Frances Aviva Blane Explained

Frances Aviva Blane (Sternberg), is a British abstract painter who works in the Expressionist tradition. Her subject matter is the disintegration of paint and personality. Although her paintings are mainly non-referential, her drawings are often portraits of heads.

She has exhibited alongside Frank Auerbach, Basil Beattie and John McLean in Europe, Japan, Australia and the UK.

Education

Blane studied at Chelsea School of Art (1988), Byam Shaw School of Painting and Drawing (1991) and the Slade School of Fine Art, London (1993).

Films

• Portrait (2024) directed by Penny Woolcock, is a conversation between Susie Orbach and Frances Aviva Blane
• Who is Frances Aviva Blane? (2020) directed by Penny Woolcock, camera Leo Regan, editing Alex Fry
• Two Metres Apart with Susie Orbach (2020) directed by Penny Woolcock

Books

• ON PAINT (2022)^[1] by Sacha Craddock and Frances Aviva Blane.
• AUGUST (2022)^[2] by Susie Orbach and Frances Aviva Blane.
• FRANCES (2021)^[3] by Susie Orbach, Eddy Frankel and Corinna Lotz.^[4]
• COVID (2020)^[5] by Susie Orbach and Frances Aviva Blane – a book of paintings and drawings made by Blane during the first COVID-19 lockdown with an essay by Orbach.
• Who is Frances Aviva Blane? (2020)^[6] Blane, Orbach, Woolcock. A book accompanying the film of the same name directed by Penny Woolcock.
• FAB by Frances Aviva Blane^{[7] [8] [9] [10]} with introduction by Susie Orbach was published by Starmount Publications in 2019.
• MORE Works on Paper by Frances Aviva Blane with essay by Mark Gisbourne was published by Starmount Publications in January 2018.^[11]
• EMBASSY by Frances Aviva Blane. A book of paintings and drawings chronicling Blane's exhibition at the German Embassy London with introduction by Tess Jaray was published by Starmount Publications in 2017.
• NOTHING by Frances Aviva Blane,^[12] a book of paintings and works on paper with a catalogue essay by Diana Souhami was published by Starmount Publications in 2015.

Exhibitions

Blane's first show in London was curated by Andrew Mummery, a British gallerist. She is also an award-winner of the Jerwood Drawing Prize (1999) and took part in their exhibition Drawing Breath, an anniversary show.

Blane has been included in many group shows including Chora^[13] (London and touring the UK) curated by art critic Sue Hubbard and Women's Contemporary Self Portraits at the Usher Gallery (Lincoln and touring). Blane also showed at the Annely Juda Gallery in the exhibition Annely Juda – A Celebration. She has had two-handed exhibitions with Basil Beattie and John Mclean, both prominent British abstract painters.

She was sponsored by the British Council and the Goethe Institut to take part in a painting swap with German artists. She has also exhibited at The Architectural Biennale in Clerkenwell in 2004 and at Our Most Holy Redeemer Church in Exmouth Market.

