What a difference 3 days can make!  From the clutter and disorganisation members saw on their visit to M Shed on 14 June, to the finished splendour of the gallery displays on opening Day 17 June, was remarkable.  Suddenly, paintings not yet hung or which could not be seen because a display area was cordoned off, appeared in all their glory.  In fact, it is not immediately apparent how many paintings there are in M Shed because they are not all hung, gallery-style, together: here they are displayed according to the subject matter of the painting in the appropriate Gallery.

Because M Shed is all about Bristol and its history, the three Galleries are split into Bristol Places (ground floor); Bristol People and Bristol Life (1st floor)

On entering the Places Gallery we see Andy Council’s Brisuanadon, while adorning one of the walls is Samuel Jackson’s splendid St Mary Redcliffe and Redcliffe Parade from Prince Street Bridge circa 1826.  Note the truncated spire of the church – the original spire had fallen in 1446 after being struck by lightning and was not replaced until 1872.

The Bristol – Exeter stagecoach painting (The Tam O’Shanter Coach) is on display in the Gallery  as is a work by local artist Gerald Cains: Terrace House Demolition, showing homes at Barton Hill being demolished to make way for the construction of modern flats. Another local scene of historical interest is The Clifton Race Course, a Picture of the Month in the November 2010 Bulletin.

The People Gallery is dedicated to Bristol people. Although not born here, Kate Malone moved with her family at a young age to Bristol and spent all her formative years in the City.  It is entirely appropriate, therefore, that her Lady Gourd ‘Fruits of my Life’ finds its home in this Gallery.

This is a completely new work, and is an exceptional piece of ceramic art – the glazing is fantastic.  And yet, there is disappointment: the ‘information banner’ along the front of the cabinet hides the middle part of the Gourd so that the work is not seen in its totality:  we are assured that this will be put right soon.  Also still to come is Kate’s video diary, currently being edited, showing how the Gourd was made.   (Lady Gourd 1 partly obscured:  Lady Gourd 2: as it will be seen – photo: Adrian Sassoon)

Across the landing is the Life Gallery. Immediately on the wall of the stairwell the eye catches sight of the ‘mudwork’  which made front page headlines: the River Avon Muddy Circle by Richard Long. It’s extraordinary, one of those works of art you look at, and look at again - before concluding “I really like that” (or perhaps not….?).

Having then moved into Life, the theme here is how we live, learn, work, and have fun together.  So this is where we find Gran Turismo by Megan Davies.  This is a very interesting work on many levels illustrating the gulf in generations in our brave new technological world.  The artefacts and objects on display in this gallery will have wide appeal as they roll back the years eg to the days of The Glen, prompting one visitor to exclaim: “I used to go there dancing as a teenager, now I’m  a museum piece!”

Before leaving the Gallery do go out into the viewing room with its magnificent panorama of the harbourside – and the excellent, dramatic wall mural “Window on Bristol” by Andy Council and Luke Palmer

Notes: Except for ‘Window on Bristol’, the conservation or purchase of the works shown above were either fully or partly funded by The Friends of Bristol Art Gallery.  There are around 50 pictures displayed in the M Shed Galleries of which 36 are paintings:  13 (36%) of these were supported in their purchase by The Friends.

To enlarge an image click on it once, and to enlarge it even more, click on it again.  Reports on most of the other pictures mentioned can be found among the following articles in News.  See also the Acquisitions page for images only (with no commentary). The copyright of  the ‘Fruits of my Life’ Lady Gourd 2 photograph is held by Adrian Sassoon.

(Date added  22 June 2011)