r ay i c h a r d s o n - beauxartslondon.uk
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B E A U X A R T S 48 Maddox Street, London. W1S 1AY
T: 020 7493 1155 [email protected]
www.beauxartslondon.uk Instagram:@beauxartsgallery
Cover: Got to Step Right On2019/20, Oil on linen, 36 x 36 ins (91 x 91 cm)
Photography courtesy of Nick Richards (Paintings) and George Brooks (Portrait)
ISBN: 978-1-9162717-1-5. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise, without first seeking the permission of the copyright owners and publishers. Every effort has been made to seek permission to
reproduce images in this catalogue. Any omissions are entirely unintentional, and details should be addressed to the publishers.
R A Y R I C H A R D S O N
5 M a r c h - 1 8 A p r i l 2 0 2 0
L o n d o n I s u p F o r G r a b s
S c r i p t b y J a k e A u e r b a c h , F i l m a k e rh t t p s : / / w w w . j a k e a u e r b a c h f i l m s . c o m /
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Ray R i c ha r ds o n i s e s sen t ia l l y a London pa in te r and a pa in te r o f London .
2019/20, Oil on board, 10 x 10 ins (25 x 25 cm)
London I s Up fo r Grabs
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2019/20, Oil on board, 19.5 x 19.5 ins (50 x 50 cm)
Other homegrown art is ts have anchored themselves here; Hogarth and Blake were moved by i ts people, Constable and Turner thr i l led by i ts v iews. Th is place was once the centre of the wor ld and the wor ld came to wi tness London’s pomp; Canalet to, P issarro, Whis t ler and Monet took in i ts panoramas and made them permanent. London was then a grand subject for a paintng, the ci ty posed conf ident ly and sat s t i l l for i ts port rai ts . But success brought
wi th i t the crowds and the grandeur became harder to f ind.
Myk inda towns
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Derain was sent to London by h is dealer in 1906 but d idn’ t take to the p lace. H is des i re for sereni ty was d is tu rbed by the throng: h is paintngs seem rat t led by a l l the act iv i ty .
London had become f idgety , incapable of s tay ing put .
2019, Oil on board, 10 x 36 ins (25 x 92 cm)
Talking Loud
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2020, Oil on linen, 10 x 22 ins (25 x 56 cm)
Sickert del ighted in the seediness of the ci ty. He set t led into the s tal ls of the Music Hal l or headed up the s tai rs to the f i rs t f loor back room to engage with i ts domest ic dramas and
desi res. I f London’s s ights are seen at al l in h is work they are seen through the grubby windows of these shabby rooms.
Cold Blooded Old T imes
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2019/20, Oil on board, 8 x 47 ins (20 x 120 cm)
In the second hal f o f the 20th century , ar t i s t s recorded the recovery and reconst ruct ion af ter the war and then revealed the dramat ic boom in the amount o f cars , people and colour .
Tumbl ing D ice
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London changes as i ts people change but each populat ion leaves i ts mark, fer t i l i s ing the ground for future generat ions but one constant remains… this c i ty has always been inherent ly glamorous.
2019, Oil on board, 19.5 x 19.5 ins (50 x 50 cm)
Pe r fo rmanced Up
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That glamour shines from Ray Richardson’s work. There is nothing that places these pictures geographically, no landmarks or famous sights but these are unmistakably London paintings. What makes them so is their magnetism, their cool, their star quality and the whiff of danger.
2019/20, Oil on linen, 60 x 72 ins (152 x 183 cm)
Brand New Second Hand
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London these days is a fancier place. As the prices rise the populations that made areas like Brixton, Brick Lane, Deptford and Stepney distinct in the 20th century are losing their character. Many Londoners have cashed in their chips and moved out… but like Ray Richardson’s marvellously pugnacious sparrows, that might now live in Kent,
Essex or even Spain, they are stil l essentially Londoners and, like many of the characters in his paintings, you wouldn’t want to get on their bad side.
2020, Oil on board, 6 x 6 ins (15 x 15 cm)
Spar re red Up
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2019/20, Oil on board, 8 x 47 ins (20 x 120 cm)
Th i s i s no t the London o f Kn igh tsbr idge o r Mayfa i r bu t i t i s packed wi th persona l i ty and s ty le . Everyone takes p r ide in the i r appearance, ou t fo r the day in the i r c lass ic su i t s and cars , even in the gym the t ra in ing boxers look sharp . R ichardson w ie lds g lamorous f lou r i shes f rom the mov ies and te lev i s ion as we l l as a r t h i s to ry , mix ing w ide shots , c loseups and imposs ib le ang les , somet imes on a s ing le canvas .
