“Gauguin’s Discovery of the “Primitive” 

Gauguin the painter was in flight from urban society.  From the mid 1880’s he sought somewhere “unspoilt” by modern civilization, and this search would take him to Brittany.  Martinique and the South Pacific.  This lecture concentrates on the work Gauguin produced in Brittany in the late 1880s and early 1890s, most notably The Vision after the Sermon.  Making comparisons with other artists working in Brittany during this period, we will consider how Gauguin turned his escape from the city into an aggressive rejection of modernity, setting up the “primitive” as alternative ideal in art, and adopting a new, bold pictorial language to express his vision of a simple and unspoilt way of life. 

KATHY MCLAUCHLAN

A lecturer specialising in 19th-century art history, she is currently a course director at the Victoria & Albert Museum, organising courses and study days on the history of art and design.  She teaches at several institutions, including Art Pursuits.  She is a graduate of Oxford University and the Courtauld Institute, with a PhD on French 19th-century painters in Rome.  Kathy is available for both individual lectures and study days.  The subjects she can cover include: 'Sketch and Finish in 19th-century French Painting', 'Montmartre fin de siècle', 'Mucha and the Slav Epic' and 'America and the Sublime Landscape'.

Margaret Watson

A highly experienced harpist, Margaret has performed for Royalty, the BBC and at many prestigious venues.

She gives bedside concerts for patients in hospitals, specialist care centres and in nursing homes and is an accredited lecturer on the history and lore of the harp for the Arts Society.

With her very varied repertoire and often resplendent costumes, Margaret has delighted numerous audiences throughout the UK.

Toby Faber

Toby Faber has been a banker, management consultant and publisher. He remains on the board of the company founded by his grandfather 'Faber and Faber', is Chairman of its sister company 'Faber Music', and a lecturer for the Arts Society.

His books include three works of narrative non-fiction - Stradivarius, which was, very briefly, a New York Times bestseller, Fabergé’s Eggs and Faber & Faber: The Untold Story', and one novel 'Close to the Edge'. Of these only the obvious one was published by the family firm.

ART DECO: Celebrating the Centenary of the 1925 PARIS EXPO

In 1925, 16 million visitors witnessed Paris's EXPO – The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. What would we have seen in this landmark exhibition, if we had been one of those visitors? What drew the crowds? And how did this seminal exhibition play a fundamental role in giving rise to a new international and truly GLOBAL  style that we have come to know as ART DECO?

We will also spend some time focusing on the stately Grand Salon of the Hotel du Collectionneur that was a principal feature at this 1925 exhibition and showcased stunning examples of objets d’art, furniture, crystal and fine art.   

Come and join the Art Deco celebrations and learn about the 1925 PARIS EXPO.    

Pamela Campbell-Johnson

MA Hons Art History, St Andrew’s University.

Over 30 years of lecturing experience to undergraduates, adult groups, and to Friends and Patrons of the Royal Academy of Arts as part of the RA’s Adult Education Department. Also conducted numerous guided tours, residential trips and focused gallery talks on individual works of art.  

Specialises in British Domestic Architecture and Modern British Art – with a particular love for the 1920s and 1930s. A permanent career at Royal Academy of Arts for 12 years.  

Work experience also undertaken at Bonhams, Art Loss Register and National Trust.

Now a freelance art consultant and lecturer.  Recently curated a collection for the Lansdowne Club.  

Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Art Scholars.

Dr Lydia Goodson

Lydia is an art historian specialising in the art and material culture of the Italian Renaissance. Her research interests extend beyond painting to include the production and trade of the decorative arts such as textiles, tableware and home furnishings as well as the lived experience in the Italian Renaissance town. Lydia is passionate about the benefits of life-long learning and hugely enjoys writing and delivering art history lectures and courses for audiences of all ages.

Lydia holds an MA in Art History from the University of Sussex and a BA in Renaissance History from the University of Warwick and has completed her PhD at The Warburg Institute in London.

Colin Shindler

Colin Shindler is an author, screenwriter, television producer and university lecturer. He has been writing on American and British social and cultural history for over 30 years. He has published books on Hollywood history, football and cricket and written five novels.  His childhood memoir 'Manchester United Ruined My Life' was one of three of his books to be featured on the Sunday Times bestseller list. He hosts a weekly podcast on old football called 'Football Ruined My Life'.