Tony Birks-Hay at Quest Gallery, and Royal United Hospital, Bath

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In July’s issue of Cassone we published Jenny Kingsley’s article on the use of art to help in the treatment of the sick: ‘A prescription for art’. More and more healthcare institutions are getting interested in the use of art in this way.

The Quest Gallery, Bath is working with Art at the Heart of the RUH (Royal United Hospital) by mounting some selected exhibitions in the South Corridor.  Until Friday 16th September, Quest is showing the work of Tony Birks-Hay, over 30 landscapes, full of summer light and warmth.

Tony Birks-Hay was trained in painting and sculpture at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, and gained a Commended Diploma and Sculpture Prize.

He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in the 1960s and has shown work regularly at the Royal West of England Academy since 1990, where he has been an invited artist.  He has recently had one-man exhibitions in London, Oxford, Bath, Ely, Algarve, Portugal and Sherborne, Dorset.  His work is chosen for the Millfield Open each year, and his paintings are in collections in Canada, USA, France, Germany, Holland, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

 He accepts commissions for portraits in oils and in bronze, and these have included Lordy Tonypandy, Speaker of the House of Commons, the Principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and Dr Ian Scargill, Vice Principal of the College.  He has studios in London and Somerset and writes regularly on the arts. A monograph of his own work, A Passion for Paint, was published by Stenlake in December 2009.

 It is well worth a visit to the Royal United Hospital, Bath (RUH) to see this large and impressive exhibition, which is showing prior to a major exhibition in Darmstadt, Germany in November 2011. Commission on purchases made from this exhibition is shared between the Gallery and Art at the Heart of the RUH, which does so much to improve the environment for patients and visitors by providing the pleasure that fine art can bring at what can be a very stressful time.

Tony Birks-Hay’s work in this exhibition is very varied.  Some beautiful seascapes and still lifes are on show.

Enquiries about this exhibition should be directed to the Art at the Heart Office at the RUH or the Quest Gallery, >