online
June 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-18471280 BBC news
http://www.remotegoat.co.uk/review_view.php?uid=8651 remote goat
Banbury Guardian
May 2012
Sculptures will share secrets with poetry
THE UK’s largest exhibition of sculpture in stone, On Form, is set within the gardens and ballroom of Asthall Manor from June 17 to July 15.
As part of a lively and varied programme of events, On Form 2012 will also feature a drop-in performance, Scary Little Girls: The Speaking Stones on June 23.
on form 2012 - Press Release
January 2012
The full press release for 2012 is available here. Download the Microsoft Word Document
Jackie Wullschlager in The Financial Times
June 2010
on form has since 2002 presented a show whose focus and dedication is in a different class from the potpourri of conceptual installations elsewhere.
on form is a serious, committed, intellectually adventurous biennial exhibition of stone sculpture, the largest of its kind in the UK. In this Jacobean house with acres of gardens and yew walks, orchards and lakes, Pearson showcases two dozen of the most accomplished artists in this difficult but compelling medium – by which heavy inert rock is transformed into something dynamic, and our connection with landscape and nature re-affirmed.
Some are well-known. Emily Young’s wonderfully luminous pierced discs and pared-down, silent figures; Peter Randall-Page’s delicate balance between geometry and the random vagaries of stone markings; Bridget McCrum’s abstracted animals. Among younger artists, Paul Vanstone’s huge expressive heads, Luke Dickinson’s abstractions on the theme of movement and growth; the raw surface textures and solemn serenity in the work of Simon Hitchens….are notable, though at Asthall there are always new discoveries. “Do touch” the signs read, inviting tactile experience of the shapes, textures and temperatures of exotically named stones – Swaledale fossil, Plumpton red, Ancaster weatherbed, Portuguese Estramoze – as well as the material’s timeless, time-arresting quality.
The Oxford Times
June 2010
The moment you enter the main gates of Asthall Manor, near Burford, passing the two gatepost finials created by sculptor Anthony Turner, you will be aware that you are entering an enchanting world where old and new not only complement each other, but provide a never-to-be-forgotten magical mix.
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/8212421.On_Form_2010__Asthall_Manor__near_Burford/The Lady
June 2010
Asthall Manor in the Windrush Valley, once home to the Mitfords, now forms the backdrop to a sculpture festival [which] has done more to promote the wonders of sculpting in stone than any commercial art dealer.
BBC Oxford
May 2010
BBC Oxford featured our first day of installation on the evening news.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/oxford/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8705000/8705773.stmRA Magazine
May 2010
This family-friendly show encourages visitors to touch the sculptures and explore the shape and texture of the pieces.
The Oxford Times
June 2008
It has a timeless air, yet within this tranquil and quintessentially English space sits a collection of stone sculptures that simply beg to be touched and admired. …Bridget McCrum’s superb Mythical Horses, carved out of Kilkenny limestone, appear to be struggling to rise from the earth in which they are buried.
http://www.theoxfordtimes.net/search/display.var.2336989.0.nature_and_stone.phpThe Sunday Times
June 2008
Rosie found herself taking on “a sort of mission” to convert people to the beauty of contemporary sculpture in stone…At first, the main attraction for visitors was to look at the house….[but] the sculptures are increasingly becoming the main attraction. This year…among the exhibits will be an iconic pierced disc of chalcedony by Emily Young, Bridget McCrum’s elegant abstracted animal forms and Paul Vanstone’s sophisticated stone renditions of Greek-inspired drapery.
http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/gardens/article4074358.eceCountry Life
June 2008
Stone sculptures that seem to slow time down.
Galleries Magazine
June 2008
Summer always brings with it the pleasure of looking at sculpture out of doors and there can be few more idyllic settings for it than Asthall Manor in the Windrush Valley, arguably the most beautiful river landscape in the Cotswolds. on form has established an enviable reputation among such shows for its range and adventurousness in the 4 years of its existence, and this year’s version is no exception, with Anthony Turner, Nicolas Moreton and Mat Chivers particularly catching the eye.
Garden Design Journal
June 2008
A unique showcase for stone sculpture in Asthall Manor’s fabulous gardens.
Telegraph Magazine
May 2008
on form, an outdoor biennial of some 40 pieces in the garden, is now in its eighth year and steadily gaining gravitas. The stony theme is strictly adhered to, which weeds out less committed sculptors; you have to be dedicated to stand in a freezing shed with hammer and chisel chipping away at a piece of marble. Many visitors come to see the Mitfords’ old home, but are converted to this genre and find themselves caressing curves of Purbeck stone or Plumpton red.
The National Trust Magazine
May 2008
What better way to discover fresh works of art than on a stroll through the gardens of Asthall Manor? The house, once the home of the Mitford girls, is the perfect backdrop for large-scale forms.
Historic Gardens of Oxfordshire
November 2007
Anyone with any doubts about modern abstract sculpture should visit on form in 2008 to experience the amazing mutual flattery of stone and flowers.
Resurgence
July 2006
” art which connects people to their surroundings, awakens their emotions, allows them to feel its meaning, and does not have to be explained.”
http://www.onformsculpture.co.uk/press/resurgence_magazine_articleCountry Life
June 2006
“Style in stone… These beautiful works carved in stone have timeless power and a strong connection with the landscape; the exhibition will appeal to serious collectors and interested visitors alike.”
The Observer, Critics Choice
June 2006
“On form 06 - Over 50 pieces by 15 sculptors in the ravishing gardens of Asthall Manor and in the ballroom built for the Mitfords.”
Galleries Magazine
June 2006
“..the beautiful riverside setting of this Oxfordshire house [attracts] an impressive roster of leading names…”
Oxford Times
June 2006
“This is the third of Rosie’s exhibitions, and as full of pleasures and surprises as ever. There are 15 artists and more than 50 major works, some eye-catchingly displayed, others met almost casually along paths and under trees…”
Cotswold Life
June 2006
“The exhibition first attracted notice for its exquisite Cotswold setting,and for the manor’s connections with the Mitford family, but since it began four years ago, it is now gaining a reputation in its own right.”
The Independent
June 2006
“...strong, shapely forms that manage to rhyme with the natural virtues of what they have been set among…..we feel the materiality of the thing….the sheer antiquity of the stone itself: what it was when in the ground and what, by contrast, it has now become, or is becoming.”
House & Garden
June 2005
“What strikes visitors to the Garden at Asthall Manor is how much it is loved” House & Garden“Asthall surges with creativity, but more important, it belongs to the secret valley that first enchanted its owner.”
The Oxford Times
June 2005
“A sort of Glyndebourne in stone.”
Warwickshire Life
June 2004
“The gardens of Asthall Manor were used for on form 04 taking sculpture out of the gallery and putting it into a living breathing space.”
Oxfordshire Life
June 2004
“At on form, the rich variety of source material, colour and textures celebrate the beauty, simplicity and power of sculpture in stone.”
The Evening Standard
June 2004
“See new and exciting pieces of sculpture set in the grand garden of Asthall Manor”
Connaught magazine
June 2004
“The idea of sculpture at Asthall has turned out to be truly inspired. Beautifully landscaped gardens have proved to be the perfect setting for sculpture.”
The Daily Telegraph
June 2002
“Never one for aesthetes, no doubt uncle Matthew would have been horrified by Asthall’s beautiful, sculpture filled grounds.”
LImited Edition
June 2000
“Garden of earthly delights”
Country Life
The show has become a hotbed of inspiration for buyers and potential patrons, many of whom go on to commission works from artists whose work they have seen here, carefully sited in the glorious Cotswolds setting.