Blackwell exhibition celebrates the Arts and Crafts house tenth anniversary (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Blackwell exhibition celebrates the Arts and Crafts house tenth anniversary

6:10pm Thursday 10th November 2011 in Art By Adrian Mullen, Arts correspondent

ONE of the country’s most distinguished lensmen is back in the region for the second half of a celebratory exhibition.

Photographer Graham Murrell returns to Blackwell today (Thursday) for the final fling of a two-part show set-up to celebrate Blackwell’s tenth anniversary.

Blackwell, a house full of light and shadows, textures and detail, lends itself beautifully to Graham’s observations, showing, through the skilled West Sussex-based photographer’s eye, the Bowness Arts and Crafts house in a fresh and unexpected light.

Most of the images in Blackwell Within part two will be aired in public for the first time, and raise a glass to the elegant Baillie Scott-designed house which was restored to its former glory a decade ago.

Having studied painting and ceramics before veering into photography, Graham said he was always aware, when subsequently teaching, of the need to broaden his portfolio of experience.

Following a few exhibitions of miscellaneous photographs in small galleries, Graham decided to make work in a specific place. Work that was ‘about’ the place rather than ‘descriptive of’ it. His first project was at Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, which resulted in Light Spells, an exhibition and book. The next was at Snape Maltings, the home of Aldeburgh Music and a top class concert hall created by Benjamin Britten and Peter Peers. While there, Graham set himself the task of attempting to photograph ‘silence’ in a place dedicated to sound with a view to producing an exhibition to coincide with the Proms season. At the time Aldeburgh Music was looking to raise further funds to complete the development of a smaller concert hall. So it was decided to put on an exhibition, the profits from which would be given to the fund.

While at Blackwell, photographing the Edmund de Waal installations, Graham decided to do the same for Blackwell and was asked to produce something to mark its tenth anniversary.

Explained Graham: "Having studied ceramics at art school I have a real respect for makers and craftspeople, so being allowed to spend many hours within Blackwell, observing, absorbing and recording has indeed been a privilege."

The exhibition runs until December 31.