The Barber Institute of Fine Arts
BBC Arts Correspondent Rebecca Jones and Barber Director Professor Ann Sumner
Our new exhibition Court on Canvas: Tennis in Art (27 May - 18 September 2011) was preceded by a fantastic public curtain-raiser event in London - Court in Conversation, held at Christie’s South Kensington on Monday 9 May, 6.30 - 8.30 pm.
The first game of lawn tennis was played in 1859 by Major Harry Gem and his friend, Jean Batista Augurio Perera, on a court at the latter's home, 8 Ampton Road, Edgbaston. This unique show at the Barber – less than half a mile away from Ampton Road – is the first-ever to explore the subject of tennis in art. It brings together paintings, drawings and sculptures inspired by the game, including Sir John Lavery’s iconic The Tennis Party andother works by artists as diverse as LS Lowry, Eric Ravilious, Stanley Spencer, EH Shepard (of Winnie the Pooh fame) and David Hockney. The main exhibition will be accompanied by a large display of historic tennis equipment, photographs and memorabilia tracing the origins of the game and the importance of Edgbaston as its birthplace.
Barber Director, Professor Ann Sumner discussed Court on Canvas, its themes, and issues that have arisen during the curation of the exhibition, with BBC Arts Correspondent Rebecca Jones. It was set against a backdrop of projected images of some of the wonderful tennis paintings to be featured in the show
BBC Arts Correspondent Rebecca Jones and Barber Director Professor Ann Sumner
Our new exhibition Court on Canvas: Tennis in Art (27 May - 18 September 2011) was preceded by a fantastic public curtain-raiser event in London - Court in Conversation, held at Christie’s South Kensington on Monday 9 May, 6.30 - 8.30 pm.
The first game of lawn tennis was played in 1859 by Major Harry Gem and his friend, Jean Batista Augurio Perera, on a court at the latter's home, 8 Ampton Road, Edgbaston. This unique show at the Barber – less than half a mile away from Ampton Road – is the first-ever to explore the subject of tennis in art. It brings together paintings, drawings and sculptures inspired by the game, including Sir John Lavery’s iconic The Tennis Party andother works by artists as diverse as LS Lowry, Eric Ravilious, Stanley Spencer, EH Shepard (of Winnie the Pooh fame) and David Hockney. The main exhibition will be accompanied by a large display of historic tennis equipment, photographs and memorabilia tracing the origins of the game and the importance of Edgbaston as its birthplace.
Barber Director, Professor Ann Sumner discussed Court on Canvas, its themes, and issues that have arisen during the curation of the exhibition, with BBC Arts Correspondent Rebecca Jones. It was set against a backdrop of projected images of some of the wonderful tennis paintings to be featured in the show