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 Often
overshadowed by its newer and more celebrated neighbours, such as
the Will Alsop-designed library, Peckham's South London Gallery
has both an illustrious past and a long standing link with the best
of BritArt, as Divya Guha reports...
Peckham can boast scores of large and small visitor attractions,
but arguably none with a history as chequered as the South London
Gallery.
It
began life in 1868 as a working men's college on a site in the Blackfriars
Road, and its first principal was novelist Aldous Huxley's grandfather,
the biologist T. H. Huxley.
A
decade later, following a move to larger premises in Kennington
Lane, a free library was established there and, crucially, a tradition
of exhibiting art works from private collections.
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The
main gallery space
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Early
supporters included the then Prime Minister, William Gladstone,
and artists Edward Burne-Jones, G. F. Watts and Sir Frederic Leighton,
President of the Royal Academy.
The
move to its present site took place in 1889, when a canny management
bought the freehold of Portland House in Peckham Road and began
work on building a new gallery in the grounds.
latest
developments
Two
years later The South London Fine Art Gallery came into being, ushering
in a changing programme of fine and applied arts, and creating a
collection formed from works donated by artists and subscribers
to the Gallery.
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Tracey
Emin, Nobody Knew, 2002
Emin's I need Art like I need God show attracted huge audiences
in 1997
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The
collection grew substantially in the mid-20th century as work was
commissioned from modern British artists, including John Piper,
Christopher Wood and Duncan Grant.
In
the 80s and 90s, with BritArt forcing its way centrestage, the Gallery
began to focus on the latest developments in contemporary art, buying
with the help of the Contemporary Art Society (CAS), works by Antony
Gormley, Anish Kapoor and Tracey Emin.
The
roll-call of bankable names continues: recent exhibitions by internationally
acclaimed artists such as Gilbert & George, Anselm Kiefer, Keith
Tyson and Steve McQueen have boosted the Gallery's visitor figures
and its profile as one of London's foremost art venues.
tea
and cakes
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Keith
Tyson, Supercollider, 2002
The work that won Tyson the Turner prize for his first solo
exhibition in a public gallery in Britain
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History
aside, it also enjoys considerable support from south London's art
community - Camberwell College of Arts occupies the same site in
Peckham Road.
In
addition,
the improved and landscaped ramparts outside the gallery are a safe
vantage point to watch the world go by. One
may even contemplate the half rubbed-out graffitti on an adjoining
wall that declares: "LOVE PECKHAM".
But
perhaps the charm of the South London Gallery lies in its humility.
Comfortable with its many-splendoured past, it chooses not to trumpet
or hype its many achievements.
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SLG
garden space
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The
place feels warm and familiar, and one only has to spend a little
time sitting in the lounge - where tea and cakes are served - to
appreciate the fact.
A
make-over is on the cards however: a new refurbishment plan will
expand the building and provide a state-of-the-art education space,
artists' studios, a cafe and re-modelled gardens.
Dare
we hope that self-satisfaction remains at a minimum as the Gallery
makes another great leap forward?
The
South London Gallery is at 65 Peckham Road SE5. Tel 020 7703 6120.
Opening times: Tuesday–Sunday
12–6pm, Thursday 12–8.30pm, Closed Monday. Nearest
rail: Peckham Rye station
Web link: South
London Gallery
(The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites)
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