Object number
UAC/10126
Title
Albion Place,
Creator
Description
Bird's-eye view of back gardens in town. The painting is sketchlike detail in browns, with colour infill in places in green and brown, against natural canvas background.
Physical description
acrylic on canvas
Archival history
Correspondence with the artist, July 2020 -
“Well I painted it in my 2nd year 66/67. I think there was a life room available. The dot and carry school (Terry Frost's term) of Euan Uglow and William Coldstream at the Slade was very prevalent in 1960s . We had a teacher working in that mode called John Wonnacot. You were always having to hold your pencil out at arm's length to measure the distances between things, either vertically or horizontally. It was used for any mode of perceptual painting whether landscape or in the life room. Measuring correctly somehow was meant to mean that the painting was true. Colour didn't really come into it at all. It was painting as a drawing proposition really. No wonder Terry Frost hated it as the Cornwall colourist but it was good that Professor Claude Rogers had a diverse set of teaching staff to avoid the grisly 'school styles' that developed in some art schools. Apart from Terry I was very influenced by Rita Donagh (the student then partner of Richard Hamilton teaching at Newcastle University Fine Art at the time). She brought a poetic 'intellectual edge' to our teaching. There was also the passionate Peter Kalkhof (who showed at Annely Juda). He taught us screen printing using simple stencils as photo silk screen was then rather novel and expensive. Clyde and I both continued with our love of stencils in painting over the years.
I think it's the back gardens of the row of houses (white fronted Georgian ?) on London Road ? opposite main site university with the red brick cloisters (no longer used by the university I understand). At least three of these houses were used as rooms for female students. It was known as 'Virgins' and we all wanted a room there as you could come and go as you please (unlike the rest of the university digs where the landladies took the 'in loco parentis' very seriously. You could be chucked out for heaven's sake). We weren't allowed to get a flat and live like grown ups until our third year which was all a bit dire in the 'swinging sixties'. I can't remember the name of the monstrous landlady who ran the place. She was very big but at least we were free.
That's all I can remember I think. The building was also opposite St David's Hall which was the hall for students not in a hall of residence. There was a TV room and washing machines etc.“
Production date
1967
School/style
British
Object name
Material
Technique
Dimensions
Credit line
The University of Reading Art Collection © the artist
