In this brief, we have the opportunity to respond to an art piece from the collection at Nottingham Castle, or to make work in response to the castle and grounds itself. Today, we visited the castle to meet Deborah Dean, Visual Arts Collections and Exhibitions Manager, and seek inspiration for the project.
On my first visit, there were several things that inspired me. Firstly, the incredible view from the castle grounds. Set at the top of a hill, the castle is the highest location for miles around, and there is an unobstructed 360 degree panoramic landscape visible. The castle itself changes the feel of the landscape.
There are several different exhibitions within the castle. I was really drawn to the craft exhibition room, which contains saltware pieces and alabaster religious carvings. The room is lined with renderings of stained glass windows, which emit a soft light and so the room itself has a calm, earthy atmosphere that’s pleasant to be in.
In the Long Gallery, there were some interesting landscapes and works around the theme of ‘nature close up’. There is also work dotted around the castle and I was interested in a particular painting in one of the stairwells that was named ‘the blasted tree’, by Andrew McCallum. It is a painting that shows the drama of the landscape, and it reminded me of the idea of the ‘sublime’, and artists who aim to depict the majesty of nature which is a topic that resonates with me. Deborah Dean informed me of another painting by the same artist that is currently archived in the castle’s collection and I am interested in looking into it further.
The Blasted Tree
The craft collection room
The lace collection room
The long gallery
View from the castle
Castle entrance
Stairwell with tree paintings