Art in a Barn

Saturday's during the summer are basically mine to do with as I will as Steve is out playing cricket.  All day.  From midday to 9pm sometimes.  Very, very occasionally I get roped into making the tea's (the number of times I have to do them has dropped significantly over the years - making a bad tea is a sure-fire way to ensure you never get asked again!) but otherwise I am free as a bird.

On this particular Saturday this bird had to drive out to Lenham, a market village between Ashford and Maidstone to collect a scrap book from one of the Canterbury Players members.  This scrap book had old programmes, photo's and other paraphernalia in it dating back to the 80's, and I was in the process of fleshing out our archives on the new website at the time so it was a valuable resource and I had permission to borrow it.  I checked that Tony would be in, jumped in the car, popped the top down and stuck some feel good CD's on, then made the 30 minute drive to Lenham.  I forgot the Sat Nav and proceed to spend another 30 minutes in Lenham trying to work out where on earth Tony's house actually was (and getting distracted by the Italian food market that was going on).

Mission accomplished, Tony informed me that there was an art exhibition going on in Tithe Barn and I should check it out as I was in the area.  It was still early, I had nothing else to do and the prospect of spending a couple of hours wandering around the exhibition appealed to me greatly.  

Tithe Barn is a huge, medieval barn that is used for all sorts of functions, including weddings.  It is estimated that it was built in the C14th and is formed of two large barns and a number of outbuildings.  The first barn held the craft fair, beautiful hand made goods that were sadly a little out of my price bracket, although I did find some stunning bracelets that I just know my mum would love.  Whilst I was in the barn I got talking to one of the ladies who told me a bit about it's history, the refurbishment work that the most recent owner has committed to it, and how grateful she was that it hadn't become yet another barn conversion.  The interior is certainly impressive, with the stable stalls and cobbled floor and the cross-hatch beams supporting the structure.  The interior was cool with a faint horsey smell left from generations of farm animals.

The main event was in the barn next door though.  This was the home of the Pilgrims Way Art Exhibition, a show by the Pilgrims Way Art Group who are a mix of both professional and amateur artists originally formed in 1996 and who have exhibited every year at Tithe Barn for the last 14 years.  They are quite an exclusive group, with membership by invitation only, and because of this caveat you can be sure that the artwork you will see will be of a high quality.  Not all of it will be to your taste; that is inevitable when so many different styles are displayed, but there were a number of pieces that I spent quite a lot of time perusing, and some that, given the required funds, I would have been more than happy to have purchased there and then! (click on the piece description to go to the artists portfolio).

Janet Jackson: Tall Slab Pieces.  Pilgrims Way Artists Exhibition Summer 2014 Award for Best Ceramic

Janet Jackson's piece above is a form of Raku, a traditional Japanese process which involves the rapid firing and subsequent rapid cooling of the pots.  The pots are first fired to 1,000°C biscuit and then glazed.  When dry the glazed pots are put in a warm kiln and heated slowly to eliminate any remaining moisture.  After this, firing can be carried out more rapidly until the glaze has melted, at around 900°C-1000°C.  The pots are then removed from the kiln whilst glowing and then placed in sawdust or water, depending on the result desired.

Justin Calver: Blue Striped Tuna.  Pilgrims Way Artists Exhibition Summer 2014 Award for Best Acrylic

Thomas Boyd: Circus.  Pilgrims Way Artists Exhibition Summer 2014 Award for Best Original Work

The artists work in and with a number of different mediums, from oil to batik, ceramic to stone and everything in between.  Throughout the exhibition there are pieces which have been awarded prizes for 'Best in Show' in their category.

Nigel Davison: Autumn Felling.  Pilgrims Way Artists Exhibition Summer 2014 Award for Best In Show

There were a huge number of pieces on display at the exhibition, and a large number of families enjoying the show, occasionally breaking to munch on some homemade cake and tea out in the sun drenched grounds whilst children chased each other around the pond and admired the old tractors and cars in the stable block.  Don't they look like they are just waiting for someone to come and take them out!

The artwork wasn't just constrained the barn either.  Outside there were a number of pieces sat on pedestals or casually woven into the fabric of the countryside around the barn.

Back inside the barn there were far too many beautiful pieces to be able to show you all of them, so I have instead selected a couple of my favourites.

Barry Elphick: Intrigue

Justin Calver

Jane Gibson

This piece by Jo Savage entitled Progeny was of particular interest to myself and a lot of other people.  From a distance, it appears to be a simple tree landscape, similar to that you frequently see in Fantasy artwork, but closer up you can see faces and shapes in the bark.  Different people see different things, for me it was the Green Man, Atlas holding up the sky and Yggdrasil all together. 

Jo Savage: Progeny

Jo Savage: Progeny

This piece by Nick Amey was, for me, my favourite in the entire show.  In the flesh it was incredibly realistic; you were hard pressed to believe that it wasn't a photograph and it had an almost 3D quality about it - the tree stood out from the rest of the painting as if it has been lifted from the country lane that morning.  It was just beautiful.

Nick Amey

The Pilgrims Way exhibition was a unexpected bonus of my visit to Lenham.  Lenham itself is a pretty little village that I haven't really explored but it looked like there may be a few good restaurants in the village centre, and the Italian food market was certainly worth a visit!  Tithe Barn itself is a gorgeous location for an art exhibition, with the Church framing the skyline and the open fields at the back, it's a piece of art on it's own.

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Curious Margate

I happened to have a day to myself this week when some plans fell through so I decided to make the most of it and went to Margate to have a mosey around the art galleries.

