On Friday, March 25 the Rye Art Gallery (RAG) opened a wonderful and eclectic retrospective of the work of the late artist Danny Pockets – “Everlast”. It is an exciting, very different and unique show in which Danny, through his art, exposes his interests, passions and personality as well as the changes throughout his life. His physicality, absent at the event, was much felt by the many visitors, friends and fellow artists who were close to him. It was an especially emotional event for his father, Fred Cuming, and sister Rachel who attended.
Louise Simkiss-Day expresses it well in her introduction of the catalogue: “A retrospective in the art world is usually a comprehensive survey of an artist’s work, usually including, ‘dare I say’, their greatest hits and one wonders perhaps if and how Danny might have developed in the years he sadly did not have”. Danny was interested in the rock & roll music and art sonic scene, being a performer, player and ahead of his time in terms of how to look at art.
In 2015 he set up and ran “Sunday Sonics”, linking it with the Fat Tuesday music festival bringing London experiments to mix with locality based artists in St Leonards, where he eventually settled. Sunday Sonics resides at the iconic crypt club in Hastings, presenting art, music and film outside the mainstream.
Danny was a student at the Chelsea College of Art, City and Guilds of London Art School and was awarded a Jerwood prize in 2010 for “Arcadia”. His exhibits have been in Tate Modern, internationally, at the Royal Academy and more locally in the blackShed Gallery, Robertsbridge.
This important exhibition showing Danny’s development of political and community art would not have been possible without the continued support and advice of the Cuming family. The gallery and its team would like to say thank you to his wife Sarah, his sister Rachel, and his father Fred Cuming for all their help, guidance, patience and generosity.
The show will continue in galleries 2/3/4 until May 8, with other artists in the rest of the gallery. For further information please go to: ryeartgallery.co.uk or contact via ryeartgallery@gmail.com or 01797 222 433.
Image Credits: Heidi Foster .