Morandi's legacy: influences on British art

The exhibition 'Morandi's Legacy: Influences on British Art' sets up comparisons between signature pieces by a number of British artists (including my Paul Coldwell) and key works from Morandi loaned from the UK and abroad, many never previous exhibited in the UK. In addition, Winstanley and Craig-Martin made work specifically for the exhibition.

The exhibition included prints, drawings, paintings, sculpture and a recording of a performance 'Homage to Morandi' not shown for 20 years. The exhibition and catalogue proposed reasons why Morandi's work resonated with artists, critics and the public in Britain: some of which include the continuing effect of the reformation, and a visual conservatism which allowed Morandi's modest subject matter to conceal radical pictorial ideas.

Paul Coldwell wrote a 22,000 word narrative essay for the exhibition catalogue which includes much original research including material gleaned from interviews with Craig-Martin, Rego, Cragg, Winstanley, Caulfield and Bradley.

Preface to exhibition catalogue, by Paul Coldwell:

The intentions in this exhibition are various. On one level this exhibition seeks to set up conversations between the work of Morandi and the work of a number of contemporary British artists, through this to explore and open up the currency of ideas within Morandi’s work and suggest connections that may be productive in viewing both his work and the work of these selected British artists. It is also to propose that there are particular qualities, both in the work and the man, which has made for a special relationship to the British public.

It is important to make clear from the outset that this is not an exhibition concerned with showing the influence of Morandi on these contemporary artists. To begin with, while some of them would point to Morandi as being an influence at certain points in their lives, for others the relationship is tangential. Any influence by Morandi on these artists has to be seen against a myriad of events; encounters and personal circumstance that form the soup out of which an artist’s language emerges. I have selected these artists for the way in which their practice can be seen to intersect with ideas that I perceive to be fundamental to Morandi’s art and to point to a rich legacy.

To this end, I have juxtaposed a single work by Morandi with a key work (or works) by these selected artists. The intention is to pick out particular threads of connectivity. Since Morandi is so often referred to as an artist’s artist as part of the research for this exhibition, I have interviewed a number of the artist or their acquaintances and have included their words when appropriate.

This exhibition has had a long gestation and would not have been possible without the sustained support, knowledge and enthusiasm of Roberta Cremoncini, Director of the Estorick Collection, and her colleagues, most notably Chris Adams. It has been a real pleasure to work with them and an invaluable experience. I would also like to thank Edward King at Abott Hall and Giusi Vecchi (Museo Morandi in Bologna) for their help and advice. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the artists, Cristopher LeBrun, Patrick Caufield, Tony Cragg, Michael Craig Martin, Antony Howell, Peter Stickland and Paul Winstanley, and who agreed to let me interview them as part of the research and to Paula Rego, Fiona Bradley, Daphne Todd, Leora Brook and Patrick Eliot for their insightful contributions. I am indebted to Anthony Rudolf for his help and advice in editing the final text for the catalogue advice and to Charlotte Hodes who has supported and encouraged me throughout the whole project. I would like to acknowledge the support of the Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Small grant in the Creative and Performing Arts for the research in developing this exhibition. Finally I would like to thank all the individuals and institutions who have so generously agreed to lend works for this exhibition.

• http://www.studio-international.co.uk/bo...
• http://www.paulcoldwell.org/