This project brings together two people who want to have a conversation about what it is to be a woman; artist Janet Lynch and poet Ellen Phethean. Curated by Miranda Leonard.
Ellen is a life-long writer with a distinct voice. In her recent book Portrait of the Quince as an Older Woman, Ellen wrote about her life in a world made alien with loss and absence. She acknowledges aging but also the pleasure of grandchildren and the recompenses of writing. Her poems explore the older woman’s place in contemporary culture. Shedding the Niceties published last year is reviewed as a collection of ’rambunctious poems that insist on finding their own way home in the dark’.
Janet Lynch, now 84, is a painter whose work is full of life that genuinely springs forth from her brush, this current way of working represents a new way of approaching her creativity.
These two artists have much to discuss through their correspondence of paintings and poems. Both Cornwall and the North East have suffered significant economic decline and deprivation, and women are the ones who bear the brunt of financial hardship and the domestic violence and isolation that results. Access to cultural opportunities like this project can offer a chance for women to talk, share and reflect on their lives, develop interests and skills, improve self-esteem, and enjoy art that would be inclusive and available to all.
Tremenheere Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 4pm. Works from the exhibition will be available to view and purchase online once the exhibition opens. Women Talking will run in the upper gallery, while at the same time the lower gallery will present Romi Behrens: A Painting Life.
On Tuesday 24th September, 4 – 6pm, Janet and Ellen will be discussing their work and Ellen will read selected poems. 4-5pm: Tea, cake and an extra opportunity to view the exhibition, 5-6pm: Discussion and readings.
Featured image: Reading by Starlight, Janet Lynch