The Kennels, Goodwood
14 May - 21 June 2020
The Zimmer Stewart Gallery are delighted to present an exhibition of paintings by Holly Frean at The Kennels, Goodwood. Holly Frean is known for her quirky, humorous take on the subjects she paints whether it is well known figures from art history, zoological animals or, as in this exhibition, more specifically dogs.
This exhibition will coincide with ‘Goodwoof’, an exciting new event in the Goodwood calendar which takes place at The Kennels on 24 and 25 May (Bank Holiday weekend). Far from a typical dog show, ‘Goodwoof’ will be a grand celebration of all things dog; a unique collection of experiences designed with what dogs love in mind. The Goodwood Estate and the March family have long held dogs in highest esteem, both working and domestic. The original Kennels was purpose-built to house hounds and huntsmen and is now the central clubhouse for the estate’s sporting and social memberships.
Holly Frean has collaborated with brands as diverse as Paul Smith, Burberry and Anthropologie. ‘DOG’ comprises a collection of eighteen paintings, each one a group of dog portraits, with a focus on the breeds associated with the Goodwood estate and the ancestral portraits within. The highlight of the exhibition will be two large oil-on-canvas diptychs measuring 10ft x 6ft (304 x 183 cm). The first is ‘Assembly’ showing a mixture of breeds and the second is ‘Dotty’, a large group of dalmatians. These will be joined by four framed groups, each encompassing 49 individually painted canvases: ‘Labrador’, ‘Poodle’, ‘Hound’ and ‘Lurcher’.
Two further paintings will include: ‘Glorious’, celebrating the 2nd Duke’s famous pack of twenty three hunting dogs from 1738, a grid of 24 portraits on individual A6-sized sheets of handmade cotton rag paper (with the 24th sheet being the fox!); and ‘Pack’ which will show 54 painted spaniels on individual A8-sized sheets of handmade cotton rag paper. ‘Pack’ celebrates the highlighted breed of the year for the inaugural ‘Goodwoof’ event, Spaniels being most closely associated with the March family at the Goodwood Estate.
In addition, there will be ten further smaller works looking at other breeds. A fully illustrated catalogue will accompany the exhibition. All the paintings will be for sale. The Kennels is a members-only club and people wishing to visit the exhibition, who are not members, should contact Zimmer Stewart Gallery, who will arrange entry.
Holly Frean commented; “This will be a collection of eighteen paintings riffing on a Dog theme, with a focus on the breeds associated with the Goodwood estate and the ancestral portraits within: Pekingese, Spaniels, Foxhounds.”
James Stewart commented; “It is a great privilege to be asked to put on an exhibition at The Kennels and I can think of no better artist to be working with than Holly Frean to represent this subject in a contemporary way at the Kennels with all it’s canine heritage.”
The Duke of Richmond and Gordon commented: “We are delighted to welcome Holly Frean to The Kennels over Goodwoof. Holly has an exceptional vision, with her work drawing on the wit and humour that depict our four-legged friends so beautifully, she is perfectly placed to create this brilliant show and help launch the inaugural Goodwoof event this year."
[ENDS]
Further background for editors:
Goodwoof and the Goodwood estate:
Goodwood has a long heritage of relationships with dogs including hunting, working as well as family pets. Dogs feature widely in Goodwood family portraits, as well as on their own as with ‘Tapster’ portrait, painted by John Wootton in 1733, hung in the reception area of the Kennels.
In 1697, the first Duke of Richmond established the Charlton Hunt, the world’s first fox hunt, based at the village of the same name and at the same time he purchased Goodwood House. The ‘Glorious 23’ hunting dogs of 1738 are remembered in the 2nd Duke’s journal, in which he described their 57-mile chase from 7.45am to 5.50pm on Friday, 26 January 1738 as “the greatest chase that ever was.”
Then Charles, the 3rd Duke found his own hunting passion and restarted the pack in 1757. Thirty years later in 1787 the Duke asked famous classical architect, James Wyatt, to build some kennels for his own pack of hounds, now known as The Kennels.
The 5th Duchess was given two the first five Pekingese in the UK following the taking of the Chinese Imperial Palace in 1860, during the 2nd Opium War.
Over Bank Holiday weekend – 24 and 25 May, various disciplines will take place in the grounds of The Kennels. Guests can watch world class displays or simply enjoy dog walks around the estate. Wellbeing areas will provide a host of treatments, nutrition and holistic and conventional therapies including talks and demonstrations from the best in the industry.
Please call 01243 216610 or visit Goodwood.com/goodwoof for tickets and further information.
