The best exhibitions to see this April

Uncommon Ground: Land Art in Britain 1966-1979 – a touring exhibition featuring the work of 24 artists and artist groups, including the Boyle Family, Joshua Cooper, Tony Cragg, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Barry Flanagan, Hamish Fulton, Andy Goldsworthy, Antony Gormley, Susan Hiller, John Hilliard, Derek Jarman, Richard Long, David Nash and Bruce McLean. The most comprehensive exhibition of British Land Art to date, at Longside Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park Apr 5-15 Jun

Ursula Von Rydingsvard – the first large-scale European survey of the highly acclaimed American artist’s work, including both drawing and sculpture across the Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Underground Gallery and in open air. At the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, Wakefield until 4 January. http://www.ysp.co.uk/exhibitions/ursula-von-rydingsvard-2014

Paradise Regained: Stanley Spencer in the Aftermath of the First World War -exhibits Spencer’s renewal of connection with his birthplace of Cookham in light of the devastation of WWI, particularly the artist’s experiences on the front line in Macedonia. At the Stanley Spencer Gallery, Cookham until 2 November. www.stanleyspencer.org.uk

Edge Lines
– introduces a new collection of Vanessa Gardiner’s paintings and drawings, concentrated on the natural geometry found in the coastal regions of Cornwall and Greece. At the Quercus Gallery, 1 Queen Street, Bath until 3 May. www.quercusgallery.co.uk

Elizabeth Blackadder RA – a review of the work of the Scottish artists at the University Gallery, Sandyford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne until 23 May. www.universitygallery.co.uk

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Looking Out, Looking In – a collection of Lucy Jones’ provocatively disquieting self-portraits and unpeopled landscapes of flaring colours and raw beauty. At the University Gallery, Sandyford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne until 23 May. www.universitygallery.co.uk

The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014 – the first major show to examine Italy’s rich and influential contribution to fashion from the end of WWII to the present. At the V&A Museum, Cromwell Road, London until 27 July. www.vam.ac.uk/italianfashion

From Downs to Sea: A Slice of Life – Art works from the Arts Council Collection selected by residents of Portsdale and West Hove. Including works by LS Lowry, Jeffrey Camp, Peter Doig, Edward Burra, Carel Weight and David Redfern. At the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery until 15 June. www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk

Recording Britain – highlights from a remarkable collection of work initiated by Sir Kenneth Clark at the start of WWII to record the changing face of Britain 1939-1943. At the Millennium Gallery, Sheffied until 2 November. www.museums-sheffield.org.uk

Pots and Tiles of the Middle Ages – an exhibition of medieval ceramics at Sam Fogg, Clifford Street, London, W1S 4JZ until 16 May. www.samfogg.com

Michael Upton – exhibition of the conceptual British artist’s work at Messum’s, Cork Street, London, W1S 3LJ until 19 April.

The Artists Rifles: From Pre-Raphaelites to Passchendaele – a collection of works of art produced by members of one of the more unusual regiments of the British Army at the Southampton City Art Gallery until 28 June. http://www.southampton.gov.uk/s-leisure/artsheritage/sotonartgallery/

Nina Murdoch: Enlightenment – exhibiting the artist’s new work at Marlborough Fine Art, Albermarle Street, London, W1S 4BY until 27 April. http://www.marlboroughfineart.com/

Paul Martin: When Men and Mountains Meet – an examination by the Edinburgh based painter of the issues facing our communities, our planet and ultimately ourselves. At the Dovecot Studios, Infirmary St, Edinburgh until 19 April. www.warburtongallery.com

Capa: Europe 1943-1945 – a collection of vintage prints by Robert Capa, the Twentieth Century’s most celebrated war photographer. At the Daniel Blau gallery, 51 Hoxton Square, London N1 6PB until 10 May

Dance Elsewhere, Not on My Eyepatch – a solo exhibition of Violet Fingers’ installations concerning class, sex, identity, gender and politics at C&C Gallery, London Road, London SE23 3HF until 20 April. www.ccgallery.co.uk

Andrew Giddens: Changing Glory – the Cornish artist’s first solo exhibition, at McAllister Thomas Fine Art, High Street, Godalming, Surrey until 22 April. www.mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk

Things We Do In Bed: an exhibition of quilt works celebrating the historic art of quilting in relation to what goes on behind the bedroom door, curated by novelist Tracy Chevalier. At Dyheath, Kent until 31 October. www.dansonhouse.org.uk

