Charleston

We went on a wonderful day trip today with a group from the Victoria & Albert Museum to Lewes in Sussex.

First stop was Charleston where the artists Venessa Bell, her friend and lover Duncan Grant, and his lover David Garnett, moved during the First World War.  (The domestic arrangements got more complicated after that).  Bell and Grant set about decorating most of the surfaces of the old farmhouse as you can see in the main.  It's a fascinating place to visit, and the energy, ambition and creativity of the curators is truly impressive.

In the afternoon we visited the studios of three local contemporary artists who each gave us an insight into their ways of working.  Tom Palmer works in a wide range of media.  In the extra he was showing us a huge acrylic "iris" (extra 1) that was made with the help of several small specialist factories who normally make parts for Formula One cars near Silverstone.  Currently he is most enthusiastic about working in alabaster.  Sophie Coryndon has developed a technique of casting plants and flowers that look as if they were embroidered in gold thread (extra 2).  And Ash & Plumb created wonderful pots from oak that look as if they have just been excavated after centuries in the ground (extra 3).  All three makers are passionate about how things are made and how the materials contribute to the final piece.  They are constantly experimenting.