Holly Frean
Holly Frean is an award-winning artist whose practice incorporates a range of mediums, from oil paintings on canvas to printmaking. Her imagination and versatility have recently led to coveted textile, ceramic and wallpaper collaborations with Burberry, Paul Smith and US clothing and retail brand Anthropologie.
Holly Frean began her formal training as an architect and draughtsman but painting portraits took over and she graduated in Fine Art/Painting at City & Guilds of London Art School in 2002. Her practice has since grown to include picture-making in all its forms, typically oil paintings on canvas and gouaches on paper, also printmaking and 3D work. Infused with wit and humour, Holly paints on unusual surfaces (cardboard squares, paper plates, wooden shapes). Her recent solo exhibition 'Who's Counting’ at Paul Smith’s flagship store in London’s Mayfair included paintings, mobiles and artists’ palettes cast in bronze.
Holly Frean first exhibited with Zimmer Stewart Gallery in 2006 and has since exhibited extensively in the UK, America and Europe.
In 2012 Frean was asked by Fabergé to decorate and donate a giant painted egg for The Big Egg Hunt, a charity auction which helped raise over £1m for Action For Children. Another of Holly’s eggs was later sold in support of the British Hen Welfare Trust.
An invitation in 2014 to collaborate on a range of ceramics for US cult brand, Anthropologie, led to a quirky and extremely popular series of eight chicken-themed plates - and a sell-out solo exhibition of paintings at their Kings Road store in Chelsea, London. A further tableware range was commissioned the following year on the theme of farm animals, and included tea towels and other products sold worldwide.
In 2016 Holly Frean was invited to collaborate with British interior design house, Andrew Martin, on a stunning collection of wallpapers and fabrics based on the imagery in her paintings. In the same year she launched a set of her own fine bone china side plates entitled 'Holly's Ark', in collaboration with Heraldic Pottery, Stoke on Trent.
In the same year, Frean was invited by The New Craftsmen to set up a temporary painting studio inside Burberry’s HQ during London Fashion Week as their ‘in-house’ portrait artist; Frean worked in a specially made gabardine tent for a week painting ‘ancestral portrait studies’ of Burberry’s visitors, who dressed in swathes of fabric and extravagant paper ruffs, posing on a high stool for the artist.
Having developed a unique and technically accomplished style over the past decade, Holly Frean has work in many private, public and corporate collections. She has been commissioned by the Duchess of Northumberland, designer Betty Jackson CBE, Paul Smith CBE, Kit Kemp MBE, Alan Duncan MP, comedians Russell Howard, Ricky Gervais and Lee Evans, actor Russell Tovey, clothing retailer Johnnie Boden and Lord Mervyn of Abersoch.
Holly Frean has been the recipient of numerous accolades including the 2012 National Open Art Competition Painting Prize awarded by Grayson Perry (2012). She has had work selected for ING Discerning Eye (2012, 2015 & 2016) and regularly shows at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.
Zimmer Stewart Gallery
Zimmer Stewart Gallery was established in Arundel in 2003 to exhibit contemporary art in a number of mediums, working directly with artist to put on six to eight solo and group exhibitions each year.
From the start Zimmer Stewart Gallery did not shy away from showing challenging work: As James Stewart, founder, says “If all visitors to the gallery liked everything we showed, then I would feel that we were doing something wrong,” he continued “We enjoy selecting work that has integrity and is thought provoking, artists want their work to be seen and we love showing it”.
Their solo exhibitions include both emerging and established artists many of whom have worked with the gallery for over ten years. These allow collectors (both corporate and individual) to see how the artist’s work has changed or developed over time and the artists to present a new cohesive body of work. The group exhibitions are great for showing visitors the wide range of work exhibited, but also give the gallery the chance to introduce new artists as well.
For over ten years Zimmer Stewart has chosen to also exhibit works outside the Arundel gallery at various locations to bring the artists they represent to a wider audience, including the London Original Print Fair, at the Royal Academy; Joze Show at Whitfield Park, Sussex 2013; The Arches, Hoxton, 2013; The Menier Chocolate Factory, 2015; Farnborough Business Park 2019.
Example Images:
‘Dog Assembly’, 100 x 120 cm, oil canvas ‘A Pack of Afghan Hounds’, framed gouaches on 54 (A8 or 5 x 8 cm) sheets of handmade cotton rag paper, overall size 85 x 95 cm.
For further information, images or interview requests on ‘Dog: Holly Frean at Goodwood’ please contact James Stewart, 07901 677933 or james@zimmerstewart.co.uk
For further information, images or interview requests related to ‘Goodwoof’ please contact Lucy Snell at Goodwood on lucy.snell@goodwood.com
