Liz West presents new exhibition Autumn Lights at the National Trust's Little Moreton Hall

Liz West | Autumn Lights
Little Moreton Hall

Exhibition open 9 September - 17 November 2016  

Ancient hand blown glass in the windows of 16th century Little Moreton Hall is the inspiration behind the Hall’s first ever contemporary art exhibition, which opens this autumn. 

Autumn Lights, by British artist Liz West, has been commissioned by the National Trust as part of its Trust New Art programme, and is the start of an ongoing programme of work by contemporary artists taking place at Little Moreton Hall under the title The Senses.

“By bringing contemporary art installations into historic buildings such as Little Moreton Hall, we hope to add a new and exciting layer to our visitors’ experience” says Hannah Pierce, the Trust’s Contemporary Arts Programme Manager. “It also enables young, dynamic artists to create new work in spaces which wouldn’t normally be accessible, which can inspire and challenge their creative process.”   

Liz West has chosen to explore sight and vision, drawing inspiration from over thirty thousand lead window panes at Little Moreton Hall – and in particular, the glass they contain. “The ancient hand blown glass in the windows of Little Moreton Hall is tinted – very subtly – by trace impurities of copper, iron and magnesium” says Liz. “These historical ‘colourways’ will be the starting point for my artwork which will use natural light to visually alter visitors’ perceptions of the Hall’s many different spaces. These spaces can differ dramatically in atmosphere depending on the amount of light that’s present.”   

“By using prisms, filters, refraction and reflection, I want to create a spatial light trail through the Hall which will highlight elements of its architecture that are usually unnoticed or overlooked. This interplay of architecture, light and colour will constantly change as the sun’s natural light shifts through the Autumn season.”   

Autumn Lights, by Liz West opens at Little Moreton Hall on 9 September and runs until 27 November on days when the house is open. Find out more at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/littlemoretonhall.

Liz West brings Our Colour Reflection installation to Grade I listed Mayfair building

Grosvenor Britain & Ireland is hosting Liz West’s ‘Our Colour Reflection’ installation at the St Mark’s building, a former church on North Audley Street, Mayfair, from 4-17 July 2016. The ten-day exhibition is open to the public and free to attend.

The exhibition is part of a wider initiative to open up the space to the public before it undergoes a £5m repair and restoration programme starting later this year. Grosvenor plans to redevelop this West End landmark heritage building to create a new retail, restaurant and community hub. The building will provide a meeting space for the community as well as 14,500 sq ft of shops and restaurants when it reopens to the public in late 2017.

Liz West, artist, said: “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to exhibit my site-specific work “Our Colour Reflection” within the beautiful architecture of St Mark’s in London. Our Colour Reflection creates a conversation between the viewer and the setting using more than 765 mirrors made of coloured acrylic. There are 15 colours in all and the mirrors with diameters of 30, 40, 50 and 60cm are set at different heights so that they reflect up onto the architecture and reveal parts of the building that would otherwise be invisible, projecting colour up into the historic interior.”

Will Bax, Placemaking Director, London estate at Grosvenor Britain & Ireland, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for the public to see inside one of the West End’s most historic buildings and a chance to enjoy the work of a renowned British artist. We are looking forward to seeing how Liz’s work showcases the building’s beautiful architecture and striking features for all to appreciate.

More information: http://www.grosvenor.com/news-views-research/news/2016/grosvenor-launches-art-exhibition-at-grade-i-liste/