On 3 September I gave a short talk about Pablo Picasso at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. Here, I discussed the artist's visit to Farley Farm House at Muddles Green, nr Chiddingly in East Sussex, the home of the artist and critic Roland Penrose and the photojournalist Lee Miller. I also explored a selection of … Continue reading Everything you can imagine is real: Pablo Picasso’s visit to Sussex

  In June 2019, I visited St Andrews, in Scotland. This was my second visit to the town – where Wills met Kate, the home of golf, and site of (possibly) the best fish and chips in Scotland. As with my previous visit, I was in St Andrews for a conference, but between conference sessions … Continue reading While I breathe, I hope: Visiting St Andrews, Scotland

Queen Victoria described how she 'would venture to warn against too great an intimacy with artists as it is very seductive and a little dangerous'. But she was a monarch that relied on the art and visual culture of the nineteenth century. Utilising painting, prints, and the new technology of photography, she got intimate with artists, … Continue reading Very seductive and a little dangerous: Celebrating Queen Victoria’s 200th Birthday

Some of you may remember the recent controversy over an advertising campaign produced by chocolate manufacturer, Cadbury. The campaign, based upon the 'Freddo Treasures' chocolates, suggested people could go hunting for hidden treasure in the countryside around them. The problem? They didn't consult with legislative bodies, police, or the archaeological or heritage communities. Here's a … Continue reading Taking the (chocolate) biscuit: Cadbury advertising campaign gets it wrong

In 1902, the writer Rudyard Kipling published Sussex, a poem highlighting the close, natural, and interdependent relationship between humans and the landscape, and I quote ‘So to the land our hearts we give,/ Till the sure magic strike / And Memory, Use, and Love make live / Us and our fields alike’. Greatly influenced by … Continue reading ‘So to the land our hearts we give’: Exploring Sussex in Art

In today's blog post, I share the text and images for my talk on Eric Ravilious, which I gave at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery.  In his book The Old Ways the traveller and writer Robert Macfarlane describes the artist Eric Ravilious’ depictions of the Sussex landscape as ‘dreamy watercolours of the prehistoric tracks of … Continue reading Always Slightly Somewhere Else: Ravilious in Sussex

Today, 7 March, is World Book Day! The day is a celebration of reading, originally established by UNESCO, that is designed to get people interested in books. It's primarily aimed at children and young people, but it's an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the joy of reading - and perhaps find something new to read! … Continue reading World Book Day 2019