Pause in Exhibitions

The Rectory Gallery is currently closed as Christ Church, Spitalfields are using the space that we previously used for exhibitions. The space may re-open in the future though.
Thanks to all who visited us at the Rectory Gallery!

The gallery was run as a satellite project of Curwen Gallery. Visit Curwen Gallery (www.curwengallery.com) for information about any artists that exhibited at the Rectory Gallery.

Hannah Battershell

HANNAH BATTERSHELL

‘THE DRUNKEN LIBRARIAN AND OTHER LOST STORIES’

22 May - 25 July 2014

Private views Wednesday 21 May 6-8pm

And Sunday 25 May 2-4pm

Please note The Rectory Gallery is open First Thursdays of the month 1-9pm and by appointment at all other times

1. The Drunken Librarian, mixed media, 9 x 9 cm

Seeing Hannah Battershell’s work is like stepping into an alternative reality; surreal, fantastical, darkly humorous and often with an unnerving sense of loneliness.

All the works are miniature in scale, creating a feeling of peering into a fantasy world being played out inside the painted imagery, often collaged with papers and other items.

Nostalgic feelings are heightened further due to Battershell’s use of found objects, such as antique cigarette tins, matchboxes, Victorian mourning pins, and old buttons. She finds herself “inspired by the alluring ‘lostness’ of found objects.”

Growing up, Hannah Battershell spent some time in Malawi and the creatures she encountered during this experience may explain her interest for all things entomological. She recalls cases of pinned butterflies and taxidermy lining the walls of ‘Country Clubs’ and hotels. Her work, particularly those set within antique tins, echo these Victorian display cases of specimens.

2. The Melancholy Dictator, mixed media

Battershell works predominantly from her imagination, and draws inspiration from books she has read. Things such as half-remembered quotations, anecdotes, or an unfamiliar word will spark ideas which ultimately result in the work.

Battershell studied English Literature and this is evident in her imagery, with each piece structured around a strong sense of narrative. This illustrative quality to her work, combined with a sense of macabre and surrealism, has caused her work to have previously been compared to that of Edward Gorey or Leonora Carrington.

We first began exhibiting Hannah Battershell’s work at Curwen Gallery in group exhibitions in 2011. She has since had a solo exhibition at Curwen Gallery in 2013. Her work is particularly suited to the unique space of The Rectory Gallery, with its domestic feel and period features amongst the panelled walls add an interesting setting to her works. Exhibitions elsewhere include the 2013 and 2011 Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions. Her painting 'Crocodilian' appeared in 'Images 36', the 2012 Association of Illustrators' Best of New British Illustration publication. Hannah lives and works in London.

For more information please contact Natalie@curwengallery.com, call 0207 323 4700 or see www.therectorygallery.com

David Rhys Jones : In and Around the Inns of Court, 25 September – 15 November 2013

The Rectory Gallery is closed for the summer but will re-open in September for:

DAVID RHYS JONES: IN AND AROUND THE INNS OF COURT
Private views Wednesday 25 September 6-8pm and Sunday 29 September 2-4pm

Please note that The Rectory Gallery is open by appointment only at all other times except for First Thursdays of the month 1-9pm.
This exhibition focuses on London’s Inns of Court, these being Lincoln’s Inn, Inner Temple, Middle Temple and Gray’s Inn. These are professional associations for barristers in England and Wales and the buildings provide accommodation for its members. Steeped in history, the Inns of Court have existed since the 14th century, and their grand interiors feature many fascinating details.

David Rhys Jones’ work begins with photography and he gathers images whilst making journeys or exploring certain areas. He then transfers this imagery onto ceramics, of various shapes and sizes, resulting in collections of ceramics which document the details encountered along his journey. David Rhys Jones has explored the layers of history within the inns themselves, but also incorporated imagery of the areas surrounding the Inns, in particular, the local pubs.

For this exhibition, David Rhys Jones has been allowed special access around some of the Inns, in particular Gray’s Inn. His imagery will offer a great insight into these buildings which are home to its residents. The works are also of interest to historians and those with any curiosity over what lies behind the closed doors of these areas. Some of the features of the inns have remained almost unaltered since the time they were built, such as in the Great Hall in Middle Temple (built in 1562). Today these places remain important parts of day to day life in the Inn, as meeting areas in the evenings or for lunch. David Rhys Jones has been struck in particular by the strong sense of identity within each of the different inns, and hopes to reflect this aspect throughout this series of work.

David Rhys Jones trained at Central Saint Martins and has exhibited widely, including The V&A Museum, the Royal Academy of Arts and the Courtauld Institute. He was joint winner of the Jerwood Prize in 2010, and his work is held in many private and public collections, including the Tate.

Half Moon Printmakers at the Rectory Gallery

Half Moon Printmakers are five professional printmakers who have worked together for many years in one studio, now located in West Dulwich. They show regularly as a group as well as individually.

GAIL BRODHOLT Painter and Linocut printmaker
Gail is well known for her vibrant, strong  and colourful prints of transport images, evoking the grandeur and elegance of our metropolitan stations.

