Events

Alan Cotton. “Home and Abroad”.  11th - 28th September 2023

Online and On View at The Studio, Lords Wood, Marlow, Bucks  SL7 2QS

Please Ring to make an appointment 01628 486565

An opportunity to explore the enduring work of Alan Cotton, one of Messum's most celebrated contemporary artists. Alan has exhibited with Messum's for over 35 years and this exhibition brings together some of the locations which have fascinated him throughout his long career, including Venice, New Zealand, Tibet and, closer to home, the West Coast of Ireland and the Devonshire coast. The exhibition will be accompanied by a digital catalogue and will be on view, by appointment, at Messum's Studio in Marlow

Messum’s London Exhibition September 2024

David Messum Fine Art

12, Bury Street, St James, London, SW1Y 6AB

Tel 020 7287 4448

Previous Events

Alan was brought up in Redditch, Worcestershire, where he attended the local Grammar and Art Schools, before moving on to study at Ruskin Hall, Bournville School of Art. He progressed to Birmingham College of Art and after three years in the Painting School there, completed his training at Birmingham University and at the University of Exeter, where he took his Master’s Degree.

In 2005, he was honoured to accompany His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales to Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji as his Tour Artist. In 2009, he was nominated as an icon by the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Committee and attended two fundraising dinners at Windsor Castle, together with many celebrities. Alan was a founding member and the first President of the South West Academy of Fine and Applied Arts, which encourages and supports young artists. For many years Alan has been a central figure in the Arts of the South West and through his charitable works has raised substantial amounts of money for a range of charities, including the Art for Life Auction for Children’s Hospice South West, Cancer Research UK, Kids for Kids (Dafur) Alzheimer’s Society and Art 4 Macmillan for which he is also a Patron In 2006 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (D.Litt) by the University of Exeter for his ‘outstanding contribution to the Arts’. He was later appointed Hon. Professor of
Arts at the University of Bath, giving his inaugural lecture on 2nd November 2011 and in 2017, the Vice Chancellor invited him to sign her Roll of Honour at a dinner in London “… in recognition of his generosity and philanthropic support”.

EXHIBITIONS

Messum’s Fine Art, London
Alan Cotton is represented internationally by Messum’s, who, for over 30 years have presented regular solo shows of his work.

Messum’s Exhibitions and Publications:
1985 Alan Cotton, Opening Exhibition
1988 Paintings From Provence
1990 An English Painter Abroad
1991 Recent Paintings from Cyprus, Provence, Tuscany and Venice
1992 Essentially Provence
1994 Cotton on Canvas
1995 Reflections
1996 New Paintings
1997 New Paintings
1998 Paintings from Ireland and Elsewhere
1999 Predominantly Piemonte
2001 A Sense of Place
2002 More Than Morocco
2004 As I See it
2006 From Donegal to the Southern Hemisphere
2008 Hartland, Provence and Co Kerry
2010 Hartland, Ireland, Piemonte and Provence
2011 The Series Paintings
2012 A Painter’s Journey to Everest
2014 Hartland and Beyond
2015 Contours in Colour, Alan Cotton – A Retrospective
2016 On the Road to Transylvania
2017 Drawings into Paintings
2019 Where Land and Water Meet

In association with Messum’s he has exhibited with other galleries, including:
• The Brook Gallery, Budleigh Salterton 2019
• The Edge Galleries, University of Bath Contours in Colour – A Retrospective 2015
• Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter Contours in Colour – A Retrospective 2015
• Lewis Elton Gallery, University of Surrey 2012
• Walker Galleries, Honiton and at Sidbury Mill
• John Davies Gallery, Stow-on-the-Wold
• Falle Fine Art, Jersey

Other One-Man Exhibitions include:
• City of Plymouth Art Gallery
• Dorset County Museum, Dorchester
• Exeter Royal Albert Memorial Museum
• Nuffield Gallery, Southampton
• The Bournemouth Gallery, Hampshire
• Stroud Art Gallery, Gloucestershire
• The Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton,
• Otterton Mill Gallery, Devon.
• Canada Arts Gallery, Victoria B.C. Canada
• City Gallery, Dinan, Brittany, France
• Hammer Galleries, New York

Mixed Exhibitions include:
• Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions
• Royal West of England Academy
• Royal British Society of Artists
• Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
• South West Academy of Fine and Applied Arts
• 20th Century British Painting Exhibitions, London
• Waterman’s Fine Art
• W. H. Patterson – London
• West Country Painting Austin Desmond Gallery, Devon
• Charles Causley A Tribute From the Artists – Tour: West Country and London
• Bath, Chichester, Sidmouth and Honiton Festivals
• Falmouth Art Gallery British Impressionists in Cornwall and Cornish Collections 2011
• Toronto International Art Fairs October 2012 to 2016
• Torre Abbey 2013 Afloat
• Gloss Gallery Exeter Paragone – Sculpture or Painting 2014
•  The Brownston Gallery, Modbury. 2019

Paintings in Collections:
• His Royal Highness, King Charles lll
• Queen Mary II Commissioned by Cunard
• City of Plymouth Art Gallery;
• Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter;
• National Collection of Paintings in Hospitals;
• University of Southampton;
• University of Exeter (6 paintings)
• Royal Marine Commandos Lympstone
• Kings Norton Conference Centre, Birmingham (13 paintings)
• Carlton Westcountry Television.
• Alan also has work in private collections in the UK,, Canada
• United States, South Africa and many European countries

Television – A selection of films:
• A Step or Two Away the Picture is Complete Directed by Kevin Crooks BBC (30 min.)
• An Artist On Every Corner Directed by David Spires BBC (30 mins.)
• Paint Directed by Kevin Crooks ITV (30 mins.)
• Alan Cotton at Home with David Young ITV
• So You Want to Be an Artist Directed by Kevin Crooks ITV
• Cotton on Canvas Two 30 minute films. Presenter Hugh Scully. Director Philip Speight ITV

Films:
Return to Hartland 2008 Directed by Gary Vernon Produced by Laura Collier

Books:
Alan Cotton – On A Knife Edge by Jenny Pery, published by Halsgrove 2003
Alan Cotton – Giving Life a Shape by Jenny Pery, published by Halsgrove 2010
Alan Cotton – Drawn to Paint by Jenny Pery, published by Halsgrove 2019