It isn't unusual for an artist to be inspired by their surroundings. For Pollyanna Johnson, however, it's not so much the local Sussex landscape that feeds her creativity, as a virtual gallery of historic portraits that she's amassed via a long fascination with history. I've always lived in really old houses and had an interest in old objects. - I'm curious about the stories they tell about people,' she says. Historic paintings of- often unnamed women are a particular focus.
At first glance, her current work looks similar to 16th- and 17thcentury delftware; cream-coloured plates, cups, and caddies, decorated with finely painted renderings of bygone women, their ruffle collars or feathered caps often picked out in blue. Look closely, though, and the traditional motifs are underscored by modern feminist messaging. Nipples are playfully tweaked, expletives are hidden within alphabet lettering, and the ugly phrases of everyday sexism are subverted as they're painted onto bisque-fired clay. What Grayson Perry might describe as 'guerilla tactics', in other words.
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Denne historien er fra January 2023-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS
From elaborate taxidermy museum displays to humble folk art creations, a diorama can transport us to another time and place
Pride of place LEEDS CREAMWARE
In its heyday the pre-eminent rival to Wedgwood's Queens ware, Leeds creamware is still much revered by collectors for its understated elegance
Bohemian Rhapsody
An exuberant approach to decor, with rooms enveloped in colour and pattern, has brought this historic home merrily into the 21st century...
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Rory Hutton
The accessories designer on his love of silver spoons and Sévres porcelain
European HERITAGE B&Bs
Is there anything more inspiring than staying somewhere that's both beautifully stylish and imbued with history? Rhiannon Batten explores five gems across Europe, from Sweden to Spain...
STAR SALES
A Hitchens painting, a museum-quality teapot and a Parisian chocolate box are all top of the lots
Textile designs by artists
Influential 20th-century fine artists and sculptors, from Picasso to Barbara Hepworth, gained additional status as textile designers until decline set in during the 1970s
Period DRAMA
A painstaking renovation has brought this 1725 former Huguenot silk weaver's house in London's Spitalfields back to life
An artist's RESIDENCE
Rustic details and a restrained palette lend a sense of simplicity to this lovingly restored Friesian bakery
Carefully Curated LIVING
This lovingly restored Gustavian manor has become both home and showroom for its owners, Maria & Jan Åke, who deal in European antiques