The best art exhibitions to see this week – May 20

Tim Walker: Fashion Photography. An exhibition of the work of British fashion photographer Tim Walker, who has produced work for both Vogue and Harpers & Queen. 25th May- 1st September 2013 at The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle. www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk

Rembrandt and his Contemporaries: Paintings from the Royal Collection- a generous loan by the Royal Collection displaying some of the greatest works belonging to the Queen, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, De Hooch, Ruisdael and Jan Steen amongst others. 17th century Dutch and Flemish masters developed new ways of interpreting landscapes, still lives and everyday scenes and this exhibition brings together the best of this period. At The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath from 25th May- 29th September 2013. www.holburne.org

Bodil Manz: Exploration of Form – work by the ceramicist, whose work combines the delicacy of egg-shell porcelain with blocks of vibrant colour to create timeless designs. This exhibition will unveil her latest work created in 2013 in her Denmark studio. At Blackwell The Arts & Crafts House, Bowness on Windermere, Cumbria from 23 May to 1 Sep. www.lakelandartstrust.org.uk

Marking the Line: Ceramics and Architecture – modern works of art by ceramicists Nicholas Rena, Carina Ciscato, Clare Twomey and Christie Brown juxtaposed against the historical backdrop of the beautiful home of the St Germans family which was remodeled in the 18th century by Sir John Soane, with gardens and park by Humphry Repton. First shown at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London, the exhibition is now on at Port Eliot, St Germans Cornwall from 21 May-15 July and will then tour to another house with a Soane connection – Pitzhanger Manor, Ealing (25 Jul-22 Sep). There will be educational workshops throughout the exhibition’s tour.  www.porteliot.co.uk

Sculpture 2013 and Nicola Lazzari – featuring work by Mark Coreth, Nick Bibby, Charlie Langton, Sophie Dickens, Anthony Turner, Rupert Merton, Domenica de Ferranti, Manuela Zervudachi, Eric Van Straaten, Lucy Gray, Nick Jeffrey, Alsion Knight, Richard Chenevix-Trench, Edouard Martinet and others, at Sladmore Contemporary, 32 Bruton Place, London W1 until 24 May. www.sladmorecontemporary.com

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Giorgio Casali: Photographer/Domus 1951-1983 – for over 30 years Casali (1913-1995) photographed the work of the greatest post-war Italian architects and designers. At the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, 39a Canonbury Square, London N1 from 22 May to 8 Sep. www.estorickcollection.com

The Mighty Metalsmith – Decorative and Domestic Metal and Silverware by makers including Rauni Higson, Adrian Hope, Adi Toch, Chien-Wei Chang and Rebecca Joselyn, at Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery, Salts Mill, Saltaire, Bradford until 7 July. www.kathlibertjewellery.co.uk

Curiosity – Art and the Pleasure of Knowing – a Hayward touring exhibition that moves wittily, sometimes mysteriously, between contemporary art, anatomy, Old Master drawings, the history of criminology, Cold War secrets, the origins of museums and voyeurism in everyday life. Taking as a starting point the cabinets of curiosities that flourished throughout Europe in the 17th century, it’s a detailed and spectacular meditation on the nature of wonder, fascination and inquiry. At Turner Contemporary, Margate until 15 Sep. www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Exhibition of digital photographs by Isabel Bannerman which attempt to convey the depths of wonder that she sees and smells in her life as a gardener. Influenced by the great German photographer Karl Blossfeldt, she removes the extraneous to reveal the essential structural forms of the plants themselves and in doing so allows the viewer to discover surfaces and contours that border on the boundaries of couture fashion and structural engineering. At the Summerleaze Gallery, East Knoyle, Wiltshire till 1 June. www.summerleazegallery.co.uk

Helen Chadwick: Works from the Estate – marking the 60th anniversary of one of the first woman artists to be nominated for the Turner Prize. Chadwick (1953-1996) made an innovative and provocative use of a rich variety of materials, such as flesh, flowers, chocolate and fur, and was hugely influential on a younger generation of British artists, notably the YBAs. This show presents a selection of photos and sculptures from 1982-1994. At Richard Saltoun Gallery, 111 Great Titchfield Street, London W1 until 28 June. 020 7637 1225

