Rye Harbour Entry Storm by Guy Cuming RA

Fred Cuming RA at Rye Festival

Bridgepoint, Rye are delighted to host an exhibition of work by Fred Cuming RA to support the Rye Arts Festival’s education programme. To celebrate nearly 90 years, 50 years based in the area, Cuming has chosen a selection of paintings and sketches, including his sketches for a portrait of Stephen Hawking.

Born in 1930, in London, Fred attended Sidcup School of Art from1945-1949. After completing his National Service, he attended the Royal College of Art in 1951, winning a Rome Scholarship and an Abbey Minor Scholarship. In 1964, he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy (ARA), and a Royal Academician (RA) in 1974. A member of the New English Art Club, Associate of the Royal College of Art, Fred lives and works in East Sussex.

Cuming’s first one-man show was held in 1978 at the Thackeray Gallery, London, and since then he has exhibited regularly in solo shows throughout the UK and more recently in the United States. His work has also been included in many group exhibitions since 1953, and in 2001, he was given the honour of being the featured artist in the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, with an entire gallery within the show being dedicated to his work.

Cuming has devoted his life to expressing the fleeting impressions of his surroundings, often painting the South Coast of England around Hastings, Camber and Rye. His work is about responses to the moods and atmospheres generated by landscape, still life or interior. He is interested in the developments of 20th century painting, in abstraction, that has been present in all movements and in new ideas and art forms. He has been inspired by masters of colour such as J.M.W. Turner, Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse and Paul Nash. Cuming’s major subject is how to use colour and light in his painting to represent the natural world.

Stephen Hawking

Fred Cuming is a vital part of the English landscape painting tradition. He has always been fascinated by the changing landscape around us: the skies, fabulous rainbows and wonderful rapid violent storms.

The exhibition marks the next step on the journey of Bridgepoint, the new creative multi-genre arts centre in the historic Sussex town of Rye. While the permanent site is being developed, a pop up arts centre hosts exhibitions, events and artists residencies this year.

Co-founder and executive producer Sarah Kowitz “aims to support a residency programme of innovative world-class artists across numerous disciplines and hopes that if planning permission is granted for the development, it will create a flourishing community of exceptional talent and encourage a migration of arts, which will continue the drive towards coastal regeneration.”

During the exhibition private view there will be an auction of ‘Bullfinches’ painting which will support Rye Arts Festival’s education programme. 

Stormy Sea

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