Unravelling the National Trust: Uppark

Transcription

1 Unravelling the National Trust: Uppark Unravelling the National Trust is a series of exhibitions that aims to showcase extreme or conceptual craft in a site-specific context, showing in three different National Trust venues across the south east from The third exhibition is due to open at Uppark in West Sussex, part of The National Trust, on May 2 nd It will run for 6 months from 2 nd May 2014 till 2nd November Unravelled is an arts organisation that works with artists and crafts people who explore extreme or conceptual craft. The directors of Unravelled and the curators of Unravelling the National Trust are Polly Harknett (Independent Curator, Hoodwink Curator, formerly Contemporary Craft curator at Hove Museum & Art Gallery), Matt Smith (Independent Curator and Artist) and Caitlin Heffernan (Artist & Exhibition Project Manager, Artist Resource Manager at Fabrica). The group and exhibition are supported by Arts Council England, the National Trust and the Headley Trust. Please see for further details. Submissions Sought For Unravelling the National Trust at Uppark we are offering up to ten commissions for artists or makers using or subverting the notion of craft in extreme or conceptual ways. Proposed artworks should be site-specific and engage with the idea of creating interventions within the historic house setting, or within the gardens at Uppark. We will aim to include a broad cross section of artists working in a variety of media and at various stages of their careers. The aim of the exhibition is to provide a high profile showcase for contemporary artists and makers and engage artists with historic houses and their archive collections. It is strongly recommended that prospective artists visit the property before submitting their proposal. Although proposals can respond to any aspect of the historical setting at Uppark, there are specific themes that are particularly strong at Uppark, that artists may want to explore through the commissions. These themes are listed below:

2 1. Ford Grey, the Earl of Tankerville who built the house in 1690 as an ardent Protestant. Grey plotted against the Catholic James II and went onto receive an earldom from the Protestant William of Orange. He celebrated his good fortune under Dutch William by building Uppark in the Anglo-Dutch style. 2. Sir Matthew Fetherstonhaugh bought Uppark in 1747 after inheriting a fortune made from the wine and coal trades. He and his wife Sarah made considerable alterations to the inside of Uppark and were responsible for much of the house s collection, which he collected on the Grand Tour, and also the house s exuberant plasterwork. He was one of the biggest holders of East India stock and supported Clive of India. 3. Sir Harry inherited Uppark in Like his great friend, the Prince Regent, Sir Harry was fond of grand French furniture and ceramics, which he bought for Uppark. In 1780 Emma Hart (the future Lady Hamilton, and lover of Lord Nelson) was brought to Uppark by Sir Harry where the fifteen year old is alleged to have danced naked on the dining room table for Harry and his guests. Emma left Uppark, pregnant, in In 1825, the then seventy year old Harry married Mary Ann Bullock, his 20 year old dairymaid who was subsequently sent off to Paris to acquire the social graces. 4. HG Wells (the author of War of the Worlds) lived at Uppark where his mother was the housekeeper. His experiences at Uppark above and below stairs influenced his novel The Time Machine, the underground passages of which may have been influenced by the many tunnels at Uppark. 5. In 1989, during a period of structural and roof repairs, a fire broke out at Uppark that destroyed the roofs and ceilings at the property and damaged much of its contents. A huge conservation and restoration project began, leading to the reopening of the property in The current property is therefore a near seamless mix of original old and new replacements. 6. The collections. Uppark houses a number of important collections and boasts fine examples of ceramics, textiles, plasterwork, silver and furniture as well as impressive pictures and chimneypieces.

3 7. The Dolls House. Dating from , the huge dolls house is one of the two most important eighteenth-century British dolls houses in existence. 8. Downstairs. In the basement level of the house are the kitchens, butler s pantry, housekeeper s room and beer and wine cellars as well as a series of subterranean passages. For more detailed information visit the Uppark website at Open Days Four half-day site visits have been arranged, starting at and 2.00 on Friday 3 rd May and Saturday 4 th May. On these days artists interested in making a proposal will have the opportunity to meet with Uppark curatorial staff, who will give more information about Uppark s historical context, give a brief tour of the house and gardens and show some of the archive objects currently in store. If you would like to attend a site visit please book at place using Places are free but numbers are limited.