Solo shows

• Frances Aviva Blane, The Brave Truth, at Zuleika Gallery, Oxfordshire, UK,  November 2022
• Frances Aviva Blane, Fired with Claudia Clare, Gallery 286, London, October 2022
• Frances Aviva Blane, Dark, De Queeste Kunstkamers, Abele/Watou, Belgium from 11 November to 9 December 2018^{[14] [15]}
• Blane. Broken Heads, Broken Paint,^[16] 12 Star Gallery at Europe House, London 2018
• Two Faces, a show of work by Frances Aviva Blane, The German Ambassador's Residence, London, 2016 – 2017^{[17] [18] [19] [20]}
• Deconstruct, Frances Aviva Blane shown alongside exhibitions of Francis Bacon and Louise Bourgeois, De Queeste Kunstkamers, Abele/Watou, Belgium, 2014^{[21] [22]}
• Big Black Paintings, Bay Hall, King's College London, 2014^{[23] [24]}
• Frances Aviva Blane, Paintings & Drawings, De Queeste Kunstkamers, Abele/Watou, Belgium, 2013^[25]
• Paintings and Works on Paper, Quest 21, Brussels, 2011^[26]
• Portrait/Painting, Shillam and Smith3 London, 2006
• Prime Time: Painting, Frances Aviva Blane – paintings & drawings at Galerie Seitz & Partner, Berlin, 2006^[27]
• Paintings in The Church of Our Most Holy Redeemer, ecArtspace, Exmouth Market, London, 2004
• Frances Aviva Blane Paintings and Drawings ecArtspace in conjunction with London Architecture Biennale, St John's Street EC1, 2004
• Delinquent Paintings, ecArtspace, 2001^[28]
• Berry House Solo x 9: artists in Clerkenwell – including Susan Hiller, 1998^[29]
• Frances Aviva Blane Drawing, Shillam Smith 3, 1997^[30]
• F Blane Only, curated by Andrew Mummery, London, 1996
• Curwen Gallery, London, curated by Andrew Mummery, 1995

Group shows

• Curated at Dorfold Hall – British art then and now. A group show at Zuleika Gallery, Oxfordshire, UK, December 2023
• Salon van de Tekening. A group show with Frank Auerbach, George Grosz and Erich Heckel. De Queeste Kunstkamers, Abele/Watou Belgium, March 2023
• Basil Beattie + Frances Blane drawings and paintings, (20th anniversary show), ecArtspace, Burgh House, London, 2022
• Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, London, 2021
• Moi et Les Autres. A group show with Daniel Enkaoua Etc. De Queeste Kunstkamers Abele/Watou Belgium, 2021
• Ruth Borchard Collection, The Self Portrait Prize, 2021
• Art from The Heart, Zuleika Gallery Exhibition in aid of Maggies Cancer Centre with Anish Kapoor, Trevor Sutton and Claudia Clare, 2021
• Sea of Change with Stockwell and Jason Oddy online at www.ecartspace.com and Lemnos Greece, 2021
• Fragmented,^[31] with Claudia Clare, Zuleika Gallery, London SW1, 2020
• Distancing’, with Basil Beattie, Susan Stockwell, Dryden Goodwin, ecArtspace online, 2020
• The Desire Of Looking, with Daniel Enkaoua, Marcelle Hanselaar, De Queeste Kunstkamers Abele/Watou Belgium, 2020
• Age is Just a Number, Summer Show at Zuleika Gallery, London SW1, 2019
