MEDIA RELEASE COURTESY OF: BANKSIDE GALLERY

A new book on the past president of the Royal Watercolour Society has been released: Trevor Frankland: Between Clarity and Mystery.

Trevor Frankland will be giving a talk about his life and work at Bankside Gallery Wednesday 14th April, 6:30 - 8:00pm. Please contact Bankside Gallery for tickets.

Trevor Frankland: Between Clarity and Mystery is the first monograph on the Past President of the Royal Watercolour Society, and reproduces well over 100 of his works in 160 pages. They cover every aspect from student days to the present, including those behind the development and construction of his domestic landscape. The soft back is priced at £20 and will be launched at the Private View of the Royal Watercolour Society’s Spring Exhibition 6:00 – 8:00 pm Thursday 18th March 2010, at Bankside Gallery.

Simon Fenwick’s text follows the artist from his childhood in Middlesbrough, describing the rather unusual circumstances that led not only to a career as an artist, but also to the realisation of an early ambition to study at the Royal Academy Schools, and eventually to be elected President of the Royal Watercolour Society.

Frankland was a visiting lecturer at Hornsey School of Art during the political ‘sit in’ of 1968, described in some detail in this book, which had an unforeseen beneficial effect on his work, eventually leading to his first one-person show. His interest in the occult and involvement in freemasonry have much in common with that of many artists of the early twentieth century, reinforcing his belief that composition and structure carry the soul of an artwork.

Extensive overseas travel has had a strong influence on Frankland’s use of particular objects and choice of formal structures, leading to frequent re-use rather like an actor appearing in a variety of roles. Throughout the text it is clear that the artist views his involvement in art not just as a studio event, but also as an holistic activity governing every aspect of his life.

Trevor Frankland: Between Clarity and Mystery is published by Sansom & Company [ISBN: 978-1-904537-20-9] and will be stocked in the bookshop at Bankside Gallery, 48 Hopton Street, London SE1 9JH.

Visitor details are available at the Bankside Gallery website here.