NEWS about Botanical Art and for Botanical Artists

RHS Medals for Portfolio Photography 2022

27/4/2022

This post covers the photographers who received RHS Medals for their Photography Portfolio.

The RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show comprises two parts.

One exhibition is for Botanical Art - covered in earlier posts this month and
the second exhibition focuses on the Portfolio aspect of the RHS Photography Awards.

This post is ordered according to

a preamble about the nature of the competition, exhibition and how it is judged
the Awards and colour of medals
with photographers in each category being listed alphabetically by surname.
links in their names are to their website - but I only liked to those who have a self-evident and serious interest in plants and not to those using this competition as some sort of marketing opportunity

All quotations are from the RHS Photographic Competition: Portfolio Category 2022 (PDF Guidance)

The RHS Portfolio Photography Category

Contrary to what the title of the show suggests this is NOT a Botanical Photography Exhibition. Its content and criteria for judging bears little relation to the Botanical Art Show.

Copper and Pewter by Paul Mitchell - from the Best in Show exhibit

I commented last year about aspects of the development of this particular show which I find unsatisfactory. It now seems to me that it has lost its original and unique purpose.

The Portfolio category is different because it offers entrants the ability to:
* Submit a portfolio of work based on a minimum 6 images. The submission must form a series OR have a distinct common theme. It should include a hanging plan with a 250 word statement describing the work.
* From entries submitted, an initial shortlist is created having been assessed by our panel of Portfolio judges.
* All photographers shortlisted for the Portfolio category, are then invited to prepare their work in print, ready to hang their entry for exhibition at an RHS show.
* Exhibits in the portfolio category are judged as a whole against a set of RHS criteria at a designated RHS show.
* The RHS medals offered are Gold, Silver Gilt, Silver and Bronze
* A ‘Best Portfolio Photography exhibit’ with a prize is awarded to the most outstanding exhibit.
RHS Photographic Competition: Portfolio Category 2022 (PDF Guidance)

Note that this introduction to the awards excludes the words "plants" and/or "botanical and/or "horticultural". One would be forgiven for thinking that it's all about the creative endeavour.

I think the saddest aspect of the show this year is that the move to the Saatchi Gallery means that

genuine innovation and creativity with respect to exhibits has now been lost
all work has to be the same size and framed in the same way - meaning that one the very distinctive aspects of the exhibition has been removed
the number of words are severely curtailed
some exhibits do not even explain which plants you are looking at
which means that
- the element of judging relating to presentation should no longer be weighted as it has been in the past
- the exhibits are far less informative about the plants

The net result is that botanical photographers who have won Gold Medals in the past now refuse to exhibit in this very 'dumbed down' show.

I also have a MAJOR issue with the focus, experience and calibre of the Judges in relation to this exhibition. The question I pose repeatedly is that if ALL other RHS medals can be awarded by specialists in each of the very specialised and expert categories why can't photography? Frankly in other competitions I often say, knowing who the Judges are tells you a lot about whether it's worth entering.....

Who are the judges?
Portfolio is judged by members of the RHS Portfolio Judging Panel. Panel members come from a wide range of backgrounds, some are professional plant and garden photographers, others are photographers working in other fields such as architecture. Others have their background in plantsmanship or gardening but all have a keen interest in photographic art and plants. Judges are selected each year and they do change year on year depending on their availability.

I have an even bigger issue with the fact that nowhere in the Guidelines for entrants to this show is there an EXPLICIT statement of ALL the criteria to be used in judging exhibits.

Instead we have some very generic and general sentences - one of which left me with a dropped jaw - because it contravenes competition law!!

Portfolio is judged against a variety of criteria including the technical execution of the photography, how the portfolio hangs together as a whole, how the portfolio is presented and the horticultural content of the images........

Rules for the exhibition will be provided once date and venue are confirmed.

So absolutely no criteria relating to the "botanical" or "plant" content? Despite the name of the show?

