Art & Artists in the South West
Ben Nicholson - 1939(Composition) by ahisgett is licensed under CC BY 2.0
'1934 (relief)' by Ben Nicholson, Tate Modern (d 1982); photo: Wmpearl is marked with CC0 1.0
At WOOLF Interior Design and Interior Architecture we approach designing interiors like a curator, we have an exceptional depth of knowledge of both historic and contemporary art which very often informs our approach to designing interiors. We are fluid with styles and cultures, high and low art, elegance and edginess, always ensuring that our client’s aesthetic gains expression in carefully curated spaces, which we tailor to an individual artwork focus. We have worked with many existing client collections, sourced and purchased art for most of our projects. We look at local regional and international artists for inspiration to source artwork for interiors.
Mural, gouache on paper, 1963 © Peter Lanyon Estate, with thanks to Gimpel Fils
Yellow Suspense (1969) - Terry Frost (1915-2003) by pedrosimoes7 is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The South West is one of the largest artistic regions in the UK, with the third highest number of commercial galleries. The region has an enviable legacy; in the early 20th century Cornwall's quality of life as well as its 'quality of light' attracted such significant practitioners as Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Naum Gabo, and latterly Terry Frost, Patrick Heron, Roger Hilton and Peter Lanyon. The Tate St Ives best illustrates the delicate balance between the new and the established; the gallery lies on the site of an old gas works overlooking Porthmeor Beach. The Tate also manages the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden in St Ives. Explore WOOLF curated interiors.
Head No. 2 by Naum Gabo, Tate Liverpool by Rept0n1x is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Barbara Hepworth, Family of Man by puffin11uk is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
At the other end of the region, Bristol, just down the road from our Bath Interior Design Studio, is perhaps best placed to concentrate on developing practitioners, who have developed a great array of visual arts organisations and venues. Bristol’s art scene is prominent, edgy, gritty and vibrant, it is also fortunate enough to be home to two of the largest and most reputable publicly funded venues in England: Spike Island and the Arnolfini, as well as Works Projects, the first of a new generation of commercial and contemporary spaces to be based in the South West. Spike (as it's affectionately nicknamed) developed Spike Associates, a membership network that supports the professional development of artists, curators, designers, writers and other creative producers in the Bristol area. Explore WOOLF curated interiors.
C Words Arrival Night by Platform London is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Alone by rbrwr is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
The Arnolfini is known for thought provoking touring exhibitions and a commitment to performance art and trans-disciplinary work. A wealth of gallery based and site-specific artwork and performance has inspired a host of new artist-led galleries and groups. They offer a valuable opportunity to further awareness and discussion about visual arts within the region.
In Gloucestershire, north of Bath, studio organisations also play a huge role supporting new work, as well as its display and subsequent critique. The Stroud Valley Art Space hosted its sixteenth annual Site festival, highlighting local art spaces and encouraging artists to intervene in shops and other non-gallery venues. Perhaps the greatest coup so far was this year's presentation of 'Sometimes Still' – a major new audio video installation by Darren Almond, exhibited in a former goods shed at Stroud train station, and supported by the White Cube gallery. Explore WOOLF curated interiors.
The Art Cohort - Alyson Minkley
The Art Cohort - Alyson Minkley
In Bath, Kat Dawe Schmeisser founded The Art Cohort (www.theartcohort.co.uk) as a contemporary inter-generational community focused art space, comprising three key elements: an exhibition space / gallery, art shop and studio workshop.
The Art Cohort champions emerging art and artists, they believe everyone is an artist and their mission is to nurture and grow that creativity - from professional artists through to the public. The Art Cohort is a mixed use artspace, a combination of activities is deliberately designed to break down barriers to the public entering and accessing the space. There are many entry points to being able to access happenings at The Art Cohort.
The art space offers a beacon of possibilities to artists; actively encouraging emergent artists to explore and develop their work with support and mentorship. Artists value the opportunity to show their work in a fresh and engaging space that cultivates their creativity and economic worth. Their artists span across diverse disciplines and interests, each exhibition is unique and compelling. Explore WOOLF curated interiors.
The Art Cohort - Samuel Lindup
The artists who show at The Art Cohort aim to make meaningful connections with their audience and offer talks and workshops to illuminate their work and thinking process. The Art Cohort is particularly interested in work that shines light on overlooked perspective of our lives, that surprises us with creativity and can generate unexpected and enriching conversations. Bath is a grand, beautiful and weightily historic place…small in size but huge in historical resonance. The grand architectural crescents, the much narrated nostalgia of Georgian social life of this aesthetically wonderful city is also emerging as a contemporary counter balance. The Art Cohort represents an opening up of a parallel contemporary narrative, embracing the light industrial landscape of the Locksbrook area of Bath and reimagining creative thinking of the city.
The Art Cohort - Samuel Lindup
