Trust Outing to Roche Court and Farley - TrustNews August 2009
If you weren't among the fourteen members and their guests who enjoyed a delightful day, organised by Keith and Carol Leaman, then you missed a treat.
We met at Roche Court, Wiltshire, the 19th-century house which became the home of the New Arts Centre, originally founded by Madeleine Bessborough in Sloane Street, London. Many of the exhibits at the centre are displayed in the sculpture park which surrounds the house.
After refreshments and an introduction to the house, we were led first into the striking glass-fronted, award-winning gallery, with its views over the grounds and the Wiltshire countryside. This was our first introduction to the use of huge, unframed glass panels - an almost invisible link between the interior and the exterior.
The current exhibition in the Gallery was a series of hangings and sculptures by Barry Flanagan, currently the artist in residence. Our curator-guide introduced the exhibits, but in doing so, gave an accessible and valuable insight into the use of iconic marks in modern art.
We then ambled blissfully around the outdoor sculptures and were introduced to works, among others, by Anthony Gormley, Barbara Hepworth and Barry Flanagan — all given additional dramatic impact by their setting. Our guided tour concluded with a visit to a very impressive modern house designed by Stephen Marshall. Again as in the Gallery we were faced by the impressive use of glass. A floating glass roof between two existing buildings is married to the largest possible sheets of glass with other visible materials kept to a minimum. The intermediate columns supporting the building are hidden within the large oak doors and pivot on ball-bearing tracks. The house is minimally and cleverly furnished to leave space for small sculptures, drawings and paintings, with temporary room for meetings and seminars. We were able to see but not to view, the stylish and again, heavily glazed artist's house.
Thence, after a delightful picnic at Farley, we walked to Farley Church to hear an outstanding concert by the pianist Karim Said, whose success has brought him an international reputation belied only by his youth. Following the concert, the warden of Farley Alms Houses, Dr. Richard Godfrey, invited us to view his delightful gardens - all terraced down to the river - a fitting end to a memorable day.
Roche Court Glazing