A FLIGHT of fancy from the drawing board to fully-fledged creation is taking off at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum.
The venue is hosting a new exhibition tracing the foundations of the building and the iconic collection of contemporary art it houses as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.
Organisers say the Blueprints exhibition will take visitors on a ‘journey of creativity’, from the genesis of an idea in a sketchbook to a fully-realised work of art.
The exhibition includes treasured pieces from The Rugby Collection of contemporary British art, together with seldom-seen sketches by the artists – lifting the lid on the creative blueprint behind each work.
And to celebrate Rugby Art Gallery and Museum’s quarter-centenary, the exhibition features rare photographs of the venue under construction and the original architectural drawings.
Blueprints opens on Saturday (June 21), the day of Rugby Art Gallery and Museum’s Big Birthday Bash, and includes works by LS Lowry, Turner Prize winner Lubaina Himid, Paula Rego, Claudette Johnson, David Remfry and Chris Orr.
Orr, a former professor of printmaking at London’s Royal College of Art, once commented: “Drawing is not just a way of looking – it’s a way of thinking.”
Meanwhile, LS Lowry remarked: “I draw everything. I draw even when I’m not drawing. I carry scenes in my mind.”
Blueprints includes sketches and drawings which reveal the evolution of creative ideas – the moment when an artist’s imagination starts to find form on a page.
Exhibition display panels also reveal the artists’ thoughts on the importance of drawing to the creative process.
Katie Boyce, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum’s senior exhibitions and programming officer, said artists rarely revealed preliminary sketches to the public, which made the drawings on display in Blueprints so valuable.
She added: “Artist sketchbooks tend to be private, temporary and personal, places where artists work through ideas, ask questions and, sometimes, make mistakes.
“When you open a sketchbook, you catch the artist mid-thought, mid-question and mid-decision. It’s the visual equivalent of overhearing someone talking to themselves.”
Chris Orr visits Rugby Art Gallery and Museum on Wednesday July 9 to join Dr Richard Davey, senior research fellow in historical and critical studies at the Nottingham School of Art and Design, in conversation about the role of drawing in bringing an artist’s imagination to life.
Places at the talk, which starts at 6pm, can be booked for £5 online at www.ragm.co.uk/blueprints or by calling Rugby Visitor Centre on (01788) 533217.
Coun Maggie O’Rourke, Rugby Borough Council’s spokesperson for partnerships and wellbeing, said: “As Rugby Art Gallery and Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary, and with the 80th anniversary of The Rugby Collection next year, this exhibition explores the literal and metaphorical building blocks which underpin both the artists’ work and the venue itself.
“It’s a rare opportunity to take a peek into the imaginations and inspirations of many of the artists featured in The Rugby Collection, and also discover the history of the building which has played such a pivotal part in our cultural life over the past quarter of a century.”
Blueprints runs at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum from Saturday (June 21) until Saturday September 6.
Visit www.ragm.co.uk for more information.
