Tag Archives: Kent

An emotional interpretation of walking: Earthbound Women exhibition at Colyer-Fergusson

Continuing the ancillary events linked to the Tokaido Road opera coming to the Gulbenkian Theatre in May, our second exhibition in the new Colyer-Fergusson Gallery is a response to the Kent landscape, and in particular the historic Saxon Shore Way, by the Canterbury-based artist collective, Earthbound Women. I asked one of its members, Ruth McDonald, about the group and their response to the project.


Tell me about Earthbound Women

We met whilst doing an MA in Fine Art at Canterbury Christ Church University and all have an abiding passion for clay, earth, form and landscape. We are bound to the earth – it defines us.

Julie FramptonWhat was it about the Tokaido Road project in particular that interested you in taking part ?

We were keen to participate in a project that features women in the Arts and were anxious to be involved and give the project our own “take”.

You’ve talked about the exhibition as ‘modern observations written over the ancient history of the Kent coast;’ what have you discovered in preparing for it ?

Initially we explored the Saxon Shore Way together spending time drawing and illustrating the landscape. We then divided the coast up and each took different section. It was fascinating to see how popular the coastal walks are and yet at the same time they do have a desolation when the weather is inclement.

Harty Ferry Ruth McDonaldYour exhibition will explore similar ideas of travel and landscape to Hiroshige’s ‘Tokaido Road:’ is it a Kent-ish version, and why did you choose the Saxon Shore Way in particular ?

We studied Hiroshige’s works and felt that we should study our own landscape in Kent and walk the paths of the Saxon Shore Way. This is a long distance walking route of 257 km named after the line of historic fortifications that defended the Kent Coast at the end of the Roman era. It stretches from Gravesend to Hastings. The range of landscape is tremendous and we wanted to record the changes in the weather and seasons.

What can we expect when your exhibition opens in Colyer-Fergusson on May 9th?

Expect to see a wide range of work in differing styles. One artist has made clay objects from earth gathered on her walks. Another has produced a series of etching and drawings. Some will be accurate observations and other work will have an emotional interpretation of the experience of the walk.


Tracing the Saxon Shore Way by Earthbound Women will be at the Colyer-Fergusson gallery from 9-24 May; admission during normal opening hours, admission free. Find out more about Earthbound Women here.

Blogging live from #kentopenday

It’s Open Day today, and we’re very excited as it’s our first opportunity to welcome visitors to the University interested in music – in the new Colyer-Fergusson building!

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In-spiring future students…

We’ll be here throughout the day until 3pm with information on all the extra-curricular musical activities open to students at Kent, as well as details about Music Scholarships for more advanced performers.

We’ve been setting up in the foyer this morning, and are now ready to go: follow us on Twitter throughout the day, or follow #kentopenday; either way, we’ll see you later!

11.00 and we’ve seen visitors from Norfolk, Surrey, Sussex, London, but the contender for the informal Visitor from the Farthest-Flung Shore has so far come from Toulouse! Lots of people interested in studying History as well… Clearly this year’s President of the Music Society, flautist and Historian Kathryn, has inspired them!

11.45am: a new contender for the Visitor from the Farthest-Flung Shore coming to talk about music – Rome! I wonder if anyone might beat that today…

1.30pm and we’ve seen a steady stream of visitors, over thirty interested in the musical possibilities offered as part of life at Kent. Quite a few interested in Musical Theatre as well; watch out, Music Theatre Soc, you might be very busy next year…!

3pm: and that’s it for the day. Many thanks to all those visitors who came to see us about making music here, safe trip home to wherever you may be going, see you in 2014 perhaps!

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