A talk by Justine Hopkins
Michael Ayrton preferred to describe himself as an image-maker, and regretted that this was not an occupational description acceptable in a passport. Painter, sculptor, illustrator and stage designer; novelist, critic, essayist and broadcaster, his works in all media were informed by a deep fascination with people and an abiding love of myth, which he saw as fundamentally relevant to contemporary life: a bridge across time and space to reveal basic truths about being human which all art should explore and celebrate. His works challenged both traditional and contemporary expectations and brought him criticism and admiration in roughly equal measure, today they can be seen in public collections from Tate Britain to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon. Swindon is fortunate to possess one of his finest early paintings, the enigmatic Roman Window, and in this lecture Justine Hopkins, Ayrton’s step-granddaughter and biographer, will explore the context and circumstances which led to its creation and its place in the enduring legacy of this intriguing and controversial artist.
Doors open at 7pm.
Tickets: £8/£6
Date/Time
Date(s) - 31/10/2019
7:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Location
Swindon Museum and Art Gallery
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