19 August 2010 Eastbourne’s award-winning gallery is inviting visitors to view the landscape that inspired works in its current exhibition with a Ravilious Film Weekend over the August Bank Holiday.
Next weekend, from 28-29 August, Towner is holding a special film weekend showing Atonement (cert 15) on Saturday and A Matter of Life and Death (cert U) on Sunday, showcasing the landscape favoured by artist Eric Ravilious, who was brought up in Eastbourne and returned to Sussex often as an adult to revisit the landscape he so loved.
Familiar Visions is on now at Towner exhibiting the work of Eric Ravilious alongside that of his son James for the very first time and with Eric’s works capturing a number of sites around Sussex, visitors have the chance to step into the scenery that inspired the artist with two free film screenings.
Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Neil Stanley said “Familiar Visions has been a fantastic success so far this summer with a record number of visitors and significant features in the media, including a recommendation on The Art Show with Claudia Winkleman on Radio 2! With just a couple of weeks left of this wonderful exhibition, the film weekend coming up offers a great way for visitors to really appreciate the stunning Sussex landscape, while enjoying the Ravilious works exhibited in Familiar Visions.”
Teenagers enjoying the last few days of their summer holidays next week have the chance to get hands-on with the exhibition too with a four day workshop, The Studio, starting on Tuesday 24 August. There are just a few places left for young people aged 13-16 to work with artists Karen Taylor and Rob Walker to make large scale mapping installations inspired by the South Downs, and follow in the footsteps of James Ravilious by trying their hand at pinhole photography. The Studio takes place from 3pm – 5pm each day.
With Familiar Visions ending on 5 September, there are only two weeks left to visit this unique exhibition with the final Saturday offering fans the chance to see the local landscape through Eric Ravilious’ eyes on a coach and walking tour.
The Footsteps of Ravilious tour will be led by Ravilious expert Andrew Friend, who will take guests around some of the Sussex sites that feature in Eric’s works, including Furlongs, Mount Caburn and Cuckmere Haven, with a stop off at the Ram in Firle for a pub lunch.
For those who didn’t get to visit Underwater, which was on at Towner earlier this year, the gallery’s first ever touring exhibition has just opened at Spacex in Exeter, the first venue on its UK tour. Underwater is on at Exeter until 11 September and offers culture vultures another opportunity to catch the acclaimed exhibition featuring 10 contemporary artists.
For more information on what’s on at Towner or to book a place at the film weekend, The Studio, or the Footsteps of Ravilious tour please call 01323 434670.
