My Life in Art - Jackie Bradley
For this month’s ‘My Life in Art’, local artist, Jackie Bradley, has kindly shared with us six artworks which represent her life and explained what they mean to her. Jackie’s work has hung several times in our Open Selected exhibitions and she participates in Oxfordshire Artweeks. Also, she was involved in the early days of The Friends of the Heseltine Gallery. Thank you, Jackie, for sharing your life in art with us!
Divided Oak Tree, No. 2 by Ivon Hitchens (1958)
Ivon Hitchens, Divided Oak Tree, No. 2, 1958, oil on canvas, 51.4 x 116.8 cm (Tate, London)
Jackie: In the 50s, at school deep in West Sussex countryside, I remember being intrigued by talk of a renowned artist who lived in the woods nearby at Lavington Common. It was Ivon Hitchens, who became one of my favourite artists. Hitchens repetitively painted views en plein air in his woodland, hence No. 2 in the title, although he also painted still life. He was well established by this time painting panoramic landscapes with strong colour, often in blocks with white primed areas left bare. Just mention of his name evokes an earthy, woodland smell.
A Grand Procession of Dignitaries in the Semi-Egyptian Style by David Hockney (1961)
David Hockney, A Grand Procession of Dignitaries in the Semi-Egyptian Style, 1961, oil on canvas, 213.36 x 365.76 cm (Private collection)
Jackie: In 1974, with both my boys at school, I applied for the Art Foundation Course at what was then Brighton Polytechnic. As a mature student it was a revelation. I loved being with younger students and their knowledge and enthusiasm was infectious. I knew of David Hockney, but it was my fellow students who made me look closer. I was much taken with his 60s work and his drawings. This painting is one of several done after he spent time in Egypt. The inclusion of words is typical and while I could have chosen many, this one reminds me most of my time at art school.
View of Delft by Johannes Vermeer (c. 1660-61)
Johannes Vermeer, View of Delft, c. 1660-61, oil on canvas, 96.5 x 115.7 cm (Mauritshuis, The Hague)
Jackie: There are two reasons for this choice. Firstly, my deep affection for Holland - my father is buried there, having been shot down in 1943 - and experiences when visiting from a young age. Secondly, Vermeer. We saw this in the Mauritshuis, The Hague. As with such paintings by Canaletto, it is suggested he used a camera obscura. Whatever his technique, he produced an image that is quintessentially Dutch; calm, orderly and balanced. Marcel Proust considered it the most beautiful painting in the world, famously one of his characters referring to the preciousness of the ‘little bit of yellow wall’.
Studies of Two Apostles for the Transfiguration by Raphael (c. 1519-20)
Raphael, Studies of Two Apostles for the Transfiguration, c. 1519-20, black chalk, 49.9 x 36.4 cm (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford)
Jackie: 10 years ago I decided to study History of Art at Oxford’s Continuing Education Dept, completing the two Diplomas. It was sheer joy and jolly hard work, in the best possible way. Studying Early Renaissance to Contemporary art and architecture was a privilege and has stood me in good stead since. A highlight was visiting the Prints & Drawings Room at the Ashmolean for an intimate encounter with this wonderful drawing. I was recommended to take as long as possible with it. It was bliss. To be so close to such genius was an enormous privilege; unforgettable. Make an appointment and you, too, could enjoy it.
The Annunciation by Fra Angelico (c. 1440-45)
Fra Angelico, The Annunciation, c. 1440-45, fresco (Convent of San Marco, Florence)
Jackie: During the first 2 years of the course, I was fortunate to be awarded a bursary for travel. I decided to spend a week in Florence. We rented an unassuming penthouse in an ordinary palazzo. I relished so much of it that it is hard to pick out one painting or sculpture. For pure theatre and aesthetic experience, I have chosen Fra Angelico’s Annunciation, a large fresco at the top of a flight of stairs in the Convent of San Marco. Not only is a breathtakingly beautiful work, its position emphasises the drama of the story. This is the work I remember most when thinking back to that week.
Offshore by Peter Lanyon (1959)
Peter Lanyon, Offshore, 1959, oil on canvas, 153 x 184.2 cm (Birmingham Museums Trust, Birmingham)
Jackie: Cornwall has been a big part of my life over 45 years. West Penrith is my favourite area, with its ruggedness, light and wild, wonderful coast. This painting by Peter Lanyon has extra resonance for me. He was the only one of the renowned St Ives artists who was born in Cornwall. He relished the air, the pre-history and the wildness. He took up gliding to more immerse himself in the atmosphere, as reflected in his work at that time, particularly this one. I arranged to see it in store at Birmingham Art Gallery, a privilege and a joy.
Why do you #LOVEArt?
Jackie: I love art for the response it evokes, sometimes inexplicable and visceral, sometimes obvious and pure. I love that producing art is a mirror of life, a struggle, elating, deflating, satisfying, desperately frustrating. I love the history of art from pre-history to contemporary. And I love that art is for everyone.