Art Archives - Page 9 of 10 - The Stray Ferret

StrayArt with Johnny Messum: The role of patronage

StrayArt is a monthly column written by Johnny Messum, Director and Founder of art gallery and centre, Messum’s Wiltshire, London and Harrogate. Johnny’s passion is for contemporary art and sculpture.

Each month he will look at art, exhibitions and events across Yorkshire and sometimes further afield with the aim of guiding and inspiring us.

We must all be patrons of the arts and that means taking part as well as supporting artists. There is a vital capacity to art that brings people together and I think we will see this become increasingly important as the high street and the reasons we find for getting together continue to be questioned and asked to adapt. At the core of this narrative is the relationship that the process of making creates between the maker and the viewer. Art is the greatest of story tellers and objects – however formed – define capacity of human beings to connect to each other through inanimate objects.

Our role as a gallery is to help artists with a platform on which to create, your role is to take part, whether going to visit, commenting on an artists page, buying works of art or joining in a conversation. Our face to face talks and now online talks with artists and makers allow people to connect with them and to understand what frames their thinking. They are hugely popular because we are fascinated by a fellow human being’s capabilities. Who knows you may find your own object of significance and discover an eco system of creativity that enriches your life in more ways than one.

Patronage as the name suggests is about more than collecting, it is about discerning input into the artist’s career.

A collection of art at Chatsworth House. Credit: Chatsworth House Trust

In Yorkshire there are many examples of discerning patrons – the great English painter JMW Turner found sympathetic patrons in two Yorkshire men – Walter Fawkes at Farnley Hall and Edward Lascelles at Harewood House – whose support and friendship fostered his creative genius. Edward Lascelles also enjoyed a special relationship with another great man, the extraordinary furniture maker Thomas Chippendale from Otley, who received the largest commission of his career furnishing the newly built Harewood House in 1767. The present Earl and Countess commission artists and craftsman today continuing the family tradition of supporting living artists, and in their Biennale focusing on Why Craft Matters Chippendale’s creations were juxtaposed with contemporary furniture, aware as they are that one generation of artists inspires the next.

As I drove back down to London passing through Derbyshire, I passed the sign for Chatsworth House, the seat of the Dukes of Devonshire, where 16 generations of the Cavendish family have collected contemporary art from Elizabethan times to now. The current Duke and Duchess continue the tradition today, and the potter Edmund de Vaal’s vessels are exhibited next to a garniture of Chinese vessels to demonstrate both continuity and difference.

When the current restrictions lift, and these great houses re-open I urge you to visit them and reflect on the many gifted men and women who thanks to the enlightened patronage of their owners have been able to shine and pay their bills and be an inspiration to the next generation of artists and craftsmen, and revitalise us as we look at what they have made.

As you open your parcels on 25 December and find that someone has chosen to give you a beautifully made piece, spare a thought for the person or people who made it, and the ideas, imagination, skills and sensibility that lie within it. Patronage or supporting the arts is not just for Dukes and Duchesses, it is for us all to help bring objects and moments of significance together when ever we choose a hand made piece over factory made items.

Next month I shall be talking about plein air painting, the artists, who like Monet and his fellow Impressionists choose to work primarily, not in their studios, but out of doors.

Messums Yorkshire, 4-6 James Street, Harrogate is open Thursdays to Saturdays from 10am – 5pm. The current exhibition of the leading landscape environmental artist Kurt Jackson continues until 2 January. Two new exhibitions of of Australian artists Daniel Agdag and Atong Atem open on 7 January. The displays of glass artist Dante Marioni and artist Charles Poulsen continue to 30 January.

Pateley Bridge artist says ‘my art is making a positive statement’

A young artist from Pateley Bridge has used lockdown to find new inspiration in the outdoors much closer to home .. his garden.

James Owen Thomas, who has autism, uses disused materials such as scratchcards and ring pulls to create art with a message.

He likes to express emotion in his pieces, whether it is through the beauty of the outdoors or the importance of recycling.

After finishing a two-year art course at the Bradford School of Art, James is now studying a business and computer course in Harrogate. He hopes his new skills will allow him to improve his art blog and use his social media for business use.

James uses household objects such as scratch cards to create art.

During lockdown, James wasn’t able to travel far to find his inspiration and found himself looking out of his window more often. He said:

“Looking out of my window at home at our cherry tree I knew that it would soon be in blossom as spring was on its way. I decided to create a collage involving the tree with materials I already had at home that could be recycled.

