Museums - Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft- East Sussex.
Back in February on a very rainy day I visited Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft. I had no expectations other than it had been recommended to me. Exhibitions to see were 20 Years of Penguin Essentials and the collected works of Elizabeth Friedlander.
I had my National Art Pass so I got in free, well not technically free as you have paid for the pass as otherwise it is £6.50 entrance charge.
The Penguin Book exhibition was very relevant to my interests. I love old Penguin covers and it was nice to see all the different designs together.
From the museums website;
‘Penguin Random House UK will take over the Wunderkammer at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft with a celebration of 100 Penguin Essentials. The display accompanies the museum’s exhibition ‘Elizabeth Friedlander: Typographer, Calligrapher, Designer’ and reflects Friedlander’s relationship with the renowned publishing house; Penguin was an early champion of Friedlander’s talent, and many of her best-known works were created to grace the covers of these iconic books.
The Penguin Essentials series began in 1998 under the guidance of Art Director John Hamilton, and continues to celebrate this artistic heritage through a series of creative collaborations with contemporary designers, illustrators and artists such as Tomato (Anthony Burgess A Clockwork Orange), Banksy (Nick Cave And The Ass Saw The Angel) and Angie Lewin (Penelope Lively The Road to Lichfield). The result is an ongoing collection of innovative and diverse book designs that stand as a shining example of imagery, typography and layout.
The original artists and designers Hamilton chose often hadn’t designed book jackets before and were not locked into the norms and formulae of cover design. 20 years later he has carefully selected 100 of his own favourites showcasing the ground-breaking designs, with an additional selection from the publisher’s archives that includes several Friedlander book covers and noted designers of their day.’
(http://www.ditchlingmuseumartcraft.org.uk/event/20-years-penguin-essentials/-12th October 2018)
From the museums website;
‘Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft presents the story of outstanding artist, designer and typographer Elizabeth Friedlander. The work of Friedlander (1903-1984) is instantly recognisable as mid-20th century design at its best, but few will know the name behind the art. Best known for her Penguin book covers and Bauer Type Foundry typeface ‘Elizabeth’, the exhibition touches on her escape to London from 1930s Nazi Germany, friendship with her sponsor – poet and printer Francis Meynell – and her work with a wartime British black propaganda unit. The show includes rarely-seen works from the artist’s compelling career including type design, wood engravings, decorative book papers, maps and commercial work.’
(http://www.ditchlingmuseumartcraft.org.uk/event/elizabeth-friedlander/-accessed 12th October 2018)
I really enjoyed my trip and there is lots to see. All the different typography was wonderful and made me realise that my collection (8 boxes) of various cut outs from magazines and old books wasn’t that bad at all.
The museums permanent collection shows work from the artists and craftspeople who were drawn to the village, including the calligrapher Edward Johnston, the painter David Jones, the printer Hilary Pepler and the weaver Ethel Mairet.
(adapted from http://www.ditchlingmuseumartcraft.org.uk/about/about-us/-12th October 2018)
Go HERE and HERE to learn more about the museum and see the museums current exhibitions HERE.