ithell colquhoun magician born of nature
All texts copyright Richard Shillitoe

the artist:

group exhibitions 1961 - present 1961 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. Summer Exhibition 1 of the Newlyn Society of Artists. Three works. 1962 Liège, Galerie D'Art Jean Dols. 31 March -12 April. Exposition Internationale 'Fantasmagie'. One work. 1962 Paris, Galerie Soulanges. 14 – 24 September. Exposition Internationale 'Fantasmagie'. One work. ca. 1963 London, RWS Galleries. Cornish Experiment. Ten works. 1963 London, FBA Galleries. 17 January - 1 February. WIAC Annual Exhibition. One work. 1963 Ostend, Kultureel Centrum. 2 -23 June. Kunstenaars uit Newlyn. Five works. 1964 London, FBA Galleries. 20 February – 6 March. WIAC Annual Exhibition. One work. 1964 Great Yarmouth, September. WIAC Exhibition. One work. 1965 London, FBA Galleries. 18 February – 5 March. WIAC Annual Exhibition. One work. 1966 London, Whitechapel Gallery. September – October. WIAC Exhibition. One work. 1967 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. Newlyn Society of Artists Spring Exhibition. One work. 1967 Paris, Galerie Creuze. 25 April – 23 May. WIAC Exhibition. Three works. 1967 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. Newlyn Society of Artists Summer Exhibition. Two works. 1967 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. Newlyn Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition. One work. 1967 Czechoslovakia, Galerie Zámek Hradec u Opavy. May-August. Poesie Fantasmagie. Five works. 1967 St Ives, Penwith Society of Arts. 18 October – 11 November. Associate Exhibition. One work. 1968 St Ives, Penwith Society of Arts. 31 January. Associate Exhibition. Two works. 1968 Wycombe End, Cross-Keys Gallery. 3 – 21 March. WIAC Exhibition. Two works. 1968 London, Drian Galleries. 6 - 21 June. WIAC Annual Exhibition. One work. 1968 Penzance, Passmore Edwards Gallery. 10 August - 29 September. Newlyn Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition. One work. 1969 Germany, Kunstamt Berlin-Wilmersdorf. Fantasmagie International Exhibition. Three works. 1969 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 14 June – 31 July. Newlyn Society of Artists Summer Exhibition. One work. 1969 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 9 August – 27 September. Newlyn Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition. One work. 1970 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 8 August – 26 September. Newlyn Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition. Two works. 1971 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 12 June – 5 August. Newlyn Society of Artists Summer Exhibition. Two works. 1971 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 14 August – 2 October. Newlyn Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition. One work. 1971 London, Hamet Gallery. 3 - 27 November. Britain's Contribution to Surrealism. Five works, plus five ex. cat. 1972 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 1 April -1 June. Newlyn Society of Artists Spring Exhibition. One work. 1972 Plymouth, Museum & Art Gallery. 12 April -7 May. Newlyn Past and Present. One work. 1972 London, Gallery Edward Harvane. On the Edge of Dreams: Aspects of Surrealism in British Art 1932-71. One work. 1972 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 10 June – 3 August. Newlyn Society of Artists Summer Exhibition. One work. 1972 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 12 August – 7 October. Newlyn Society of Artists Autumn Exhibition. Two works. 1972 Birmingham, University of Birmingham. 27 November – 22 December. Artists of Cornwall. Five works. 1973 Cornwall, 7th Exhibition of Arts & Crafts held by the St Just & Lands End Branch of the Cancer Research Campaign. Four works. 1973 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 21 April -1 June. Newlyn Society of Artists: Spring Exhibition. Four works. 1973 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 9 June -3 August. Newlyn Society of Artists Summer Exhibition Four works 197? Woodbridge, The Simon Carter Gallery. 6 - 13 October. Exhibition of British Paintings and Watercolours 1900-1935. One work. 1974 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 10 May – 5 June. Newlyn Society of Artists Summer 1 Exhibition. Four works. 1974 London, Drian Galleries. 12 – 28 June. The Feminine Eye. One work. 1974 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 6 July – 27 August. Newlyn Society of Artists: Summer 2 Exhibition. Three works. 1974 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 7 September – 31 October. Newlyn Society of Artists: Autumn Exhibition. Three works. 1974-5 London, Camden Arts Centre. 29 November – 19 January. Hampstead in the Thirties: A Committed Decade. One work. 1975 Mousehole, St Clement's Hall Gallery. 26 March – 25 July. Spring and Summer Exhibition. 1975 Bath, The Little Gallery. One work. 1975 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 10 May – 25 June. Newlyn Society of Artists: Spring Exhibition. Four works. 