Terry Setch
For more than 60 years I have been painting landscapes, for the last 50 years I have been recording the changes bought about by new industrial developments, lifestyle changes, wealth management and new social mores. I have been using the pollution of the local beach, particularly the plastic detritus, as my major subject since the mid 1970s, long before concern about the damage caused by the ubiquitous, none biodegradable plastic became widespread in this country.
Sarah Kent wrote, “The beach, a messy and polluted burial ground, is seen as the site of social and moral conflict where opposing forces and interests do battle - where the sea assaults the land, industrial growth encroaches on nature, and exploitation encounters conservation. There is rage in Setch’s pictures. Their ugliness not only challenges good taste, but is a statement of disgust at the negligence of industrial society.” Flash Art, London. Summer 1983
Monica Petzal wrote, “These are paintings to get lost in; there is a wealth of possible meaning and interpretation - there is no right way of looking at them. As evidence of one person’s attempt to bring his personal reality into form which is unified, accessible and powerful, they hold meaning for us all.” Time Out, London. 24 September 1982,
These observations are germane today and encapsulate my thinking. As an artist I continue to use conventional art materials and I incorporate detritus flotsam and jetsam, found objects and include new and recycled modern building materials. I observe daily what happens on the peoples’ beach.
I have to follow my own path: I am not a ‘joiner’ or part of an ‘ism’. I have tried to create an identity that is my own.
. Influences The human figure, Landscape, Environment/Ecology; own cultural identity (British, European, North American) Career path 2009 - Elected to the Royal Academy, London 2002 - Elected to the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol 1959 - 60 Slade School of Fine Art Postgraduate Studies 1956 - 59 Slade School of Fine Art BA Hons (Lond.)
Videos
- 2013 Royal Academician https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/artist/terry-setch-ra
- 2014 Flowers Gallery film for Beneath the Surface, June-July https://vimeo.com/96092903
- 2015 Striking Image. Film of Terry Setch by On-Par http://www.onparproductions.co.uk/on-par-presents-striking-image
Books
- 2001 TERRY SETCH: A RETROSPECTIVE, essays by Michael Tooby & Martin Holman. Published by University of Wales Institute Cardiff, colour illustrations
- 2009 TERRY SETCH, Martin Holman, co-publishers Lund Humphries and Broken Glass, London
Collections
- The Royal Collection
- The Tate Gallery
- National Museum and Galleries of Wales
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Welsh Arts Council
- Arts Council of Great Britain
- Contemporary Arts Society of Wales
- Wakefield City Art Gallery
- Coleg Harlech
- Contemporary Arts Society
- Northampton Art Gallery
- University College London
- University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
- Rugby Borough Council
- University College of Wales, Swansea
- British Council
- Museum of Modern Art, Lodz, Poland
- Cardiff County Council
- Normal College, Bangor
- Glamorgan Education Authority
- Glynn Vivian Museum & Art Gallery, Swansea
- Leicestershire Education Authority
- Ceredigion County Council
- Aberdeen City Council
Solo exhibitions from 2000
- 2000 ‘Oil, Water’, Centre for the Visual Arts, Cardiff, UK
- 2001 Terry Setch Retrospective: Royal West of England Academy, Bristol; University of Wales Institute Cardiff, Howard Gardens Gallery, Cardiff; Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea; 2002 Collins Gallery, Glasgow: Scotland; Wrexham Art Centre, Wrexham, north Wales, UK
- 2004 Skateboarders: New paintings by Terry Setch, Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden, UK
- 2006 70th Birthday Display, Tate Gallery, London, UK
- Towards Lavernock in celebration of Alfred Sisley’s paintings of south Wales, Atrium, Glynn Vivian Gallery, Swansea, UK
- 2007 Art Space Gallery, Islington, London, UK
- 2009 Art Space Gallery, Islington, London, UK
- 2010 Art Space Gallery, Islington, London, UK
- 2011 Art Centre, Barry, South Wales, UK
- 2012 Terry Setch: Recent Works, Flowers, Cork St, London, UK
- 2012 Terry Setch, Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold, UK
- 2014 Terry Setch, Flower’s East, London, UK
- 2016 Reduced to Rubble, Flowers Cork St, London, UK
- 2017 Past and Present, BayArt, Cardiff, UK
Some group exhibitions from 2000
- 2000 'Painting the Dragon, National Museum and Gallery, Cardiff, UK
- The Rugby Collection Comes Home', Rugby Art Gallery, Rugby, UK
- Absolut Secret, Royal College of Art, London, UK
- 2000/1 Cardiff Digital Portfolio, CBAT, Cardiff, UK
- Welsh Artists Talking, National Museums and Galleries o Wales, Cardiff, UK
- 2001 Digital Portfolio, House of the Future, National Museum of Wales St Fagan’s, Cardiff, UK
- RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London, UK