Maybe the show needs to be retitled as the RHS Botanical Art and Horticultural Photography Show?

Or maybe just a creative photography show which happens to involve plants?
Even though plants do not get a mention in the guidance about "what is the Portfolio Category all about"!!

Below is the explanation of the exhibition hanging in Gallery 3 at the Saatchi Gallery. It contains a lot of content which is omitted from the Guidance Document and some which which it would have been very useful to include. See if you can spot the sentences which rankle,

Best in Show Award

All photographs must be mainly of plants, flowers or gardens or some aspect of botany or horticulture, including fungi and lichens. This may include people in a horticultural environment. Images which include other aspects of garden wildlife such as birds, mammals or invertebrates must ensure that they are balanced with sufficient plant content and that the wildlife content is not dominant.

Best Exhibit in Show - Portraits of Time by Paul Mitchell

I hope that people will enjoy this portfolio of tree portraits, some ancient and others that help to make the rich tapestry of British Woodlands.
Narrative of Paul Mitchell's exhibit label

Portraits in Time by Paul Mitchell
Paul is a first time exhibitor. Born in East Yorkshire, he now lives in East Dorset. He is a Fellow of the British Photographic Society. His interest in photography began at school. He studied graphic design at art college and had a design career in London working for many well known FMCG companies and brands. He now works as a professional landscape photographer and specialist book designer.

He has had previous successes in Landscape Photographer of the Year, Outdoor Photographer of the Year and the International Garden Photographer of the Year. I'm not surprised.

A cash prize of £500 plus an RHS gift membership is awarded to the Portfolio named Best Portfolio Exhibit

RHS Portfolio Photography: Gold Medals

This is the only RHS competitive exhibition for photographers which is eligible for RHS Medals.

Gold medals are only awarded to exhibits of the highest standards.

Christine Adams - The Perpetual Cycle of Life that includes Death
Tracy Calder - Plant Scars - a former editor of Outdoor Photography magazine, and currently works as Technique Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine. She has written various photography books, including Close-up & Macro Photography. Her work has been exhibited at The Photographers' Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Paul Mitchell - Portraits in Time
John Shepherd - Tribute to the Rainbow

RHS Gold Medal - Plant Scars Tracy Calder

RHS Portfolio Photography: Silver Gilt Medals

Libby Ellis - Cosmosis
Soia Letourneau - The Thread
Mark Lunn - New Life from Old

RHS Portfolio Photography: Silver Medals

Alan Bousfield - Kent Orchids
Konrad Cox - The Flowing Forest
Sanjay Dinker Jani - Richard of York Gave Battle in Vein
Kevin Dutton - Spring Bulbs - also exhibited in 2021 when he got a Bronze Medal
Kaylie Mountford - Contained - a Study of Botanical Houses

RHS Portfolio Photography: Bronze Medals

Emma TS Robinson - Still Life with Flowers
Jacki Rosin - The Dawn of Spring
Joseph Shaffery - A Window to A World of Forests

Previous Shows

2021:
- RHS London Botanical Art & Photography Show - Pros, Cons and the Future
- Review: RHS London Portfolio Photography Show - which includes a summary of how this exhibition has developed over time - and lost its way....
2020 - show was cancelled
2019 - RHS Portfolio Photography Show 2019 - Selected Exhibits
2018 - RHS London Botanical Photography Show 2018 - Awards and Medal Winners
2017 - RHS Awards for Botanical Photography 2017

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More about botanical photography

You can read and see more about botanical photography on the following pages on my Botanical Art and Artists website

HISTORY: Famous Botanical Photographers
CONTEMPORARY: You can find Notable contemporary botanical photographers on my page about people working on other media - Botanical Printmakers, Photographers, Sculptors and Digital Illustrators
This label is used for all blog posts about botanical photography on this news blog - and references non-RHS botanical photography shows and photographers.

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RHS Silver Medals - Botanical Art Show 2022

21/4/2022

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This is about the botanical artists and illustrators awarded an RHS Silver Medal at The RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show - on display at the Saatchi Gallery until 29th April 2022.