1975 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. Newlyn Society of Artists: Summer Show. One work. 1975 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. Newlyn Society of Artists: Autumn Exhibition. Two works. 1975 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. Newlyn Society of Artists Christmas Exhibition. One work. 1975 Plymouth, Plymouth Art Centre. (posibly1972). One work. 1976 Mousehole, St Clement's Hall Gallery. Spring Exhibition. One work. 1977 Penzance, Newlyn Orion Gallery. December. Small is Beautiful. Two works. 1977 London, New Art Centre. 9 November – 3 December. Cornwall 1945-1955. One work. 1977 London, New Art Centre. 7 December – 7 January 1978. Artists as Illustrators. Five works. 1978 London, Hayward Gallery. 11 January - 27 March. Dada and Surrealism Reviewed. One work. The artist also loaned a case of exotic Indian butterflies to this exhibition. 1978 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 22 March – 21 April. Newlyn Society of Artists: Spring Exhibition. Two works 1978 London, Parkin Gallery, 1 -24 June. British Art 1890-1940. One work. 1978 London, Parkin Gallery. 27 July - 26 August. Summer Exhibition. One work. 1978 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 8 July – 2 September. Summer Exhibition. Eleven works (?) 1978 Pont-Aven, Hôtel de Ville. 29 July – 18 August. La Société des Peintres de Newlyn de Cornouailles. Eleven works (?). 1978 Penzance, West Cornwall Arts Centre. 25 September - 13 October. Surrealist Dream and Phantasy. Three works. 1978-9 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 2 December. – 6 January. Small is Beautiful. Two works. 1979-80 London, Hayward Gallery. 25 October – 13 January. Thirties One work. 1980 London, Piccadilly Gallery. 15 April – 17 May. Some Unusual By-ways in British Art 1890-1940. Two works. 1980 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. 3 -31 May. First Day Covers. One work. ? 1980 Newlyn, Newlyn Art Gallery. Summer Exhibition. Eight works (?) 1980 Milan, Palazzo Peale. Then to Rome and Stockholm. L’Altra meta dell’Avan-guardia 1910-1940. One work. 1981 London, Fine Art Society. August. Twentieth Century Pictures from the Government Art Collection. One work. 1982 Paris, Galerie 1900-2000. 14 May – 30 June. Les Enfants d’Alice: la Peinture Surrealiste Anglaise 1939-1960. Two works. 1982 Nottingham, Castle Museum. The Women’s Art Show 1550-1970. One work. 1982 Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery. Newlyn Society of Artists Summer Exhibition. Three works. 1983 London, Parkin Gallery. 18 May – 18 June. Spring Exhibition of Paintings, Watercolours and Drawings. One work. 1985 London, Parkin Gallery. 6 February -16 March. Cornwall. Two works. 1985 Glasgow, Perth, Ayr and Edinburgh. 26 February – 16 November. One City a Patron. British Art of the 20th Century from the Collections of the Southampton Art Gallery. One work. 1985 Colchester, The Minories. 6 April - 5 May, then travelling to London and Hull. A Salute to British Surrealism 1930-1950. Four works. 1985 London, Blond Fine Art. 16 October – 16 November. British Women Surrealists. Thirteen works. 1986 London, Parkin Gallery. 20 March – 18 April. Spring Exhibition of Modern British Paintings. One work. 1986 London, Mayor Gallery. March-April. British Surrealism 50 years on. One work. 1986 London, Gillian Jason Gallery. 2 – 22 April. The Unbroken Line: 50 years of British drawing 1936-1986, part 1. One work. 1986 Marseilles, Galerie de la Vieille Charitée. 12 April – 30 June. La Planéte Affolée. One work. 1986 Canterbury, The Herbert Read Gallery. 19 – 31 May, then travelling to Cardiff and Newcastle. Surrealism in England 1936 and after. Four works. 1986 Leeds, Leeds City Art Gallery. 10 October - 7 December. Angels of Anarchy and Machines for Making Clouds. Surrealism in Britain in the Thirties. Three works. 1986-7 Swansea, Glyn Vivian Art Gallery. September - October, then travelling to Bath, Newcastle and Llandudno. Contrariwise: Surrealism and Britain 1930-1986. One work. 1986 New York, Stony Brook University Fine Art Centre. 18 November – 10 January 1987. Women Artists of the Surrealist Movement. One work. 1987 Touring, Arts Council Exhibition. January - June. Exhibition shown in Nottingham, Gateshead, Bradford and Plymouth. Looking into Paintings. One work. 1987 Finland, Retretti Art Centre. 16 May – 13 September. Surrealismi. Two works. Post Mortem 1988 London, Whitford and Hughes. 27 April – 10 June. The Surrealist Spirit in Britain. One work. 1988 Sunninghill, Austin/Desmond Fine Art. 22 October - ? Works on Paper by Modern British Artists. Two works. 1989 London, Blond Fine Art. 4 – 18 June. Two works. 1990 Berkeley, University Art Museum. 3 October – 30 December. Three works. 1991 Warwick, Emscote Lawn School. 8 October – 8 November. British Surrealists. One work. 1992 London, Murray Feely Fine Art. 30 September - 17 October. Women artists of the British Surrealist Movement One painting and some drawings. 1993 Canberra, The National Gallery of Australia. 12 March – 2 May, then Brisbane and Sidney. Surrealism: Revolution by Night. One work. 1995 Wolverhampton, Art Gallery and Museum. 