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TASNEE News Update February 2021
The first thing that I would like to say, is a big thank you for all the positive feedback we had after the January lecture by Linda Smith ‘Paula Rego: Painting women on the Edge and Tales of the Unexpected’. Many members did not know her work and found it absolutely fascinating; one or two did not like the work but emailed to thank us for keeping the lectures going through Zoom. I do hope that it will be possible to go to Tate Britain to view the exhibition of her work this summer. All feedback really is appreciated – we are all new to this and the more we learn the better we can make it. I hardly dare whisper it, let alone say it out loud but there do seem to be positive
murmurings concerning the relaxation of lockdown - with the vaccine and gradually fewer
infections or hospitalisations and although the weather continues to be nothing but wintry,
there is definitely more light in the mornings and evenings. Spring is ‘just around the
corner’.
However for the foreseeable future our lectures are going to be on-line, offered only in this
‘Zoom Webinar’ format. Almost half our members have now successfully joined the
monthly lectures on-line. Please do encourage other members to do so; many emails admit
it was easier to join in than they had expected and as we have said, there are some
advantages – the quality and clarity of the slides and the sound.
Our next step, at some stage in the (hopefully, not too distant) future, will be to offer the
lecture live in a venue AND through Zoom, so that members will be able to choose how they
listen to the talks.
I am going to continue to include the information about how to join the Zoom webinar
lecture each month in the Newsletter, to encourage those of you who have not yet joined to
do so and as a reminder to everyone else:
Joining the Zoom webinar lecture
It is very straightforward to join a Zoom meeting or webinar, as shown below:
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Zoom instructions: To participate in our lectures via Zoom webinar you
can download a Zoom app onto your device or join our lecture directly via a Zoom link. The
easiest method is if you have already downloaded the Zoom App.
The invitation to the Zoom lecture will be sent on Tuesday 16 February. Provided you
register in advance when you receive the invitation, you will be reminded on the day with
another email and just have to click on the link.
To help those who are unfamiliar with Zoom here is a link to a short Zoom Video
Tutorial which explains how to join a Zoom meeting or webinar.
NB
Please do contribute to our TASNEE Newsletter.
It would be so much richer and interesting with ideas and recommendations from more members.
We aim to send out the next Newsletter at the beginning of March 2021, to be with you before the 18 March lecture, so if you have a contribution that you would like to be included, please email it to me at: [email protected] just entitled ‘Newsletter’.
Contributions to be with me by Sunday 7 March 2021 please.
Nicky Johnston
Zoom Webinar Lecture Programme
Thursday 18 February 11am
Peggy Guggenheim Alexandra Epps
She was described as the 'poor little rich girl' who changed the face of twentieth century art.
Not only was Peggy Guggenheim ahead of her time but she was the woman who helped define it. She discovered and nurtured a new generation of artists producing a new kind of art. Through collecting not only art but the artists themselves, her life was as radical as her collection.
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The Annual General Meeting 2021
The AGM is normally held directly before the February lecture but in 2021 this will not be the case. It has been decided to postpone the 2021 AGM until later in the year when hopefully, there will be the possibility of members being able to attend the meeting and lecture in person.
The Programme Booklet should be amended accordingly; please refer to the TASNEE website for up-to-date news.
Thursday 18 March 11am
Field of the cloth of Gold: 6000 Englishmen in France Jo Mabbutt
In June 1520 Henry VIII and Francis 1 met to ratify an Anglo-French alliance and to celebrate the betrothal of Henry’s daughter Mary to the Dauphin. The two handsome ‘Renaissance
Princes’ were both in their 20’s with similar reputations in military prowess, sport and patrons of the Arts. Both had imperial ambitions and were eager to display themselves as magnificent noblemen and warrior kings. Each took 6000 to a field in Calais for 18 days of events and entertainments staged to display the skill and splendour of each King and country. How was it all achieved?