My two previous posts covered:

There will be one more post about the Botanical Art Show in which I will comment on themes and learning points from the exhibits

RHS Silver Medals for Botanical Art 2022

These are the RHS Silver Gilt Medallists , listed in alphabetical order by country.
UK

Georgia Danvers - Making the invisible visible
Jane Goodson - Aeonium
Yolande Muschamp - A Gloucestershire Hedgerow
Shirley Slocock - Lucian's Herbarium revisited
Wendy Smith - Running to Seed - flower seed heads

USA

Hyunjin Cho - The anatomy of flowers

Below is a profile of each artist - based on information available online.
If the artist has a website or social media site a link to this is embedded in their name.

The Anatomy of Flowers by Hyunjin Cho

Hyunjin Cho - The anatomy of flowers

Exhibit.
Her paintings show the complete flowering process from first bud to full bloom. Anatomical details are shown in a U shape below the flower, echoing the shape of a fetus in a womb

About Hyunjin Cho (First time Exhibitor)
Lives and works in California, USA. She has previously exhibited at Filoli and ASBA 24th Annual International Exhibition of Botanical Art

Georgia Danvers - Making the invisible visible

Exhibit
Her exhibit explored the diversity in structure and colour in pollen grains, relative to the plant. She collaborated with Professor David Twell who sourced and grew the plants and supplied images of the pollen from a high definition electron microscope at the University of Leicester's Department of Genetics and Genome Biology. Her exhibit comprises 12 artworks

a small painting of a macro view of the pollen grain and
a very small painting of the flower (life size?).

Both artworks lack a scale on the artwork - although the level of magnification is indicated on the label for the pollen grain.

The decision to paint pollen grains too much research and thought. To paint something which is invisible to the naked eye, to capture is structure, form, beauty, colour and shape was a deeply exciting project.

Making the Invisible visible by Georgia Danvers

About Georgia Danvers
Based in Leicestershire and trained in botanical illustration at Leicester College. Former Chair of Leicester Floral Artists Society. Previously awarded an RHS Silver Medal in 2013.

Jane Goodson - Aeonium

Exhibit
This exhibit is a response to the changing climate in the U - with many gardens experiencing increased periods of dry weather - and hence the need to review plants grown in a UK garden. Aeonium are native to Madeira, the Canary Islands and North Africa but do not thrive above 40 degrees C. However, unlike many succulents, they can tolerate increased rainfall. They can grow to 1 metre tall and exhibit dense branching rosettes of leaves up to 15 cm across.

About Jane Goodson
A botanical artist and adult education teacher who lives and works in Dorset. Awarded an RHS Silver Gilt Medal at Malvern in 2016. Fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists. Accredited Lecturer for The Arts Society. She provides courses, talks and demonstrations.

Aeonium by Jane Goodson

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RHS Silver Gilt Medals - Botanical Art Show 2022

10/4/2022

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This is about the botanical artists and illustrators from all over the world who were awarded an RHS Silver Gilt Medal at the The RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show last Friday.

My last blog post was about the Botanical Art Gold Medallists
My next blog post is about the Botanical Art Silver Medallists

If you'd like to visit the show at the Saatchi gallery, read RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show 2022 at the end of this post for more information about venue, dates, hours and tickets.

NOTE: Most of the photos and text in this post has been provided to me by the botanical artists exhibiting in the RHS Botanical Art Show. I'd love to expand to fill the gaps - and if I've got any details wrong please do not hesitate to contact me

Some of the exhibits with interesting stories will be highlighted in more depth in subsequent posts.

The hanging format picture provided to RHS by Melinda Edstein for her exhibit "Red flowering, bird pollinated Australian flowers"

RHS Silver Gilt Medals for Botanical Art 2022

I always think the Silver Gilt Medal exhibits are really interesting to study in some depth. These are the exhibits which are within the spectrum of

EITHER just missing out on a Gold Medal;
OR adding something extra which elevated their work beyond Silver.

