Celebrating Bridget Riley in Bexhill
Friday June 12 marked a significant day in the story of the De La Warr Pavilion when we opened the gallery to show over 30 works spanning five decades of painting by Bridget Riley. Riley, who is unquestionably one of the UK’s most significant artists joined us, along with Sir Nicholas Serota from Tate and at least 200 other figures from the national and international arts world, DLWP Patrons and Members, artists and friends and partners from Bexhill and Sussex . Riley was delighted with the exhibition and gave a rare interview on camera to the BBC which was part of a live broadcast from the terrace that night. Other accolades came from Jonathan Jones in the Guardian and Richard Cork from BBC Front Row who described the exhibition as a “perfect marriage between art and setting” and the Pavilion as “a pioneering building of lines and curves” with the curvaceous staircase proving to be the ideal introduction to the curves in Riley’s works inside the gallery.
Speeches were given by Stewart Drew (Director and CEO of the Pavilion), Sir Nicholas Serota (who declared that the Pavilion “made him feel like dancing”) and Riley herself.
Over 150 people enjoyed dinner in the auditorium, hosted by the DLWP Chair of the Board Julian Bird. In his introduction Julian reminded the guests that, as well as celebrating Bridget’s work, we were also launching the Pavilion’s 80th Anniversary celebrations and the evening was also the start of a fundraising campaign for future works to this Grade One Listed Modernist icon.
Bridget Riley: The Curve Paintings 1961 – 2014 runs until 6 September
Talk about the exhibition with dancer and choreographer Siobhan Davies and composer Ed Hughes , Sat 11 July , £7
Free Gallery Tour Sat 25 July, booking recommended on 01424 229111
John Stezaker : Film Works, Gallery 2, runs until 19 July
Silvio Meier: Drawings, Objects and Paper Cuttings, Rooftop Foyer, 4 July – 30 August