Gail Brodholt

KAREN KEOGH Painter and printmaker

Using traditional three plate etching techniques, Karen explores landscape and cityscape, exaggerating their natural patterns and rhythms with her personal interpretation of colour.

Karen Keogh

LOUISE DAVIES Painter and printmaker

Using collograph and etching plates in her work, Louise evokes landscape through the use of fluid line and intense colour.

Louise Davies

SONIA ROLLO, Printmaker
Sonia's well-known exquisite prints of hares and other animals stem from a childhood fascination with wildlife and a training as a biologist, before becoming an artist.

Sonia Rollo

SUSIE PERRING Printmaker
Reflecting her graphic design background, Susie draws strong, vibrant images, producing highly personal aquatints with intense colour and movement – natural images that stir the imagination.

Susie Perring

Lucy Willis: prints and paintings from the last 25 years

20th March - 10th May 2013

FIRST THURSDAY OPENINGS 4TH APRIL & 2ND MAY 1-9PM
PLEASE NOTE GALLERY IS OPEN BY APPOINTMENT ONLY AT ALL OTHER TIMES
This exhibition shows a selection of Lucy Willis’ work spanning the last 25 years of her career. Willis’ paintings and prints demonstrate her passion for travel, and the vast array of countries she has visited to gather her imagery are shown here. Locations featured include Malta, Greece, Sicily, and Venice.


Lucy Willis,Chinese China,
 watercolour, 26 x 27cm
£495 SOLD

 Further a-field locations featured include Syria, Yemen, China, India, Senegal, Morocco and Zanzibar. Willis explores the places she visits and captures evocative elements of them; from quiet moments in the backstreets of a city, to big sweeping views across a skyline. She relishes depicting intricate details of the architecture, and moments from the everyday lives of the people living within it.



Lucy Willis, Stone Steps,
watercolour,49 x 33cm
£850 SOLD

  In all Willis’ watercolours, the defining element is her sensitivity to these details and her masterly use of light.

Lucy Willis trained at the Ruskin School of Art. She has tutored many painting groups in various countries across the world and written two books on the subject of watercolour painting. Exhibitions include many solo exhibitions and group exhibitions all across the UK.

She won the BP Portrait Award for portraits of Shepton Mallet Prison inmates, following her artist residency there. She was elected a member of the Royal West of England Academy in 1993.

Menagerie at the Rectory

http://www.curwengallery.co.uk/gallery/rectory/visit.htm
 Menagerie at the Rectory opened last night at The Rectory Gallery.It was a lovely private view with many familiar faces turning out for a warm welcome on a cold evening. Curwen artists, including Alison Neville, Susie Perring and Pierre Julien,were all visiting our spitalfields space for the first time ever. Alison Neville, in particular seemed quite taken by the space, proposing a very interesting idea for a show on the spot, something to watch out for!

Mark Hearld, Curwen Menagerie,
lithograph (ed.75), 85 x 113cm, £410 framed

As with many of our shows at the Rectory, the space itself lends a lot of the character of each exhibition. This was the first time we have included sculpture in a show at the Rectory and after much shuffling and rejigging we found places for everything.Recieving a lot of attention were Pierre Julien's now famous newspaper animals Endangered Species arranged painstakingly in the elegant bay window.Looking regal on the other side of this space was Ed Murray's Lurcher, a classical bronze portrait of the most majestic of dogs. Another sculpture, Robin Spalding's Crocodile looked very distinguished, clothed in gold leaf and luxuriating on the marble mantelpiece. 

Pierre Julien Endangered Species': Lion rolled newspaper, 15-25cm £450 

 Susie Perrings's fabulous Silver looked very at home against the Georgian panelling, reassuring as the next show at the Rectory Gallery will be hers.In recent months we had a sudden rush of interest in Susie's work, with a pieces in the Christmas show selling shortly after the opening.Although chiefly on a reconaissance mission, in planning for her show, Susie and husband Ian found time to have a drink with us and observe the irreplacable Archie (The Rectory gallery dog) attacking a ghost (possibly).

Susie Perring, Silver, aquatint, ed.175,81 x 75, £300 fr.

Thanks to all who attended the show, we had a lovely evening and hope you will all join us again in Spitalfields very soon.If you missed the opening of Menagerie don't forget that we will be having a second private view this Sunday afternoon (22nd Jan, 2-4pm) and then further first Thursday openings on 2nd Feb(1-9pm) and 1st March (1-9pm).

Robin Spalding, Crocodile, plaster, gold leaf and pigment, £450

David Rhys Jones Private Views

Our new show of David Rhys Jones opened last Wednesday night to a packed gallery.One of the busiest Rectory private views in recent times.David did really well, selling 35 of his rather special photographic ceramic works.This show examines the architectural legacy of Nicholas Hawksmoor, looking at the six London churches he designed.Each of the six churches is represented by a grouping of photographs taken in and around the builidings.
We have another opening this Sunday at the Rectory Gallery from 2-4pm and the show runs until 13th October.