This is the group for which the oft repeated mantra (at least by me) is particularly relevant.

An exhibit is only as good as the weakest painting.

In other words, errors and weaknesses are what lead an exhibit to lose points in the scoring of the different criteria used for judging the exhibits.

I can see people in this list who, for me, obviously have the capacity to come back and get a Gold Medal. Can you spot them?

These are the RHS Silver Gilt Medallists , listed in alphabetical order by country.

AUSTRALIA

Andrew Carr - Two Western Australia Eucalypts
Melinda Edstein - Red flowering, bird pollinated Australian flowers

ROMANIA

Irina Neacsu - On Transylvania's botanical remedies - Winter Berries

TAIWAN

Annie Chen - Jewels in the Amazon Rainforest

Catherine Day - Species Lilies
Margaret Fitzpatrick - Threats to the Hose Chestnut Tree documented in 2020
Julia Groves - Seeds of Hope
Maureen Hallahan - Plant Lore

Rui Jiang - Violas (Violaceae)

Pamela Taylor - Trees: Form and Structure
Julie Whelan - Passiflora

USA

Susan Tomlinson - From Field to T-Shirt: Diversity in modern elite cotton bolls (see image below)

The botanical artists and illustrators below are listed alphabetically by surname.

Each profile includes something about the exhibit and something about the artist.
Links to their websites (or other social media site) is embedded in their name IF a link is available

Some of the exhibits will be covered in more depth at a later date.

Andrew Carr - Two Western Australia Eucalypts

Two Western Australia Eucalypts by Andrew Carr

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RHS Gold Medal Winners - Botanical Art Show 2022

10/4/2022

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This week I'm going to be writing about the artists who have won RHS Medals at the RHS Botanical Art Show 2022 - with one post for each medal colour. In the posts I'll be

showing you what the exhibit looks like
writing about the artist and the exhibit
providing link(s) to where you can see more of their art. (Links to their website are embedded in their name)

The artists are helping me by providing images and some are also telling me more about their exhibits.

I'll also be writing about some of the exhibits in more depth as it's interesting to understand how much research is required and how long it takes to prepare BEFORE you start drawing or painting.

Below you'll find profiles of the artists, information about their exhibit and links to their website or social media site. This post will be updated as more information comes in.....

I'd like to thank both the artists and those who took photos for me for the images in this post, together with the profile and exhibit information.

Details about how to see the exhibition can be found at the end of this post

The RHS Special Awards

This post highlights the botanical artists and their exhibits which won

one of the three Special Awards.
five RHS Gold Medals at the RHS Botanical Art Show 2022

Each artist who wins an RHS Gold Medal is also included in my listings of international artists in the ARTISTS section of this website (if not already included).

Best Botanical Artwork 2022

Yoko Harada with Shirley Sherwood on Friday.

The Best Botanical Artwork in the RHS Botanical Art Show in 2022 is Arisaema thunbergiai subsp. urashima - one of the six painting in "The Genus Arisaema" by Yoko Harada (Japan).

Exhibit
Her very pleasing exhibit is about "The Genus Arisaema" which interestingly has been the subject of a Gold Medal Winners at previous shows in 2014 and 2015 (see my ARCHIVE: RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2021 and specifically my page about Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows).

I understand Shirley Sherwood had bought one of Yoko's paintings for her collection.

Yoko has written to me to say she'll let me have more information about her exhibit when she gets home to Tokyo - so this blog post will be updated.

The Genus Arisaema in Japan by Yoko Harada

About Yoko Harada
I've based my profile of Yoko on the information provided for her 2018 Exhibit at RBGE and some brief information that Yoko sent me about her teachers.