“I feel that the covid situation has led to more people appreciating nature whether in gardens, parks or the countryside.”

His cherry tree in blossom project is part of a collaboration with Caudwell Children, a charity that helps disabled children.

James wanted to give back to the charity that helped him when he was first diagnosed with autism, aged three.

Art and pictures have played an important part in his life and more-so during this time of isolation. He added:

“As a small child I liked nothing more than being taken to art galleries. I also enjoyed collecting litter in parks and playgrounds and disposing of it correctly. Perhaps this is how my interest in recycling and collage art started.

“My artwork is also therapeutic and I include everything important to me in my ideas for collage – nature, places I have visited and special occasions.”

Another example of James’ work.

He says he will continue showing in a different light items that other people throw away.

“What I am proving is that art isn’t what it’s made from, but what it has become. My art is making a positive statement about recycling.”

“People have said it’s amazing how something as disposable as scratchcards can be turned into such beautiful works of art.”

To visit James’ website, click here.

Showcasing the beauty of Nidderdale through art

Many of us have come to appreciate nature more during lockdown, including Nidderdale landscape artist Sarah Garforth.

In normal times, Nidderdale’s rivers, reservoirs and footpaths are Sarah’s muse — but the last year has given her breathing space to look at where she lives in a new way.

She said:

“Even though I’m very much about the countryside and nature I’ve noticed more things this year. I’ve taken the time to look at things properly, and we all feel we’ve had that time this year.”

Sarah works from Ramsgill Studio in Upper Nidderdale, which she bought nine years ago as a derelict barn to convert into a contemporary space to showcase her work and that of fellow artists.

She said she is fortunate to be able to call Nidderdale her home and to be able to use creativity as a tool to get through this strange year.

She said:

“That was a conversation that often came up amongst my friends. Also, how lucky we are to have a creative mind. A lot of people found the solitude as something really hard for them to cope with.

“Being creative people, we’re also quite happy setting ourselves a project and cracking on with it. We get a lot of pleasure making things and producing things.”

Nidd Gorge by Sarah Garforth

Sarah has had lots of commissions during lockdown. She said more people were coming to Nidderdale to take inspiration for art, to explore or simply relax.

She said:

“Up here it really is all about nature and the countryside. It’s encouraging that people are tapping into that a little bit more and starting to notice what’s free and around us all the time.”

An exhibition based on Nidd Gorge will take place from December 12 until spring at Chantry House Gallery in Ripley. It is also being held online for people who cannot attend due to lockdown.

The exhibition includes art from Sarah as well as Hanna Kerwin, Mark Sofilas, John Thornton and William Watson.

Sarah added:

“It’s a cracking topic. It’s to showcase the beauty of it and how picturesque the woodland and the gorge itself are.”

Pateley Bridge artist creates Tour de Yorkshire art

A Pateley Bridge artist has created six images of Yorkshire in collaboration with the organisers of the Tour de Yorkshire.

Claire Baxter’s images celebrate scenic views the riders have passed since the annual event began in 2015.

Ms Baxter, the official Tour de Yorkshire artist , said she wanted to capture the diversity of Yorkshire and the excitement of the race.

Her images have been released despite last week’s announcement that the Tour de Yorkshire has been postponed to 2022 due to covid.

The collection is called Tour Baht’at, which refers to the folk song Ilkley Moor Baht’at.

Ms Baxter, who works mainly with oils at her Pateley gallery, said:

“I was excited and honoured to be announced as the official artist for the Tour de Yorkshire 2020 and despite the difficulties we have faced this year and postponement of the race itself, I am so pleased to finally release the six images I have painted.

“To get inspiration I spent several days driving along different sections of the route which brought home to me how lucky I am to live in God’s Own County and how gruelling the Tour de Yorkshire is for the riders. I am thrilled with the end result.”

According to Welcome to Yorkshire, the 2018 Tour de Yorkshire generated £98 million for the local economy.

Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive James Mason said:

“We had no choice but to postpone this year’s Tour de Yorkshire but we’re delighted to have Claire’s incredible artwork as a reminder of how fantastic this race is and how it showcases the county in a spectacular way.

“There has never been a more important time to support independent artists and businesses, whilst celebrating the arts and sport.”

To look at the art in more detail click here.

StrayArt with Johnny Messum: The Inside Story

Each month he will look at art, exhibitions and events across Yorkshire and sometimes further afield with the aim of guiding and inspiring us.