Portrayed: 50 Years of Grit and Glamour – an exhibition examining the representation of celebrity and public image over 50 years, from Marilyn Monroe to Jay Z. At Chris Beetles Fine Photographs, 3-5 Swallow Street, London until 8 June. www.chrisbeetlesfinephotographs.com

Touring exhibition of the Quaker Tapestry, showcasing 20 colourful embroidery panels from the Quaker Tapestry Centre in Kendal – a masterpiece of storytelling and a celebration of life, people and events across the centuries in modern, bright textile panels made which more than 4,000 people in 15 countries have helped to create. At Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Coach Road, Coalbrookdale, Shropshire until 5 June. www.ironbridge.org.uk

Chris Bushe – paintings by the Scottish landscape painter which capture his childhood trips to the West Coast of Scotland and growing up in rural areas of Tornaveen in the heart of Aberdeenshire. At Panter & Hall, 27 Bury Street, London SW1 until 7 June. www.panterandhall.com

Magical Books: from the Middle Ages to Middle-earth – featuring the work of 5 celebrated authors of children’s fantasy literature: C S Lewis, J R R Tolkein, Susan Cooper, Alan Garner and Philip Pullman. In the Exhibition Room, Bodleian Library, Old Schools Quad, Catte Street, Oxford until 27 Oct.  

What is Contemporary? A group exhibition of contemporary photography and works of art from the past curated by photographer Domingo Milella and antiques specialist Bruno Botticelli, with work by Dan Holdsworth, Lise Sarfati, Clare Strand and Milella alongside antique sculpture, painting and artifacts. At Brancolini Grimaldi, first floor 43-4 Albemarle Street, London W1 until 6 July. www.brancolinigrimaldi.com

Archie Forrest – exhibition of paintings redolent of the South of France and the influence of the Scottish Colourists, at Portland Gallery, 8 Bennet Street, London SW1 until 14 June. www.portlandgallery.com

Francois Houtin – Broceliande Forest of Dreams – strange and haunting horticultural visions, their hallucinatory character heightened by the artist’s use of monochrome. Allusions ‘from Arcimboldo to Dali, from Desiderio Monzu to Le Doux, from Hieronymus Bosch to Schinkel. This is the imaginary garden as theatre, as a setting for nightmare transformation scenes of a kind that throw up memories of the monsters which lurk in the scro bosco of Bomarzo’ says Roy Strong. At Francis Kyle Gallery, 9 Maddox Street, London W1 until 22 June. www.franciskylegallery.com

Bernard Cohen – 80th birthday exhibition at Flowers, 21 Cork Street, London W1 until 22 June. www.flowersgallery.com

Master Drawings – treasures of Western Art to celebrate the founding of the Ashmolean Museum in 1683, including works on paper by Michelangelo and Raphael, Durer, Rubens and Rembrandt, Turner, Degas, Pissarro, Gwen John and David Hockney. At the Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford until 18 August. www.ashmolean.org

William Scott – exhibition in the centenary year of the artist at Hepworth Wakefield, Wentworth Terrace, Wakefield, West Yorks until 29 Sep. www.hepworthwakefield.org

Edward Harley – The Great Collector
– following the fortunes of the dedicated but extravagant collector, the 2nd Earl of Oxford (1689-1741) with magnificent silver, curios, paintings and other works of art, notably English miniature portraits from early 1500s to his own time, and an outstanding collection of books. At The Harley Gallery, Welbeck, Nottinghamshire until May 2014. www.harleygallery.co.uk

Rex Whistler: A Talent Cut Short – the paintings and archive of a most versatile artist, embracing his whole career and artistic development with a special emphasis on his Wiltshire connections. At Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum, The Kings House, 65 The Close, Salisbury until 29 Sep. www.salisburymuseum.org.uk