Yoko Harada is based in Tokyo. She began learning about botanical art in 2010 and her first teacher was Elaine Searle. Yoko Harada studied for her Diploma in Botanical illustration at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh and graduated in 2018. Students are required to develop a portfolio of five artworks on a theme for their Graduation Show as part of the final year of the Diploma. I've previously featured Yoko on this blog in my post about the RBGE Botanical Illustration Diploma Graduation Show 2018. Since then her local teacher in Japan is now Mieko Ishikawa - who I know has coached a lot of Japanese botanical artists for their RHS Exhibit.

Although I wasn't at the Preview last Friday I've actually met Yoko, having been introduced to her by Elaine Searle when we all attended the ASBA Conference in Pittsburgh.

I'm guessing we'll be seeing an entry from Yoko to the next International Exhibition in 2023.

my first tutor is Elaine Searle and I have graduated RBGE diploma course and my local teacher now is Mieko Ishikawa in Japan.
Yoko Harada

Best Botanical Art Exhibit 2022

Viola montagnei by Nigel Pickering (1957 - 2021). RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show 2022

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RHS Botanical Art Awards 2022

8/4/2022

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Below is a list of all the botanical artists, illustrators and photographers whose exhibits were

assessed yesterday by the RHS Picture Panel for Botanical Art and
whose RHS medals were announced today.

The list excludes the "big awards" which will be announced at 8pm tonight and which will be included in my later posts next week which will look in more details at:

the artists
the exhibits
how they to be chosen and how they came about
PLUS images!
AND how you can get in touch with them.

Since I can't get to the show right now (still recovering from surgery and unable to walk), I'm seeking to try a twist on ways to make these posts educational.

So I'm asking the botanical artists if they would:

send me a photo of themselves with their artwork (see yesterday's post for TIPS!)
tell me about their submission i.e. send me the original text for their submission of SIX paintings / drawings and/or tell me
- why this topic was chosen for an exhibit
- when they started and finished
- how they went about it
- what's important about the exhibit in terms of content

In this way I can continue to stimulate yet more good quality submissions in the future to this elite and internationally renowned exhibition of botanical art.

The RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show
Venue: Saatchi Gallery
Dates: Saturday 9th April - Friday 29th April 2022.
Hours: open from 10am to 6pm each day
Tickets

RHS Botanical Art Awards 2022

Twenty three (23) botanical artists and illustrators are exhibiting in the RHS Botanical Art Show ( compared to 15 artists in 2021)

23 medals have been awarded compared to 14 in 2021. These comprise:

Gold Medals: 5 (2021: 5)
Silver Gilt: 12 (2021: 7)
Silver: 6 (2021: 2)
Bronze: zero (2021: 0)
No Award: zero (2021: 1)

GOLD MEDALS

Of the Gold Medals, the geographical split is:

Japan x 2
Korea x 1
UK x 2

Tsunami plants by Mitsuko Kurashina - a very special exhibit which I've been looking forward to seeing for years!

JAPAN

Yoko Harada - The Genus Arisaema in Japan
Mitsuko Kurashina - Tsunami Plants (see above image)

KOREA

Dr. Hye Woo Shin - Seeds of Korean Island Dokdo

Dr. Nigel Pickering (1957 - 2021) - Rosulate Viola of the Patagonian Andes
Jackie Isard - Wet meadow wildflowers - their pollinators and as food plants (see image below)

"Wet Meadow Wildflowers - their pollinators and as food plants" by Jackie Isard

SILVER GILT MEDALS

I'm trying to remember the last time we had this many Silver Gilts. Commiserations to these artists and illustrators on just missing out. Pay attention to your feedback and come back next time and win a Gold!

