Sculpture and Sport

Paul Day, Athletes Sprinting
Image from press release

We've seen many interpretations of Olympic sporting images in the LAS Painting Challenge 20011/12 but nothing any of us produce can be compared with the exceptional photographs and sculptures at the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath. Sculpture in Sport  30 bronzes each by different artists and each on a different Olympic or Paralympic sport. These are exceptionally. The exhibition runs until 1 July 2012.

Farmers Market
at Green Park Station

My main reason for visiting was to see Richard Burel's mixed media streetscapes. This exhibition also runs until 1 July and is called Bath Markets and Festivals. Brilliant colour and design. How I wish I could produce paintings like this!

If you visit, don't miss the gallery's own collection upstairs. I was glad to see new displays for the wonderful historic glass collection and so many old favourites amongst the paintings. Klee, Vlaminck and Sickert are always worth a visit. There's not many places in Britain where you can see a painting by Klee! I was also please to see a painting by Paul Methuen. I don't recall seeing this before and I remember him as the rather elderly Lord Methuen whom I mistook for the gardener at Corsham Court. I was trespassing in the garden but, instead of telling me off, he engaged me in conversation as though I had every right to be there. Those were the days when he had opened up his house to the Bath Academy of Art but I was more interested in the fruit in the garden than his wonderful collection of Old Master paintings.

The Victoria Art Gallery, near Pulteney Bridge in Bath, is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sundays 1.30pm to 5pm and closed on Mondays. Admission is free. For more details call 01225 477233 or visit the Gallery’s website http://www.victoriagal.org.uk/.