Thursday 15 April 11am
Picasso and Britain: Art, Politics and Outcry Kate Aspinall
Pablo Picasso had a tumultuous relationship with Britain over the course of his life, related to both his personal politics and the shock of his art. This hour-long talk examines the lasting effects of Picasso on Britain, looking not only at the artist’s two visits to England (1919 and 1950) but also the turning point that the display of his monumental Guernica (1937) in 1938-9 precipitated for British artists. This relationship and the surrounding public controversies reveal a multitude of fascinating connections between the most prolific artist of the twentieth century and a country on the verge of its global artistic renaissance.
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Day of Special Interest
West Essex is going to hold a zoom Day of Special interest with Sandy Burnett The details are : Wednesday 10 March 10.30 am to 1 pm. Day of Special Interest A Classical Music Crash Course by Sandy Burnett. This course covers three hundred years of great classical music from the first enduring opera, Claudio Monteverdi's L'Orfeo (1607) to the work that perhaps more than any other signalled the start of modernism - The Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky (1913). Progressing through the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras, Sandy will discuss what role music played in each and illustrate how composers went about the process of shaping their works. The aim of the course is to give a clear understanding of the essential elements of music in each era and to enable us to listen to classical music with fresh ears and greater understanding. A glossary of key terms will be provided, along with a suggested reading list. The cost of the morning will be £10 per device. If you wish to attend please email Diana Meteyard at: [email protected]
Articles, Reviews, Recommendations and Links
The Minories, Colchester An update from the Chair of the Victor Batte-Lay Foundation, which owns the Minories and its collection of East Anglian art, Ben Coode-Adams. Dear Members of The Arts Society North East Essex, As you may know, Colchester Institute decided to shut down the Minories building during the first lockdown. To fulfil the terms of their lease they are currently completing an extensive repair and renovation schedule of works on the building which we hope will be finished by the spring. In the meantime the Victor Batte Lay Foundation has set up ‘We are the Minories’ to implement a programme of art strands, funded by a grant from
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the Arts Council: England's Cultural Recovery Fund. Two full-time staff are in place - Jade Fothergill, Operations Manager and Alex Hugo, Strategy Manager to oversee the activities and I have now taken over as chair of the VBLF.
As part of this work ‘We are the Minories’ will very shortly be 'popping-up' in the old Laura Ashley unit on the corner of Pelhams Lane and Trinity Square in the town centre. The space will be used to host the first cohort of artist residencies and exhibit their work, along with some pieces from the Victor Batte Lay collection, in the windows. We are also collaborating with the volunteer organisation Community360 on another empty unit in the town centre and hope to be delivering some community activities there when restrictions allow. We are working on the early stages of a project entitled Fashion & Blackness, the brainchild of a new trustee, Sophie Kabangu and have now appointed an evaluator to document and report on our programmes over the coming months.
We have further exciting plans for the future of our building when we can move back in, including the possibility of creating artist studios, shared space with local charities, projects in the garden and improved accessibility. We look forward to forging a closer relationship with the Arts Society, North East Essex, and welcome opportunities to collaborate and work together for the benefit of The Minories and the creative community it supports. Ben Coode-Adams
The Vikings: AD 750s -1060s - A Tour of the 2014 British Museum show.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/vikings-live
This wonderful tour ‘Vikings Live’ was first
broadcast in cinemas. The exhibition’s
intention was to place the Vikings in a wider
context, exploring their ships and swords,
burials and beliefs, language and legacy. It is
also a reminder of how the Vikings have
shaped our lives today.
The presenters are Michael Wood and Bettany Hughes who draw on the expertise of
Curator Gareth Williams, and former British Museum director, Neil MacGregor.
The exhibition casts new light on the ways in which the Vikings interacted with the wider
world. Traditionally, they are depicted as plunderers, raiders, which they certainly were.
Their role as traders and settlers has perhaps been underestimated in the retelling of their
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raids on villages and monasteries. Indeed, it must have been a truly terrifying sight
watching Viking ships driving upriver or across the seas, bearing down on your settlement.
‘men will quake with terror/ before the seventy sea-oars/ are given deserved respite/ from
the labours of the ocean/ Norwegian arms are driving/ the iron studded dragon/ down the
storm-tossed river / like an eagle with wings [Icelandic ‘skald’, poet, 1062]
The extent of Viking exploration, trading and settlement is discussed. Their range extending
from Eastern Canada in the west, journeys to Constantinople and along the Russian rivers to
the east and to North Africa in the south.
