Contemporary Painting

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery Trust has recently acquired a major contemporary painting titled ‘National Park’ for the art collection by Martin Greenland. Greenland (1962-) is one of the most important contemporary painters working in Cumbria today. He has lived and worked in Cumbria for over twenty years and has a national reputation for his work. In 2006 he was awarded first prize at the John Moores 24 exhibition of contemporary painting at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, for his painting ‘Before Vermeer’s Clouds’2006.
 
Greenland works from his memory and imagination to reinvent the landscape to explore his experiences with places. ‘National Park’ 2007-2011 is inspired by his deep affinity with the Lake District landscape. Tullie House is delighted to represent Greenland in the collection through the purchase of this major work. The purchase has been supported by the MGC/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Friends of Tullie House and the Art Fund. The painting will go on display soon.
 
Tullie House has also recently acquired work by two Fine Art graduates from the University of Cumbria. ‘Breaking the Rules’, 2011, by Janet Baker is a fascinating work in which Baker has used Photoshop to add photographs of herself, her family and friends playing children’s games to her large photograph of Carlisle Market Place. This work has been generously purchased by the Friends of Tullie House and will go on display soon. The second graduate, Olga Kaliszer, has produced a sensitive film titled ‘Breaking Bread’ which documents her mother’s experiences in Russia during the Second World War which demonstrates the rich cultural diversity in our region today.
 
Tullie House is also hosting a major contemporary art touring exhibition from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. ‘Street Art’ is drawn from the V&A collections and explores this diverse and transient contemporary art form which can be seen on derelict buildings, bus shelters and city hoardings worldwide. ‘Street Art’ will be on show from 22 September to 9 December.
 
The contemporary arts is and will remain an important element of the Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery Trust collections development and exhibitions  programming. The Trust will continue to provide a balanced exhibitions programme which includes contemporary art and looks forward to working with contemporary artists in Carlisle and throughout Cumbria, as well as
nationally and internationally.