The work of Leslie Atkinson
October 09
A new exhibition, which showcases the
paintings and illustrations of Leslie Atkinson (1911-2004), opens
at Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Victoria Art Gallery in
Bridge Street on 7th November.
The exhibition, entitled ‘Bombs Babies and
Badgers’, unveils the extraordinary talent of the Bath artist whose
watercolour paintings of local landscapes and buildings remained
largely unknown until now.
Leslie Atkinson first came to Bath as a naval
camouflage officer in 1941, and was in the city after the 1942
Blitz, when he did some remarkable paintings of the bomb damage. He
also painted a view of All Saints Chapel alongside John Piper who
was an official war artist. This painting is now in the collection
of the Victoria Gallery and will be part of the show. His other
moment of fame was that while drawing the Circus he was mistakenly
arrested as a spy!
These paintings show the influence of his
training at the Royal College of Art where he had been taught by
Eric Ravilious, John Nash and Barnett Freedman, but his
interpretation was very much his own.
Councillor Terry Gazzard, the Council’s
Cabinet Member for Tourism, Leisure and Culture said: “A wealth of
world-class exhibitions are put on every year at Bath & North
East Somerset Council’s Victoria Art Gallery. Given the Bath
connection, Leslie Atkinson’s exhibition is especially exciting,
with documentation of the area during the war years.”
Leslie Atkinson’s daughter Julia Gibson said:
“The curious thing I discovered in going through my father's work
is that almost all of his paintings were done during the war period
in Bath. After the war he had to make a living, and illustration
was the obvious choice, but it is sad that he didn't paint again.
My explanation is that because there was such a drive for modernity
during the post-war period and an aggressive rejection of pre-war
art, I think he felt that his style would no longer be appreciated.
It is only after sixty years that we can enjoy his style
again.”
In 1945 Leslie Atkinson returned to London to
start his career as a book illustrator. In 1948 his first
children’s book was published, Badger’s Beech, in which
four friends, a badger, a mole, an otter and an owl have numerous
adventures. This led to a popular series featuring Atkinson’s
colour illustrations using hand drawn lithography, written by
Elleston Trevor, famous for his crime fiction and the film The
Ipcress File.
Today a printed book jacket is largely
designed on a computer, but 60 years ago everything including the
lettering was drawn by hand. The high quality of Atkinson’s
naturalistic drawing and sense of design led to a constant stream
of commissions from 19 London publishers throughout the 1950s and
early 60s.
In 1986 Atkinson returned to Bath, his
favourite city, and lived in the Circus. He died at 93 after a full
and productive life.
The exhibition, which continues until 3
January, is curated by the artist’s daughter, Julia Gibson, who
will be giving a free tour of the paintings on Saturday 14 November
at 2.30 pm.
The Victoria Art Gallery in Bridge Street,
Bath, is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.00 and 17.00, and
on Sunday between 13.30 and 17.00. It is closed on Mondays. For
more information on the exhibition and other events at the Victoria
Art Gallery visit http://www.victoriagal.org.uk/
ENDS
For further information and/or images
please contact:
Sue Lucy, Victoria Art Gallery Administrator on 01225 477232;
sue_lucy@bathnes.gov.uk
or Jon Benington, Manager of the Victoria Art
Gallery, Bath on 01225 477232; jon_benington@bathnes.gov.uk