Setting out to write for the Stray Ferret – which I am delighted to see is going from strength to strength – I had in mind that my articles would look first at Art in the landscape in its last flush of autumn and then look at Art inside. I had not appreciated that we would all follow these instructions so assiduously!

Our home may be where our heart is, and it is also a place that is playing an increasingly important role in our lives, acting as the location of not just living, but work, and often indeed of socialising, which is done increasingly on-line nowadays. There is even a subgenre of interior design specialising in the perfect backdrop for your online video calls. But is your collection just for show for others to see, and if not does it really matter how it is presented? The answer is yes and no to both questions.

Glass art by Dante Marioni, Elliot Walker, Makoto Kagoshima

If you are thinking of collecting it is easier to say what you are not doing than what you are. For example, I am not interested in only buying ceramic works by British designers from 1950-1965, or I am only buying in the price range of £x, or I am only interested in furniture with mouse carvings on them. Some of the greatest collections have been inspired by very simple principles and not always with big budgets. Most collections I have visited or taken part in designing have always had to concede to the object and give objects primacy in the visual narrative.

But how do we live with Art? I hope you will go along with me if I suggest that Art is not just the object but also the process of how it is made – and that process gives an object its beauty. I am not an interior designer but what I do look at – and very good interior designers do this too – is the materials and the craftsmanship of an object. So in that sense a contrast can work really well. For example, well made vintage furniture – Heals mid 20^th Century – with craftsmanship and good design – can set off something really expressive and even unruly. Contrasting materials is really satisfying as well, and Glass is a material at the heart of European art history and yet all too rare in this country.

Well placed objects can be an inspiration on a daily basis as we pass them or stare at them over the top of a desk top. They are portals to the world of their creative makers, to memories of when they entered your life and assets to enjoy. So think about them as characters and imagine who or what they would like to share space with and you have probably latched onto your next thing. Remember matching is pleasing but contrast is interesting.

When we come off lockdown on 2 December and you wish to look at beautiful and beautifully made objects and see how they are displayed, I recommend visits to Temple Newsam in Leeds and the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle – each offering important collections of European fine and decorative arts in room settings – real treasure houses in a county so rich in country houses.

Messums Yorkshire, 4-6 James Street, Harrogate is usually open Thursdays to Saturdays from 10am – 5pm. The exhibitions of glass artist Dante Marioni and artist Charles Poulsen are now extended to 2 January, due to closure until 5 December, following government guidelines.

Thousands tune in to first ever online Harrogate Literature Festival

Thousands tuned in to the first ever digital Harrogate Literature Festival this past weekend.

The festival was forced to be streamed online due to the coronavirus pandemic, but organisers say the event was still a success.

Viewers tuned in to the free programme of 17 events, with the digital delivery allowing book lovers from across the UK to engage with prominent writers, politicians and journalists.

Among those who gave talks were author Matt Haig, classicist Natalie Haynes and Labour MPs Jess Phillips and David Lammy.

Although the events moved online, Harrogate International Festivals, the arts charity behind the literature festival wanted to keep the community at the heart of the project.

Hundreds of stories were submitted to the 10 Word Story competition, and over hundred books were gifted in the Raworth’s Blind Date With a Book initiative.

As author talks began, literature came to life in Harrogate with a light installation in the form of a book. The story of Harrogate, 10 word stories and traditional tales were illuminated on its pages.

The story of Harrogate was illuminated on the book’s pages.

Sharon Canavar, chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:

“The light of human stories and the power of books certainly shone through, breaking down barriers of isolation and reaching new audiences, demonstrating the importance of festival in our cultural landscape.

“Ticket sales are normally a huge part of our income, but this year’s events were all free of charge. We thank those audience members who donated to our arts charity in lieu of tickets, helping us work towards bridging the financial gap, the first step to securing the future of Harrogate International Festivals.

“This was an extraordinary festival for an unpreceded year, and whilst we celebrate the success of the event – taking Harrogate to the world – in order for our arts charity to survive we need to be able to welcome the world to Harrogate. Whether that will be possible in 2021 we just don’t know.”

Traditional tales shone on Friday and Saturday night.

Image Gallery: Brackenfield School pupils create art with 100 leaves

A collaboration with a local artist has seen Harrogate pupils challenged to create works of art from 100 leaves.

The autumnal project asked Brackenfield School students and their families to use fallen leaves to produce an artistic piece, pattern or design.

Open to all year groups, the competition saw year 6 pupil Harry crowned the winner by artist James Brunt.

