The Newstead Figurines
10 February to 28 October 2024
Artist Jemma Gowland was invited to produce a series of porcelain figures to explore and reflect the life of the Romantic Poet Lord Byron, during this 200th anniversary of his death. Located throughout the house visitors discovered the sometimes mischievous, sometimes slightly more unsettling figures in occasionally surprising locations.
Inspired by the type of ornament that Byron himself, in his younger days at Newstead, may have responded to, as well as having unique access to figurines in the museum’s collection, Jemma Gowland considered some key themes in his poetry and descriptions of his early life.
The figures arise from an interest in childhood and the way that this influences us throughout the rest of our lives. Byron’s own extraordinary, and often difficult, early life, has led to pieces that reflect on childhood; the figures shown are all children or older teenagers.
whilst the installation is now over, five key pieces remain in the Newstead collection and may continue to be seen in the future
10 February to 28 October 2024
Artist Jemma Gowland was invited to produce a series of porcelain figures to explore and reflect the life of the Romantic Poet Lord Byron, during this 200th anniversary of his death. Located throughout the house visitors discovered the sometimes mischievous, sometimes slightly more unsettling figures in occasionally surprising locations.
Inspired by the type of ornament that Byron himself, in his younger days at Newstead, may have responded to, as well as having unique access to figurines in the museum’s collection, Jemma Gowland considered some key themes in his poetry and descriptions of his early life.
The figures arise from an interest in childhood and the way that this influences us throughout the rest of our lives. Byron’s own extraordinary, and often difficult, early life, has led to pieces that reflect on childhood; the figures shown are all children or older teenagers.
whilst the installation is now over, five key pieces remain in the Newstead collection and may continue to be seen in the future
For detailed views and information about each piece, click on the image
Photo Credit: Karen Bengall Photography
Little Reminders
As part of the installation I also created some small pieces for those that would like a reminder. Versions of these were available for visitors to the Abbey, and proved popular so a few always make their way into the work I display at events - small reminders; of the installation, the amazing location, the resonances of these types of pieces through history, and of course, of Byron himself.
As part of the installation I also created some small pieces for those that would like a reminder. Versions of these were available for visitors to the Abbey, and proved popular so a few always make their way into the work I display at events - small reminders; of the installation, the amazing location, the resonances of these types of pieces through history, and of course, of Byron himself.
Research, Process and Rationale
The artist was given unique access to the Nottibgham collection, looking specifically at figurines of the time, and related artefacts, hence the fashions and tastes of the period were considered. The pieces from the Nottingham collection illustrated the bucolic ideals of the Romantic Poets, the subjects often based in myth or nature, the idealisation of the child in the pastoral setting.
Newstead Abbey itself was an important aspect of the Romantic Poet Lord Byron’s life. The idea of it, with its part-ruined state, influenced his poetic work.
Many of the pieces specifically use a line of poetry as the starting point. They sometimes comically mimic the way that poetic quotes are often used and taken out of context, robbed of their original meaning, for the sake of an ornament or talking point.
A few of the pieces start from his description in letters of his life at Newstead: “My employments have been very rural: fishing, shooting, bathing and boating. Books, I have but few here, and those I have read 10 times over till sick of them. So I've taken to breaking soda water bottles with my pistols and jumping into the water and rowing over it and firing at the fowls of the air”.
It is said that he would row out onto the lake with his dogs and go in to the water, letting the dogs rescue him.
Some specific ceramic figurines are based on the Romantic Poet Lord Bryon’s life. These include the painful leg brace he wore in childhood and his reputation for starting fights at school. Some are also based on his concerns over his weight and his sparse diet of biscuits, vinegar and water, and vegetables.
As a nod to Byron’s ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’ reputation, many of the figures refuse to stay on their ornate bases, and have mischievously escaped around the building. His solace in the companionship of his dogs and other creatures also feature.
His love of dogs - and animals in general - are a unifying theme across almost all pieces. Byron’s love of animals was legendary, and the installation attempts to include all or most of the animals he had over his life. It is perhaps one of his most interesting and endearing traits; tales abound such as his rescue of three geese in a cage on a coach, helping a goat with a broken leg, and of course, the famous college bear. The list deriving in part from details in a letter by Percy Shelley when he visited Byron in Venice, who recorded: "Lord B's establishment consists, besides servants, of ten horses, eight enormous dogs, three monkeys, five cats, an eagle, a crow and a falcon; and all these, except the horses, walk about the house which every now and then resounds with their unarbitrated quarrels as if they were masters of it. ... later I find that my enumeration of the animals in this Circean palace was defective, I have just met on the grand staircase five peacocks, two guinea hens and an Egyptian crane."
The animal theme also includes a piece to recognise his daughter Ada Lovelace, in two pieces imagining her childhood idea for a mechanical flying horse.
Materials and Process
The figures are created in porcelain with gold lustre and text detail
Clothes are made to fit and treated with slip
Faces are cast from a large collection of doll faces, vintage and modern.
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Contact
Newstead Abbey https://newsteadabbey.org.uk/ Email [email protected] Main website www.jgowland.com Instagram @jemma.gowland Call 07914 986486 |