Andrew Carr - Two Western Australia Eucalypts
Annie Chen - Jewels in the Amazon Rainforest
Catherine Day - Species Lilies
Melinda Edstein - Red flowering, bird pollinated Australian flowers
Margaret Fitzpatrick - Threats to the Hose Chestnut Tree documented in 2020
Julia Groves - Seeds of Hope
Maureen Hallahan - Plant Lore
Rui Jiang - Violas (Violaceae)
Irina Neacsu - On Transylvania's botanical remedies - Winter Berries
Pamela Taylor - Trees: Form and Structure
Susan Tomlinson - From Field to T-Shirt: Diversity in modern elite cotton bolls (see image below)
Julie Whelan - Passiflora

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RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show 2022

6/4/2022

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The RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show opens to the public at the Saatchi Gallery on Saturday 9th April and continues until Friday 29th April 2022.

The exhibition is open from 10am to 6pm each day
Tickets must be booked via the Saatchi Gallery website. Entry is £5, however....
Admission is free for members of the RHS and the Saatchi Gallery - on production of your membership card.
- Pre-booking for RHS Members: use the code provided by RHS in the right hand column of the booking page (below) to get free access.
- (You can find the code in the RHS Magazine sent to members and in emails recently sent to members about upcoming events).
This is the direct link to book tickets for timed entry slots. A valid membership card must be shown on arrival.
For more information on the show, please click here: www.saatchigallery.com/exhibition/rhs2022 and www.saatchigallery.com/visit

The Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea where the exhibition is being held.

I've been contacted by artists from all over the world who want me to know they're exhibiting and can they meet up with me!

If I'm really really lucky I'll get to see this exhibition.
However, right now in week 10 post ankle fusion surgery, despite the fact I am now allowed to put my foot on the ground (lightly!) I can still only move a few steps each day and travel is very, very difficult with a knee scooter :(

I just want to confirm that despite the doubts about me being able to get there I will still be doing ALL my normal blog posts about the exhibition focusing on

RHS Botanical Art Awards 2022
RHS Botanical Photography Awards 2022
Commentary on the exhibitions and arrangements in 2022 - which will probably be towards the end of the month assuming I can work out how to get there after (hopefully) being signed off at my 12 week review - and getting out of my horrible walker boot!

What I need all exhibitors to do!

I need photos for my blog posts - and you can help!

I've got the RHS Press People helping me out with photos - and I've primed one or two other people. However if YOU want the best shot of you next to your exhibit, you need to take the photo!

Tips for taking photos of Botanical Artwork and Botanical Artists

DON'T GET IN FRONT OF THE ART! Do not stand in front of your exhibit I cannot emphasise this enough!) Instead make sure you stand close to one of your artworks without obscuring it - preferably the one you like the best - and smile! The one below is of Dr. Nigel Pickering who won a Gold Medal in July 2019 - and sadly passed away on 14th January 2021. (see Nigel Pickering GM (1957 - 2021). His widow is exhibiting a portfolio of his artwork at this year's exhibition - and I hope he wins another Gold.
FILL THE FRAME: Make sure that whoever is taking the photo knows how to fill the frame with you and your artwork. This means minimise the amount of other detail in the image. We don't need photos of the floor, walls or ceiling! For example: Take pics of your portfolio in a series of pics eg
- 3 x 2 artworks - if they are quite widely spaced; or
- 2 x 3 artworks - if they are hung closer together
- the one below - of half of Kimiko Miyahara's Best Exhibit in Show in 2021 - has been cropped to a 3:1 format but I've only had to crop the top and bottom because my photo filled the frame side to side with three of her paintings.

Treasures of the Richtersveld by Nigel Pickering. This drawing is of a Pachypodium namaquanum, the iconic plant of the Richtersveld

Endemic Plants of Japan's Ogasawara Islands, A Unesco World Heritage Site by Kimiko Miyahara (Japan) - awarded Best Exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art Show 2021

CHECK THE PICS AFTER TAKING THEM - You might need to have another go. I found last year that there is some very odd lighting at the Saatchi Gallery which makes everything look subdued and grey. So I stopped using my camera and started using my iPad Pro as it was able to absorb more light and, as a result, produced a much better picture. Aim for the best you can do with whatever you've got available to take photos.
SEND ME THE PICS if you want to be featured in my blog posts! This is how to contact me and I'll send you an email to send them to.

