Steyning artist Carol Wagstaff exhibits at Worthing Museum

Carol Wagstaff, is an artist who has lived in Steyning, for nearly twenty years. Her work encompasses painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and site-specific work. In addition to exhibiting her work internationally, closer to home she has been commissioned by, and shown her work for two National Trust projects.

Most recently Carol has had the opportunity to create a series of paintings for Worthing Museum, now showing at the Norwood Gallery.

“Once given this wonderful opportunity to exhibit at Worthing Museum, deciding upon a subject to create a body of work was initially a daunting task, given the scale of the collection at Worthing museum.

At one point I was considering looking at the work of Sussex artists, artists who had painted the landscape, and to possibly revisit the original locations. Whilst looking through the painting archive I came across the work of Charles Morris, and his paintings of the Canadian Army camps around Sussex, of the Second World War, also a period painting by him of the Old Omega Theatre in Worthing. Adjacent to the Omega, had been a house for the theatre manager, and within this house was an extraordinary Library, cylindrical in shape, and beautifully ornate, which was bequeathed to Worthing Museum when the Theatre and house were demolished.

This Library is now situated on the ground floor of the museum and houses various objects and curios from the collection. And so, it was not a difficult choice to make when I discovered the beautiful Fan collection housed in the Omega Library, though, I would never have guessed what a challenging, and interesting subject, that this decorative object would be.

With a line of enquiry extending back hundreds of years, there are few fashion accessories that have survived for so long. As a child I was given a Japanese fan which had fascinated me and fuelled my interest in the objects, and culture, of the Far East. The history of the Fan stretches back to early civilisations when a humble leaf would have been used to cool, or to protect from insects, it, of course evolved... Over time the Fan, an object of function, became an object of desire, and because of its oft ephemeral nature many early examples did not survive, however those that did have enthralled and captured the imagination of collectors from all over the world.

The Fan, apart from the aesthetics, became for many cultures a device for coded messages, particularly in the European courts of the 17th and 18th centuries. In the East the fan, was an integral part of every day life, yet, at the same time was deeply rooted in their cultural, and ceremonial functions, which remain to this day. They often tell a story from history, some depict religious scenes, whilst many were created and produced for the purpose of advertising, or political propaganda. That such fragile objects have survived is testimony to the appreciation of the art and craftsmanship bestowed upon them.

The Fan originated in the Far East, and whilst this has been my main focus of interest, there are many beautiful European fans. My approach to this project was to select a range of fans, Oriental, and European, from the Museums diverse and extensive collection, uncertain of the direction my research would take me at that time.

My enquiry revealed that most Japanese and Chinese drawings were inspired, and based upon nature, whilst the European Fans often reflected allegorical and religious themes, and were often heavily bejewelled. Undeniably it is the beauty, history and meaning, and the proverbs, that have fed into the images that I have produced. What evolved were a series of responsive doodle/drawings, loosely based on the images of each Fan. And by using limited mark making, these in turn have become paintings, with a narrative of their own.

One of the Chinese proverbs that for me give meaning to the Fan, is “To Call the Wind, to Strike a Butterfly” which I thought charming and encapsulates perfectly the poetic language of the fan.

The Exhibition runs from 26th March-6th July, Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm. Admission is free.

We are all sadly aware of the recent tragedy that has struck Japan, and the devastation still affecting the country and its people. I have produced an image on a postcard, of one of my paintings “Chrysanthemum”, (Japans National flower) which can be found at Worthing Museum and at Whites, in Steyning.

If you would care to make a donation, all proceeds will be forwarded to the Japanese Red Cross. www.jrc

www.carolwagstaff.co.uk

Return To News Page