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Studio Sem, Pietrasanta, 2016, Henryk Hetflaisz

Studio Sem, Pietrasanta, 2016,
Henryk Hetflaisz

It was a great delight to meet the sculptor Helaine Blumenfeld OBE again at the opening of her exhibition Hard Beauty at the Hignell Gallery in Mayfair’s Shepherd Street (hignellgallery.com).  Her exceptional sculptures which combine the ideas of abstraction and figuration are tours de force which take great skill and verve to create as there are elements of risk in that process.

Helaine Blumenfeld OBE, Taking Risks, Terracotta, 2016, Courtesy Hignell Gallery, ‎Henryk Hetflaisz -001

Helaine Blumenfeld OBE,
Taking Risks, Terracotta, 2016,
Courtesy Hignell Gallery, ‎Henryk Hetflaisz -001

Just a short walk away in Bruton Street you still have the chance to see an exhibition (until 29th October) devoted to Helaine’s father-in-law the renowned photographer Erwin Blumenfeld.  Entitled Erwin Blumenfeld: From Dada to Vogue, it is being shown at Osborne Samuel (www.osbornesamuel.com) and comprises of a mixture of original photographs, drawings collages and personal ephemera which have come from his family.

Erwin Blumenfeld, Vogue, Paris, 1938, Silver Gelatin Print, Courtesy Osborne Samuel

Erwin Blumenfeld,
Vogue, Paris, 1938,
Silver Gelatin Print,
Courtesy Osborne Samuel

This exhibition’s importance is highlighted by its curator Lou Proud who says:  It is simply not possible to put into few words the importance of Erwin Blumenfeld’s work, let alone its stand alone beauty and ever resounding influence on today’s image makers. It’s fascinating how someone who did everything possible to stretch, bend and break the existing boundaries of traditional photography, managed to create works that reach far beyond what we could ever dream that the medium of photography would and could deliver, leaving us In Memoriam, with what only can be described as ‘solidified magic’.

Erwin Blumenfeld, Shadowed Silhouettes, 1953, Silver Gelatin Print, Courtesy Osborne Samuel

Erwin Blumenfeld,
Shadowed Silhouettes, 1953,
Silver Gelatin Print,
Courtesy Osborne Samuel

While writing about Osborne Samuel it seems right to mention that they were behind the loan of Lynn Chadwick’s Walking Woman (1984) to Salisbury Cathedral where it can be seen on the West Lawn.  The gallery has had a long relationship with the Cathedral (www.salisburycathedral.org.uk).

Lynn Chadwick Walking Woman (1984) Credit Ash Mill

Lynn Chadwick
Walking Woman (1984)
Credit Ash Mill

Eileen Gray

Eileen Gray: The Private Painter, Osborne Samuel, 23A Bruton St, London W1, until 7th November 2015

Eileen Gray, Still Life with Kpan Mask, 1920s Vintage silver gelatin print 11.2 × 11.3 cm (43 /8 × 41 /2 in)

Eileen Gray,
Still Life with Kpan Mask, 1920s
Vintage silver gelatin print 11.2 × 11.3 cm (43 /8 × 41 /2 in)

It is a surprise that this is the first UK exhibition of paintings by the notable Irish designer and architect Eileen Gray (1878 – 1976) and thankfully the publication of an eponymous book allows us to experience this great treat.  Although she was first an exponent of Art Deco by the mid-1920s she was one of the leading pioneering figures of Modernism.  Painting was a pastime to relax from the stresses of everyday life, although some served as inspirations for her carpets. As well as her pictures there are some of her letters and other ephemera as well as objects from her studio.

Eileen Gray L’Art Noir (Study for Rug), 1920s, Gouache on paper, 27.2 × 27.2 cm (105/8 in × 105/8 in)

Eileen Gray
L’Art Noir (Study for Rug), 1920s,
Gouache on paper, 27.2 × 27.2 cm (105/8 in × 105/8 in)

One can easily appreciate why Yves St Laurent’s interest in her works in the early 1970s deservedly revived interest in her work.

Table with blue glass vase, beach pebble on stand, African sculpture on lacquered base, Greek torso on marble base, two ceramic bowls and one small wooden easel

Table with blue glass vase, beach pebble on stand, African sculpture on lacquered base, Greek torso on marble base, two ceramic bowls and one small wooden easel

Book Details: Eileen Gray: The Private Painter by Peter Adam and Andrew Lambirth Published by Lund Humphries and Osborne Samuel gallery. UK Publication October 2015, US Publication November 2015 60 colour and 10 b&w illustrations; 104pp, 265 x 228mm. Hardback: 978-1-84822-183-3 R.R.P. £30.00 / $60.

Eileen Gray, Untitled, 1920, Gouache, pencil & collage on paper, 17.3 x 17 cms (63⁄4 x 63⁄4 in)

Eileen Gray,
Untitled, 1920,
Gouache, pencil & collage on paper, 17.3 x 17 cms (63⁄4 x 63⁄4 in)

http://www.osbornesamuel.com