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RHS London Botanical Art & Photography Show - Pros, Cons and the Future

1/10/2021

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This is my final round-up of the RHS London Botanical Art and & Photography Show 2021 and some pondering on the pros and cons of this year's change of venue and staging. Plus
further thoughts on what I'd like see in 2022 and beyond in relation to:

Change of venue
Selection of exhibits
Horticulture & Botany
Presentation
Narrative & labels
Sales
Where to go from here?

Previous blog posts include:

Gallery 1 of the RHS Botanical Art Show 2021 at the Saatchi Gallery

The first really big bonus was that at least we got a show this year, after the very sad cancellation of last year's show.

MANY THANKS and cheers for the effort must go to the Picture Committee, RHS staff and the Show Team for finding a venue and making it happen - in the context of the total unknown of how many more lockdowns we would have! Bear in mind many of these people have been on furlough and/or working from home for much of the time since the start of first lockdown in March 2020! So very done on pulling it off.

It's also good the the exhibition organisers thought about the implications of the exhibitor not being able to travel in person and consequently reorganised how the show worked and was hung to take account of this. On the whole this was probably the best compromise - and some of my 'gritty' comments relate to execution rather what very much seems like the best option in a difficult situation.

It was indeed very evident that a LOT of botanical artists and illustrators had pulled out from exhibiting.

A show all about scale. Firstly, the scale of the problem, two years delayed by the pandemic. This would normally be almost 600 works. The final tally came in at only 205. Now a new question of scale 91 botanical art works in two large rooms and 114 photographs in one room.

Quotations come direct from exhibitors or former exhibitors and/or people who have seen the Show. I'm very grateful for the feedback I've had - whether or not included in this post - as it has helped me write this post.

2021 Show - Pros & Cons

CHANGE OF VENUE - Pros & Cons

The Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea

PROS

The show moved from the RHS Lindley Hall in Victoria (great for connections to all the train stations) to the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea. The venue, while not in central London, was relatively easy to access by public transport.
People commented on how the show looked like a proper art exhibition in a proper art gallery - and I guess this is what the aim was.
For all those who like their viewing art in almost complete silence, it was a VERY quiet environment.

CONS

A Show in its own right?
- Others have suggested, and I agree, that by locating the Show in Chelsea at the same time as the Chelsea Flower Show, this effectively made it subservient to the main event - and a bit of a sideshow.
- I don't think this ought to be the aim for this show. It's not an "add on". Given the numbers it has attracted in the past - without any other show running at the same time - it's already proved that it has become an important event in its own right (at least on the art side).
The light in the Galleries was absolutely awful in my opinion. Everything in the exhibition seemed very subdued.
- Exhibits were hung on light grey walls above a light grey floor and lit by lighting which was masked - but the luminance levels were far too low in every gallery. This then reduced the contrast and subdued all the colours and tones in the artwork and photos. Not quite a "grey show" but definitely heading in that direction.
- When I got my photos home and looked at them in Levels I couldn't quite believe just how much lightness and brightness was missing. I've photographed in art galleries all over London and this was the worst experience I've had for a very long time. (NOTE: None of the photos in my blog posts have been posted as taken - they'd just have looked very, very grey)
- The reality is that no artwork which is watercolour on paper is going to get hurt by two weeks in a decently lit gallery. We ought to be assuming that artists exhibiting at exhibitions like this are aware of archival issues and use lightfast paints.
As I found out, I don't think a lot of thought was given by the Gallery to disabled access - and none to proper signposting for those of us who have problems with changes in levels.

What I'd like to see in 2022 and beyond

I'd very much like to see

a return to a two day Winter Show - in February - in the RHS Lindley Hall when there's minimal competition for people's time and it's "offseason" for transport and accommodation
a two day show permits people to find the time to fly in to be with their exhibit. Which means visitors get to meet the artists who produce the work
the Lindley Hall is a venue which is even better for people who have long journeys.

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