Advice from Deanna Petherbridge
This follows earlier messages »
I see the quality of your mother's work and these are my suggestions:
1. Approach institutions in Belgium rather than this benighted and dysfunctional country where all our public institutions are at their lowest ebb. I'm on the mailing list of the BOZAR Centre for Fine arts, Rue Ravensteinstraat 23 Brussels (mailing@bozar.be) and am really impressed by their programme and intentions. It's always in English as well as French and Flemish. Propose an exhibition to them. Point out that her work was very expressionist, and that her war etchings are particularly fine and powerful – and her take on Bolton is quite unique! The Bolton wash drawings and prints are very ominous and say so much about northern industrial grime, but also about change. (Her work is so much more sophisticated than Lowry – but together they would make a wonderful show)! Stress the fact that she suffered, like every other female artist, from being overlooked, expected to give up on their careers or to choose less contentious subject matter, etc. In this regard I would also say to you that as an illustrator she had a variety of styles – but there is still a strong streak of powerful linearity running through the works. (The 1940's war etchings are very powerful) And you need to research who, where and when the books were published or the prints made. Where is the Belgium small town she drew (I can't find it on the site again).
This is really a research project. I have absolutely no idea of your own economic and social situation – but perhaps you could fund a small PhD art history project (for a woman graduate student) at the university? A project to get all possible information on her work historically and put together an expansive exhibition idea (Have you ever proposed a show in Bolton – or is it all desperate in the museum?)
2. In all the work you've obviously done on the archive, you need to supply information that is lacking on the website. Forgive me if this sounds bossy or rude. PRINTS need to be (have been) numbered as they are not unique like drawings and are part of editions or 'artists' proofs. It also means that you might have lots of duplicates and therefore could send off – or make gifts – to institutions without worrying that you are destroying a body of work. (I personally have given away as much as I could.)
3. As the important thing is to get the work into collections – I suggest that you really research all the other possible places in Belgium (and Holland?) which have prints and drawings collections from the great Brussels Museum to smaller places. For example the woman who ran the Drawing Centre in New York for years was (briefly) director of Antwerp museum (Catherine d Zegher) but seems to have been sacked or left under a cloud under covid. Try tracking her? I'm afraid NONE of my information is up to date because I am totally housebound and outside of everything these days.
4. If you attempt to sell anything to Europe there will be all sorts of problems about Brexit rubbish rules and payment of tax – so I hope you're thinking more in terms of an exhibition and gifts of works.
I just hope this has been of some help to you. I just can't offer anything else but good luck and persistence. I think the curious dog creature on the steps and the last animal surreal fantasy Christmas drawings are terrific. And surely the Belgians have some equivalent of our RAF Museum and all the branches of the Imperial War Museum? – for her really impressive war etchings. And have you tried suggesting gifts to any of these UK collections?
Category: Uncategorised