The Wilder Shores of Love – bringing together 4 artists united by the Romantic tradition of painting – Gareth Edwards RWA; Kurt Jackson RWA; Janette Kerr PRWA; Michael Porter RWA, at Hilton Fine Art, 5 Margarets Buildings, Bath until 15 June. www.hiltonfineart.com

A Sea View: Painting the North Cornwall Coast – over 50 paintings by Sarah Adams at The Maas Gallery, 15A Clifford Street, London W1 and The Gallery at Cork Street, London W1 until 1 June. www.maasgallery.co.uk

CLOSING SOON
Edith Tudor-Hart: in the shadow of tyranny – first complete presentation of images by the important female photographer who documented some of the most significant political events of the 20th century. At Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 1 Queen Street, Edinburgh until 26 May. www.nationalgalleries.org

Gold: Status and Glory – masterpieces from the Middle Ages and Today; a collaboration between Adrian Sassoon and Moretti Fine Art, at Moretti Fine Art, 2a-6 Ryder Street, St James, London SW1 until 31 May. www.morettigallery.com

André Kertész: Truth and Distortion
. A display of 400 prints of the Hungarian photographer Kertész. This single-owned collection will feature his famous still lifes on one floor, whilst another will display his Distortions series – a collection of nudes distorted using curved mirrors. At Atlas Gallery, 49 Dorset Street, London, W1 until 25th May.www.info@atlasgallery.com

Rachel Whiteread, Detached. Turner Prize winning sculptor Rachel Whiteread produces work created from steel, concrete, windows, doors and other materials. Following on from her famous “House” casting of 20 years ago, this exhibition follows depicts the interior and exteriors spaces of a garden shed. At Gagosian Galler, 6-24 Brittania Street, London, WC1. Until 25th May 2013
Contact: 020 7221 5000, jess@boltonquinn.com

Understories/Overstories – new paintings and drawings by Celia de Serra and Tim Craven at the Art Stable, Child Okeford, Nr Blandford, Dorset from 2 Mar to 28 May. www.theartstable.co.uk

From the Shadows; the prints of Sydney Lee RA – long overdue reappraisal of the work of one of Britain’s most underrated painter-printmakers. At The Royal Academy of Arts, Tennant Gallery and Council Room, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1 until 26 May. www.royalacademy.org.uk

Lichtenstein: A Retrospective. Celebrating the work of the famous American Pop Artist, this exhibition incorporates 125 of his most definitive paintings and sculptures. At Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 21st February- 27th May 2013. www.tate.org.uk

Becoming Picasso: Paris 1901 – the remarkable story of Picasso’s breakthrough year as an artist, when the ambitious 19 year old launched his career in Paris. At The Courtauld Gallery, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2 until 26 May. www.courtauld.ac.uk (see preview in Country Life Feb 20)

Ice Age Art: Arrival of the Modern Mind. This groundbreaking show presents masterpieces from the last Ice Age, created between 40000 and 10000 years ago by artists with modern minds like our own. They are shown alongside modern works by Henry Moore, Mondrian and Matisse, illustrating the fundamental human desire to make art as a way of understanding ourselves and our place in the world. At the British Museum, London WC1B from 7 Feb – 26 May. www.britishmuseum.org

Man Ray Portraits.
Man Ray had a central role within the Dada and Surrealist movements. This exhibition, displaying over 150 of his prints taken on two continents, portrays his revolutionary photographic techniques. At the National Portrait Gallery, London WC2H from 7 Feb – 27 May 2013. www.npg.org.uk

Making Waves: Mixed-media paintings by John Thornton. The exhibition will show his mixed media works that incorporate inks, acrylics and watercolours to achieve the fluidity that he seeks, along with found materials, such as sand, shells & rope. His powerful & dramatic seascapes enable you to hear the roar of the sea and to feel that you are standing on the edge of the cliff or beach, whereas his woodland scenes have a contrasting calm and peaceful atmosphere, & also often incorporate water. 6th April until 30th May. Kentmere House Gallery, 53 Scarcroft Hill, York. www.kentmerehouse.co.uk

