'Miscellanea' Exhibition at Strangers Hall, Norwich

Strangers Hall is a beautiful medieval merchants house in the centre of Norwich. The house has a long and colourful history, and was left to the city of Norwich by its last owner solicitor Leonard Bolingbroke (1859- 1927). His wish was to preserve the house which for centuries had been occupied by various city merchants. It derived its name from the Dutch merchants that were referred to as 'strangers'. They played a significant role in contributing to the wealth and prosperity of the  Norwich.

Following discussion with the team at Strangers Hall, our group, Bookscapes Collective, were asked if we would consider making artworks for the Victorian rooms.  The resulting exhibition Miscellanea, consists of  a variety of individual pieces, and one largec colourful Kaleidoscopic group installation. 

When wondering through the various rooms, my attention was first drawn to a colourful bell jar containing exotic and colourful birds. The wonder and fascination of being up close to these beautiful birds never subsides, even though in the 21st century the politics surrounding taxidermy collections is often fraught with controversy.

​But if we step back for a moment into the Victorian age: a different time, different context perhaps it allows us to consider the collections from a different perspective.  It was a period  when the mysteries of the natural world were unfolding like never before. An age of exploration and discovery.  I decided to take this as my starting point. 

"When They Heard The Bell Toll.."
from the nursery rhyme 'Who Killed Cock Robin'.

Prompted by the bright red of the birds in this display, and being very aware of the decline in general bird populations, I was reminded of the nursery rhyme "Who Killed Cock Robin". I settled on making a number of shadow boxes which would bring these two thoughts together. 

 The origin of the well known nursery rhyme Cock Robin is thought to date back to 1508 when it was called 'Phyllp  Spaowe'. It is believed to have been written at Carrow just outside Norwich , by John Skelton (c1463- 1529). The original poem was about the death of a pet bird. 

The title for the work is taken from a line in the verse 'When They Heard The Bell Toll" and 
is a series of shadow boxes consisting of found objects, drawings and an altered book. The restricted colour palette in this piece acknowledges the Victorian era but also represents a sense of loss.
​Lists and names of birds are incorporated in the work, while the use of red - a traditional colour of warning, references the Red List of Threatened Species. The two birds holding a bell jar and a timer remind us that time is critical if we are to prevent further decline in our bird populations. ​​The piece brings together the Victorian obsession with collecting while also connecting to our modern day concerns.

"​Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark"
​Rabinthdranth Tagore
​

On the large bookcase in the dinning room rests another bell jar containing a dead dove carved  by local sculptor James Minns.
Continuing with the bird theme, I made a series of four doves, which are suspended above on either side of the sculpture. 

Nest
​
My third work sits below the original bell jar on a beautifully painted table. Typically Victorian with its rich dark lacquered surface, the centre is decorated with a ring of flowers. I placed a small bell jar contains a very small nest woven form hair, and dried grasses. 

 'When they Heard The Bell Toll"
A Concertina Book of Text and Drawings 

​ Kaleidoscope 
An installation by Bookscapes Collective 
​

As visitors move through the dark Victorian interiors, they finally arrive at the Parlour where we have installed a group installation based on a Kaleidoscope. We have recreated the idea  of this wonderful optic device on a giant scale, using over 300 hexagon books. The Victorian Parlor was traditionally used for recreation and entertainment. Hexagons may stand alone but are stronger when they come together which reflects the ethos of the group in our collaborative works.