The Art History Reading Challenge asked you to read six books, of any kind, about art.
I wanted to focus on woman artists and local art – and that has taken me on a lovely journey. Here’s the list:
Laura Knight by Caroline Fox
The story of maybe the most famous woman artist to pass through Cornwall. I love her work and I’m looking forward to starting on her two volumes of autobiography before too long.
An Equal Stillness by Francesca Kay
A fictional biography of a 20th century woman artists. It has some quite extraordinary descriptions of art and was a very worthy winner of The Orange Award for new writers earlier this year.
Arthur Rackham: a Life With Illustration by James Hamilton
I have always loved Arthur Rackham’s illustrations from a very early age, and so when I saw this in the library I had to bring it up. A thorough and well-written autobiography and masses of wonderful illustrations. What more could you want?!
Moon Behind Clouds: An Introduction to the life and work of Sir Claude Francis Barry by Katie Campbell
When I look on the library shelves dedicated to local artists I can usually place all of the names. But not this one, and so I picked up the book. I discovered a colourful body of work – and a colourful life.
Norman Garstin: Irishman and Newlyn Artist by Richard Pryke
Who was the man who painted the defining picture of my home town? I found the answer in a wonderful biography and discovered much more of his work.
Drawn Here by Mary Fletcher
This one caught my eye on the new books shelf in the library. And it’s a book that I would probably never have seen or known about if the art collection for the county wasn’t housed in my local library. It’s self-published you see. Number 30 of a limited edition of just 36.
For two weeks in September 2008 during the St Ives Arts Festival Mary Fletcher met with a range of people who came to her to be sketched and to talk about their roots and where and why they had travelled.
A wide range of people: locals, people who had moved to the area from far and wide, visitors from home and abroad who were passing through. The St Ives Arts Festival attracts a remarkable range of people!
They took away the original sketch, while she kept a carbon copy and notes of what had been said.
This book is compiled from those sketches and notes. That’s all. The sketches are just a few lines. The words are equally brief. And yet it’s enough.
It’s book to remind you that publishing doesn’t have to be remote and corporate. It can be small and local. And that art doesn’t have to be grand. It can be quiet and personal. And, maybe most importantly, that everyone has a story to tell.
Thanks are due to Sarah for hosting The Art History Reading Challenge. I’ll definitely be continuing my forays into the library’s art collection.
Congratulations on completing the challenge!
Thank You,
Nikos