In fact, with the current climate of cuts across the nation, I would urge everybody to go and visit the Grundy Art Gallery NOW - even if you are not really interested in what may be on show - because there may, otherwise, come a time when some beancounter somewhere decides that it's not worth keeping open and then there wouldn't be an exhibition venue available for the more "popular" things - such as the mary Wells / Motown exhibition that was there a while back.
Now, we are not art experts so what you are getting here is really the thoughts of the average man/woman who walks in off the street out of curiosity. Robin Ross, however, DOES know a thing or two about art and, with him having been my boss for a while, I thought we'd better follow his recommendation and go and have a look...
David Whitaker was, in fact, born in Blackpool and studied art at the Blackpool & Fylde Art School before moving to London in the 1950s to be a graphic designer.
Wikipedia can explain his style much better than I can, so here's what they have to say : "David Whitaker (8 June 1938- 15 March 2007) was a British abstract artist and an art teacher. His works in oils and watercolour are characterised by their use of straight lines of seven colours: two shades of yellow, cadmium red, magenta, viridian, and two shades of blue. His paintings were created in layers, using tape to create straight-sided stencils. The final effect, only revealed when the tape was removed, produced a shimmering graduation of colour from stripe to stripe over the canvass".
At first glance, many of the works displayed here make you think of those "Magic Eye" pictures that they had in the 1980s where you stare at an elaborate abstract pattern until some hidden image appears. Luckily you don't have to stare too hard at these pictures looking for some hidden gem as the gem is - for the most part - already clearly on display and, as many of these works are "wall size", you don't have to squint to see them.
Bright colours, interesting patterns, contrasts of tones and textures are what you get with this David Whitaker exhibition. Despite not normally being too keen on "modern art" Lucy especially liked the "Moby Dick" series of three sea-pattern pictures while I went for the two works entitled "Untitled" which had more clearly defined shapes and patterns in a rather Piccaso-eque work.
If you have the time, go and have a look upstairs as well. It's worth it just to enjoy the splendour of the Grundy building itself and there are some Whitaker's Panza series of 12 paintings reflecting the zodiac. Other highlights of the exhibition would have to include "Grassroots In The Key of Red and Green", "Icarus" - a sort of vortex on a greeny background and "Graveyards of France" which, if you look closely, does reveal rows and rows of crosses behind the swirling pattern.
So, if you are interested in art, this exhibition is definitely worth a visit. If you don't think you are interested in art - why not give it a go - it may surprise you. There is also an exhibition of hand crafted jewellery made by local artists and the Grundy building itself is well worth a look as well.
The David Whitaker exhibition is on at the Grundy Art Gallery on Queen Street, Blackpool FY1 1PX until 14th May 2011
Admission is FREE and Opening times are Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. Open Bank Holidays during April and May 11am to 4pm. Closed Sundays and during exhibition installations.
Too find out more about the Grundy Art Gallery, check out their website at: http://www.http//www.grundyartgallery.com/