Their Scandinavian homelands were riddled with waterways, inlets and rivers, hence the
importance of ships to the Vikings. The show’s star exhibit is a monumental ship, the largest
ever discovered and a stunning centre-piece. In such ships high-ranking Vikings would have
been buried, together with items for daily use and treasures. [The newly-released Netflix
film, ‘The Dig’ about the discoveries at Sutton Hoo in 1938 may well be worth watching for
more on this subject.]
We are given fascinating insights into Viking beliefs, their understanding that their gods
were alive and present in the world. Great warriors could look forward to being escorted to
Valhalla by the Valkyries. Their reward: to fight and feast for eternity.
The role of women is explored, although much remains to be discovered here. Viking poetry
primarily reflects a male world. However, it is known that women and children sometimes
accompanied men on their long sea voyages. There are stories of women engaging in
battles, but further evidence is required to confirm this. Women held sway in the home and
had reputations as healers with a ‘hotline to the gods,’ and they sometimes presided over
funerals. These roles must have given them considerable prestige.
There is much more to enjoy in this engaging, informative tour, including the linguistic and genetic legacies left behind by these people. A fascinating reminder of how the Vikings shaped our modern world. Mandy Charleston
The Grinling Gibbons Society is delighted to announce that HRH The Prince of Wales will be Patron of the national festival (August 2021 to August 2022), Grinling Gibbons 300: Carving a Place in History, celebrating the life, genius and legacy of this extraordinary man.
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Grinling Gibbons (born 4 April 1648, Rotterdam - died 3 Aug 1721, London) is the most celebrated British woodcarver of the 17th century. Gibbons was born in Rotterdam to English parents. He emigrated to England in the 1660s to work first in York and then London. After his arrival in London Gibbons quickly attracted attention, and was given his first royal commission in 1675, when hired by Charles II to produce decorative carving for Windsor Castle. Over the next 25 years he completed important commissions for Whitehall Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, Hampton Court Palace and Blenheim Palace.
In 1693 he was appointed as master sculptor and carver in wood by King William III.
Gibbons pioneered a highly distinctive style, carving in very high relief with exceptional naturalistic detail. He had an ability to transform unyielding and solid media into ‘loose and airy lightness’ which saw Gibbons recognised as ‘the greatest master both for invention and rareness of work, that the world ever had in any age’. His trademark was cascades of fruit, leaves, flowers, foliage, fish, and birds. Gibbons worked primarily in limewood – a material whose uniform but soft structure makes it particularly well suited to high-relief carving. Described as the ‘Michelangelo of Wood’, Gibbons’ created masterpieces for Kensington, Hampton Court, Windsor and Whitehall palaces. His works are today represented in the Royal Collection and Historic Royal Palaces, as well as across national and international museums (V&A, British Museum, Ashmolean, the Met), country houses (Petworth, Blenheim and Belton), and churches (St Paul’s Cathedral, York Minster, Canterbury).
Grinling Gibbons 300: Carving a Place in History will begin on the anniversary of Gibbons death in August 2021 and run for twelve months until August 2022, with a programme of nation-wide of events, activity and education.
National Exhibition: ‘Centuries in the making’ will explore the influences that shaped Gibbons’ vision, skills and technique and the stylistic and cultural influences he brought to this country. Works are being assembled from national museums, regional collections, historic houses and some international lenders, and combined with contemporary artworks. Through sculpture and carving in wood and stone, drawings and sketches, portraits and documents, ‘Centuries in the making’ will bring a new perspective to Gibbons and his legacy. The exhibition will also examine how Gibbons’ bold new direction changed the landscape of British carving, sculpture and interiors, and how his extraordinary creative output inspired both his contemporaries and makers across the succeeding 300 years. The influence of Gibbons will be followed up to the present day, with works by contemporary artists and designers, and specially created artworks by talented emerging carvers.
