Uncovering art – Ilkley’s Manor House exhibition shows hitherto unseen work from famous local artist
The Manor House in Ilkley has long been known to support the thriving local art scene of the Wharfe Valley. In November and December it is to host an extraordinary retrospective exhibition from the estate of Jack Hellewell, who had a studio in Ilkley until his death in 2000.
The collection to be shown spans the lifetime of the artist covering major periods in his style and development. The works are colourful, contemporary, eminently hangable and superb investment pieces. Many are of the local area, which will interest fans of Yorkshire but there are also still life pieces, animal portraits and paintings from Hellewell’s travels all over the world.
A well known artist, yet an utter recluse, Hellewell was born in Bradford in1920. WWII took him to an astonishing array of surprising countries and he reaped rich and colourful inspiration from the the years he was in the Royal Air Force.
After the war he married and moved to Australia, returning a few years later because his family missed the Yorkshire weather! Hellewell worked as a graphic designer until the tragic, premature death of his wife, at which point he resigned from his job and dedicated himself to his own personal art.
In his thirty years of full time creativity, Hellewell produced an almost unprecedented range of styles. He carried on painting right up until the end of his life and his work shows the maturity that only so many years of professional application can produce. Right to the end, Hellewell retained a playful, often humorous style. There is a charming mix of sophistication and naivety about his work which draws the eye and makes a lasting impression. Right the way through his career, from his wartime sketch books to his masterful later work, his ability and originality shines bright.
Hellewell’s family still live in Yorkshire; there will be three generations at the opening night of the Manor House’s exhibition.
Granddaughter, Sarah Fraser said, “My mother, myself and my son will be at the opening. For me it is nothing new; my Grandad was so intensely shy that he often bailed on galleries for opening nights and sent me or my mother instead.” Fraser recounts a time when she attended a gallery opening when she was a child and sneaked around putting red dots on her favourite paintings so they wouldn’t get sold. “Sadly it didn’t work. My absolute favourite ‘A Load of Bull’, which was a painting of a herd of bulls careering across the canvas, went immediately. I still miss that painting!”
The bulk of Hellewell’s work has been in storage for the last twenty years, “It has taken us a couple of decades to get over the loss of him and to be able to show the world his talent again. Each and every painting is personal to us. We know the story behind every brushstroke, so selling them is a heartfelt wrench,” said Hellewell’s daughter, Rae Fraser. The exhibition opens to the public on November 11th at The Manor House in Ilkley and runs, every weekend, until the 12th December. If you would like tickets to the opening night (Friday 12th November) please apply via the website www.jackhellewellart.com or email jackhellewellart@gmail.com If you cannot visit the event, all works offered for sale from the exhibition are listed on the website. Sales open online a month before the Opening Night and private viewings can be arranged.
The Manor House Gallery opening times:
Saturday & Sunday 11.00-16.00
www.ilkleymanorhouse.org
Art works are an excellent investment in the current financial climate; with the added bonus that they are enjoyed every day. Pieces in this exhibition are between £500 and £5000.