Alfred Wallis/Ben Nicholson at Compton Verney
Went to the great Adam house at Compton Verney in Warwickshire yesterday to see the above.This was another very interesting small show at this stylish cultural centre.They often do good shows and it makes for a nice day out from London up the M40.I strongly recommend that people interested in this period join the mailing list.I see,for example,that Stanley Spencer is coming up in the Summer.
Much of the Wallis material has been borrowed from Kettle’s Yard,where it had presumably been collected by Jim Ede.Showing it alongside that part of Nicholson’s diverse output which focussed on the Cornish landscape produces a thoughtful juxtaposition.There was a companion display of folk art which showed mostly 19th century sailors’ needlework of ships,some of which were quite similar to the typical Wallis picture.There is also an opportunity to see 2 short films,one on each artist.The Wallis one is a 1973 Arts Council film about him.