Why should all Hertford Businesses support this?

Let us Leap is the title of a weekend festival with a vibrant programme of visual art, music and literature selected and hosted by Hertford Arts Hub in partnership with Hertford Town Council East Hertfordshire District Council, Hertford Theatre, Hertford Library and Hertford University. Open to everyone and celebrating the town’s art, culture and people, it takes its inspiration from the work of the British painter, poet and musician Alan Davie (1920-2014), who for over 50 years worked from his home and studio in nearby Rush Green.

This display, which continues until 14th July 2018 traces the development of Davie’s practice over the last sixty years, highlighting particular moments in his visual journey. Loaned from the artist’s estate, it features seldom seen drawings and paintings whose kaleidoscopic medleys of gestures, forms and signs celebrate a world of imagination beyond the reality of the now.

Harnessing the artist’s engagement with poetry, jazz and the art of ancient cultures, Davie’s images are the result of a highly improvisatory process in which the artist has combed his subconscious, allowing intuition to guide his responses. Drawn from a wealth of sources, they reach into our collective thoughts and feelings, bringing people together regardless of time, gender, race or background. From his abstract canvases of the 1950s and 1960s that draw attention to the materiality of paint and the physical gesture of the artist, to later paintings that harness potent mystical symbols and text, Davie’s work demonstrates his commitment to art as a search for beauty that grows naturally with the rhythms of the mind and body.

With plans underway to establish a new public gallery with a permanent collection of the artist’s work for the town, this is a timely opportunity to celebrate Davie’s legacy and bring the world of art to Hertford and the businesses within it.

Curated by Helen Little.
Hosted by Hertford Arts Hub www.hertfordartshub.org
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