Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1526337
Over many years Osborne Samuel Gallery has curated ambitious exhibitions such as the 2022 survey which examined the impact of influential post war curator Lilian Somerville. This year we continue the series with an exhibition built around the contribution to British art of the 20th century by the influential collector Margaret Gardiner and her legacy. Unlike Lilian Somerville who worked within the realms of the British Council and its exhibition programme, Margaret Gardiner was a private individual whose philanthropy was generous, personal and broad, as were her interests and her circle of friends. She met and developed friendships with key artists from the early 1930's onwards, most significantly becoming close friends with Barbara Hepworth and later Ben Nicholson, supporting and buying their work at the beginning of their careers. Other artists who she sought out and encouraged included Peter Lanyon, Naum Gabo, Eduardo Paolozzi, William Scott, Patrick Heron, Roger Hilton, Alfred Wallis, John Wells and many more. She never wanted to be called a collector but nonetheless assembled one of the most important groups of 20th century British art in private hands. What is even more surprising is that she then gifted it to the people of Orkney in the far north of Scotland, bringing the museum that would house her collection, the Pier Arts Centre, into reality through sheer tenacity and generosity. Visiting the Pier Arts Centre today is a revelation. Margaret Gardiner recruited Katharine Heron (artist Patrick Heron's daughter) to convert buildings in Stromness harbour into a gallery, which finally opened in 1979. The rhythms and light of the building reflect the intended location of works of art and an unusual intimacy is created. It is an extraordinary collection in a remarkable space. Since its inception the museum continues to thrive, still showing all the original works to which new acquisitions have been added, reflecting Gardiner's vision and the unique location. Borrowing works from the Pier Arts Centre is not practical but in our accompanying exhibition we have sourced many of the artists represented in the museum, from the same period or series, and various artists within Margaret Gardiner's circle of friends. This breadth of exhibition would not be possible for a private gallery without the very generous loans from collectors, friends of the gallery who share our passion. We have also benefitted in our research from the generosity of so many individuals: Andrew Parkinson, Isla Holloway and all the staff at the Pier Arts Centre; Katharine Heron who generously shared details of the conversion of the Pier; David Ward whose photographs we have included; Bryce Wilson and Bill Spence both former Trustees of the Pier Arts Centre; Timothy Neat for his film about Gardiner and the museum titled Time is Another Country; Professor William Bernal, Margaret's grandson, for allowing us to reproduce family photographs and quotations from her unpublished correspondence; and Tanya Harrod who is currently researching a joint biography on Margaret Gardiner and her brother Rolph. Once again, I am so grateful to art historian Judith LeGrove whose long held fascination with the collection and the museum, suggested we begin this journey together, she has researched the life of Margaret Gardiner for us and contributes the excellent essay that follows. I N T R O D U C T I O N BY TA N I A S U T TO N 3