Face to Face - The Ruth Borchard Collection

A fascinating collection of self portraiture which evokes the period in British art shortly after the Festival of Britain. Varying artistic influences are evident: art school academicism, Camden Town, Expressionism, the Euston Road School and Kitchen Sink. Ruth Borchard started collecting these works in the late 1950s by talent spotting at student shows, buying works from eg Mario Dubsky, Peter Philips and Patrick Procktor, along with Antony Eyton, Antony Green, Ken Howard, David Tindle, Euan Uglow and others relatively early in their careers. She set herself a ceiling of 21 guineas for each work, irrespective of the artist's fame, and usually succeeded. Michael Ayrton wrote: ‘I will accept the 21 gns and I much admire anyone who can obtain so many works for no more than that figure."

A Northumbria University Exhibition, in association with Kings Place Gallery