Arts & Entertainment

Somerset Reacquainted

A COLLECTIVE REFLECTION BY 63 SOMERSET ARTISTS DURING LOCKDOWN

‘SOMERSET REACQUAINTED’ is a project which captures the essence of a rural county in lockdown from the perspective of more than 60 artists. It seeks to reflect and communicate the experience of isolation we all shared. The artists’ responses are at once deeply personal but also more widely applicable.

Opening at Somerset Rural Life Museum on 19 September the exhibition will include a display of images, text, digital work, objects, sketches and original artworks produced through the project. It is an opportunity to gain an insight into an artistic exploration that is rarely seen by the public.

Set within the boundaries of Somerset, the project presents a collaborative document of a rural county in

isolation—capturing our relationship with the local environment and redefining the role of artists within their communities. It also reflects each artist’s world during this unique time.

Somerset Art Works aimed to engage and support artists across the county in response to the unprecedented challenges they faced during lockdown. ‘Somerset Reacquainted’ arose from conversations between the artist Sara Dudman and Zoe Li, Artist Development Manager at Somerset Art Works. It encouraged artists to refocus their practice by refreshing their engagements with nature, locality and community, using the idea of reacquaintance as a starting point for rediscovering the excitement and purpose of making art. Artists were invited to explore the rhythms of their daily life and surroundings, responding in ways which suggested new engagement with familiar places and activities. More than 60 artists took part in the project through a process of cascaded invitation issued by artists to artists.

In times of crisis, artists have always sought to use their unique methods and visual language to articulate, document and interpret experience. The artworks resulting from this project can be viewed as a time-capsule in which feelings and experiences are captured and preserved, but also as a way to allow anyone to share the same events. You can see the artists’ sharing on Somerset Art Works website and Instagram @somerset_art_works #somersetreacquainted.

The Exhibition will be open at Somerset Rural Life Museum, Glastonbury, 19 September – 21 November 2020. Visiting hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm (pre-book only).

A series of podcasts by artists sharing their thoughts will take place on Monday, Wednesday, Friday 21, 23, 25, 28, 30 Sept & 2 Oct 6-7pm, during the Somerset Open Studios event. To find out more, visit somersetartworks.org.uk/ somersetreacquainted A n afternoon of sunshine and breeze but more importantly, a programme of wonderful live music performed by clarinet player Chris Gradwell with the ISCA String Quartet took place in the garden at Old Harbour House down at Axmouth Harbour on 30th August.

Due to the Covid19 pandemic, the numbers attending were limited with seats all socially distanced for the 24 ticket holders. The venue for the “New Life” Classical Garden Concert was identified over a coffee by Chris Gradwell, who considered the lower deck at Old Harbour House to be ideal for five particular musicians to perform.

Within a very short time, he had the agreement of the ISCA Quartet so the Concert date was confirmed and arrangements began though it soon became apparent that this event could not be publicly advertised and the numbers attending would have to be far lower than pre pandemic.

The programme included a range of composers—in the first half BBC TVs Victorian Kitchen Garden, Prelude and Summer by Paul Reade, then the Argentinian Bandonian player, composer and Tango specialist Astor Piazzola’s Oblivion, Gordon Langford’s Two Variations on an Irish Folk Song, Dvorak’s Humoresque for Strings and then Gerald Finzi’s Fughetta.

The second half of the concert saw the breeze increasing and Roger Hendy, the viola player, being repeatedly buzzed by a wasp and endeavouring to deflect it by his moving bow! The musicians though continued with the second half of the concert, quite undaunted by the wasps and the breeze, performing Amadeus Mozart’s wonderful work. The String Quartet then performed Edward Elgar’s Chanson de Matin for Strings and finally George Gershwin’s I Got Rhythm arranged by the late Gordon Langford who was also a Seaton Tram owner.

Outside on the crabbing point families were busy, others heading for the beach, but all appreciative of the music, lingering to enjoy the wonderful sound and joining in the applause. One young girl, with her family crabbing, showed her appreciation by continuously dancing to the music. Dot Browni g commented: ‘I am only sorry not to have been able to capture that on camera! My thanks particularly to the musicians and all who supported this event with such generous donations to be distributed between Seaton Music Club, Devon Air Ambulance and East Devon Fishermen’s Association—and particular thanks to Chris Gradwell for organising this event.’