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.phpRosie 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.eceStone sculptures that seem to slow time down.
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.
A unique showcase for stone sculpture in Asthall Manor’s fabulous gardens.
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.
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.
Anyone with any doubts about modern abstract sculpture should visit on form in 2008 to experience the amazing mutual flattery of stone and flowers.
“ 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_article“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.”
“On form 06 - Over 50 pieces by 15 sculptors in the ravishing gardens of Asthall Manor and in the ballroom built for the Mitfords.”
“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...”
“..the beautiful riverside setting of this Oxfordshire house [attracts] an impressive roster of leading names…”
“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.”
“...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.”
“A sort of Glyndebourne in stone.”
“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.”
“See new and exciting pieces of sculpture set in the grand garden of Asthall Manor”
“At on form, the rich variety of source material, colour and textures celebrate the beauty, simplicity and power of sculpture in stone.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Never one for aesthetes, no doubt uncle Matthew would have been horrified by Asthall’s beautiful, sculpture filled grounds.”
“Garden of earthly delights”