All Things Considered

Women of Bardfield
Posted by Simon Lewin

Next Sunday sees the opening of a new exhibition at the Fry Gallery in Saffron Walden.

'Women of Bardfield' exhibits the work of the artists who worked in this Essex village, which during the 40s and 50s was home to artists and designers including Edward Bawden, Eric Ravilious, Sheila Robinson (whose work is pictured below), Bernard Cheese, Marianne Straub and Walter Hoyle.

From the Fry Art Gallery website...

"There are wood engravings, box constructions and paintings by Tirzah Ravilious, oils paintings and pots by Charlotte Bawden, and remarkable marbled papers by both artists, often working together at the kitchen table. Sheila Robinson invented the cardboard cut and there are a number of these together with an unpublished book Seven Dancing Princesses. Lucy, the first wife of John Aldridge, was a rag rug maker and one of her pieces is on show together with a portrait of her at her work. Marianne Straub had a distinguished career in woven textiles and there are examples on display. Many people will have sat on her work while riding on London Transport's buses or Underground trains.

Besides all this work these women artists and wives were remarkable for the richness of the decorations of their own homes- a quality which lives on in photographs at the time, and the tradition of decorating interiors with interesting object d'art, handicrafts, linocut wallpapers and found objects. "

On a related note, we're delighted to be hosting an exhibition of work by Chloe Cheese (Bernard Cheese and Sheila Robinson's daughter) in December 2010.

Chloe studied at Cambridge Art School and then the Royal College of Art. She has exhibited at galleries worldwide and has work in public collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London and the Arts Council of Great Britain.

'Women of Bardfield' opens on Sunday 4th April 2010 at the Fry Art Gallery.

If you'd like to receive an invitation to Chloe's exhibition with us in December, please sign up for our e-mail newsletter. In the meantime, you can view examples of her prints at our online print store.

Posted by Simon Lewin on March 27th, 2010