A Kaleidoscope of Line & Colour – works by Keith Vaughan, Geoffrey Clarke RA, Norman Adams, Anna Adams, Edward Cowie, Freda Marston, Peter Brook, Peter Fox, Daivd Knight, Charles Bray, Terry Frost, Edward Bawden, Wyndham Lewis and others, at Gavagan Art, Linton Court Gallery, Duke Street, Settle, North Yorks until 31 May. www.gavaganart.com

Transplant – photographs of London blossom trees by Patrick and Tristram Fetherstonhaugh, at Margaret Streeet Gallery, 63 Margaret Street, London W1 until 25 May. www.margaretstgallery.com

The Art of Humour – works by Eduard Bersudsky, Michael Forbes, Helen Denerley, Colin Brown, Paul Barnes, Alan Macdonald, Steve Dilworth, Henry Fraser, Illona Morrice, David Kemp, Robert Powell, Ronald Rae, Ingebjorg Smith and George Wylie at Kilmorack Gallery, by Beauly, Inverness-shire until 1 June. www.kilmorackgallery.co.uk

made, unmade – British artist Julie Brook’s first solo exhibition with works inspired by her time living and working in a succession of wild and remote landscapes. The exhibition will feature a series of drawings alongside a specially commissioned rug produced by Dovecot weaver Jonathan Cleaver, inspired by Brook’s work. Dovecot will also host a series of ‘In conversation’ events between Julie Brook and a diverse collection of award winning artists. At Dovecot Studios, 10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh from 27th April until 1st June; dovecotstudios.com

Picture Language: Paintings and original prints – an exhibition of paintings and etchings by the British Surrealist artist Julian Trevelyan. The show will launch the first monograph on the artist written by Julian Trevelyan’s son, Philip Trevelyan. This show will offer for sale important works from the artist’s early surrealist period and later works of the Thames. From 23rd until 1st June at Bohun Gallery, 15 Reading Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
www.bohungallery.co.uk

Jonathan Delafield Cook – Specimens of Wonder – charcoal drawings – at Purdy Hicks Gallery, 65 Hopton Street, London SE1 until 1 June. www.purdyhicks.com

Geoff Uglow – Quercus Robur – new works at Connaught Brown, 2 Albemarle Street, London W1 until 1 June. www.connaughtbrown.co.uk

Eleventh annual art and sculpture show of Art@Delamore in the gardens of the Delamore Estate, Dartmoor, Devon until end of May. www.delamore-arts.co.uk

George Devline – paintings from all over France, the inner Hebrides, Fife, the high-tops in winter and Venice, plus a few still lifes. At the Scottish Gallery, 16 Dundas Street, Edinburgh until 1 Jun. www.scottish-gallery.co.uk/georgedevlin

Hughie O’Donoghue: A Need for Gardens – new paintings relating to and celebrating the installation of two new stained glass windows by the artist at Westminster Abbey commissioned for the 60th anniversary of the Coronation of The Queen. At Marlborough Fine Art, 6 Albemarle Street, London W1 until 1 June. www.marlboroughfineart.com

Blandine Anderson: Oil Paintings & Sculptural Ceramics – works combining an affinity with wildlife and an understanding of folk lore and traditional culture, at Castle Gallery, 43 Castle Street, Inverness from 11 May to 1 June. www.castlegallery.co.uk

John Creed: Exposures -the silversmith’s third solo exhibition, at the Scottish Gallery, 16 Dundas Street, Edinburgh until 1 Jun. www.scottish-gallery.co.uk/johncreed

Helen Simmonds – Out of the Shadows – 13 still life paintings evoking the beauty of everyday objects found in the artist’s home – at Jonathan Cooper, Park Walk Gallery, 20 Park Walk, London SW10 until 1 June. www.jonathancooper.co.uk

Mary Fedden (1915-2012) – 22 oil paintings, and 13 watercolours painted between 1965 and 2006 assembled by the gallery over several years – Richard Green, 33 New Bond Street, London W1 until 1 June. www.richard-green.com

The Heat of the Plains – paintings of African animals by Karen Laurence-Rowe at Alexander Meddowes, 39 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh from 20-31 May. www.alexandermeddowes.com

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