Open until 31st August, Flaxen is an exhibition that showcases the artwork of Alice Fox, made with materials collected and grown at ancient Cornish farmstead Kestle Barton over the last two years.
During the growing season of 2024 a crop of flax (Linum usitatissimum) was grown in the almost enclosed circle at the end of the meadow at Kestle Barton. This was a communal activity, overseen by Alice, with help from Kestle Barton staff and a changing team of volunteers. Sowing, tending, harvesting, retting, and processing were undertaken, resulting in fibres for spinning, as well as flax plants dried at different stages for use later on.
Alice Fox, Ash Keys. Photo credit David Lindsay. Courtesy Kestle Barton
Alice visited Kestle Barton in each season, spending time in residence. Each visit added to Alice’s experience and understanding of the place and the materials available for weaving and construction of surfaces and structures. Alice gathered materials in each season to make sculpture with; and made botanical inks during each visit as well, building up a place-based colour chart and a library of materials with which to work.
Alice Fox, Flax Field (detail). Photo credit David Lindsay. Courtesy Kestle Barton
Alice received funding from the Theo Moorman Trust for Weavers to buy flax processing equipment and towards developing this new body of flax-focused artwork.
On Saturday 30th August, during the exhibition’s final weekend, Alice will be offering a workshop on ‘Botanical Inks at Kestle Barton’. More details here. Find more information on the exhibition more generally here.
Alice Fox, Blackthorn circle (detail 2). Photo credit David Lindsay. Courtesy Kestle Barton
Kestle Barton, Helston, TR12, is open Tuesday – Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays, 10:30am – 5pm.