On Friday 19th January, Pembroke College JCR Art Gallery opened its doors for a private view of the Hilary Term exhibition ‘Mary Fedden: A voice of her own’, which will run from 17th January to 9th March on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Mary Fedden was an artist best known for her bold, vivid paintings and imaginative still life compositions. Several works by Fedden are displayed alongside accompanying works by her husband Julian Trevelyan.
The occasion was celebrated with a presentation by Clara Chivers, Curator of Art, on the history and inspiration behind of the several pieces. Clara highlighted the two paintings at the start of the exhibition, Fedden’s Girls in Provence (1961) and Trevelyan’s Spanish Landscape (1956), which were inspired by the couple’s travels together in Europe.
Clara described Fedden’s early life and experience of World War II before meeting her husband Julian Trevelyan (1910 - 1968), who she married in 1951. She also discussed Fedden and Trevelyan’s relationship, noting Fedden’s view of Trevelyan as her best critic, having remarked after his death ‘I miss his bright discerning eye everyday’. The exhibition spans four decades of work from the artists, showcasing the transformation of style and a heightened experimentation with artistic media.
The exhibition was the product of a collaboration between multiple Oxbridge colleges and a private lender, in addition to the Pembroke JCR Art Fund Collection; with generous loans from both Nuffield and New College, Oxford as well as the New Hall Art Collection in Murray Edwards College, Cambridge.
A number of special lunchtime events will run during the exhibition. Each event starts at 1pm and lasts about 15 minutes, we’d love to see you there!
21 Feb – Lunchtime Talk by Robert Holiday A talk based on themes and works in the exhibition
23 Feb – Lunchtime Talk by Dominika Tylcz
A talk based on themes and works in the exhibition
28 Feb – A Musical Response by Jack Smales
An improvised performance by a 4th year guitarist inspired by works in the exhibition
7 March – A Literary Response by Lucy Walters
A poetic, creative response inspired by works in the exhibition