Review written by:  Judy Brealey

Today was a shared session between Carol Wauchope (left) and Pam Cowgill (right).    They presented two contrasting styles of art.

Pam was her usual calm unruffled self as she launched into the life of Rowland Hilder. Although he was born in the  United States he was always English in his ways.  He worked under noted illustrator Edmund J. Sullivan, a person he credited for his talent.

He married,  and with his wife Edith who was also an artist,  produced many flower and landscape works together, especially the Shell posters with his  landscapes as the backdrop and her exquisitely detailed flowers in the foreground.  He produced many front covers for books including  'Moby Dick,  and 'Treasure Island' , and also did advertisements for Goodyear Tyres.

During the Second World War there was an ambitious scheme to employ artists on the home front.  This resulted in a collection of more than 1500 watercolours and drawings.  Hilder died at the age of 88 and there is an annual Rowland Hilder Award in his memory.

We went from the sublime to the ridiculous as Carol took us through female surrealism. Women in surrealism are described as shocking, sexy, wild, erotic and dangerous.   Frida Kahlo was described as ‘A ribbon around a bomb’.  Carol continued by showing a collection of works by various artists.  This collection included  'Angel of Anarchy',  'Fish Circus',  and  ‘Game of Chess’ by Eileen Agar.  There was one,  ‘Chair with a Tail’  by photographer Phillipe Halsman with Salvador Dali setting it up and Dali also in the photograph, (the explanation for this was the artist had some material left over so gave it a tail!),  and many more which certainly fitted the above description of wild and erotic.

This was a very enlightening session with  paintings very different to what we normally view.  It created much discussion.  Both presenters  are to be congratulated on an extremely interesting and stimulating session.

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