay a £5.00 entry charge for the privilege. Julian of the See was there, promoting the gallery's work with the Ray Lowry Foundation. Ray died in the same year as Dave Pearson, and also lived (and died) in Rossendale. There, the similarities end, except to say that Ray was a cartoonist and graphic artist of wicked integrity, and with some not insubstantial ability as a painter, mainly of Manchester street scenes. 

The experience of the Fair left me dispirited. I couldn't see it as a place to show Dave's work. Too much of a market for second-rate interior furnishings masquerading as art. 

A new exhibition in Rossendale

Last night was the opening of the third exhibition of work by Dave Pearson at the See Gallery in Crawshawbooth. Beautifully hung, and with an emotional coherence that wasn't so apparent in the earlier shows. This because, with the work all coming from the cache found at Dave's Globe Arts studio, the work came from a relatively concentrated period of time - mainly from the 1990s. 

Despite this there is nevertheless a wide range of approaches and techniques on display. These include 10 self-portraits (most extremely dark in mood), a large number of oil paintings of different sizes from the Bestiary series, and a few of the very distinctive constructions that Dave made during this period (such as the one on the wall in the photograph above).

The constructions are fascinating. The photographs above and below record how the studio at Globe Arts was left at Dave's death. A stash of wild, almost violent, work created from white-painted boards, nails, red and black wool, and with various attached items, including some found objects collected from the various stays in hospital he was experiencing at this time in his life. 

These pieces have now been cleared away; some kept by the Dave Pearson Trust; some given to friends including the other artists at Globe Arts; and the rest sadly had to be tipped (most of these were damaged). The example at the See was an early construction, and rather than being inspired by the experience of hospitalisation, was Dave's response to the  outbreak of the Gulf War. This and a few other pieces on the same subject seem to have sown the seeds for the later hospital works. An example of the political merging with the (highly) personal.

Selection

Spent a lot of yesterday at the See gallery looking at the work that Julian and Jackie had selected from the 500 or so pieces of work that we removed from Globe Arts studios a few days ago. With Jackie and Margaret Mytton I helped title, price and place the pieces of work. 

Particularly notable are the series of Bestiary paintings, influenced by the strange and mythic creatures found in medieval bestiaries, and also the series of dark, mask-like self-portraits that Dave painted during this period in the 1990s.  

The exhibition, which opens next weekend (private view Friday 22nd) has a special intensity and integrity probably because, unlike earlier exhibitions at the See, the work in it covers only a decade or so of Dave's output. There is nevertheless a wide range of work - from harrowing wood, nail and string constructions, through the series of small (almost miniature) oil paintings, to the comic and strange 'Christmas Fair' creations made for the Globe Christmas exhibitions. 

The Jarrow March triptych now has a home

The 'Jarrow March' a triptych painted by Dave Pearson in 1986 has spent most of the last 20 years in storage. It has now found a home at the office of Horse + Bamboo Theatre company in Waterfoot, Rossendale, where it is on loan from the Dave Pearson Trust. The painting, considered to be one of Dave's most important large oil paintings, is 5.50 metres wide by 2.80 metres high. It will remain at the office for the foreseeable future but may well become a centre piece for a forthcoming exhibition at the Peoples' History Museum in Manchester.

Things are progressing with the move of work from Globe Arts studios this coming Friday to the See gallery and Dave Pearson's studio in Haslingden. Vans and skips have been organised; a team of helpers assembled; and Derek Smith is travelling up from London to record the move for the documentary he is making on Dave's life and work.

A date is agreed

The 8th October has been chosen as the day to move the work from Globe Artists Studios in Stacksteads; to move the work and tidy the space that had been Dave's studio when he worked at Globe. We've assembled a group of 6 or more helpers so feel confident that we'll manage the job comfortably within the day. Thank you to everybody involved.

Margaret has plans to record each piece of work as it leaves the studio - a production line photographic session. I'm particularly concerned with what happens at the other end, in Dave's old Haslingden studio. Room has to be made here to receive the incoming work and although the scale is nothing like the major move of work that we undertook in the Spring, there's still a significant amount of work to make space for. The unknown is how much, if any, can go directly to the See gallery in readiness for an exhibition at the end of October.  Note: I must ring Julian today and fix a date for this.