The Young Disciples
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Over recent years a s tar has emerged in R ichardson’s work, Br ian the Engl ish Bul l Ter r ier (“Wee Br i”) . Th is dog is no bi t part p layer, he has a wide range; f rom Everyman on the dai ly commute to Hero leaping gas-holders in a s ingle bound, “Wee Br i” seems ubiqui tous… making his mark but s taying aloof . Th is detachment is important , paint ings are not just descr ipt ions they are also exper iments , t ry ing to make sense of the wor ld and to f ind the ar t is t ’s place in i t . I see Ray Richardson everywhere in h is work, somet imes as a s t raighforward sel f-port rai t at
others as park footbal ler , conf ident urban casual and not least , as an Engl ish Bul l Ter r ier .
The Re tu rn o f t he Sou thpaw
2019, Oil on linen, 30 x 50 ins (76 x 127 cm)
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2019/20, Oil on linen, 36 x 36 ins (91 x 91 cm)
High ing F ly
2019/20, Oil on board, 29.5 x 10 ins (75 x 25 cm) 2019, Oil on linen, 40 x 8 ins (101 x 20 cm)
T ime Tunnel Al l In Your Str ide Son
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2020, Oil on board, 15 x 47 ins (40 x 120 cm)
These p ic tu res a re not jus t su r face, they have subs tance. Though they might appear as b road co lour fu l pub l ic d i sp lays , the moments descr ibed seem more compass ionate than the w ide shots
o f Cons tab le o r Monet ; they remind one more o f the in t imate c loseups o f S icker t and Hogar th .
Y o u C o u l d B e A n y w h e r e
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2019/20, Oil on linen, 40 x 20 ins (101 x 51 cm) 2019, Oil on linen, 40 x 40 ins (101 x 101 cm)
The Three Ages of Man I Should Have Known Better
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Ray R ichardson’s paint ings engage in a s imi lar way, they f reeze a moment f rom these s tor ies we wi l l never know… the v isual equivalent o f eavesdropping on a pr ivate conversat ion… looking for c lues .
2019/20, Oil on board, 10 x 30 ins (25 x 75 cm)
T rousered
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2019, Oil on linen, 42 x 36 ins (106 x 91 cm)
Be i t wa lk ing the dog, a day t r ip to the coas t , c ross ing the road, tak ing the tube o r hav ing a p in t ; R ichardson takes the seeming ly commonplace and f i l l s i t w i th the essent ia l g lamour o f London.
Saturday’s Boys
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Ray R ichardson B .A. A.R .E . - Cur r icu lum Vi tae
1964 Born Woolwich Dockyard, London
Education
1984-87 Goldsmiths BA F ine Art
1983-84 St Mart in’s School of Art Foundation Course
Awards
2012 Art ist in Residence Eton Col lege
2012 Founders Paint ing Pr ize ING Discerning Eye
2007 Associat ion of Painter Pr intmakers A.R.E.
2002 Br i t i sh Counci l Award
1999 Br i t i sh Counci l Award
1990 BP Portrait Award Commendation
1989 Br i t i sh Counci l Award
Selected col lections/commissions
Br i t i sh Museum, London
Victor ia and Albert Museum, London
Fondation Carmignac, Par is
The National Portrait Gal lery, London
London Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Pal lant House Museum, Chichester
De Beers Diamond Trading Co., London
Kasen Summer Col lect ion, Connecticut & New York
Is le of Man Government Col lect ion, Is le of Man
Royal Overseas League Col lect ion, Edinburgh
St George’s Hospital Trust Col lect ion, London
Ingram Col lect ion, London
Univers i ty of Warwick Col lect ion, Warwick
Ruth Borchard Col lect ion, London
Selected Exhibit ions
2020
London Is Up For Grabs - Beaux Arts , London
2019
Brother From Another Mother - drawings with Mark Hampson, Ben
Oakley Gal lery, London
Same Meat Dif ferent Gravy - Zedes Art Gal lery, Brussels
…And I L ive By The River - Zedes Art Gal lery, Brussels
2018
Made in London - Beaux Arts , London
2017
Country Got Soul - Glasgow Pr int Studio, Glasgow ¬
Jeux Sans Front ières - with Guy Denning, Galer ie Raison d’Art, L i l le
2016
Fablon - with David Bray, Ben Oakley and Guy Denning, Ben Oakley
Gal ley, London
You Caught Me Smi l in’ Again - Zedes Art Gal lery, Brussels
The Outer L imits - Galer ie Clairefontaine, Luxembourg
St i l l L i fe - Sty le of L i fe - Former Galer ie Alain Blondel Art ists , Beauborg24, Par is
London Soul - Beaux Arts Gal lery, London
2015
L inolcut - with Picasso, Peter B lake, Sol LeWitt , Wayne Thiebaud and Gary Hume,
Paul Stolper Gal lery, London
Art Car Boot Fair - with Art On a Postcard, London & Margate
Kevin Foursauds - with David Bray, Ben Oakley and Guy Denning, Ben Oakley Gal-
