Portsmouth-born pop artist Derek Boshier in new exhibition at city gallery

Derek Boshier, a pop artist born in the city and who returns every year, will exhibit a series of works alongside drawings, prints and paintings called Ghosts of Portsmouth, which features real and fictional characters from the city.

The exhibition is now on at Portsmouth's Jack House Gallery and last night Derek, in his 80s, officially introduced his work at the opening.

Rebecca Crow, the gallery's director, is excited to have the works on show.

She said: '˜Derek is Portsmouth-born and a contemporary in the pop art pantheon of David Hockney, Peter Blake and RB Kitaj '“ he was at the Royal College of Art with these artists and continues to produce work from his Los Angeles studio, down the road from Hockney.

'˜Two large paintings in the exhibition are inspired by David Bowie. He and Derek were good friends and in the past worked together '“ so they're like a homage to David.

'˜The pictures are amazing, they're huge, intense and colourful.

'˜There's also 10 drawings from the 1970s which David did for the Clash's Songbook album, as he was friends with Joe Strummer. 

'˜Derek is one of a number of very fine artists born in Portsmouth and he deserves recognition in his own city of which he remains immensely proud.

'˜Portsmouth City Museum has a number of works by Derek in its collection and I want to develop a display from that collection to coincide with the show at the gallery.' 

Derek will be in Portsmouth on Wednesday, September 26, for a film night at the gallery where his own films which he has been making for years will be screened with introductions to each by the artist himself.

The exhibition is on now until October 13.