Wentworth Woodhouse’s latest exhibition, ICONOCLASH, by contemporary artist Ian Kirkpatrick, opens on Tuesday 25th March and runs until 29th June.
The Arts Council England-funded exhibition brings 13 artworks to Wentworth Woodhouse’s pillared hall, five state rooms and corridors and the internal chapel.
“The sheer size of the house has actually inspired some of the exhibits in ICONOCLASH,” said artist Ian.
“My first visit there was in 2023, when Turner-Prize winning artist Grayson Perry’s The Vanity of Small Differences exhibition was occupying the State Rooms.
“I was struck by how Grayson’s magnificent tapestries were enhanced by the historic setting and the vastness of the rooms.
“My artworks are large-scale, but I realised I was being presented with a wonderful opportunity; I could go even bigger and wilder, because I had this English version of Versailles to exhibit them in!”
Ian’s vibrant work is inspired by the history of art and design. Symbols from ancient cave paintings, Egyptian hieroglyphics and scenes on Greek vases combine with graffiti, emojis and computer graphics on huge 2D and sculptural pieces which often reference current political and social affairs.
Said Ian: “Iconoclash is a play on the word iconoclasm – the rejection of traditional beliefs and symbols. I find influences and symbols from across time and jumble them all together to create something new.
“Some pieces are very colourful with tons going on with them and they tend to appeal to children. Others are monochrome with a nod to street art. American Gothic is one of the pieces that people say they like the most – it alludes to a haunted house full of Western culture’s anxieties.”
Ian hails from Canada, where he gained a degree in Fine Art. But it was coming to the UK in 2007 with his wife, an archaeologist undertaking a PhD, which gave him the opportunity to become a full-time artist. He now works out of East Street Arts in Leeds and a studio in London.
The exhibition is also providing Rotherham’s young with the chance to learn Ian’s techniques. He will be staging workshops at the house with FLUX Rotherham, an Arts Council Creative People and Places programme which creates projects and events with communities.
Visiting the exhibition is free for visitors purchasing House and Garden Tickets.
Dame Julie Kenny, ‘a force of nature’ and saviour of Wentworth Woodhouse, dies at 67
It was with sadness than Wentworth Woodhouse announced in February that Dame Julie Kenny DBE DL, one of the Yorkshire region’s most dynamic and respected businesswomen and the champion of Wentworth Woodhouse, had died suddenly at the age of 67.
A mother of three, grandmother of eight, wife to Iain and step-mother to his three children, she died after a short illness at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
Her success as a self-made entrepreneur, and the numerous accolades and honorary roles made her an inspirational figure across every sector she touched.
Her greatest mark on Rotherham was her work to rescue Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham’s Grade I Listed masterpiece, from decay and decline, which she described as ‘one of the most inspiring, yet hardest, challenges of my life.”
She was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2019 in recognition of her five-year campaign with SAVE Britain’s Heritage to buy the house in 2017 and her ongoing leadership of Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust.
Tim Cooke, Deputy Chairman of the Trust, said: “Dame Julie Kenny and Wentworth Woodhouse became synonymous with one another. Her personal impact on the house has been enormous.”
A private family funeral will be held for Dame Julie, but to enable people to share their memories of her, Dame Julie’s children Oliver, Laurence and Charlotte, husband Iain Hall and his children have opened an online book of condolence and are organising a public service to celebrate her life and achievements.