This summer, the opening of Devon’s newest art gallery marks the beginning of an exciting phase for contemporary art in the region.
Velarde Gallery has invested significantly in creating a custom-built venue in the heart of Kingsbridge that will show exceptional work from Devon and the wider UK alongside work by leading international artists.
The gallery opened its doors to the public at 10am on July 22, with two concurrent shows. Taking Velarde’s first solo exhibition, which runs until September 9, is notable Italian painter and sculptor Alessandro Twombly, son of celebrated 20th century abstract artist Cy Twombly, who was one of history’s most influential artists.
Alessandro’s new collection of paintings reflects his passion for the Italian landscape, in particular the countryside outside Rome in the region of Lazio, where he lives and works.
His abstract images of Italian wildflowers explore the vivid, sensory beauty of the natural world. Twombly is a colourist at heart, an artist whose palette connects by way of colour to the deepest level of human feeling: in short, his works are joyful, and are a wonderful example of the way in which European abstraction has progressed, and perhaps softened, in the years since the turn of the 21st century.
‘We are incredibly proud to have Alessandro here as our very first solo exhibitor,’ says gallery owner Matt Velarde. ‘His work is exceptional – and beautiful – and important at a time when we are all turning our minds to the precious nature of wild landscapes. It is also important that we bring European art right here to the heart of Devon. Typically, you would have to go to London to see the sort of shows we will be hosting at Velarde.’
Alessandro’s previous exhibitions have been held in London, New York, Rome and Zurich, and his work is held in the public collections of the Museo Jumex in Mexico and the Philip Johnson Foundation’s Glass House in Connecticut, USA.
A confidential peek at Velarde’s future exhibition plans confirms that other big artworld names are on their way to Devon, including leading painters, printmakers, ceramicists, sculptors and photographers. Names and dates have yet to be released to the public.
‘We have some exceptional artists lined up for 2023 and 2024,’ says Matt. ‘Just watch this space.’
Established and rising Devon-based artists are also on the exhibitor list.
‘An important part of Velarde’s planning is to champion the Devon art scene by giving regional names a platform beside their British and European contemporaries,’ says co-owner Fi Velarde. ‘Matt and I are artists ourselves, and we know that visibility is everything. Talent can’t thrive without an audience, so we hope to bring that audience right here to South Devon.’
Showing alongside Alessandro’s solo exhibition, and responding to his interest in wild flowers, is Velarde’s first mixed exhibition. Titled A Passionate Nature, the show leads with the artwork Ophelia After Millais, 2018, by British photographer Julia Fullerton-Batten.
This spectacular staged photograph is inspired by one of the 19th century’s most famous and dramatic paintings by Pre Raphaelite artist John Everett Millais and is the starting point for an exhibition that explores the drama and beauty of the natural world.
Taking centre stage alongside Julia’s work are a series of sculptures by eminent Royal Academician and Devon resident Peter Randall-Page, whose work explores the geometry of organic forms. These works are carved from Venetian marble and demonstrate the artist’s lifelong study of the mathematics of natural structures.
The show also includes a collection of Randall-Page’s highly collectable works on paper. On show too are objects by wood turner Jayne Armstrong, who makes beautiful, handcrafted pieces from green oak, and works by artist Sue Williams A’Court, whose curious landscapes borrow from existing historical drawings and etchings. Her work is held in major collections including the V&A in London.
Ceramics on show include work by Kent-based potter Claire Conrad, whose vessels are inspired by the beauty of natural erosion, and Rosa Wiland Holmes, whose ceramics are influenced by her childhood in the isolated landscape of Denmark’s Bornholm Island in the Baltic Sea.
Visitors to Velarde will also be able to enjoy the gallery’s sculpture garden, which displays work by some of the UK’s leading artists including Jilly Sutton, Clee Claire Lee, Richard Perry, and Antonio Lopez Reche.
In September, Velarde opens a new pairing of exhibitions, a solo show by Royal West of England Academician Gareth Edwards, and a mixed show of work titled I Walked a Golden Path, which is billed as complementing the dramatic and Romantic nature of Gareth’s paintings.
These first exhibitions are a statement on the quality and diversity of work Velarde plans to show, and are sure to pull a crowd.
‘Everyone is welcome at Velarde,’ says gallery director Lorna Yabsley. ‘We have a friendly team here and we want people to feel free to come and admire the works on show whenever they wish, and to sit in our garden among the flowers and sculptures, just for the joy of seeing beautiful things. We aim to inspire, challenge and inform, and our hope is that Velarde will become a leading art destination for the South Hams, a place where visitors can come and see something really special.’
Velarde is at 86, Fore Street, Kingsbridge. velarde.co.uk
