Reframed: the Woman in the Window, at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London

A very neat exhibition of wide-ranging paintings, drawings, videos, photographs and carvings that bring together the concept of the woman portrayed in or near a window. The premise is that woman have been seen (by men, largely) as trapped, or framed, whether deliberately, as in the case of the incarcerated Saint Avia, or by profession as prostitutes or conceptually through their limited freedom in society. The theme allowed for an interesting selection of works. Odd, though, that there was nothing of Vilhelm Hammershøi, who specialised in the subject. 4*

The Cosmic House of Charles Jencks, 19 Landsdowne Walk, London

Charles Jencks, the architect, architectural theorist and critic, designed this house with his wife Maggie Keswick between 1978 and 1982, along with architect Terry Farrell. It epitomised his theory of the new architecture of Postmodernism, of which he and Farrell were among the primary proponents. It is an extraordinary creation, not just because of the extreme singularity of the interior design, but on account of the meaning conveyed by every aspect of it — an essential aspect of postmodernism as it reacted against the bland undecorated forms of modernist architecture.

Jencks’ interest in cosmology pervades the decoration, from the 52 steps of the interior spiral staircase (one for each week of the year), each step divided into 7 sections, to the architecture library bookshelves that themselves represented the buildings illustrated in the books they contained. Rooms are not named conventionally, like kitchen or bedroom, but are named after seasons, e.g. Autumn, or after architectural styles, e.g. Egyptian.

It was a family home for Jencks for the rest of his life and was donated to a trust in 2019 on his death so that it is now open to the public at very limited times. Like it or detest it, it is an extraordinary building. 5* 

Maurice Broomfield: Industrial Sublime at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Maurice Broomfield (1916-2010) photographed the changing face of industry in the 1950s and '60s. His images show skilled men and women proudly at work in factories throughout the UK and abroad. They emphasise the dramatic, romantic, sublime and sometimes surreal qualities of industry. Today, Broomfield is considered to have created some of the most spectacular and important depictions of 20th-century manufacturing.

Most of Broomfeld's photographs were commissions to illustrate reports and advertise products for manufacturers. These companies wanted their factories to appear technologically advanced and dynamic following the Second World War. Yet, rather than emphasising the mechanical or repetitive qualities of modern labour, Broomfield illuminated the strength and sensitivity of individuals. His optimism and pacifism meant that he avoided the reality of the often brutal and dangerous working conditions, presenting the factory like a stage set.

Now many of the factories he photographed - and the communities of workers and skills that supported them - have either vanished or been subsumed into global corporations. Broomfeld's archive survives as a valuable record of this history, while his images can be appreciated for their artistry. 5*

Postwar Modern: New Art in Britain at the Barbican Gallery, London

A much-heralded exhibition of the work of 48 British artists between 1945 and 1965, showing how art in that period developed after the trauma of the Second World War. The new art was heavily influenced by refugees from Nazism and by artists arriving from the disintegrating British Empire. Women artists of the period, whose work has been largely marginalised, are well represented, and care is taken to ensure that the correct amount of representation is given to gay and trans artists too, of course.

The most interesting thing about the exhibition was the range of artists whose names are not well known to the lay person (like myself) and yet whose work was clearly influential. It was refreshing to see work by others than just the big names. I’ll go again (free admission as a member) and take some relevant photos.

A further exhibition at the same gallery entitled The Artist’s Studio had mock-ups and photos of the historic studios of various well-known artists. Of most interest was a film of several artists’ studios throughout the 20th century, a section of which showed the Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei in 2010 giving his opinion that the Chinese government was softening its approach to art and to the liberal ideas of the young. The contrast was stark in the next film clip from 2016 where we see Ai Wei Wei’s impressively large concrete and brick studio in Shanghai being deliberately bulldozed on the instructions of the government, while he sat and watched. Within 24 hours, all trace of the building had been removed.3*

Benton End and the East Anglian School at Firstsite Gallery, Colchester

This is a wide and influential group of artists that included, on the periphery, Lucien Freud and Maggi Hambling but whose main driving force was Cedric Morris, along with his partner Arthur Lett-Haines. Many of the works exhibited, including many by Morris are of botanical subjects as, in addition to being a painter he was also a renowned gardener. The works on display were not perhaps the best examples of some of the artists concerned and left a negative impression of the work, particularly, of Cedric Morris. Lett Haines’ examples were more experimental and interesting. The accompanying monograph, however better showed Morris’s talent as an artist.

Coincidentally, a couple of days later as we passed a posh gallery in the West End, there was a nice Cedric Morris on display in the window, presumably for sale. It was quite recognisable as being his work before we saw the description.

The Colchester gallery is a brand new building with excellent facilities, although it appeared to be seriously and sadly under-used. I hope it can survive and attract more visitors. 3*