London,
25
April
2017
|
13:01
Europe/London

Hockney, Hirst and Blake ‘#Trending’ at City of London’s art gallery

Art work by David Hockney and Damien Hirst will feature in #LondonTrending, Guildhall Art Gallery’s forthcoming free exhibition about the rise of era-defining artists in 1950s to 1980s London.

A selection of limited edition prints on loan from British Land’s collection will chart how collectives of London-based artists created some of the 20th century’s most innovative art. Prints by pop artists Peter Blake, who created the sleeve design for The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album, and Eduardo Paolozzi, who designed the mosaic patterned walls at Tottenham Court Road tube station, will also be on display.

Bold and often uncompromising, the featured artists’ work challenged the Establishment and as their popularity grew, it propelled the capital to the centre of the art world.

#LondonTrending opens on Thursday 4 May at Guildhall Art Gallery, which is owned and managed by the City of London Corporation, and will focus on four decades and influential art movements:

1950s - The Independent Group, which exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Arts

1960s - British Pop led by students at the Royal College of Art

1970s - Land Art by sculpture students at St Martin’s School of Art

1980s - Young British Artists, tutored by Michael Craig-Martin at Goldsmith’s College

Katty Pearce, curator of the City of London Corporation’s Guildhall Art Gallery, said:

“Some of the most influential artists of their respective generations feature in #LondonTrending, which illustrates their impact on the global art scene through the adoption of new materials and processes.Visitors to the exhibition, which is presented in the relative intimacy of our Temple Room, should be left in no doubt that their big ideas and bold, artistic decisions helped reshape London’s creative landscape.”

Chris Grigg, Chief Executive, British Land, said:

“Artwork forms a key part of our place-making activity at British Land, enlivening the environment, promoting discussion and enjoyment, as well as increasing creativity and well-being. We are therefore pleased to share some of the most interesting pieces from our collection with Guildhall Art Gallery for others to experience and enjoy.”

The full list of artists is: Richard Hamilton, Eduardo Paolozzi, Peter Blake, Patrick Procktor, David Hockney, Jan Dibbets, Richard Long, Bruce McLean, Damien Hirst, Michael Landy, Simon Patterson, Gary Hume and Ian Davenport.

The City of London Corporation invests £80m every year in heritage and cultural activities of all kinds. It is the UK’s largest funder of culture after the government, the BBC, and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

#LondonTrending runs from 4 May – 28 August 2017 in the Temple Room at Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard, London, EC2V 7HH. Admission FREE. Curator-led talks will be held on 18 May, 14 June and 19 July from 1pm to 1.30pm. For more details, visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/londontrending

Katty Pearce, curator of Guildhall Art Gallery, is available for media interviews. Please call Andrew Buckingham (see below) for further details. Selected images from the exhibition are available on request.

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Buckingham, Media Officer, City of London Corporation

Tel: 020 7332 1452 / Mobile: 07795 333060 / Email andrew.buckingham@cityoflondon.gov.uk

About Guildhall Art Gallery:

Guildhall Art Gallery was established in 1886 as 'a Collection of Art Treasures worthy of the capital city'. See works dating from 1670 to the present, including 17th-century portraits, Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces and a fascinating range of paintings documenting London's dramatic history. The art gallery’s basement houses the remains of London’s Roman Amphitheatre. General admission to Guildhall Art Gallery is FREE; however, an entrance fee may be charged for some exhibitions, with concessionary rates for senior citizens, registered unemployed and registered disabled.

Monday - Saturday, 10am - 5pmSunday, 12pm - 4pm

Call 020 7332 3700 / textphone 020 7332 3803 for a daily recorded message or for more information. Email guildhall.artgallery@cityoflondon.gov.uk and follow @GuildhallArt

About the City of London Corporation:

The City of London Corporation provides local government and policing services for the financial and commercial heart of Britain, the 'Square Mile'. In addition, the City Corporation has three roles:

  • We support London’s communities by working in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on economic regeneration, education and skills projects. In addition, the City of London Corporation’s charity City Bridge Trust makes grants of around £20 million annually to charitable projects across London and we also support education with three independent schools, three City Academies, a primary school and the world-renowned Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
  • We also help look after key London’s heritage and green spaces including Tower Bridge, Museum of London, Barbican Arts Centre, City gardens, Hampstead Heath, Epping Forest, Burnham Beeches, and important ‘commons’ in south London.
  • We also support and promote the ‘City’ as a world-leading financial and business hub, with outward and inward business delegations, high-profile civic events and research-driven policies all reflecting a long-term approach.

See www.cityoflondon.gov.uk for more details.