• Ikonoclash #01 including Anton Kannemeyer and Marcelle Hanselaar, De Queeste Kunstamers, Abele/Watou Belgium, 2019
• Abstract Allies including Trevor Sutton, Nigel Hall at Zuleika Gallery, London SW1, 2019
• John Moores Painting Prize,^[32] Walker Gallery, Liverpool, 2018
• HUMAN, The German Embassy, London, October 2017
• Creekside Open 2017 selected by Jordan Baseman
• Liquid Thought,^[33] with Daniel Enkaoua and Chris Stevens, De Queeste Kunstkamers, Abele/Watou, Belgium, 2016
• Impact, with Louise Bourgeois, Marthe Zink, De Queeste Kunstkamers, Abele/Watou, Belgium, 2016^[34]
• Jerwood Drawing Prize 2015 – 2016. London and UK tour
• De Vage Grens, with Frank Auerbach, Reniere&Depla, etc. De Queeste Kunstkamers, Abele/Watou, Belgium, 2015
• Critics Circle, Selector Corinna Lotz, Mall Galleries, London, 2013^[35]
• Drawing Breath, Jerwood Anniversary Exhibition,^[36] London, Sydney, Bristol, 2006 – 2008
• Annely Juda A Celebration. Annely Juda Fine Art, London, 2007
• Marlborough Fine Art, The London Print Fair, 2006
• Blind Art, Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, 2005
• Sense and Sensuality, Blind Art, London, New York, Leicester, 2006^[37]
• Blind Art, Royal College of Art, London, 2005
• Weiss zieht und gewinnt, Galerie Seitz & Partners, Berlin, 2005
• Small is Beautiful, Flowers Central, London, 2004
• Very British?, Arbeiten von Britschen Kunstlerinnen with Tacita Dean, Mike Silva, Die Drostei, Pinneberg, 2004
• The Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries London, 2004
• Art Works in Mental Health, Royal College of Art, London, touring Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, 2003
• Dialogue with Nigel Ellis, ecArtspace London, 2002^[38]
• Absolut Secret, Royal College of Art, London, 2002 − 2004, 2006 − 2010
• Drawings for All, Gainsborough's House, Suffolk, 2002
• The Contemporary Art Society, Art Futures, 2002
• German and English Painting Swap, Berlin/London, sponsored by the British Council and Goethe institut, 2002
• Drawing – Frances Aviva Blane with Basil Beattie, ecArtspace, London, 2001^{[39] [40]}
• Galerie Stuhler, Berlin, 2000, 2001
• Jerwood Open Drawing Show award winner touring Berlin and Ghent, 2000
• Before, Now and After with Helen Sears and Sheila Gaffney, Berlin and London, 2000^[41]
• Painting with John Mclean, 53–54 St John's Square, London, 2000
• Chora, curated by Sue Hubbard, London and touring, 1999–2000^[42]
• The Cheltenham Open Drawing Show, 1999
• Small is Beautiful, Flowers Gallery East, 1999–2003
• In The Looking Glass, women contemporary self-portraits, Usher Gallery Lincoln and touring, 1996
• The London Group  Biennial exhibition, Barbican Centre, 1995
• Royal Academy of Art, Summer Exhibition, 1995
• Into the Nineties, Pick of the Postgraduates, showcase of new artists, Mall Galleries, 1993^[43]

