A
Sussex Wave from Japan The colour woodcuts of Eric Slater and
Arthur Rigden Read
May 27th - September 3rd 2017
This exhibition showed how two Sussex
artists mastered Japanese printmaking
techniques to evoke life in the county
between the wars, gaining international
recognition as a result.
BOOK Slater’s Sussex – The Colour Woodcuts of
Eric Slater
Following on from the popularity of Eric
Slater’s colour woodcuts in the collection
display A Point of Departure, the first
book on the artist, written by Slater expert James
Trollope, is available now.
One of the exhibits at a Slater show at
the Crypt
Gallery in Seaford was this
new poster of the Slater Trail,
now displayed on the town's
seafront. More information about
the trail here.
Slater events
in 2014
Eric Slater was the subject of a supper
talk in Hastings in March, and a free
exhibition at the Turkey Barn, Seven
Sisters Visitor Centre in September.
If you couldn't make it to these events,
watch out for more Slater exhibitions
and talks.
Eric Slater at
Lewes House
Eric Slater’s colour woodcuts were on show
at Lewes House in the High Street for
during December 2013.
The ground floor of the former HQ of Lewes
District Council was converted into an art
gallery.
James Trollope’s book about Slater, Slater’s
Sussex, was on sale, along with
Slater greeting cards and two new giclée
prints, Seaford Head and Early
Spring.
Eric Slater:
The Return 8th and 9th November 2013, Seaford
On the 50th anniversary of his death some
of Eric Slater’s colour woodcuts went on
show in Seaford where he spent most of his
life and where he produced his best work.
Eric Slater moved to East Albany Road in
the town in 1929 and lived there until his
death in 1963, making over 40 evocative
prints of the landscape around him. More
than a dozen of his prints and
watercolours, including some new
discoveries, went on display at the Crypt
Gallery in Church Street
Seaford on November 8th and 9th 2013.
Over 600 people came to see Slater's
return. There's more information on
the Eric
Slater Facebook page.
The author of Slater’s
Sussex, James Trollope, said:
“It’s great that his prints returned
to his home town. He’s no longer a
forgotten artist as more and more
people are appreciating his talent.”
Now's your chance to 'like' Eric Slater
on our Facebook
page.
The work of Eric
Slater had not been displayed for more than 70
years but featured in an exhibition at the Towner
Gallery in Eastbourne from 12 May to 11
November 2012. A
Point Of Departure, also included
works by Edward
Bawden, John
Piper and Eric
Ravilious. It explored the edge of
the Sussex landscape; the beauty and drama that
unfold where the South Downs meet the sea.
"Slater ... was the highlight" -
Theatrical
Eastbourne
blog "What was so special about this exhibition
was ... woodcut prints by the long forgotten
Sussex based artist Eric Slater" - Paisley
Pedlar
blog "Seeing so many of Slater's colour
woodcuts together is probably an opportunity
no one should really miss" - Modern
Printmakers
blog
James
Trollope visiting A Point Of Departure
Eric Slater (1896-1963)(from
the exhibition signage)
Towner has worked closely with James
Trollope, and the British Museum, to assemble a
selection of Sussex woodcuts by the forgotten artist
Eric Slater.
Slater's printmaking was revered during
his relatively short career, and much admired by
Campbell Dodgson, then Keeper of Prints at the British
Museum.
Born in London, Slater moved to Sussex at
the age of eight. It is thought the print-maker
Arthur Rigden Read (1879-1955) was his neighbour in
Winchelsea and taught him how to make woodcuts.
Rigden Read had been to Japan to study oriental woodcut
techniques. Slater spent three years studying at
Hastings School of Art, before settling in Seaford in
1929, where he lived for the rest of his life.
Between 1929 and the beginning of the
Second World War he produced over 30 colour woodcuts.
Slater was admired for his mastery of the woodblock
technique and gained an international reputation,
exhibiting in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South
Africa, as well as Europe. He was a member of the
Society of Graver Printers in Colour and the Society of
Print Makers of California.
The Sussex landscape provided inspiration
for his work and he depicted many views of the south
coast, its coastline, cliffs and seaports. His
prints are characterised by a simple and harmonious
style and colour scheme, which belie the technical
virtuosity of the medium.
BOOK
