Farley Farm House: Introduction
Open 1 April – 30 October 2011
Farley Farm House, the former Sussex home of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose, is situated near the village of Chiddingly, in the heart of the Sussex countryside. A unique testament to the Surrealists, the house has lost none of the atmosphere from the time of its famous occupants and visitors, who included Picasso, Man Ray, Max Ernst, Paul Éluard, Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies, Eileen Agar, Kenneth Armitage, William Turnbull, John Craxton and Richard Hamilton.
Penrose and Miller filled the house with works of art, which hung on walls that were painted bright blue, yellow or a rich earthy red. In 1950, Penrose decorated the inglenook fireplace in the dining room with a mural. Over the years, he landscaped and designed the garden and filled it with sculptures.
Farley Farm House retains the feel of this home, and many of Miller’s and Penrose’s personal collections and famous works are still in situ. Lee Miller’s kitchen looks as though she just gone out to gather vegetables from the garden, and the rooms of the house only lack the aroma of Roland Penrose’s cigar smoke.
The House is run by the Penrose family and, because of its intimacy, all tours are guided. These are open to individual visitors on a drop-in basis – with no need to book. There are also opportunities for pre-booked group tours, including extended tours, with Antony Penrose, the son of Miller and Penrose, who was brought up here, and his daughter, Ami Bouhassane.
Visitors are also invited to enjoy the peaceful, country garden which is the setting for a fascinating selection of permanent and temporary modern sculpture.
Farleys Barn Gallery, open on the same days as Farley Farm House, is a magnificent old Sussex barn, in the grounds, close to the house. A series of temporary exhibitions of high quality contemporary craft and art, by practitioners of international standing, and talented new names, are staged here. Many exhibitors have a local connection, and the work selected for display complements the collection in the house. Admission to the Barn is free.
EXHIBITIONS PROGRAMME 2011
• 3 and 17 April 2011, and all dates between for group tours.
Frances Geesin, Louise Creasey, Caroline Reynolds and Susie Needham (see page 3)
Fashion; textiles, photograms, jewellery & accessories
• 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29 May, and all dates between for group tours.
David and Ronda Armitage (see page 4)
Abstract paintings and life drawings by David Armitage; and his illustrations for the Lighthouse Keeper series by Ronda Armitage during Brighton Fringe Festival 2011.
• 5 and 19 June, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17 July, and all dates between for group tours.
FrockArt
Crafts by six Sussex women with 9th-17thJuly dates in conjunction with Uckfield Art Trail.
• 7 and 21 August, and 4 September, and all dates between for group tours.
Jenny Matthews, war photographer, and Samuel Paradela, painter and sculptor
• 18, 24 and 25 Sept, and all dates between for group tours.
Chiddingly Artists’ Open Houses
Part of Chiddingly Festival
• Sculpture in the Gardens throughout the season)
A range of work by established contemporary artists, complemented by sculpture by students from Bexhill College and Uckfield College and works from Zimbabwian artists ( ZimSculpt ).
• 12 and 16 Oct, and all dates between for group tours.
The Farley’s Yard Trust Arts Awards (see page 5)