Awards

• A Jerwood Drawing Award, 1999
• Mid-America ART Alliance Fellowship for Visual Arts, 1998
• Residency at Djerassi Artists' Foundation, California, 1998
• Graham Hamilton Drawing Prize, 1991

External links

• Official site

Notes and References

1. Book: Sacha . Craddock. Frances Aviva . Blane . On Paint . 30 September 2022 . Starmount Publishers . London . 9781739606008 . 1.
2. Book: Susie. Orbach. Frances Aviva . Blane . August . 9 December 2022 . Starmount Publishers . London . 9781739606015 . 1.
3. Book: Susie . Orbach . Eddy . Frankel . Corinna . Lotz . FRANCES . 5 August 2023 . Starmount Publishers . London . 9780993421877 . 1.
4. Web site: Manick . Govinda . Book Review: FRANCES. - Manick Govinda . Authory . 31 August 2021.
5. Book: Orbach . Susie . Blane . Frances . COVID . 5 August 2023 . Starmount Publications . 978-0-9934218-7-7.
6. Book: Blane . Frances . Orbach . Susie . Woolcock . Penny . Who is Frances Aviva Blane? . 13 November 2020 . Starmount Publications . London . 978-0-9934218-5-3 . 112 . 1.
7. Book: Blane . Frances Aviva . FAB . August 2019 . Starmount Publications . London . 978-0-99342184-6.
8. Web site: Lotz . Corinna . Who am I? . 20 October 2019.
9. Web site: Oldham . Alison . If There's one Work I'd Like to Take Home . 11 May 2018 . 20 October 2019.
10. Web site: Weston . Jane . Glass reviews new book of paintings, FAB, by British artist Frances Aviva Blane . theglassmagazine.com . 13 November 2019 . Glass Magazine . 24 November 2019.
11. Book: Blane . Frances Aviva . MORE . January 2018 . Starmount Publications . London . 978-0-99342182-2.
12. Book: Blane. Frances. NOTHING. 30 September 2015. Starmount Publications. London. 978-0-9934218-0-8. 48. 1,000.
13. Web site: Sue . Hubbard . Chora Frances Aviva Blane 1999 . 20 March 2015.
14. Web site: Corinna . Lotz . Frances Aviva Blane: The Human Touch . www.irkmagazine.com . 31 October 2018 . Irk Magazine . 21 January 2019.
15. Web site: Weston . Jane . Dark – Frances Aviva Blane opens new show at de Queeste Art gallery . www.thepurposeofit.com . 21 January 2019.
16. Web site: Weston . Jane . Preview of Frances Aviva Blane's latest show – Broken Heads Broken Paint . Glass Magazine Online. 29 May 2018 . 3 June 2018.
17. Web site: Lotz. Corinna. It isn't masks now, it's faces – Two Faces, paintings and drawings by Frances Aviva Blane, is at the German Ambassador's Residence, 34 Belgrave Square SW1, until 31 January 2017. The Critics' Circle. 2 September 2016.
18. Web site: Two Faces: Frances Aviva Blane. De Queeste Art. 2 September 2016.
19. Web site: Vernissage of 'Two Faces' – a new exhibition at the Ambassador's Residence. German Missions in the United Kingdom. 2 September 2016.
20. Web site: Pizzichini. Lilian. Two Faces Opens at German Ambassador's Residence, London. The Purpose of It. 2 September 2016.
21. Web site: Louise . Lui . The Three Bs in Belgium. The Glass Magazine Online . 20 March 2015.
22. Web site: Simpson. Caroline. Draw You In. The Glass Magazine Online . 11 September 2014 . 20 March 2015.
23. Web site: Gulliver. John. You'll be driven to abstraction by Blane exhibition in Hampstead, Camden New Journal. 20 March 2015.
24. Web site: Frances Aviva Blane, Big Black Paintings, Hampstead School of Art. 20 March 2015.
25. Web site: Kos Earle. Nico. The mark of FAB. The Glass Magazine Online. 5 March 2013 . 20 March 2015.
26. Web site: Corinna . Lotz . Heart of darkness . 20 March 2015 . aworldtowin.net.
27. Web site: Before and after . ecartspace.com . 23 March 2015.
28. Web site: Delinquent Paintings Frances Aviva Blane. ecartspace.com. 20 March 2015.
29. Web site: Berry House Solo x 9: artists in Clerkenwell. ecartspace.com.
30. Web site: Lotz. Corinna. 21st Century Art Frances Aviva Blane. aworldtowin.net.
31. Web site: Connie . de Pelet . Glass previews Fragmented – an exhibition at Zuleika Gallery, London . theglassmagazine.com . 16 October 2020 . Glass Magazine . 10 November 2020.
32. Web site: Lotz . Corinna . In the Beginning was the Mark . Real Democracy Movement . 3 June 2018.
33. Web site: Liquid Thought. De Queeste Art. 23 September 2016.
34. Web site: Impact. De Queeste Art. 2 September 2016.
35. Web site: Kos Earle. Nico. Frances Aviva Blane: Critics Choice at Critics Circle show at Mall Galleries. The Glass Magazine Online. 23 March 2015.
36. Web site: Drawing Breath: Jerwood Drawing Prize 2007 . absolutearts.com . 15 April 2015.
37. Web site: Gallery, Blind Art Sense and Sensuality: Touch. The Guardian. 23 March 2015.
38. Web site: Frances Blane + Nigel Ellis. ecartspace.com. 20 March 2015.
39. Web site: Dialogue – Frances Blane + Nigel Ellis. ecartspace.com. 23 March 2015.
40. Web site: Drawing ecArtspace, London. undo.net. 23 March 2015.
41. Web site: Philppi. Andrea. Replicants, dark depths and an eroded Venus B Before, Now and After – a show in Berlin and in London. sheilagaffney.com. 23 March 2015.
42. Web site: Hubbard. Sue. Chora Frances Aviva Blane. uehubbard.com/. 23 March 2015.
43. Web site: Alberge. Dalya. Contemporary Art Market: Unknowns given a showcase. The Independent. 23 March 2015.