Dear Friends, welcome to our autumn bulletin 2026.
We were very sad to hear of David Hockney’s death on 11 June, a month short of his 89th birthday. He will be missed by so many for his brilliant work, his insightful clever comments, his untiring ability to bring inspiration, joy and innovation to the art world. His work included portraits and landscapes, theatre and opera designs, illustrations of fairytales. He used painting, photography, printmaking , drawing, and digital imagery on an iPad. There seemed no end to his talent and imagination; all touched with humour, intelligence, and thoughtfulness.
When he was a student at Bradford College of Art, he also worked in ceramics. In 1955, he made 6 black and white striped cats. One of which he gave to a family who gave him a lift when he once hitch hiked to London; it resembled the family’s own cat. It was known as ‘the cat of kindness’ and sold in 2023 at auction for £118,875 news.artnet.com/market/david-hockney-ceramic-cat-2372163. It’s a charming sculpture and reflects Hockney’s sensitive skills still at an early stage; and his considerable kindness.
‘Drawing is like playing chess: your mind races ahead of the moves that you eventually make’ ‘Drawing takes time. A line has time in it …’ David Hockney
Thank you, David Hockney.
Artists work in a very wide variety of media. Some specialise in painting or sculpture others work in areas such as ceramics, textiles, film, photography, installation, producing a wide range of remarkable artefacts. This autumn the Hatton Gallery is showing ‘The Potters Canvas: Ceramics and Painting in the 20th century. It is an important collection of ceramics and paintings, from the Shipley, Laing and Hatton collections, which show the relationship between ceramicists and the influence of artists’ mark making. Paintings have also been included, which show ceramics in everyday use, as selected and celebrated as a subject by the artist.
We welcome you to the Hatton Gallery – and hope you enjoy this special, unique exhibitions.
‘Mark making’ is often an essential element of an artist’s way of working. As with ‘Line’, a previous exhibition, it is taught as part of an art student’s basic design art education. By the time this bulletin is printed, the MA, MFA and PhD student exhibitions will have taken place. We hope the exhibitions go well for all involved. Hazel Barron- Cooper, the Hatton’s Learning officer is showing her work as part of her submission for a PhD. Her work is inspired by and reflects her research into ‘ the Northern Landscape’.
Ceramic collections to visit in this region and slightly further afield.
- Rothschild Collection, 20th century and contemporary ceramics at the Shipley Art Gallery.
- 19th , 20th Century ceramics at the Laing Art Gallery & Sunderland Museum.
- Korean, Chinese & Japanese Pottery at the Oriental Museum, Durham.
- 20th century studio pottery: York Art Gallery
- Picasso works on ceramic: The Attenborough Collection. Leicester Museum and Art Gallery.
- Chinese ceramics: The Burrell Collection, Glasgow.
Geraldine Morris-Dowling
Chair of Friends of the Hatton
This bulletin contains contributions by:
Carolyn Asquith, Donna Cheshire, Josephine Cousin, Sallie Fulcher-Ball. Nikki Maguire, Lindsey McLaren, Geraldine Morris-Dowling, Roger Newbrook, Brenda Procter, Dr Melanie Stephenson, Phoebe Stewart, Ellen Stone, Marion Thompson and Louise Underwood.
This bulletin is printed by YPD Creative, 67 Howard St, North Shields NE30 1AF
If you would like to write an article for us for use in a future bulletin; maybe a review of a workshop, talk or an exhibition you have seen, please contact us, by emailing FothChair@gmail.com or drop us a line of our Facebook page: facebook.com/friendsofthehatton.
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