Shell is pleased to announce that Wimbledon College of Art MA Painting student Denise Harrison has been awarded the commission to produce a poster of Beaulieu as a great British destination in the enduring Shell theme of Everywhere You Go – You Can be Sure of Shell. The commission celebrates 25 years of the Shell Heritage Art Collection at the National Motor Museum Trust.
Emerging artist Denise was selected by a judging panel from Shell Brands International, the National Motor Museum Trust and Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. She will follow in the footsteps of artists Paul Nash, Graham Sutherland, Rex Whistler and Vanessa Bell who contributed to the 1930s – 1950s Shell advertising campaign.
Denise, who is known for her vivid colour palette and sensitive but lively use of gestural paint, is looking forward to exploring the Beaulieu Estate for ideas and sketches to inform her final work, which will become part of the Shell Heritage Art Collection. Her work will be unveiled and put on display at Beaulieu in October.
The Shell Heritage Art Collection Manager, Nicky Balfour Penney said: “Denise’s work is concerned with the British landscape, it is bright and accessible and so is perfect for this commission. Her work will complement some of the great works we have in the Collection, bring vibrancy to the view of Beaulieu and reflect the modern approach of the Shell Company. We are extremely excited to be working with Denise and look forward to the seeing the final painting.”
One of the most important collections of 20th century British commercial art, the Shell Heritage Art Collection includes advertising posters, original paintings, cartoons and press advertisements plus the ever-popular Shell County Guide books. Posters and paintings from the collection have been continuously on show in the museum and also loaned regularly to museums and galleries around Britain and Europe, allowing access to the collection to around a million people a year. Its popularity is due in part to the high calibre of artists previously commissioned for Shell’s campaigns. The Collection was previously stored at Shell-Mex House in London and officially inaugurated at Beaulieu by Prince Michael of Kent in 1993.
The National Motor Museum Trust’s collection of vehicles is world-famous, along with its extensive motoring artefacts and archives of film footage, images, documents and books which are housed in the Collections Centre. As an Accredited Museum, its collections have been Designated by the Arts Council England as being of national and international importance. Stored alongside the 1.7 million items housed in the Collections Centre, the Shell Heritage Art Collection has been well cared for and has benefitted from this strong heritage association for the past 25 years.
For more information see www.nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/shell-heritage-art-collection. Or join the conversation on Twitter @Beaulieu_Hants @SHAC_Curator, Facebook at /nationalmotormuseum or Instagram @national_motor_museum.
