British Folk Art at Tate Britain
An embroidery stitched by a seafarer, an intricate pin cushion created by wounded soldiers during the Crimean War and a cockerel sculpted from mutton bones are among the eccentric and remarkable offerings here. An elusive and often overlooked artistic genre is given high art status at Tate Britain in what is, surprisingly, the first major exhibition of such work. Extraordinary, humble creations by anonymous self-taught artists sit alongside those of more prominent individuals, such as the Cornish painter Alfred Wallace and George Smart, the tailor of Frant.
The exhibition is curated by Martin Myrone, Curator, Tate Britain, Ruth Kenny, Assistant Curator, Tate Britain and artist Jeff McMillan. The exhibition will be open at Tate Britain to 31 August 2014 and then tour to Compton Verney, Warwickshire, from 27 September to14 December 2014. A fully illustrated book accompanies the show.
Bone cockerel, 230 x 120 x 230 mm, Peterborough Museum
Crimean Quilt, image courtesy of Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery
Pin Cushion, photo © Tate Photography, courtesy of Beamish Museum
Patchwork bedcover, James-Williams, Wrexham, 1842-52
Comments [0] Sign in to comment