The Modernist Face

Collaborating with the National Portrait Gallery for the fourth time, and teaming up with postgraduate students from the University's Art History, Film and Visual Studies department to curate the show, this exhibition showcases the work of British sculptor Frank Dobson and painter Matthew Smith: artists the Barber Institute believe to be often under-appreciated within the art world. The show also aims to open up discussion surrounding the relationship between the artist and sitter during the period of 1920-1960, with more widely celebrated contributors to British culture featuring alongside the pair. The likes of Roald Dahl, Jean Simmons, Bloomsbury elder statesmen Sir Osbert Sitwell and textile designer Marian Dorn provide a broader cultural context, while a range of paintings, books and photographs from the University's Cadbury Research Library and Research and Cultural Collections also sit alongside the portraits. A series of talks and events coincide with the exhibition. See website for more information.