1st show in Cornwall, 76 works, 1 van, 7 hr journey, 4 day install, 34 London Group members and quite a lot of wine. Suzan Swale LG captures the moment.
The first London Group exhibition in Cornwall, with 76 of us exhibiting work: painting, sculpture, print, installation, video. Steve Allen, driving a van full of our work, leaving the Cello Factory at 10.30 a.m. and arriving at The Penwith Gallery at 5.30 p.m. on the same day. I still cannot believe he did that, even though he was aiming for a 4.00 p.m. arrival.
This gave us four days to unwrap, place, hang and label in time for the Friday evening Preview. I was expecting that only a handful of people would be able to make the 6 – 7 hour journey to St. Ives, and to my astonishment and delight 34 London Group members and their entourage arrived, by plane, train, car and bus, staying in hotels, B & Bs, Alfred Wallis’s granite cottage, camper vans sleeping on studio floors, and some even brought their dogs.
There was a little bit of a confusion over the amount of wine consumed by our members at the Private View, but we were congratulated on our stamina. We had many complimentary remarks about the level of our work, except from the old lady who came off the street, and who knew what she liked. She said to me “I cannot stand this kind of stuff” and bought a seascape from the gallery shop.
Paul Tecklenberg sold his beautiful mirrored work and emailed me back from Doha, saying “Bloody Hell”.
We have not had an exhibition in Scotland yet. Maybe we should consider it! A kind of Land’s End to John O’ Groats!
Suzan Swale LG, 2018
The London Group at St Ives – current members of The London Group
Penwith Gallery – 8-29th September
Back Road West, St Ives, TR26 1NL
Monday-Saturday 10-5.30
www.penwithgallery.com
The Penwith Catalogue can be viewed here
The London Group at St Ives was organised by Suzan Swale LG, supported by Mark Dunford LG and the Exhibitions Committee.