The public is invited to enjoy the work of some of the leading British artists of the 20th century at a contemporary Swindon office turned temporary gallery space. Swindon Borough Council is staging the exhibition, which opens today, in conjunction with property group Amalgamated Berkshire at the firm’s refurbished Station Square building on Gloucester Street.
Station Square
The exhibition features two significant works by the celebrated Salford painter LS Lowry, whose urban landscapes, populated by his trademark matchstick men, are well known throughout the world.
The two paintings, Winter in Pendlebury and A Procession form the centrepiece of the show which consciously creates a considered contrast between these smoke-filled images of our industrial past and the sustainability and style of Station Square’s 21st century office space.
Because of his naive style it is often mistakenly believed that Lowry was a self-taught painter but this couldn’t t be further from the truth. In fact, during his time at the Manchester School of Art, Lowry studied under the French Impressionist painter Pierre Adolphe Vallette. During World War II he was appointed an official war artist and was later commissioned to paint the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Two other artists featured in the exhibition, John Nash and John Piper, were coincidentally official war artists too. Nash’s best known painting, Over the Top, depicting the Artist’s Rifle’s in battle in 1917, now hangs in the Imperial War Museum.
Piper also produced an enduring wartime image. This is his haunting painting of the shattered interior of Coventry Cathedral following the bombing by the German Luftwaffe in November 1940. Among the other artists whose work is on display are Alfred Wallis and Philip Wilson Steer.
The exhibition space at Station Square
Councillor Gerry Perkins, Cabinet member for Regeneration and Culture, said; “This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the gems in our art collection to people in Swindon.
“It is also a chance to gain an exclusive look at two of Lowry’s exemplary works prior to Tate Britain’s Lowry and the Painting of Modern Life exhibition this summer.
“This exhibition will give us an even greater incentive to find a new permanent home for our art collection and I would encourage people to pop along to Station Square to see some of 20th Century Britain’s best works of art.”
Christopher Meredith of Savills, the letting agents for Station Square, echoed Councillor Perkins’s call for the public to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Amalgamated Berkshire’s accommodation of this exhibition in Station Square provides the unique opportunity for people to see the work of a world famous artist in the surroundings of the highest quality and most cost-efficient office space available in Swindon,” he said.
Station Square is a five storey commercial property situated in the heart of Swindon’s business district. It is within easy walking distance of the town’s railway station, car parks and bus routes.
The property has been virtually rebuilt in order to provide 51,581 sq. ft. of sustainable office accommodation. This focus on energy efficiency has been rewarded with a B energy performance certificate (EPC) rating. The refurbishment has been undertaken to the highest design standards with an emphasis on quality materials. Leases are available either on a floor by floor basis or as a whole.
Visitors are welcome to view the exhibition between 12pm and 5pm today, tomorrow, Thursday and Friday and between 2pm and 5pm on Wednesday. Admission is free but booking is required. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Jessica Carey of Lily & Myfanwy Exhibitions by email to jessica@lilyandmyfanwy.co.uk or by phone on 07867 556100.
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