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19
April 2004
Beyond Gold
The University of Leeds celebrates its centenary
with the refurbishment of Parkinson Court - its spectacular 1930s
landmark - and opens with three exhibitions representing its history
and treasures.
The
exhibitions
23 April - 23 July Weekdays 10 - 6
The Parkinson Court
Parkinson Court is an exhibition in itself. The centenary
has provided the first opportunity to refurbish the Court since
it was formally opened by the then Chancellor, the Princess Royal,
in 1951. The vision for the refurbishment was provided by the eminent
designer, George Carter.
The atrium of
the Parkinson building ranks as one of Britain's most significant
late classical interiors. Designed in the 1920s but not finished
until 1951, it is a fine example of the stripped-down classicism
of the period - a re-invention of the Classical canon under the
influence of Art Deco and Modernism. Its grand double height hall
is lined by a colonnade of 52 Portland stone columns in an inventive
interpretation of the Tuscan order. Redecoration of the interior
has been devised to emphasise its very architectural character using
a deliberately limited palette of stone colours. The refurbished
original Art Deco light fittings have been supplemented by new lighting
- again arranged to make the most of the exciting architectural
spaces created by the columns, aisles and central triple height
void.
In the central
space, on the cross-axis of the main hall and the entrance lobby,
a new circular information desk has been installed - its detail
in light oak, zebra wood and black inspired by the fine original
joinery and furnishings of the Court. At the very centre, raised
on a tall pier, a classical urn with Art Deco detail makes the new
desk a focal point for the whole atrium.
At the northern
end of the hall, the new cafe has been designed using twin bars
with streamline curves - also with the same oak and zebra wood detailing.
These counters respect the imposing symmetry of the hall and, in
the area between, define a seating area where specially designed
tables and stools provide a relaxed space within a space.
Externally the
building, which was originally floodlit, has been re-lit using energy-saving
technology to make the most of its role as the University's most
identifiable and prominent public building. It was built thanks
to a generous donation from graduate Frank Parkinson. It will also
contribute to the night time skyline of Leeds as a whole where most
of the best public buildings have been floodlit to great effect
in recent years.
The Centenary
Gallery
The exhibition in this new Gallery has been created to represent
the history of the University through archive material. Although
necessarily selective, the scale of the University’s achievement
is plain to see.
The first room
is organised around a new portrait of the Chancellor, Lord Bragg,
by Henry Mee, artist and Leeds graduate. The black and white photo
gallery represents some of the thousands who have constituted the
University community – staff, students, alumni and honorary
graduates. It includes a diverse rang of individuals, including
two Nobel prize winners (William Bragg, Wole Soyinka) industrialists
(such as Shuhei Toyoda – Chairman of Toyota Europe) writers
(e.g. J R R Tolkein), politicians (such as Claire Short and Jack
Straw), media figures, (e.g. Alan Yentob), musicians (e.g. Mark
Knopfler).
On show in the second room is a nine minute selection of film from
1928 to the present. This includes rare film from the Archive Film
Agency of the Student Rag in 1949 and some recently recovered aerial
views of the Parkinson Building in 1951. A selection of the University’s
official portraits include that of the Duchess of Kent (Chancellor
1965-1998) by Pietro Annigoni.
The third room has been divided into three areas to represent the
University’s history in the periods 1904-1950, 1950-1980,
1980-2004. For each period there are corresponding architectural
images, sculptures and collages. At the end of this room a recently–restored
work by Quentin Bell, The Dreamer is seen to levitate over an aerial
view of the contemporary campus.
The Art
Gallery
Art and Benefaction
Works from the University Art Collection 1904 – 2004
This selection
from the University Art Collection displays work made between 1904
and the present. It illustrates the strong holdings of mainly British
art of the 20th Century with an emphasis on works acquired through
the generous benefactors who have made this rich and varied collection
possible.
The three rooms are arranged
to show firstly, oils produced in the first half of the 20th Century,
secondly, works on paper created during the whole period and thirdly,
post war British abstract painting.
The
strength of the collection reflects the interests of a wide range
of friends and benefactors over the period. Bloomsbury artists are
strongly represented, notably Roger Fry, Vanessa Bell, Nina Hammett
and Duncan Grant. Works from the Camden Town Group are also here.
A fine early Ben Nicholson still life of 1914, very much in his
father’s manner, can be judged against a 1951 still life in
room three, totally modernist in concept and worlds away from the
earlier work.
Amongst the works on paper are a varied group of post war prints
ranging from a 1960 Paolozzi to a 1964 Hockney and a 1971 Bridget
Riley.
In the final room
the collections significant holdings of Terry Frost works on canvas
make a strong group. Works by Patrick Procktor, John Hoyland, Victor
Pasmore, amongst others, show up the liveliness and vivid colour of
post war British abstraction.
The
Brotherton Library
A century of library benefactors
Notes
for Editors
* The phrase ‘beyond gold’ was taken from the
speech by Lord Bragg at his installation as Chancellor in 2000.
“…in the utterly changed world of the present, a University
of the calibre of Leeds is beyond gold.”
** George Carter is one of Britain’s most eminent designers,
focussing particularly on garden design and on exhibitions. In his
degrees, a first-class BA and an MA in Fine Art, he specialised
in sculpture, and this still informs his work. In his early career,
he was a museum and exhibition designer at the Sainsbury Centre
for Visual Arts and on a free-lance basis for Christies Art Auctioneers,
the Royal Collection, The Grosvenor House Antiques Fair and the
American Museum in Britain. He has a particular interest in classical
design and has written extensively on Humphry Repton. He has published
six books and numerous articles. His work has been featured in many
books, magazines and newspapers including The Times, The Telegraph,
The Observer, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Country
Life and Interiors. He is a Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal Winner
and recently won an award for his design of Kings College Library
Garden in Chancery Lane. His recent exhibitions include those of
Fabergé and George III in the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham
Palace.
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