22/09/15
Lowry by the Sea
Jerwood Gallery, Hastings
11 June – 1 November 2015
Mention LS Lowry (1887-1976) and
most people will picture grim, industrial cityscapes from Britain’s north-west,
with smoke-belching factories; men bent nearly double, hastening along crowded
pavements; grey drizzle; and children playing in the street. But Lowry was as
inspired by the coast as he was the city. “Some people like to go to the
theatre,” he once said, “some like to watch television. I just like watching
ships.” But it was more than that which attracted the solitary artist to the
open expanse of the North Sea. “It’s the battle of life – the turbulence of the
sea. I have been fond of the sea all my life, how wonderful it is, yet how
terrible it is. […] It’s all there. It’s all in the sea. The Battle of Life is
there. And Fate. And the inevitability of it all. And the purpose.”
As part of the Jerwood Gallery’s
Festival of the Sea, a small gem of an exhibition comprising 17 pictures – oils
on canvas and board; watercolour; felt tip and pencil drawings – showcases
Lowry’s intense relationship with the ocean. Spread across two small, dark
rooms – which echo the mood of the works – visitors gain not just an overview
of an aspect of the artist’s work that is usually overlooked, but also an
intimate insight into his character, thoughts and self-perception.
Read the full review here