About the Heads [curators]

Waterworth, D and Wilson, C (2019) About the Heads [curators]. Old Royal Naval College, University of Greenwich, London, UK, 18 April - 24 May 2019.

Item Type:	Exhibition
Creators:	Waterworth, D and Wilson, C
Abstract:	In the Undercroft to Queen Anne's Court at the Old Royal Naval College lies a collection of stone heads from the turn of the 18th century. The mysterious heads, depicting Neptune and other denizens of the deep, were carved by Robert Jones of Stepney in the early 1700s, and were originally intended for display upon the south elevation of the Painted Hall. A decision to use brick instead of stone meant the heads were abandoned, and for 300 years have languished out of sight. 'About the Heads' is an exhibition at the University of Greenwich Heritage Gallery to rescue them from obscurity, coinciding with the re-opening of the hall after a major restoration. The heads themselves are not on display; instead, three artists from separate disciplines have created responses to their historic and continuing interment.
Official URL:	http://www.greenwichunigalleries.co.uk/about-the-h...
Date:	April 2019
Event Location:	Old Royal Naval College, University of Greenwich, London, UK
Number of Pieces:	10
Medium:	site specific paintings, oil on panel
Measurements/Duration:	30.5.x 40.5.cm
Note:	The exhibition contains the work of three artists - Camilla Wilson, Rosie Dastgir and Jurgen Mester. Camilla Wilson reveals the heads through a set of monochrome orange paintings. Like the process of stone carving, the paintings are made by removing paint, rather than by adding; the orange colour referencing the floating hue of retinal afterimages. Rosie Dastgir activates a dialogue between the abandoned heads in the format of an 18th century chap book, the cheap illustrated booklets of street literature of the time. Jurgen Mester has produced four sculptures in a range of materials that reflect his distinct version of the heads. The 10 paintings created in 2019 by Camilla Wilson for this exhibition are titled as follows: 1. AlbionLion 2. SaracenHead 3. LaidToRest 4. WoollyDad 5. ConchGuy 6. StonedGirl 7. Tufty 8. Agnès 9. Neptune 10. EyelessInDeptford
Divisions:	Bath School of Art, Film and Media
Related URLs:	http://spitalfieldslife.com/2019/04/16/t...
Date Deposited:	02 May 2019 12:17
Last Modified:	09 Nov 2023 10:06

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