There is ‘art’ everywhere you look in the newly refurbished Harris, from historical paintings, selected items from their collections and temporary exhibitions. There are over 800 oil paintings and over 6,000 watercolours, drawings and prints at the Harris. 

  If, on entering the rotunda, you look up, you will see a full-length 20-meter textile sculpture crafted from rayon and paper. Hannah Robson’s ‘Transformation’ sought to explore the industrial history of the local Courtaulds factory through handweaving and rayon.

   There are lots of paintings of the good and possibly not-so-good people of Preston. I highlighted benefactor Harris and architect Hibbert in my last post.

  A sombre family portrait from the 17th century.

 

  Here are two Lord Mayors from the last century.  

  Paintings give us a glimpse into the past.

  Soon, industry dominated the town—a 20th-century painting by Charles Cundall.

 

  Two portraits are synonymous with the  Harris Gallery.

    Pauline in the Yellow Dress was painted in 1944 by her husband, H J Gunn.

    Dorette was painted in 1933 by G. L. Brockhurst.  

 

  Alongside is the bold contemporary A Portrait by Anthony Pilbro from 2000.

  In the same space as these portraits is a digital picture frame operated by a camera. You sit in front of it, compose the frame with you in it, choose a background and style, press the button and hey presto – your image is part of the Harris collection. I couldn’t resist a Napoleonic pose.  

  There are more paintings from the Harris Collection scattered about this floor. I like ‘Untitled and Adam and Eve‘ by Hugh Byars, 1991.

   And the 1942 ‘In for Repairs‘, an oil by Laura Knight, while she was an official war artist.

I am always pleased to come across a Stanley Spencer. Wisteria.

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A room is  given over to –

  Mr Williams researches old photographs of Preton and transforms them digitally with colour, producing some beautiful images.

   He has also taken the time to create short animated videos from some of the scenes. 

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All that art, and I have only just reached the top floor with the promise of more.

 

   As I mentioned, the Harris has a huge collection of paintings. Let’s hope the curators are able to rotate them into the galleries. The first room features paintings selected by different communities, including HMP.  ‘The peoples choise’.

  Blue Flamingo Cafe, a community dementia outreach organisation, chose ‘In the Beys Garden‘ painted by J F Lewis in 1865. He is described as an Orientalist painter but I think this painting has hints of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.

 

   Every gallery in Lancashire should have a Lowry. Appropriately for Preston – ‘Millworkers’.

    This ainting looked interesting.

  And for a touch of Edwardian prudery. 

   There have not been many statues on show, but up here, there is a delightful bronze, Pablo Picasso, Aged 7, by Anthony Padgett, who works in the city.

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  I’m attracted by the sound of birdsong to a separate area where a two-screen video is playing.  

   This turns out to be a fascinating look at the ecology of the Chipping area and the Bowland Fells.  

   Unfortunately, a rowdy group of school children arrived as I was preparing to watch and listen. I gave it up as a bad job and will return as soon as possible to absorb the experience and learn more about the Weld family from Leagram Hall, where I often walk.

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  All that remains is to visit the galleries hosting The Harris Open, an annual event that highlights local artistic talent. Anyone living or studying in Preston is free to enter.

   Here is a selection of the entrants.

 

   Probably my favourite –

Out of the 400 entrants, I forgot to look who had won.

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Despite the length of this post, I have only sampled from the vast array on display. More visits are necessary.