Phil&Jill

Whilst Phil had a re-energising cup of tea in the bistro at the centre, I wandered over to the gallery to see the travelling exhibition of Norman Rockman purported to be the greatist American artist of this century. It is the first time this exhibition has been shown out of the United States.

The exhibition was called 'The Four Quarters of Liberty' and Rockwell based his series of 4 posters from President's Franklin's address to the American people at the start of the war and urging the people to buy war bonds to fund the war effort. They were a great success and the impetus for much fund raising. Rockwell became a star in the American art world.

Rockwell's paintings taken from real life situations were painted to be photographed and turned into posters or front cover for the Saturday Post. Rockwell worked for the Post for 47 years.

His 4 posters - Freedom of Speech ( showing a man at a meeting that Rockman attended himself, expressing a minority view but not in danger.)

Freedom of Worship

Freedom of Want (a typical American Thanksgiving meal)

Freedom from Fear (parents putting their child to bed safely)

Rockwell also invented a Private Giles and painted him in military clothes to express the war effort.

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Rockwell was first and foremost a painter but there was more money in advertising and he painted this young man drinking Coke which was turned into an advertisement.

Finally after 47 years at the Saturday Post, Rockwell left that paper to go to The Look. Here he was more free to paint more controversial subjects such as this painting of a coloured girl being escorted into a white school.

All in all a fascinating exhibition. The detail and texture of the paintings would have you believe they were actually photographs. Well worth the visit and we missed a huge thunderstorm. It had cleared by the time we caught the bus back to the Theatre stop in the city and walked back. It was about 7.30pm before we got there so I was pretty pleased we could warm up some chicken marylands in the microwave in the appartment for dinner and take a break.