Visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Although Yorkshire Sculpture Park is quite near, this was my first visit. 

Firstly we visited the Underground Gallery to see an exhibition by pioneering American video and installation artist, Bill Viola.  We were advised to let our eyes become accustomed to the dark, but we had to make our way in total blackness to the screens showing people experiencing a variety of deluges.  It was a strange sensation engulfed in the darkness and I bumped into walls and endured the antics of my husband who managed to see his way.

The extensive grounds are home to work by Henry Moore, Antony Gormley, Barbara Hepworth and Andy Goldsworthy plus the smurf-like figures by KAWS but the weather was so cold and many parts of the garden were cordoned off to protect the lawns, we couldn’t stop for long.

Driveside

Niki de Saint Phalle was born in France in 1930 and grew up in the USA. After an early career as a fashion model, she studied theatre and acting in Paris before giving this up to become an artist

 

 

 Sophie Ryder's work is an exploration of the female psyche and sexuality.  She frequently references the artist' s own body as it morphs with the powerful energy and form of the hare.

 The Camellia House (c1812) A Grade II Listed building inspired by the lady of the estate, Diana Beaumont

Diana Beaumont (1765–1831) played an important part in the development of the landscape of the park.  She was the illegitimate eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Wentworth Bt. (1726-1792) of Bretton Hall,

This was by far my favourite of the whole visit with its large round-arched windows, Tuscan columns and scrolled iron brackets
 

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is certainly worth a visit on a warmer day when you can stroll comfortably in this 1500 acre outdoor gallery and maybe take a picnic.

Perhaps I am more a gardener than an appreciator of Art!

Late Winter Blues

I feel as though I’m waiting for the year to begin in earnest.  I shall be glad when I can get back to spending more time in the garden, at the allotment and at the coast.  It’s not that I’m a fair weather friend when it comes to being outdoors, but  we have had some pretty dismal, rainy and windy days. I’m not exactly hibernating and here are some of the things I’ve been up to:

Top: Ripley, Bottom Entrance to Fountains Abbey, bottom

Our social enterprise Yorkshire MORE has been busy building up our stocks of jams and chutneys for the BBC Good Food Fair at Harrogate in April.  http://www.yorkshiremore.com
 

We've had some interesting talks at our gardening club
http://gardenersfridayforum.blogspot.co.uk
 

I am still writing and helpingt to produce a monthly programme on local radio but have had a stream of rejections lately.

.... and a random selection of shopping finds etc.  The blue cushiony thing was a charity shop find by my granddaughter who reasoned that if people have Christmas decorations, we could have Chanukah ones.  Then there is a stone I painted with Sharpies, although chives are distinguishable enough.  The laughing Buddah is for my succulent trough.  The mug toppers are made of silicon and form a seal so strong you can almost pick up your full mug of tea, besides which they keep in the heat and keep out the bugs.  Bargain at £1.  Finally, another charity shop find is this vase which turns out to be a collectable and worth more that the £1.99 we paid for it.