Tuesday 22 December 2020

Looking back: Sightlines at Salford Museum and Art Gallery, 2009.



When LS Lowry's paintings were moved from Salford Museum and Art Gallery to the new Lowry centre twenty years ago Salford Museum held various exhibitions in the gallery space. In 2009 I was asked to exhibit my work and also given the opportunity to select work from the gallery's rarely seen permanent collection. Although unfortunately I don't have great photos of the exhibition I wanted to share them.

"An exhibition inspired by the English Landscape, with paintings by Salford artist, Susan Laughton and a selection of works from Salford Museum and Art Gallery's permanent collection. The English Landscape has inspired and challenged artists for centuries. Works displayed from Salford's permanent collection demonstrate the artist's traditional preoccupation with the picturesque or landscape as a ‘view'. This exhibition illustrates how one contemporary artist has responded to the challenge and created complex work of sensitive simplicity. Work that speaks as much about our changing relationship with the landscape, as it does about the times we live in.

Most of the artists I chose were also Northern but I was also excited to find a Prunella Clough (1919-1999) painting Recollection 1976, seen here with The Church on the Hill, Milnthorpe 1979 by Elizabeth Finn (1933- 2019) who was from Marple and on the left my Sodium sky 2006.










Below: Salford born artist Olive Bagshaw's painting Adams Hill, Winter 1978 with Cloudburst 2008 in the foreground.










Below middle: Bolton Parish Church by Brian Bradshaw (1923 - 2016), left: Vanishing point I & II 2009, right: Measured space I & II, 2009. Brian Bradshaw was born in Bolton, attended Bolton Art College and after WW2 was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Art.














Vanishing point, 2009 Susan Laughton

Below left: Faded glory IV & V, right Putney Window by Carel Weight (1908 - 1997) Weight became Professor of Painting at the Royal College of Art in 1957, and was awarded the CBE in 1962. In the following year he painted the mural Christ and the People for Manchester Cathedral, and in 1965 was elected RA.










Below left: Telegraphic I & II, right Landscape by John Ward (b.1935) John is based in the High Peak, Derbyshire and taught at Salford, Manchester and Stockport Colleges of Art and Design.



















Telegraphic II, Susan Laughton, 2008


Below: second left Bickershaw No.4 by Roger Hampson (1925 - 1996) Hampson was born in Tyldesley near Wigan and is considered an important member of the Northern School. He taught at Bolton College of Art and Design and also worked as a graphic designer. Third from right: Sunlight and Mills by Rochadale born Harold Hemingway (1908 - 1976) 


























Sunday 27 September 2020

The Art Buyer Autumn Show 2020 at The Upstart Gallery, Putney, London.

















Exhibition news: I will be showing six new paintings in the The Art Buyer Autumn Show 2020 at The Upstart Gallery, 161 Lower Richmond Road, Putney, London from 8th October - 21st November.

Monday – by appointment

Tuesday to Thursday – 10.30am to 1.30pm

Saturday – 10.30am to 4pm

Sunday – closed

'Silvering time III' 40 x 40cm.

Wednesday 6 May 2020

Little plywood architectural sculpture: houses, barns, huts














I have recently being working on these little lasercut 18mm thick plywood buildings. They are 12.5cm high, handpainted and gilded. I'm really pleased with the results! They are available from Gallery57 and I am also starting to add some to my online shop here.















My long standing interest in landscape and architecture has always inspired my drawing and painting. Vernacular buildings, both rural and urban, domestic and functional, have found a place in my paintings for some time, no doubt also informed by time as an architectural technician. I am particular drawn to the triangular form of the gable ends of buildings, whether they be simple sheds, northern terraces, suburban 1960’s bungalows, barns or giant warehouses. The move from painting to 3D forms was an instinctive urge, a desire for a more physical, tactile exploration. That exploration encompasses both the formal aspects of architectural, geometric shapes and what they mean in the sense of home, shelter, work and human endeavour and it’s impact on our external and internal landscapes. I think there is also an element of play involved in creating imaginary worlds, remembering the painted wood toy building blocks of childhood.


Monday 13 April 2020

The Royal Scottish Academy Annual exhibition 2020



























The Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition is now online from 8th April to 10th May 2020. The Annual Exhibition is the core of the RSA’s exhibition programme, and represents the Academy’s commitment to promoting excellence in visual art in Scotland. In light of the current extraordinary circumstances, the RSA team has been working hard to ensure that the exhibition goes ahead in a new, entirely digital format. 
This is 194th year and I am delighted to say this year my painting Enclosure V, 40x40cm, has been selected.

I also currently have work available online with the &Gallery in Edinburgh and The Stratford Gallery in Stratford upon Avon.

Saturday 22 February 2020

Journey into Landscape, Bircham Gallery, Norfolk

































I'm very pleased to have been invited to exhibit in the Journey into Landscape exhibition at the Bircham Gallery in Holt, Norfolk.
Fieldlines III is one of 10 paintings I will be showing alongside work by Nina Archer, Andrew Bird, Elaine Bolt, Celia Wilkinson, Keith Roper and Gordon Senior.
The opening of the exhibition on Saturday 7th March  from 10 - 5pm.
The exhibition then runs until 25th March.
Bircham Gallery, Modern and Contemporary British Art, 14 Market Place, Holt, Norfolk www.birchamgallery.co.uk



Monday 3 February 2020

Sculptural paintings















About a year ago I started work on these ‘sculptural paintings’ but was then busy with commissions and a solo show. I’m returning to them now and have made the first ones available from my online shop here.


Tuesday 7 January 2020

Artist Focus, &Gallery, Edinburgh

Resonance IV
40 x 40cm

























Susan Laughton | Artist Focus | 24 - 30 January 2020 at the &Gallery.

During the month of January and the first half of February 2020, the &Gallery in Edinburgh will host a series of shows in the gallery's second room, while keeping a winter mixed show in the front room.
Artist focus will put a different artist in the spotlight each week and I am pleased to be featured from 24 - 30 January.