A lion’s mane of leaves

An autumnal hedgehog

The winning entry, by Harry

A cheery sunflower

A seasonal heart

Art event will raise money for Harrogate hospital charity

Local artist Jos Haigh will sell her work at a preview event to raise money for Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity.

The event, at the Cedar Court Hotel in Harrogate on November 27, will showcase Ms Haigh’s vibrant wildlife art while also generating funds for the charity.

One hundred percent of the sale prices will go to the charity, which funds specialist equipment, training and services at Harrogate District Hospital outside what the NHS provides.

The charity recently funded colouring and art materials for patients at the hospital during the pandemic.

People who attend the preview event will have the opportunity to meet Ms Haigh, who lives in Harrogate and exhibits all over the country, as well as enjoy mince pies and mulled wine.

Christmas gifts and the charity’s newly launched 2021 calendar will also be on sale.

Ms Haigh told the Stray Ferret her works of art had been in a gallery in York for three weeks but lockdown had restricted viewings so she decided to donate them to the charity. She added:

“I chose to donate these paintings after the extremely tough year HDFT has had dealing with a global pandemic as well as the usual challenges that healthcare brings.

“I wanted to say a rainbow thank you to my local NHS trust for all it has done and continues to do.”

Sammy Lambert, business development, charity and volunteer manager at HHCC, said:

“We are so grateful for this incredible donation of paintings from Jos. They are beautiful and will brighten up people’s homes, even more so in the knowledge that they are supporting their local NHS.”

The preview evening is free to attend but tickets must but pre-booked. To get one, email hdft.hhcc@nhs.net.

If you can’t make the evening, Ms Haigh’s paintings are available to view and purchase here.

Art exhibition raises money for Harrogate cancer centre

An artist with terminal cancer is staging an exhibition to raise funds for a local charity that has been treating her illness.

Sharon Tinayre Carrick, a much-loved art teacher from Harrogate, wanted to raise money for the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at Harrogate District Hospital.

Ms Carrick was determined to support the staff that have helped her during several months of treatment.

Her exhibition at Art in the Mill in Knaresborough was initially planned for March but had to be postponed due to coronavirus.

Both Sharon and the gallery owner, Andy Grinter, were determined to continue with their plans at a later date.

Over 80% of the items in her solo exhibition have already sold, despite only opening on Thursday. The total raised currently stands at £4350.

Ms Carrick, who uses her middle name to sign her art, said:

“It’s wonderful that all this art is raising so much money. I think it will make a big difference to the centre, they tried really hard with me and it’s really important they’re supported.

These charities are really important. It’s the most positive thing in my life right now and to know so many people are supporting it is just wonderful.”

The ‘Was I Really There’ exhibition is a collection of pieces using different mediums, including some following a birthday trip to Venice with family.

Mr Grinter, owner of Art in the Mill, said:

“We have put an awful lot of work into this alongside Sharon, and she decided very early on it would be a fundraiser to thank people for their help. It’s gone far above and beyond what we were expecting. People have seized the opportunity to remember and to support Sharon. It was all her idea, energy and commitment and of course we have done all we can to support it.

“After lockdown it was all hands on deck to bring it together. It’s been a great success, it is a standing testament to the amount of goodwill and sentiment in the community.”

As an art teacher, Ms Carrick worked with students at Rossett Adult Learning and The Orb in Knaresborough.

Harrogate artist hopes for gallery showcase as lockdown eases

A Harrogate artist is hoping for further recognition for his work as galleries begin to reopen following lockdown.

Andrew Moodie was a lawyer for 30 years before he changed career paths to pursue his love for art.

During lockdown, he has enjoyed the additional free time to explore the local countryside and paint. He now hopes to build on his skills and find a gallery to work alongside.

Mr Moodie said:

“I was a lawyer for 30 years but never felt like the right thing to be doing. It paid the bills but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I can now just head out into the sun instead of staring at it out of a window. I go out quite a lot to find somewhere to paint but it’s not as easy it sounds. You need local knowledge to find the best places.”

Andrew is often taking his easel around the district to paint.

Over lockdown, Andrew has been able to take part in online classes to improve his skills within different art forms. Now, he is hoping to take the next step in his new career. He said:

“I hope to get more recognition and improve my skills. You need that recognition to get a spot in a gallery but hopefully that will come with time. Being a lawyer, I had to be direct and precise but now I can just splash the paint on the canvas which is always fun.”

He also featured on the previous series of Sky Arts “Landscape Artist of the Year”. His work is currently sold through online platforms Artfinder, in the UK, and Singulart, based in Paris.

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