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Looking Glass e-book

This work addresses the dislocation experienced on revisiting my hometown and the subsequent submersion of fragmented childhood memories. It is both a reconstruction of a time of innocence and a reclamation of a family archive. A potent mixture of facts, feelings and half forgotten photographs blend together with images of treasured artefacts.

"Is it possible to preserve a memory or are they like history, an inevitable series of adaptations re-told in numerous different versions as we progress through our lives. Sometimes it is a sudden recollection that sparks a journey back in time triggered by sight, sound or smell that is purer before we have the chance to analyse our feelings or responses..."

I find myself scouring old family photographs hoping to rediscover the utopian sense of innocent fantasy and familial security. Like Roland Barthes’ search for the essential portrayal of his mother, I seek out traces of a former period in my life.

The e-book Looking Glass is free to download from Blurb here (available from April 2024).

 

Back & Fill: An Exhibition

'Landscapes of Longing' reflects on the tranquility of a popular beauty spot. Nature has reclaimed her territory enveloping our man-made interventions and making them her own. Local tradition claims the lakes at Waggoners Wells NT as 'hammer ponds' providing water to power machinery in iron production c. 1500-1700AD. The combination of surrounding ancient woodlands and lakes create damp conditions supporting the unusually large variety of lichens and mosses which cover the bark on the old trees at the water's edge. 

'Back & Fill: An Exhibition' is part of a multi town festival 30 October - 1 November 2020. Arranged by the Hotwalls Studios in collaboration with Marine Studios in Margate, this exhibition celebrates the creativity and resilience of coastal artists, uniting coastal communities across the UK in a shared, creative purpose.

Exhibition runs from Fri 30 October - Sun 1 November 2020 - Sat & Sun 10:00-16:00hrs

 

SMiLE Summer Exhibition

The series Pool of Tears (Alice) is currently on show at the SMiLE Summer Exhibition at the Yellow Edge Gallery, Gosport. 

'Founded in 2019 the Yellow Edge Gallery is one of Hampshire’s newest contemporary art galleries.  Its mission is to exhibit contemporary works by practicing artists, promoting and strengthening the community of artists, and fostering new relationships with fellow artists'.

Exhibition runs from 5 August to 13 September 2020.

 

England Remembered Book Update

The book design by artist, Natalie Dowse, gently blends photography and poetry in a seamless flow, alternating verse of the soldier poets and modern day responses, and uniting all with the distinctive animation lines created by Helen June Crumpholt for the England Remembered Video. 

Find out the background to the England Remembered Book in Poetry and Art - Visual Connections on the englandremembered.blog

This charity book (publication delayed) will be made available as an e-book for education purposes through the England Remembered Website (to be launched) with links to donate to H4H (Help for Heroes) or your preferred charity.  Photographs are published with kind permission of the National Trust and West Dean Gardens. Project supported by the University of Portsmouth.



 

England Remembered Instagram

Launched in Feb 2019 @englandremembered features archive images of the Soldier Poets, their families and friends along with snippets from englandremembered.blog posts. 

Nowell Oxland’s father was the Vicar at St Augustine’s Church in Alston and perhaps the most poignant memorial to his son remains in the church to this day. A pair of portraits either side of the altar. This one depicts Nowell as St George. The other could be St Michael or even St Pancras of Rome - as he holds a sword, but also carries a palm branch, the symbol of martyrdom, in his left hand.  (Image - livesofthefirstworldwar.org)
englandremembered.blog - Outward Bound - Nowell Oxland

Nowell and William Noel Hodgson were old pals from Durham School days.  Legend has it they broke bounds on Ascension Morning 1910 for a secret bird-nesting expedition before roll-call. A chase by gamekeepers and a cadged breakfast meant punishment for Oxland as Head of School and his side-kick Hodgson. Oxland was sent down and lost a year in his academic career, whereas Hodgson, the golden pupil, athlete and scholar, received the cane for misbehaving.....
englandremembered.blog - Nowell Oxland & William Noel Hodgson



 

England Remembered Blog

The englandremembered.blog re-launched in January 2019 shares current research for the solider poets’ biographies in the England Remembered Book and introduces our modern day writers and poets.  This is very much a collaborative project running over the next few years and will include interviews with our modern day poets together with excerpts of their work. Currently featuring posts by contributors Chris Martin, Tom Gorman, Denise Bennett and researcher Fiona McVey.    



 

RWA 165 Annual Open Exhibition

Pool of Tears (Alice) image is currently on show at the RWA 165 Annual Open Exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol. 

'The renowned RWA Annual Open Exhibition returns for its 165th year with a stunning variety of work from emerging and established artists.....  2017's Invited Artists are Royal Academy President and prolific painter, printmaker and sculptor Christopher Le Brun, and photographic artist Tom Hunter, primarily known for his work documenting everyday life in Hackney, London.' 

Exhibition runs from 1 October to 3 December 2017 - details of current 171 Open Exhibition 2024

 

Alice & The Looking Glass

Exhibition Opens at Petersfield Museum and The Flora Twort Gallery on Tuesday 22 August 2017.  Works inspired by 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There' by Lewis Carroll. 

We are led through this tale of riddles and left to question if it is ‘love that makes the world go round’ or as Alice claims ‘everybody minding their own business’.   Multi layered photographs and delicate mirrored imagery connect us to her journey.  

Exhibition closes 2nd September 2017.