4 Submitting Work The submission should include a proposal of new work that meets the remit of the exhibition. Artists should propose work that responds to the collections and nature of the house and gardens, and can be displayed as an intervention, whether large or small, within a historic house, gallery or garden setting. Please send a pdf containing the following information. Up to 3 images of existing work a CV (no longer than 2 pages) short artists statement (100 words) a short artist s proposal (300 words) and a completed Exhibition Summary Sheet Please send by to: submissions@unravelled.org.uk (only entries accepted) by the closing date of 11.59pm, Sunday 9 th June Further Exhibition Information: A fee of 1000 will be paid to the commissioned artists on delivery of work. Full artist credit will be given in the exhibition and in any publications and publicity. The costs of getting the work to and from Uppark will be borne by the artist. Artworks displayed in the main house will be insured. Any work proposed for the gardens or outbuildings will not be insured by the project. The work must be displayable in a museum environment. If you have any doubts as to whether your work would fit this criterion, please see the accompanying information or contact us to discuss in more detail. The ownership of the object remains with the artist. The proposals for accepted work will need to be finalised before commissions are awarded. Shortlisted proposals will have a period of time

5 to develop in consultation with the Unravelled Team and the House Team at Uppark. Submission of ideas If you would like to be considered for the exhibition, please submit the information as detailed above and include a completed exhibition summary sheet within a single pdf (see below).

6 Unravelling the National Trust: Uppark Exhibition Summary Sheet Name Address Postcode Telephone Mobile Website Where did you hear about the exhibition? Submission of work that meets the remit of the exhibition Please make sure you also include the following : up to 3 images CV (2 pages) Artist s statement (100 words) Artist Proposal (300 words) Send submission as a single pdf only to: submissions@unravelled.org.uk

7 Key Dates for Unravelling Uppark 31 March 2013 Call for Submissions 3 and 4 May 2013 Open Days 9 June 2013 Deadline for Submissions 31July 2013 Notification of Selected Artists 10 February 2014 Delivery of Work to Uppark 12 February 2014 Photography 2 May 2014 Private View 4 May 2014 Opening of Exhibition to the public 2 November 2014 Last Day of Exhibition 3 November 2014 Take Down of Exhibition

8 Uppark, Conservation Issues 1. Uppark has several types of circuits in the House: one of which uses standard household plugs although these are limited to location. Lighting circuit runs from 3 pin round plugs. There is a limited load on all circuits. All electrical equipment must carry a current PAT certificate. 2. Light levels in the house are set for conservation reasons, so cannot be altered. However it may be possible to highlight particular areas in consultation with National Trust conservation staff. Heat must also not be generated by any materials/ light fixings, particularly when close to collections and surfaces. 3. No fixings can be added to walls, floors or ceilings within the house, but existing fittings may be used and some objects currently on show can be removed, subject to discussion with House Team. 4. Work cannot be displayed within the house if it is considered by conservation staff to attract pests that may put the National Trust collection at risk. 5. Work must not impede on the wheelchair access within the house and gardens, or the visitor route and emergency exits within the house. Care should be taken that work can be viewed from a wheelchair as well as from standing height. 6. If exhibits need in situ completion, all work must be discussed with the House/ conservation team prior to installation day. No hot works etc. 7. Please consider and consult on weight loads when designing your work- floors, surfaces and hangings are particularly fragile. 8. Please consider the footing/ surface of the installation, sharp edges and pointed feet will either need protection or to stand on supplied caster cups or similar. 9. Although the National Trust aims to have all areas within the house supervised, this is sometimes not possible, and there may be times when work on display is unsupervised.