Mary Moser’s Oxford-inflused art on show

Liz Nicholls

You’re all invited to admire the screenprints, etchings, paintings and textiles of Mary Moser at The Kendrew Barn, St John’s College, OX1 3JP, from 28th February until 9th March

This exhibition celebrates the extensive artistic output of Mary Moser (1921-2022).

The visual world around her gave her immense pleasure. Reflections in a puddle or a glass-fronted office block; the beauty of industrial landscapes; the juxtaposition of the old and the new, the natural and the man-made. Electric pylons – which many find an eyesore – she saw as figures dancing across the countryside. Her artwork – screenprints, paintings, etchings and textiles – captures these things beautifully. The exhibition includes works inspired by Mary’s extensive travels – buildings and landscapes in Hong Kong, Bali, the Australian outback and Japanese temples. Music was another great influence in her life: her husband Claus was Chairman of the Royal Opera House for many years and she often attended rehearsals. They also hosted chamber music gatherings at their home, and at both she would sit and sketch musicians. The exhibition includes sketches and monoprints of musicians captured in the moment. Also included will be several works with an Oxfordshire theme. But rather than images of iconic Oxford buildings you`ll see instead screenprints of the Cowley works and Didcot Power Station!  

Mary spent much of her childhood living in the Swiss Alps, then returning to London where she spent most of her life. She studied at the London School of Economics during the war after which she trained as a Psychiatric Social Worker. She was elected to Holborn Council in 1945 as the youngest Labour councillor in the country. Throughout her life Mary combined art with her various other work and family commitments. This continued when she moved to Oxford in 1984, when her husband Claus became Warden of Wadham College. 

Mary had a major role with Oxfordshire Artweeks, taking on the role of chair for many years until 2001. During this period, she oversaw the organisation’s development from a struggling festival to arguably the most successful open studio visual arts festival in the country, and she always considered her role in Artweeks to be one of her proudest achievements. During Artweeks she also exhibited her own work in various settings, including at Wadham College and Sutton Courtney Abbey.  

Mary was a member of the Oxford Art Society and Oxford Printmakers Cooperative, contributing work to exhibitions by both organisations. 

During her years as chair of Artweeks Mary particularly loved meeting artists for whom art was not their first career. This led to the establishment in 2003 of the Mary Moser award – a prize given to an artist exhibiting in Artweeks who had taken up art later in life as a second career. It continues to be awarded annually.  

As chair of Artweeks Mary was instrumental in developing their educational work, widening access to art by setting up both Kids@Art and Art4Age. These local projects involved artist residencies in schools and care homes.