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St Ives and British Modernism: The George and Ann Dannatt Collection

[ Exhibition )

A collage by William Scott of a painted white mug and a cigarette packet wrapper on a beige background

William Scott, Cup, 1974, gouache and collage on paper, Pallant House Gallery, The George and Ann Dannatt Gift (2011) © The Estate of William Scott 2005

This exhibition explored one of the Gallery's most significant donations, the George and Ann Dannatt Gift, 100 years after George's birth.

The collection includes a largely unseen and newly conserved group of work by key figures from the St Ives Group of Artists.

Working in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, this group included Terry Frost, Roger Hilton, Peter Lanyon, Ben Nicholson, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and John Tunnard. George Dannatt was an abstract artist himself and a friend to many of those in the collection. As a result, this gift is one of the most significant private collections of its type.

A selection of Dannatt’s own works were included in the display of paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints, alongside archival photographs of the Dannatts with their artist friends and rare artists’ books and illustrated volumes.

In addition to the St Ives Group, the collection included works by artists associated with a poetic strain of Neo-Romanticism in Britain. These included Paul Nash, David Jones, Prunella Clough and Keith Vaughan, as well as interesting prints by international artists such as Jean Arp and Eduardo Chillida.

The exhibition toured to the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester in Autumn 2015. In September of the same year, a selling exhibition of George Dannatt’s work took place at the Osbourne Samuel Gallery in London. Concurrently, St Ives and Dannatt’s work exhibited at Southampton Art Gallery. This exhibition was accompanied by a new illustrated book with contributions from Professor Brandon Taylor, Trevor Dannatt RA, Jackie Sarafoupoulos, Adrian Dannatt and Simon Martin. Available from Pallant Bookshop.

The George and Ann Dannatt Gift

Painting by William Gear showing abstract forms in predominately dark grey, black, blue and white forms

William Gear, Landscape (1951)

Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The George and Ann Dannatt Gift, 2011) © The Artist’s Estate

Painting by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham showing abstract forms; a black semi-circle on the left and an irregular pentagram in brown-red on the right

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Geoff and Scruffy Series (1956)

Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The George and Ann Dannatt Gift, 2011) © The Barns-Graham Charitable Trust

Painting by Robert MacBryde showing a stylised bowl of fruit in the top right depicted on a patterned cloth of red, brown and yellow tones

Robert Macbryde, Fruit on a Caucasian Cloth (c.1944)

Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The George and Ann Dannatt Gift, 2011) © The Estate of the Artist

A black and white lithograph depicting a stylised table and lamp with the word

Juan Gris, Le Guéridon (1921)

Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The George and Ann Dannatt Gift, 2011)

Painting by John Tunnard depicting abstract forms in tones of brown, red and cream

John Tunnard, Cat's Cradle (Sphere and Wall) (1940)

Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The George and Ann Dannatt Gift, 2011)

Painting by Alfred Cohen depicting a harbour scene with waterside houses and boats, predominately in green tones

Alfred Cohen, Off Honfleur (1969-70)

Pallant House Gallery, Chichester (The George and Ann Dannatt Gift, 2011) © Estate of Alfred Cohen The School House, Wighton, Nr. Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AL 01328 820457

What the press said

The George and Ann Dannatt Gift, which came to the Gallery in 2011, contributes to the Gallery’s identity as a ‘collection of collections’.

Art Daily

The care with which this current exhibition has been hung in the 18th century part of the galleries provides an intimate context. It allows us to understand how the composition and domestic quality of the interiors at East End informed the viewer’s engagement with the art…fresh and exciting

Toovey’s

This exhibition was made possible by a number of generous organisations and individuals

Want to know more?

If you’re conducting research into this artist or another aspect of Modern British art and would like to use our library and archive, please contact Sarah Norris, Collections Manager on s.norris@pallant.org.uk.

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