JILL BRAY (1936 - 2023)
An appreciation written by Dr Gill Clarke for ‘Earth Lines - A Retrospective’ in 2021:
Over the past four decades painter and printmaker Jill Bray (1936 - 2023) created an extensive and unique body of work inspired by her abiding interest in the landscape. Bray studied art first at Bishop Otter College, Chichester and then at Southampton College of Art where she was influenced by the work of Peter Lanyon, Graham Sutherland, and Ivon Hitchens.
Bray exhibited in numerous shows in the UK and overseas, was a member of Printmakers Council, and has work in several public collections. Yet she has remained overlooked compared to some of her contemporaries working in a similar vein. This major retrospective exhibition set out to redress that situation by showing 50 paintings, prints and collages from 1979 to 2019.
This exhibition was part of the 2021 Petworth Festival programme, and was accompanied by a talk on 15 July by Dr. Gill Clarke about the notable collection of Modern British Art held by Chichester University: “The Bishop Otter Art Collection: The Vision Of Two Remarkable Women”.
Bray in the 1970s
Bray at 2019 'Hitchens: Alfred, Ivon, John, Simon' exhibition at Kevis House Gallery
Works
JILL BRAY
Jill Bray uses elements of landscape, and the human marks on it, to suggest the history and character of the rural environment. Her layering of marks mirrors archaeological processes, capturing for example traces of land usage in burial sites from the Bronze Age and the cutting of the M3 through Twyford Down.
After completing her diploma in Fine Art, Bray trained as a printmaker under the supervision of the landscape artist Michael Honnor. She has had several solo shows, including at Southampton University, and has participated in group shows in the UK and a European travelling exhibition organised by Portsmouth University.
Bray has been successful in open competitions, having shown repeatedly at the Laing Exhibitions, the Open Print Exhibition, the Royal West of England Academy, the National Open Print Competition at the Mall Galleries and the Chichester Open, where she was a prizewinner in 2007. Her work is held in private and public collections, including the Hampshire County Council Offices, the Otter Gallery and Scarborough Art Gallery.