- Small is Beautiful, Flowers East, London, UK
- Autumn Exhibition Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- Small is Beautiful, Flowers East, London. UK
- RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London. UK
- 2003 Encore, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- Broken Ground, Tate Gallery, London, UK
- 235th Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London. UK
- Autumn Exhibition Royal West of England Academy, Bristol. UK
- The Contemporary Landscape, Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden, Glos, UK
- Small is Beautiful, Flowers East, London. UK
- 2003 RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London. UK
- Winter Exhibition, Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden, Glos UK
- 2004 Naked, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- Summer Exhibition, Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden, Glos, UK
- Autumn Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London. UK
- 2004 Winter Exhibition, Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden, Glos. UK
- 2005 Print Works, Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden, Glos. UK
- Virtually 6, Cardiff 2005 Portfolio, St David’s Hall, Cardiff. UK
- Autumn Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- Site-Actions International Europe, Bay Art, Cardiff, UK
- RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London. UK
- Cardiff Centenary Exhibition, Bay Art, Cardiff. UK
- 2006 ‘50 Years of the 56 Group’, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. UK
- Autumn Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London. UK
- 2007 Autumn Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London. UK
- Art Space ‘A Winter’s Journey’, London, UK
- 2008 Autumn Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London, UK
- Welsh Landscape, National Museum Cardiff, UK
- 2009 Drawing Room II, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- Art Cymru: Modern Art in Wales, Pallant Gallery, Chichester, UK
- Mertz Barn Auction Exhibition, Royal College of Art, London, UK
- 2009 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition London, UK
- RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London, UK
- Autumn Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- 2010 A Closer Look, Ceredigion County Council Collection, Coliseum, Aberystwtyh, Wales, UK
- Changing Landscape, Oreil y Parc, St David's, Pembrokeshire, UK
- Sea Fever, Southampton City Art Gallery, Southampton, UK
- 2010 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, UK
- RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, London, UK
- John Moores Prize Paintings in Korea, Seongnam Art Centre, Korea
- 2011 10 years on, Bay Art, Cardiff, UK
- Flashback, Arts Space Gallery, London, UK
- Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London, UK
- Royal West of England Academy Autumn Exhibition, Bristol, UK
- RCA Secret. Royal College of Art, London, UK
- 2012 TRANSITION The Inner Image Revisited, Art Space Gallery, London, UK
- New Perspectives: Landscape Art in Wales since the 1970s, Gallery 22, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, UK
- Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, UK
- Barry Summer School Retrospective Exhibition, Art Central, Barry, UK
- Going Modern: The Struggle for Abstract Art in Wales, Gallery 13, National Museum Cardiff, UK
- RA Now, Royal Academy, London, UK
- 2012/13 New Ground: Landscape Art in Wales since 1970, Oriel y Parc, St. David’s, UK
- Welsh Landscape from Turner to Long, The Lightbox, Woking, UK
- Angela Flowers at 80, Flowers Gallery, London, UK (Dec – Feb)
- 2013 RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, Battersea Dyson Building, London, UK
- Transition, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, UK
- Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, UK
- 2013/14 Royal Collection RA Gift, Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, UK (Nov-Mar 2014)
- Small is Beautiful, Flowers East, London UK, UK
- 2014 Power of the Sea, The Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London, UK
- 2014 Reality: Modern and Contemporary British Painting, Sainsbury Centre, UEA, Norwich, Norfolk, UK
- 162 Annual Open Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- Small is Beautiful XXXII, Flowers, New York.
- 2015 Reality: Modern and Contemporary British Painting, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK
- 2015 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London, UK
- 163 Annual Open Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- Small is Beautiful, Flowers, Cork St, London. UK
- 2016 The Big Draw auction, Christie's London, UK
- Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, UK
- Small is Beautiful, Flowers, Cork St, London. UK
- 2017 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London, UK
- 165 Annual Open Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK
- 2017 Small is Beautiful, Flowers, Cork St, London. UK