An Artist in the Garden – The Royal Institute of painters in Water Colours celebrate the garden in all its glory. At the Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1 until 19 April. www.mallgalleries.org.uk

London’s Growing…Up!
– An exploration into the rise of London’s skyline through images, video, models, CGI and visitor interaction at NLA, The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, London WC1E 7BT until 12 June. http://www.newlondonarchitecture.org/

Daydreams and Diaries, the Story of Jacqueline Wilson – an exhibition exploring the life and work of one of Britain’s best loved children’s authors. At the V&A Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 9PA until 2 November. http://www.museumofchildhood.org.uk/

Harry Becker: Original Drawings Exhibition
– an exhibition of pencil and charcoal drawings by the artist at The Little Gallery in the Market Place, Halesworth, Suffolk until 3 May. www.thelittlegalleryhalesworth.com

CLOSING SOON

Lydia Corbett; World in a Flower – watercolours by the half French artist who was the model for some 50 of Picasso’s paintings and drawings (the Sylvette Cycle – her name at the time was Sylvette David) and folded metal sculptures (Heads of Sylvette). She has lived in England since 1968. At Francis Kyle Gallery, 9 Maddox Street, London W1 until 3 April. www.franciskylegallery.com

From Lowry to Piper; Celebrating Modern British Artists – a showcase of work from eight artists painting between the world wars, featuring: Lowry, Prunella Clough, John Armstrong, Duncan Grant, Ivon Hitchens, Keith Vaughn William Scott and John Piper. From the 9th November the exhibition features a new arrival, Lowry’s The Park. At Upton’s Squash Court Gallery, Upton House, Warwickshire OX15 6HT, from 9th Nov to 9th April

Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined
Instead of representations of buildings in the form of models, plans or photographs, the RA is re-defining the traditional architectural exhibition to immerse visitors in a multi-sensory experience. Collaborating across the globe on this project are: Grafton Architects (Ireland); Diébédo Francis Kéré (Germany/Burkina Faso); Kengo Kuma (Japan); Li Xiaodong (China); Pezo von Ellrichshausen (Chile); Eduardo Souto de Moura and Ålvaro Siza (Portugal) Main Galleries, Royal Academy of Arts
25 January to 6 April; www.royalacademy.org.uk

Augustus John and Gwen John– Collections from the artists. At Browse and Darby, London W1S until 10 April. www.browseanddarby.co.uk

James Turrell: Recent Works, at Pace London, W1S until 5 April. www.pacegallery.com

Dale Chihuly: Beyond the Object– An exhibition focusing on the transformation of space with hand-blown glass sculptures. At Halcyon Gallery, London W1S until 5 April. www.halcyongallery.com

A Not So Still Life: Naked Portraits by Lucien Freud– Luxembourg and Dayan present two significant late paintings by Freud that focus on humans as animals and showcase his ruthless process of observation. At Luxembourg and Dayan London until 5 April. www.luxembourgdayan.com

Land, Sea, Sky – paintings by Russell Frampton, Fergus Hare, Simon Ledson and Boo Mallinson at Highgate Contemporary Art, 26 Highgate High Street, London N6 until 5 April. www.highgateart.com

Madeline Mackay: Out of the Land – prints and drawings that reflect her upbringing in the flow country, exploring the nature of the land through the creatures that inhabit it, with a group of prints and drawings relating to birds. The present exhibition draws heavily on her residency on the remote Aland islands 80 miles off Finland in the Baltic Sea. At the Moncrieff-Bray Gallery, Woodruffs Farm, Woodruffs Lane, Egdean, Pulborough, West Sussex from Mar 23 to Apr 5. www.moncrieff-bray.com

Nicola Toms: Charcoal, Clay and Bronze
– drawings and sculpture bringing together life-size charcoal drawings of thoroughbred horses, cattle and whippets and vigorously observed animal bronzes, prints and relief work. At the Moncrieff-Bray Gallery, Woodruffs Farm, Woodruffs Lane, Egdean, Pulborough, West Sussex from Mar 23 to Apr 5. www.moncrieff-bray.com

New Work by Elsa Taylor.  Landscapes and still lifes in which Elsa’s love of paint and harmony shines through and captures the senses. Her flower pieces are more celebrations of colour and design than depictions of flowers. At Brian Sinfield Gallery, 127 The Hill, Burford, Oxon until 5th April. www.briansinfield.com.

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