I’ve just returned from the opening reception of two new exhibitions at the South Square Centre in Bradford, one by Patricia Calver and the other by Beryl Robinson. In many respects they could hardly have been more different. Patricia’s work includes a very high proportion of what I assume to be self-portraits …. if not, they are of individuals. Beryl’s subject-matter is invariably moments of encounter of one kind or another. Looked at another way, Patricia’s pictures seem to be hovering uneasily between the revelation of the self and recognition of the difficulty of that, given the disguises and devices of concealment we adopt. A group of three portraits hung closely together, for example, seems to document the shifts between identity and difference within the same person. Beryl’s figures seem indifferent to the observer, but record the efforts made by persons to identify the meaning of a moment for those engaged in it.
Another aspect of both of these artists’ work which I couldn’t avoid recognising is the fact that they both engage with persons and their psychological processes. How different from my own, in which the human figure is not often the centre of attention, and then typically as a metaphor or symbol for something else.
Despite their differences both of the artists seem unable to avoid what strike me as rather arbitrary mannerisms which don’t actually assist engagement with their work. Patricia studiously avoids titles, to which my response is, “Go on! Give us a hint!” Beryl seems incapable of avoiding idiosyncratic details of framing, which I’m afraid I found distracting, and which seemed to have no function in relation to the content. Some elements of tradition are there for a reason.
I shall need to go back to the gallery when it is less crowded than it is on an opening night. It is nice to find two exhibitions in the city worthy of some attention. Maybe Bradford isn’t such a bad place to be.