Sussex landscape: chalk, wood and water

Abstract

"A beautifully illustrated look at how the Sussex landscape has inspired creativity across the centuries, reassessing the rich artistic lives and work of British artists and writers connected with the area. Sussex is a county defined by its iconic chalk-cliff coastline and the rolling expanse of the South Downs to the North. This enduring landscape has inspired artists and writers across the centuries, most notably in the twentieth century when Sussex was home to leading artists and writers of the day. While some artists found solace and reflection in the landscape, for others it provided the vital space to explore different ways of living and artistic innovation. Following in the footsteps of these artists, this book tells a fascinating story of an area that continues to inspire. Reassessing the rich artistic lives and work of British artists connected with the area, the book features work by leading artists including J. M. W. Turner, William Nicholson, Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, Ivon Hitchens, Eric Ravilious, and Edward Burra, alongside new work by contemporary artists. As a commitment to understanding the landscape is being discussed with increasing urgency, this book offers a moment to consider the work of those who have gone before and have captured a changing world."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents

Director's foreword / Simon Martin -- The South Country / Hilaire Belloc -- The run of the downs / Rudyard Kipling -- 'Too much for one pair of eyes': the idea of Sussex / Simon Martin -- Eric Ravillious and Gwenda Morgan: a new age of wood engraving / Dr. Lydia Miller -- Sussex photographed / Miriam O'Connor Perks -- Easter chalk / Alexandra Harris -- Contradiction in flint / Luke Farey -- Errare / Louisa Thomsen Brits -- Sussex waters / Tania Kovats.