31st May 2024 - 17th July 2024
The Truro School Art Collection is a true asset to the institution and it continues to be a brilliant educational resource for students at the School, as well as a source of intrigue and inspiration for artists and art enthusiasts across the Cornish and wider community. David Heseltine, former Head of Art, had the insight to begin the Collection in the 1980s with the aim of building a resource for all students to learn from ‘real art’.
The Collection includes work from the early 1950s from the likes of Julius Olsson and Robert Borlase Smart, two of the first significant artists to move to the Cornish Coast to record the light.
There are nearly 300 pieces in the Collection, many of which have been gifted to or purchased by the School. We are delighted to own work by artists who have been hugely influential in the international art world such as Jeremy Le Grice and Peter Lanyon, former tutors of the St Ives School of Art. The Collection also includes collaborations by the late Hugh Stoneman and Sir Terry Frost, as well as a series of screenprints by Bryan Pearce, drawings by Bernard Leach, Oil and Pastel landscapes by Margo Maeckelberghe, sketchbooks by John Virtue and mixed media drawings by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham to mention but a few.
The Heseltine Gallery was built in 2011 and was named after the previous Head of Art, David Heseltine, who was instrumental in building up the schools own art collection. The Gallery attracts a wide range of local and national artists and often exhibits their work alongside the Truro School Art Collection, which focuses on post-war artistic activity in the county, and showcases the work produced by three main centres of excellence – St Ives, Newlyn and Falmouth. The collection contains work by ex-students and established artists alike. “I selected pieces for their educational, rather than commercial value,” said David Heseltine, who was head of art from 1976 to 2005. Patrick Heron Link Permission from the Board of Governors to build the collection brought with it a slight burden or responsibility. I wrote to Alan Bowness, Director of the Tate Gallery, London, informing him of my intention but specifically asking about the wisdom of purchasing signed limited-edition prints. He replied “I would certainly recommend that you should buy artists’ prints from painters whose work is otherwise too expensive for you. At their best, a Heron screenprint for example, they can be very beautiful and attractive. But I think you should decide which artists you wish to buy, and approach them directly, and see what they would suggest.” Patrick Heron’s suggestion was that I buy from him to maximise choice and an invitation was extended. I had been to Eagle’s Nest before for a committee meeting of the Cornish Buildings Group, but this was a completely different experience. It was a beautiful day and Patrick shuffled prints on a large table which my wife and I had not only the pleasure of viewing but of benefiting also from the anecdotes and insights Patrick offered. It was so important to me that we made the purchase there – you could feel the place in the work – you could sense the amazing Azalea paintings as you walked the garden – the giant granite outcrops presenting familiar profiles and the beautiful interlinking Bronze Age field pattern below echoed the tension in the prints we had just had the privilege of viewing. Over enthusiasm about one of the prints for ourselves but without budget, Patrick scribbled our name on the back for another day which sadly never came. Somewhere out there is a print with our name on it. Lanyon Link Found in the upstairs room of the New Craftsman this Lanyon drawing was one of my first purchases. It is illustrated in ‘Cornwall Drawings’ by Peter Lanyon, photographs by Andrew Lanyon with the introduction by William Fever (p.38) from which a number, including Mines Behind Camborne’ were exhibited by the British Council in a touring exhibition. Professor Charles Thomas spoke to me at length about this drawing at a Private View and a few days later I received the following. “Dear David, – A great show at the School… Meanwhile that Peter Lanyon you have. Here’s a pic of the larger and more elaborate final version plus what he told me about it, I think you’ll be interested? Bests regards, Charles 5th April 2014. “In the period 1953-54 I was living at Carbis Bay, and then at the wayside museum Zennor, working as a WEA [Workers Educational Association] tutor. I saw a lot of Peter Lanyon, who was a distant relation (3rd cousin?) through the Hayle Vivian family. In 1956, I think it was, I bought from Peter for the massive sum of £20 cash a large ‘abstract’ drawing which later I framed under UV glass and stuck on the back a bit of card with Peter’s signature date 1953, and title (fairly meaningless). In the pub at Zennor one day, he explained to me that it was an intentional picture, and marked his dislike of the growing post-war influx of the non Cornish tourists and second home purchasers, west of the Hayle-Marazion neck and all over West Penwith. The viewpoint would more or less be by anyone standing at the front of Hayle’s White Hart Hotel and Masonic Hall at Hayle Foundry. Above, the engine of a Penzance-bound train is about to cross the viaduct, and behind – top third of the view – are some of the hills and mine stacks of West Penwith, like Trencrom etc. Foreground below is confusing, but some large wheels (right) imply the tourist cars again going west into the Lands’ End. I’m not sure now, if I ever knew for certain, what all the squiggles and whorls mean, but I do know that in Peter’s mind they all added up to the same – an unwanted touristic invasion of his/our homeland.”