Margate is a strange town.  Its hey day was in the Victorian era and remnants from this bygone age are everywhere.  Only Fools and Horses fans will probably remember Margate being featured in the boys jolly to this seaside town and it also boasts the UK's oldest wooden roller coaster in the Dreamland amusement park; a site that has been closed for a number of years although the old sign still hangs over the entrance.

Margate is also the hometown of Tracey Emin, the British artist famous for her controversial installation of 'My Bed' at the Tate Gallery.  In recent years Margate has undergone a major regeneration project, at the heart of which is the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery, opened by Emin in 2011 and the gallery will welcome its one millionth visitor this summer.   Exhibitions at the gallery rotate on a regular basis and it is currently hosting the "Curiosity: Art and the Pleasures of Knowledge" exhibition.  This sounded suitably bizarre and eccentric enough to attract my attention. 

The entrance to the gallery greets you with the symbol of all it stands for.  The turning pages of a neon book hang above the reception desk as a representation of the galleries status as a Visual Arts Museum.

The foyer exhibition is not always connected to the rest of the gallery and often my favourite pieces are here.  This visit was no exception.  In the foyer you are greeted by large bronze statues by Juan Munoz. 

Munoz created the sculptures, entitled Conversation Piece III from the informal painted portraits of families and other groups engaged in conversation, often outdoors, that were popular in the 18C.  Munoz said of them "You're watching what's taking place, but you cannot answer back".  The pieces are near life size, supported by large bulbous bases and it is quite eerie moving between them as they do appear to be locked in an intimate moment in time that you cannot partake in.

When you are ready you made your way upstairs to the Curiosity exhibition

Here you are greeted by the first of the curiosities - the Sheepdog.  The body of a stuffed dog with the head of a sheep sown on, reminiscent of the popular taxidermy of the Victorian era where showmen tried to pass off man made creations as real examples of mythological creatures.

Also here are further examples of 'Curiosities' including a table of books to allow visitors to explore the strange and macabre at their leisure.  I lost a good half hour flicking through the books; their subject matter is fascinating.

The rest of the gallery did not allow photography (although I saw some tourists sneaking photos when the stewards weren't looking) but amongst the exhibits you could see a giant, overstuffed walrus, a woman making Flemish traditional headdresses from anything she could find in the toilet of an aeroplane mid-flight, walls of African masks, a stuffed King Edward penguin from 1909 that has never been displayed before, video footage of a photographer entranced by the smallest details of his studio whilst under hypnosis, a sculpture made from brass hearing horns that sings when you are close to it and intricate pen and ink work by Da Vinci.

Upon leaving you are greeted by the view from the balcony over the sea.  This day was looking particularly grey and dismal and the sea decidedly choppy and yet there were still people sunbathing on the sandy beach in their bikinis while I was huddled in jeans and a long sleeved shirt.  Crazy people!

You can also contribute to the gallery by adding your thoughts to the wall of curiosity.  A lot of people use the opportunity to question religion and the existence of God, others to ask why the ironing pile never gets any smaller.

 There are items of curiosity everywhere, you can even purchase them in the gift shop.

The exhibit is on until the 15th September and I highly recommend a visit.  It is free although there is a donation box (recommended donation of £3 per person) that you can donate to if you enjoyed your stay.  There is also an interactive family room which is fantastic for kids.

After exhausting the possibilities of the Turner I ventured back outside in search of more visual stimulation.  You see, the Turner isn't the only place in Margate where you can view art.  The Old Town is well know for its creative district and features a number of independent shops and cafes, each with their own distinct personality.

Meander down the narrow streets and you will find vintage shops next to antique dealers and specialist tea houses squashed between independent fashion stores.  All stores feature creative window displays, often bearing absolutely no relation to whatever the store specialises in.

There are a number of student art galleries as well that you can just walk into at certain times of the year.  The students can be found gathered by the entrance, chatting with their lecturer and explaining any of the pieces to interested people.  Most of the pieces featured are for sale and are the final year art projects completed by students at the various local HE and FE Institutions so you will be most likely to find them in July and August.  The below pieces are all by students from the University of Kent.

The gallery is inside an old industrial building known as The Pie Factory that used to be a butchers and, surprise surprise,  pie shop.  Inside you feel a million miles away from the bustling street and the industrial interior has its own stark beauty.

The theme of Curious Margate runs throughout the Old Town, inviting you to discover hidden details.

The old fixtures and fittings are to be found throughout the building; exposed brick work and wrought iron are in abundance.

Moving on through the Old Town you come across pretty squares filled with cake cafes and Italian deli's.  When the weather is warmer the tables are always packed and queues spill out of the shops into the street.  I spied the Lord Mayor tucking into a cupcake and a gossip in the Cupcake Cafe.

You know that this is a creative town.  Even out on the streets the art permeates the area.  All through the Old Town are wall murals of animals and people (including a life size Tracey Emin).  They are hidden behind displays, secreted by grates in walls and large and proud on street corners.  The mysterious artist is only known as 'Stewy' who openly admits to being inspired and influenced by Banksy.

 Rough Trade is an Aladdin's Cave of curiosities.

Inside you will find vintage clothing, artisan jewellery, coffee and cake, furniture and antiques and even a hairdresser.  It disappears down a slope and into a cavern filled from floor to ceiling with treasures for sale.

Margate feels like a town caught between the Victorian and the modern, celebrating its history whilst moving forward with the times, a haven for artisans and creatives who flock to the town and the unique atmosphere.  Move away from the sandy beachfront, the sunbathing tourists in their deckchairs, the ice-cream vans, seafood vans and the promenade arcades and you discover a truly unique place.