Master and student's work on show at Rotherham art exhibition

WORK by an artist and his late tutor will hang side by side at an unusual exhibition examining the common threads and differences between their work.
Artist Paul Dearden (left) and Laurie Allport, son of the late Derek Allport, with a painting which Derek was still working on when he died.Artist Paul Dearden (left) and Laurie Allport, son of the late Derek Allport, with a painting which Derek was still working on when he died.
Artist Paul Dearden (left) and Laurie Allport, son of the late Derek Allport, with a painting which Derek was still working on when he died.

Mirrored Themes, which launched at the Coterie Gallery in Rotherham’s Riverside Precinct, is a joint collection of artwork by Paul Dearden and Derek Allport, the latter of whom died last year.

It is intentionally a look into the themes in common and in contrast between the two artists, ex-tutor Derek and former student Paul.

They were first introduced in 1971 at Rotherham Art College, it was not until 2005 when they met again at one of Paul’s exhibitions that, with Derek liking the work which his former student was producing, they were to collaborate in other exhibitions, eventually forming the Alluvium Group.

Curator Anthony Caroll said: “Their art has grown both individually and around each other with mutual encouragement and support through the last decade and more. 

“This exhibition was planned by Paul and Derek, and was to happen in late 2019 at the Coterie gallery towards which Derek was working every day.

“Unfortunately, he unexpectedly passed away in September 2019.”

Derek’s Laurie said: “It was always in my mind that Dad would never stop his life's work, as it needs to be seen and appreciated — not limited by his life span — it, and him, deserve much more than that.”

The exhibition covers a number of parallelled themes between two individuals — a small selection of hand-picked “greatest hits” spanning approx 35 years — said Anthony.

He added: “Mirrored Themes is not a full retrospective but a marker for the final exhibition of Derek Allport in collaboration, with his finall, in-process,  work and also the beginning of the posthumous chapter of his career as an unforgettable and unstoppable creative.”

The exhibition will run until Friday, February 7.

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