An Exhibition by members of
Chelsea Art Society
at
340 King’s Road
London SW3 5UR
Tuesday October 8th- Sunday October 13th 2019
10am- 6pm daily, Sunday 10am -1pm
Sponsored by Sloane Stanley
All paintings are for sale upon receipt of the catalogue available through Kate Saville at Sloane Stanley or
chelseaartsociety@gmail.com
‘Ebb and Flow’ is the theme for this, our second exhibition, at 340 King’s Road, but not only the ebb and flow of water, which in Chelsea is most obvious in the tidal variations of the river Thames: many artists taking part have also found their cue in the comings and going of people in Sloane Square, in the movement of traffic, of light, or of the seasons. The watery theme has taken some artists towards rainy pavements or fountains; others, sculptors especially, have found all manner of aquatic inspiration, from boating to water nymphs. In short, this may be a Chelsea perspective but it seems to have become as refracted and complex as the ripples themselves on the waters below Chelsea Embankment.
This is the second year that Sloane Stanley has so generously sponsored both the exhibition and the William Sloane Medal, and we look forward to announcing the winner on the opening night. We are very grateful to Sloane Stanley for this generosity, and for their vision in supporting a significant and historical local art group. We are also grateful to gallery owner Piers Feetham for generously agreeing to be the judge for this year’s Medal.
There is a rich artistic heritage in Chelsea, and Chelsea Art Society itself has its roots in the bohemian era of Chelsea’s past, when many artists still lived and worked in and around Tite Street. Although rising property prices have forced most artists out of Chelsea, many of the 100 or so members of Chelsea Art Society have lived, worked or trained in Chelsea at some point, and all are in some way connected and inspired by this wonderful area.
We hope you will enjoy this diverse mix of work by some of the best artists living and working in or around Chelsea today.
Luke Martineau
President of the Chelsea Art Society
The William Sloane medal is sponsored by Sloane Stanley in memory of its founder, William Sloane.
William Sloane
William Sloane (1658-1728) was the elder brother of Sir Hans Sloane and the two Sloanes and their descendants have been part of the history of Chelsea for over 300 years.
In 1717 William Sloane bought land next to his brother, Sir Hans who a few years earlier had bought the Manor of Chelsea, and William eventually ended up with 65 acres with the heart bounded by what is today Old Church Street to Limerston Street, Fulham Road to the King’s Road.
These 68 acres became known as the Sloane Stanley Estate and traces of the family ownership can still be seen in many of the street names in the area.
The Estate has been passed down generations of the same family and today remains a substantial landowner within old Chelsea.
Sloane Stanley has long associations with the arts and is pleased to be part of the Chelsea Arts Society exhibition and to provide a medal to a chosen artist.
The Medal
The medal commemorates one of the best known adventures in Chelsea; an attempt to break the French monopoly over silk by James I.
In 1718 John Appletree was granted a 60 year lease by William Sloane over an area known as Chelsea Park to allow the establishment of a plantation of 2,000 Mulberry trees, the sole food of the silk worm. The venture was listed in 1720 as the Raw Silk Undertaking on the then rudimentary stock exchange with an authorised capital of £1 million. Whilst initially apparently successful by 1724 it had floundered and in May of that year John Appletree was declared bankrupt. Nevertheless a few Mulberry trees can still be found in Chelsea and Mulberry Walk in the heart of Chelsea remains a proud testament to the failed venture. The medal, designed by Kate Harrison, shows the leaves and fruit of the Mulberry tree or Morus Nigra. The Chelsea variety comes from a tree reputedly planted by James I in the Chelsea Physic Garden.
Kate Harrison
Kate, a Freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company and a member of the British Art Medal Society, hasexhibited her work widely in the UK and internationally. She has received many awards for her design and creative work and has been commissioned to design medals for the Royal Academy of Arts, Royal Watercolour Society and Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. In 2017, she received the ‘Marsh Award for the Encouragement of
Medallic Art’, at Cutlers’ Hall, in recognition of her work.
If you would like to receive the Exhibition Catalogue please email Kate Saville.
If you are interested in becoming a Friend of Chelsea Art Society please visit www.chelseaartsociety.org.uk/become-a-friend
We hold an annual party for Friends at the London Sketch Club and you will receive preferential invitations to private views and events. Friendship costs just £20 per annum.
To enquire about the works in this exhibition, please email chelseaartsociety@gmail.com