Petworth Revisited

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Petworth Revisited (2013) captures the grounds of  the present day Petworth House as painted by JMW Turner in the early 19th century. The house and the grounds are located within the Sussex countryside and it is somewhere I have visited from my childhood to present day.
I was originally inspired to work with Turners images after looking at the work of John Burke and Simon Norfolk. The collaboration between the past and present works showed me how successful pairing old and new images could be. The two seem to feed off each other - giving new meanings to each works and showing a direct comparison between the ages. What struck me was the underlying timelessness of the works. With time, the equipment and reasons for the conflict has changed, yet the underpinning struggle remains fundamentally the same. This constant through the ages is what greatly interests me. The fact that even with the passage of time, the relationship with the land or its people can be mirrored. 

Turners emotive use of colour and the clear admiration he had with the Petworth grounds struck me. I myself have fond memories of the grounds and again I visited them. It was clear that even with the passing of time, the grounds have up kept their charm and allure. It was with subsequent visits that I set about tracking down the views Turner has painted. All with the mindset that these were paintings and open to an artistic interpretation - not necessarily exact landscapes. Taking research materials and books to the grounds proved to be invaluable. When I pinned these views down I found myself with the same sense of wonder and admiration Turner must have felt. The longevity of the landscape out lasted a generation, yet still provides inspiration and idyllic refuge to another.  Through my work I hope to capture the timeless feel of the grounds. I hope to ground Turners Impressionistic work within the realms of factual truth a camera can bring. All in all however, I hope to have intertwined both Turners and my own relationship with these grounds, highlighting that the passage of time can have little effect on the atmosphere of a place.



Images 1/6:
Petworth, Sussex, the Seat of the Earl of Egremont: Dewy Morning. 2013 (Left)
Petworth, Sussex, the Seat of the Earl of Egremont: Dewy Morning. 1810 (Right)
2/6:
A Wooded Glade. 2013 (Left)
A Wooded Glade. 1830 (Right)
3/6:
The Landscape at Petworth: The Stag Park. 2013 (Left)
The Landscape at Petworth: The Stag Park. 1827 (Right)
4/6:
Petworth Park, Sunset: with a cart. 2013 (Left)
Petworth Park, Sunset: with a cart. 1827 (Right)
5/6:
Sunset Sky over the Lake: The Boathouse on the Right. 2013 (Left)
Sunset Sky over the Lake: The Boathouse on the Right. 1827 (Right)
6/6:
Sunset Over the Ridge Seen from the North Pond in Petworth Park. 2013 (Left)
Sunset Over the Ridge Seen from the North Pond in Petworth Park. 1827 (Right)