The Gallery is proud to be able to present together on public display for the first time, two rare ceramic murals by artist Hans Coper.
In early 1960, Hans Coper (1920-1981) made three large-scale and little-known murals for buildings across the UK, none of which remain in place today. One was commissioned for a Winchester military base and once looked out commandingly over the Hampshire countryside. But the future for this mural, and indeed all three, was not secure.
Known for his distinctively sculptural, vessel-based forms, Coper was a British émigré artist at the forefront of ceramic experimentation in the 20th century. Widely respected and highly collected for his pots - a selection of which will be on display - the commissioned public artworks were a crucial factor in his creative development. For a limited time, we have been given exclusive permission to display two of Coper’s ‘lost’ murals, united for the first time in the same space and re-emerging to be appreciated with fresh eyes. Made during his time at Digswell Arts Trust, we will explore this experimental, ‘architectural period’ in the artist's career, and understand how these monumental works of clay came about.
The exhibition is made in collaboration with the AGC Museum, Winchester, the Crafts Study Centre, Farnham, and the Coper Estate, with additional loans from York Museums Trust and private lenders.
Coper is one of the star makers in the collections cared for by Hampshire Cultural Trust. Find out more about the collection and our plans for renovation at our ceramics museum, the Allen Gallery, in Alton. Rediscovering the Allen Gallery | Hampshire Cultural Trust (hampshireculture.org.uk)
Exhibition sensory guide
In the room there will be pots in showcases, ceramic murals on the walls, text panels and photographs. There is no audio or video playing, but our air conditioning can be noisy. The number of visitors to the gallery will change throughout the day. Generally, the beginning of the day and the end of the day will be the quietest times. A large text printout of the exhibition text is available just as you walk in the room on the left hand side. The lighting will be low in order to protect the artworks we have borrowed. A friendly staff member is there to welcome you and give you any help you need. They also care for the artworks in the room.
Images: RAPC Mural by Hans Coper, Copyright Jane Coper / Swinton School Mural by Hans Coper, Copyright Jane Coper / Hans in the Digswell studio, Copyright Jane Coper, courtesy Digswell Arts Trust
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