17 June-19 August. Real Surreal: British and European Surrealism. Two works. 1999 Leeds, City Art Gallery. Exhibition to launch the publication of Surrealism in Britain by Michel Remy. One work. 2000 St Ives, Tate Gallery. Rediscovering Writing: St Ives and Painters in Literature, 1945-70. An exhibition of books and writings by writers based in Cornwall. 2000-2001 Jerusalem, Israel Museum. 21 December 2000-9 June 2001. Exhibition then travelled to San Francisco and Toronto. Dreaming with Open Eyes. The Vera, Silvia and Arturo Schwartz collection of Dada and Surrealist Art in the Israel Museum. Two works. 2001-2002 London, National Portrait Gallery. 24 October 2001 – 24 February 2002. Mirror Mirror: Self-portraits by Women Artists. One work. 2002-2003 Wolfsburg Kunstmuseum. 14 September 2002 – January 2003. Three works. 2003 London, Wolseley Fine Art Ltd. 13 November – 14 December. The Etching Revival in Britain 1850-1950. One work. 2005 Newcastle, University of Northumbria Art Gallery. 25 February – 1 April. Face to Face. British Self-Portraits in the Twentieth Century. One work. 2005 London, Liss Fine Art. British Paintings and Works on Paper 1890-1990. One work. 2006 London, Maas Gallery. 7 - 30 June. British Pictures. One work. 2007 London, Fine Art Society, 19 September – 11 October. The Twentieth Century. One work. 2008 Preston, The National Museum of Football. 15 March – 8 June. The Art of Football One work. 2008 Middlesbrough, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art. 23 May – 17 August. British Surrealism and other Realities: The Sherwin Collection. Two works. 2008 Hampstead, 27th July – 10 August. The Hampstead Garden Suburb Summer Exhibition. One work. 2009 Hartlepool, Hartlepool Art Gallery. 25th April – 30 May. The Art of Football and P100LS: 100 Years of Hartlepool United. One work. 2009 Camden, King’s Place, Camden. 24th July – 30 August. The Ruth Borchard Collection. One work. 2009 Leeds, Leeds City Art Gallery. 10 July – 1 October. British Surrealism in Context – A Collector’s Eye. Two works. 2009 Manchester, Manchester City Art Gallery. 26 September– 10 January 2010. Angels of Anarchy. Women Artists and Surrealism Four works and a pack of Taro cards. 2009-10 St Ives, Tate St Ives. 10 October – 10 January 2010. The Dark Monarch. Magic and Modernity in British Art. Ten works, (the catalogue is not accurate), plus a selection of occult books and journals from Colquhoun’s library. The exhibition then transferred to the Towner Gallery, Eastbourne, 23 January – 21 March, but not all works were shown because of space restrictions. 2011 London, Tate Britain. 16 February – 21 August. Watercolours One work. 2013 London, Store Street Gallery. 19-25 May. I:MAGE Five works. 2016 Poole, Poole Museum. 3 September – 6 November. Lines of Thought The exhibition then transferred to the Brynmor Jones Library, University of Hull, 1 January – 25 February 2017 and Ulster Museum, Belfast, 15 March – 5 May. One work. 2016-17 Chichester, Pallant House Gallery. 22 October -19 February. The Mythic Method: Classicism in British Art One work. 2017 Salisbury, Salisbury Museum. 8 April – 3 September. British Art: Ancient Landscapes One work. 2017 Dublin, Irish Museum of Modern Art. 13 April – 27 August. As Above, So Below: portals, visions, spirits and mystics Six works were exhibited, although the catalogue listed a further four. 2018 St Ives, Tate St Ives. 10 February - 29 April. Virginia Woolf: An Exhibition Inspired By Her Writing The exhibition then transferred to Pallant House, Chichester, 26 May – 16 September and Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge, 2 October – 9 December. Thirteen works were exhibited, together with a sketchbook and a Taro pack. 2018 Nottingham, Nottingham Contemporary. 24 March – 24 June. The House of Fame: an exhibition convened by Linder Two works. 2018 Newlyn, Newlyn Art Gallery. 3 March – 2 June. Hummadruz One work. 2018 Wakefield, The Hepworth. 22 June – 7 October. Lee Miller and Surrealism in Britain One work. 2019 Milton Keynes, MK Gallery. 15 March – 26 May. The Lie of the Land One work. 2019 Edinburgh, Arusha Gallery. 24 July – 14 September. All that the Earth Promises and More … Two works. 2020 London, Dulwich Picture Gallery 26 February – 17 May. British Surrealism. The gallery closed in March because of the Covid 19 lockdown and did not reopen. Five works 2020 Frankfurt Schirn Kunsthalle. 12 February – 5 July. Fantastic Women. The gallery closed in March because of the Covid 19 lockdown but reopened on 5 May. The exhibition then travelled to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, Denmark, 25 July – 8 November 2020 Seven works (five in Denmark) 2020 London Camden Art Centre.24 September -23 December. The Botanical Mind. Six works 2020 London The Drawing Room 20 September- 8 November Not Without my Ghosts: the Artist as Medium One work 2021 London The Whitechapel Gallery 9 May - 12 Dec 2021 Phantoms of Surrealism Two works 2021 Edinburgh, Arusha Gallery. 29 July – 29 August. Bathing Nervous Limbs Two works.
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