ley, London
Real i ty: Modern and Comtemporary Br i t i sh Paint ing - The Walker Art
Gal lery, L iverpool
2014
The Jack Lord - Ben Oakley Gal lery, London
Real i ty: Modern and Comtemporary Br i t i sh Paint ing - The Sainsbury Centre for Visual
Arts, Univers i ty of East Angl ia, Norwich
I Get Along - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
Kevin Threesauds Room To Let - with Ben Oakley and David Bray, Ben Oakley Gal-
lery, London
2013
The Dog and Crow - with Guy Denning - Ben Oakley Gal lery, London
Kevin Threesauds - with Ben Oakley and David Bray - Ben Oakley Gal lery, London
2012
Keep The Faith - The Drawing Schools, Eton Col lege
Everything Is Everything - Beaux Arts London, London
Homecookin’ - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
BP Portrait Award - National Portrait Gal lery, London
Londons Topdog - Ben Oakley Gal lery, London
Never Promised Poundland - with Cathie Pi lk ington and Mark Hampson No Format
Gal lery, London
2011
Londons No.One - Ben Oakley Gal lery, London
L’ i ronie du Sort - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
2019, Oil on board, 6 x 6 ins (15 x 15 cm)
Ce N’est Pas Un Chien
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2009
Just A L i tt le Pinch Of London - Advanced Graphics, London
Music For Pleasure - Galer ie Alain Blondel, Par is
Southern Comfort - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
2006
Leftf ie ld - E leven F ine Art , London
Rare Pr ints - Advanced Graphics, London
A to Z - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
2005
Ordinary People - New Arts Gal lery, Connecticut
An Engl ish Phenomenon - Mendenhal l Sobieski Gal lery, Los Angeles
Not A Lot To Do - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
Lazy Sunday - Gal lagher and Turner, Newcast le upon Tyne
2004
Days L ike These - Fabien Fryns Gal lery, Marbel la
Storyvi l le - Advanced Graphics, London
2003
Short Stor ies - Galer ie Alain Blondel, Par is
Views From My Is land - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
Absolute Richardson - Gal lagher and Turner, Newcast le upon Tyne
2002
All Around The World - Fabien Fryns Gal lery, Marbel la
England Away with Mark Hampson - Gal lery Aoyama, Tokyo
A London Fi lm - Advanced Graphics, London
2001
Out Of Town - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
2000
London Cal l ing - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
J igsaw Puzz le - Galer ie Alain Blondel, Par is
1999
OKUK with Mark Hampson - Gal lery Aoyama & Laforet Museum, Tokyo
MFSB - Beaux Arts , London
1998
Tender Moments - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
The Circus Comes To Town - Galer ie Alain Blondel, Par is
In Search Of A New Land - Mendenhal l Gal lery, Los Angeles
The Morecambe And Wise Show - with Mark Hampson, Glasgow Pr int
Studio, Glasgow
1996
One Man On A Tr ip - Beaux Arts , London
The Luckiest Man In Two Shoes - Galer ie Alain Blondel, Par is
1995
The Last Laughers - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
1994
Oostenders - Beaux Arts , London
1993
RA Summer Show - Royal Academy, London
Eastenders - Hunt Jennings Gal lery, London
1992
Good Old England - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
Coals To Newcast le - Glasgow Pr int Studio, Glasgow
The Odd Man Out - Galer ie Alain Blondel, Par is
1990
BP Portrait Award - National Portrait Gal lery, London
The Sport ing L i fe - Galer ie 31 L i l le
1989
The Cat In The Hat - Boycott Gal lery, Brussels
1988
The John Player Portrait Award, National Portrait Gal lery, London
Selected TV, Radio and Fi lm
2019 L isted Londoner - BBC Radio London Robert E lms Show
2018 BBC Radio London Robert E lms Show
2016 Our S ide Of The Water - International ly award-winning f i lm directed by Nina
Degraeve
2016 BBC Radio London Robert E lms Show
2015 Art Car Boot Fair - Interview with London L ive News
2012 Londons No.One - Short l i s ted Edge Of the City F i lm Fest ival - Total Thr ive
Productions
2005 From the Art ist’s Studio - BBC Radio 3
2004 Robert E lms Show - BBC Radio London
2004 Ref lect ions – F i lm made by Ray Richardson and Glen Maxwel l in
associat ion with Deptford Albany, London
2001 T i t ian - National Gal lery, London
1999 Robert E lms Show - BBC Radio London
1997 & 1999 - Oi l on Canvas BBC Productions/Arts Counci l of Great Br i tain for BBC 2
1998 Soccerart i - BFI Productions for LWT and CHANNEL 4
1993 Robert E lms Show GLR Radio London
B E A U X A R T S L O N D O N48 Maddox Street, London. W1S 1AY
T: 0207 493 1155 [email protected]
www.beauxartslondon.uk :@beauxartsgallery