Bonhams and Compton Verney: The exhibition will open at Bonhams, New Bond Street from 3rd
August 2021 and will be showcased in their galleries until 27th August.
The exhibition will tour to Compton Verney Art Gallery, Warwickshire, an award-winning art gallery located in a Grade 1 listed Robert Adam mansion set in 120 acres landscaped by Capability Brown. The exhibition will be on display from September through to February 2022.
Legacy: The GGS is creating a Traineeship programme and National Tercentennial Award, to
support emerging makers and the ongoing development of the skills and creativity as advanced by
Gibbons.
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Ideas for an Afternoon out
Castle Hedingham Castle Hedingham is an attractive mediaeval village dominated from above by its Castle keep, built around 1130 - 40 by the De Vere family, Earls of Oxford, which allowed them sight of all surrounding settlements. When it is open you can visit the keep and grounds. You can even take a course on falconry and attend special events like jousts! The grounds always have a wonderful display of snowdrops around this time of year. If you park in St James Street (that is in the centre of the village), you can admire some very pretty buildings like the Bell Inn, built originally as a hall house in 1440. It has a barrelled ceilinged function room at the rear called the Disraeli Room. This was the headquarters of the Hinckford Hundred Conservatives and Disraeli once spoke there. They did have a jazz club there on Sunday evenings in more recent times which I have been known to attend! Almost opposite is the Moot House, now a restaurant, originally perhaps a moot hall or market house. Outside here at the moment are chairs, tables and hand sanitiser so that you can sit and drink your tea, coffee or hot chocolate purchased in the village shop next door at a very low price! Not exactly barista style merely made by boiling a kettle!! As you sit notice the buildings opposite, pargetted and timber framed as are so many, then walk around the corner to Falcon Square and the 12 century Church of St Nicholas. Inside this beautiful building is an illuminated tapestry of the village with the houses etc being instantly recognisable. If you wander through the churchyard you will see the pretty cottages of Church Ponds. Continue walking around the village and find the house with the blue plaque to Eric Ravilious and if you familiar with his paintings you will recall that he made one of Falcon Square. Castle Hedingham is also famous for its pottery, made originally by Edward Bingham. An example of his work can be seen in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Bingham emigrated to the USA in 1906. Another interesting feature of this village is that it has no street lighting, so not so easy to visit at night! Throughout the month of December one house decorates and lights up a window each night up to 24th - it is its own Advent Calendar. Usually many people equipped with torches walk around and enjoy these clever displays I could look up and write heaps more about the history of this interesting village but I shall leave it to you to come, look, admire and then find out more about what appeals to you! Daphne Jones
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Firstsite Colchester The Great Big Art Exhibition
For lastly , for those who are feeling creative, take part in the largest exhibition ever staged!
While the doors to our art galleries and
museums are shut, let’s use our front
windows, balconies, gardens and roofs to
celebrate the creativity and resolve of the
nation, as we continue through the COVID
crisis.
While the doors to our art galleries and museums are shut, let’s use our front
windows, balconies, gardens and roofs to celebrate the creativity and resolve
of the nation, as we continue through the COVID crisis.
Firstsite, supported by the Plus Tate network, Arts Council England, a
selection of artists and National Museums, is leading ‘The Great Big Art
Exhibition’ – and everybody is invited to take part
If you are new to art, or need a little inspiration, we’ve invited lots of brilliant
artists to create artworks and activities to spark your imagination – including
Sonia Boyce, Jeremy Deller, Ryan Gander, Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor, Tai
Shani, and David Shrigley.
We’ve also included exciting artworks from art collections across the UK,
including the Ashmolean, the British Museum, The Courtauld, National Gallery,
National Portrait Gallery, National Museums Liverpool, The National Galleries
of Scotland, the Royal Academy and V&A.
To receive these and for details about how to get involved,
download the FREE pack from our website and follow the
instructions.
www.firstsite.uk
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Last Words
A reminder: the next lecture, by Alexandra Epps is about Peggy Guggenheim, a
great patron of the arts. It is on Thursday 18 February 11am.
The invitation to the lecture will be sent out on Tuesday 16 February.
Please do join us and encourage friends to do so too.
