'It is thirty years since I left art school and had my first exhibition in London and the idea occurred to me to mark the occasion with a drawing retrospective exhibition. I've called it Life-line because in a very real sense drawing has documented my life, where I have been and what I have been interested in along the way. Drawing is a kind of documentary thread to me. In another sense drawing has also been an emotional lifeline – something that I have returned to for reassurance and consolation at various times in my life. The earliest drawing in the exhibition dates from 1970, the most recent was done last year. The rest are divided into decades and include landscape, still life, figure composition, and life drawings done at the Slade, the Accademia di Belli Arte, Florence and at Dunmoochin in Melbourne whilst on a five month residency in 2007–8.' To coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Big Draw Simon Pierse will give a talk on the exhibition on Thursday 29 October at 15.00.
