Take a walk through the garden gallery

Autumn show will celebrate first ecologist

THANKS to Lambourn sculptor Sioban Coppinger for reminding us that there are some lovely pieces in the 2020 Garden Gallery summer show, currently online after its recent virtual ‘private view’.

Rachel Bebb, the gallery owner and curator, decided to mark the tercentenary of the birth of Gilbert White, this country’s first ecologist, with this year’s show All the Fading Landscape, the title taken from a line from one his rare poems. Unfortunately, the exhibition and the opening, which is an annual pleasure wandering through the garden, wine in hand – and has been since the gallery opened 26 years ago – had to be postponed due to coronavirus. But you can still view the work of artists who are preparing work for the show online.

Rachel hopes it might be possible to open the show in the autumn at the gallery, which is just 30 minutes south of Newbury, in Broughton. She said: “Depending on the Covid-19 situation over the next few months, the exhibition may open in September or October. Information will be posted on the website.

“In the meantime, the Exhibition 2020: All the Fading Landscape 'gallery is gradually being uploaded with images, details and prices of sculpture, ceramics, lettering and original prints/works on paper by regular and new artists, some of whom are creating work specially for All the Fading Landscape, in acknowledgement of Gilbert White.”

Sioban, a fellow of the Royal Society of Sculptors, says: “Always a high point in my year, it would have been much nicer to meet there for a glass of wine and wander around Rachel’s beautiful garden to view the work together.
“But hopefully it won’t be long before we can go in person and have a proper look round.”

During lockdown Sioban has thrown most of her working time into the commission she is currently involved with – a life size figure of Peace … so the Heavy Horse sculpture she was intending for All the Fading Landscape is a ‘work in progress’ … watch Rachel’s website and Facebook page for images of this piece as it develops.

There are some examples of Sioban’s sculpture available at the Garden Gallery and Rachel is showing more of her etchings this year too, so take a look on the website at the section Original Prints and Works on Paper.

https://gardengallery.uk.com/galleries