The exhibition and publication explore a less familiar aspect of the work of Alfred Munnings (1878-1959), the sporting artist celebrated for his depiction of horses.
When I began work on Munnings and the River it became clear that in addition to the river being a lifelong motif throughout the artist’s work, it was at the core of his very being. The influence of rivers not only permeated his paintings but also flowed into his autobiographical writing. Indeed, it is Munnings’ literary references that offer us the greatest insight into his love of the river. It seemed appropriate to have the narrative of the exhibition in his own words and to have the accompanying publication as an extension of this personal dialogue.
Initially, I thought translating text and images from gallery walls onto the pages of the book would be straightforward, but it proved a challenging learning curve.
In the gallery setting, the placing of pictures in relation to text is of paramount curatorial concern, yet the relationship has flexibility: an interpretation panel sets the scene and while all the pictures may not be visible from this introductory point, it prepares viewers for what’s next.
This is not the case with a book. Text to image is immediate, as I found with the introductory text for the series of works of the river Stour at Dedham.
The book text described the iconic view of Dedham church tower, which features in the series, but a nearby illustration was a picture that did not include this vital detail. This missing feature would have been confusing for any reader unfamiliar with the show. Lesson learned: you need patience and precision to arrange pictures in relation to words in order to achieve the best effect.
It was a revelation to see how a page can transform works of art. Paintings on walls and illustrations on pages are far removed. With the shackles of size released from illustrations, small watercolours can become marvellous masterpieces, occupying space with the same authority as oil paintings that measure metres in reality.
Further layers of interpretation were added to the book with the inclusion of historical and newly commissioned photographs. Those from the artist’s own albums give an intimate insight into his delight at being on the river, alongside contemporary images of the river Stour that offer comparison and a sense of place.
One of the main achievements in completing a first publication is the experience gained in arriving at a successful template, which creates a sound foundation for the future.
I am confident about the longevity of the catalogue, the first subject-specific publication in the museum’s almost 60-year history. This is not only due to the fact that the museum mainly shows works from its own collection and there will always be pieces on display that appear in the catalogue, but also because Munnings and the River fulfils our aim of publishing a lavishly illustrated celebration of his artistic and literary responses to the river, a subject for which he held such an affinity throughout his lifetime.
Marcia Whiting is the curator at the Munnings Art Museum, Essex. Munnings and the River is on until 31 October
When I began work on Munnings and the River it became clear that in addition to the river being a lifelong motif throughout the artist’s work, it was at the core of his very being. The influence of rivers not only permeated his paintings but also flowed into his autobiographical writing. Indeed, it is Munnings’ literary references that offer us the greatest insight into his love of the river. It seemed appropriate to have the narrative of the exhibition in his own words and to have the accompanying publication as an extension of this personal dialogue.
Initially, I thought translating text and images from gallery walls onto the pages of the book would be straightforward, but it proved a challenging learning curve.
In the gallery setting, the placing of pictures in relation to text is of paramount curatorial concern, yet the relationship has flexibility: an interpretation panel sets the scene and while all the pictures may not be visible from this introductory point, it prepares viewers for what’s next.
This is not the case with a book. Text to image is immediate, as I found with the introductory text for the series of works of the river Stour at Dedham.
The book text described the iconic view of Dedham church tower, which features in the series, but a nearby illustration was a picture that did not include this vital detail. This missing feature would have been confusing for any reader unfamiliar with the show. Lesson learned: you need patience and precision to arrange pictures in relation to words in order to achieve the best effect.
It was a revelation to see how a page can transform works of art. Paintings on walls and illustrations on pages are far removed. With the shackles of size released from illustrations, small watercolours can become marvellous masterpieces, occupying space with the same authority as oil paintings that measure metres in reality.
Further layers of interpretation were added to the book with the inclusion of historical and newly commissioned photographs. Those from the artist’s own albums give an intimate insight into his delight at being on the river, alongside contemporary images of the river Stour that offer comparison and a sense of place.
One of the main achievements in completing a first publication is the experience gained in arriving at a successful template, which creates a sound foundation for the future.
I am confident about the longevity of the catalogue, the first subject-specific publication in the museum’s almost 60-year history. This is not only due to the fact that the museum mainly shows works from its own collection and there will always be pieces on display that appear in the catalogue, but also because Munnings and the River fulfils our aim of publishing a lavishly illustrated celebration of his artistic and literary responses to the river, a subject for which he held such an affinity throughout his lifetime.
Marcia Whiting is the curator at the Munnings Art Museum, Essex. Munnings and the River is on until 31 October
