Watts Gallery: ‘Into the Night’ Exhibition By Contemporary British Printmakers

Published on: 6 Nov, 2021
Updated on: 6 Nov, 2021

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This winter, Watts Contemporary Gallery presents Into the Night, an exhibition of new work by 14 contemporary British printmakers about the wonder and beauty of night-time from November 6, 2021 to January 9, 2022.

Edward Hopper’s Dog by Mychael Barratt, Silkscreen.

Featuring a variety of printmaking mediums, from linocut and monoprinting to etching, woodcuts and printed glass, the exhibition brings together artists at all stages of their careers to explore what happens after dark, with images of sleeping and dreaming and nocturnal creatures, to dazzling skies, the vibrancy of cities after hours, and the magical transformation of the world from dusk to dawn.

Dusk Return by Kit Boyd, hand-coloured etching.

Exhibiting artists are: Mychael Barratt, whose whimsical prints often refer to art history; Kit Boyd, whose neo-Romantic linocuts explore our relationship with landscape and our place in nature; Ed Boxall, who describes his practice as “mixing up everyday things with magical things” and Angela Brookes, whose work is influenced by the countryside of her childhood.

We Talk about Our Childhoods by Ed Boxall, hand-coloured linocut.

Award-winning James Cockerill who, from his Guildford studio, works with glass; John Duffin, whose prints evoke the dynamism of urban environments; Steve Edwards, whose cityscapes capture the stillness and silence that descend at night; Sherrie-Leigh Jones, whose imagined landscapes are inspired by the Japanese woodcut tradition, and Jane Lydbury, a long-time member of the Southbank Printmakers working mainly in relief printing.

Night Owl by Angela Brookes, intaglio gravure & solar plate.

Flora McLachlan, whose black and white etchings respond to the spirit of nocturnal landscapes; Sarah Morgan, whose collagraphs are inspired by memories and emotions; Carol Nuna, whose work shows the influence of the artist’s African and Irish upbringing; Tim Southall, whose atmospheric work reveals the artist’s love of narrative, character and landscape, and Millicent Straker, whose monoprints reference the fragility of the disappearing natural world.

Golden Moon by James Cockerill, Print on handmade mouth-blown English antique glass

In Print: Into the Night is inspired by the magical and mythological night-time subjects of G F Watts OM RA (1817-1904), co-founder of Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village. In the neighbouring Historic Galleries, visitors will also be able to see paintings by G F Watts including Endymion (c.1903-04) and The Sower of the Systems (1902), showing the artist’s own interest in this theme.

Ronnie Scotts by John Duffin, etching.

Alistair Burtenshaw, director of the Watts Gallery Trust, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating the beauty and wonder of night-time in this year’s exhibition.

“Watts Contemporary exhibitions enable visitors to see and buy contemporary art, and they also help our charity to raise vital funds to deliver our transformative Art for All Community Learning programme.

Blakeney, Dusk by Steve Edwards, Linocut

“We are grateful to our artists and to everyone who supports our exhibitions, and we look forward to welcoming you to Watts Gallery – Artists’ Village to experience Into the Night.”

The exhibition is open Monday to Sunday, including Bank Holidays, 10.30am-5pm, Adults: £12.50 Students/U25s: £6.25, Under 18s: free.

For full list of concessions and to book tickets, please visit wattsgallery.org.uk/visit/admission/.