SIMON Hearnden is returning to the Old Fire Station Gallery today for an 11-day exhibition, “Dare to be Different?… Again”, featuring artists from Twyford and Windsor in addition to a newly discovered talent from the West Midlands.
The curator, who lives in the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire, had previously staged the Berlin Walls Gallery.
Simon says: “Every few years, I gather in a ‘potpourri’ of exciting talent that I consider merits greater exposure to show my clients — artists with a twist, who dare to be different.”
He is particularly pleased to be able to show the “incredible, imposing and tactile” paintings of John Roger Bradley, an “exceptional” artist from his new home county of Worcestershire.
“In recent years, the artist’s association has been largely with a gallery in Shropshire, so this is a first, triumphal outing for some of his most impactful and expressive recent paintings,” says Simon.
“Now in his eighties, he was head of art at Wolverhampton Polytechnic art college for 20-odd years and just painted and painted and never sold anything and they’re all sitting in this amazing gallery that he built.
“So, he’s letting me have some of his best works and they’re absolutely knockout. I’m really excited about him and he’s just the most fascinating character.
“He really could be a successful artist but he basically got a big stipend from his head of art and his wife also had a very good job with the council so they don’t really need anything else, he really could have been putting himself out there.”
From preliminary years attending Wolverhampton College of Art, his association then with the University of Wolverhampton as both student, teacher and senior lecturer, along with head of department roles at Wolverhampton adult education services, spanned four decades. Other appointments at Dudley and then Wigan Schools of Art and the University of Birmingham eventually saw John Roger involved in senior operational and course management roles.
A longstanding member of the Reynolds Club, an association of past students of the Royal Academy Schools, Bradley continued to hone his own craft alongside his teaching role. He has become a masterful creator of bold and exciting, expressive and vibrant paintings and printmaking.
Simon has also cherry-picked some of the finest artworks created by Twyford artist Richard Conway-Jones.
“A multi-faceted and creative force, Richard let me delve in to his ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ to unearth a selection of his gems, buried within his home and studio,” says Simon.
“Richard is a prolific artist who reflects his thoughts with humour, observation and melancholy, sometimes in equal measure.”
A veteran of Henley Arts Trail and open studio events, Conway-Jones’s house, “The most beautiful house in the world”, is full of his eclectic musings on paper and canvas. “Richard is a great guy,” says Simon. “He’s a painter, poet, musician, writer and film-maker and he’s a real character. I’ve gone through his archive and picked out stuff that I think is really suitable for my clients. I’ve picked an interesting selection and I’ve had them nicely framed.”
Old Windsor artist Paul Barfoot enjoys capturing scenes from boating and wildlife as well as portraits and Joey the parrot is his constant companion.
Simon says: “Paul and I go back a long way, and I really like what’s happening with his work now. Paul has adapted his illustrative style into fine art, using a variety of styles and media. The mix of attention to detail and creativity is unique and intriguing. Paul has morphed from running a graphic design agency to becoming a compelling exponent of his rapidly developing oeuvre.”
Simon will also be including works by the late Alistair Grant (1925-1977), a former master printmaker.
Born in London, Grant studied at Birmingham College of Art. After serving during the Second World War, he returned to art school and the Royal College, where he was taught by Ruskin Spear. He later returned to work in the printmaking department of the college for 35 years. Best known as a printmaker in both London and Etaples in Northern France, Grant also painted throughout his career and in the Eighties, he adopted an expressionist style using vibrant colours. He ended his career as emeritus professor of printmaking at the Royal Academy.
Simon says: “The artist has been described as a French reflection of the St Ives School. There is a wonderful sense of freedom in his images and a great joie de vivre.
“There is currently increasing interest in this side of the artist’s free-form small works on paper.”
Although he now lives in Worcestershire, Simon knows Henley well.
“I grew up in Warren Row, near Crazies Hill, and my first house was in Henley so I still consider myself a Henley person,” he says. “I have a lot of people coming into the gallery that know me.”
•“Dare to be Different?… Again” is at the Old Fire Station Gallery in Upper Market Place, Henley, from today (Friday, October 11) to Monday, October 21, open from 11am to 5pm daily. For more information, call Simon on 07850 656856 or email simon@berlinwalls.co.uk