29 May – 12 September
Drawing inspiration from the rich tradition of Surrealism in Sussex including the famous benefactor and resident of West Dean, Edward James, and Chiddingly residents Lee Miller and Roland Penrose.
West Dean College, West Sussex
Sussex has a strong link with
Surrealism
through Edward James in West Dean, West Sussex and
Roland Penrose
and
Lee Miller
in Chiddingly, East Sussex. Edward James had one of the most important collections of Surrealist art in the world with works by
Salvador Dalí
,
Max Ernst
,
René Magritte
,
Man Ray
and 100 works by Leonora Carrington. He transformed the
Lutyens
designed hunting lodge near West Dean into a Surrealist dream with the help of among others Salvador Dali's Mae West lips sofas and lobster telephones, carpets with a imprint of
Tilly Losch
's feet and Edward Jame's dog, and a glass bath with gold fish. The main house is now West Dean college.
The writer and painter Roland Penrose and the photographer Lee Miller entertained their international artistic friends at Farley Farm in Chiddingly. Both were part of the Parisian art scene in the 1930's and forged friendships with
Pablo Picasso
,
Paul Éluard
, Man Ray, Max Ernst and many others. Penrose with
Andre Breton
organised the first Surrealist exhibition in London in 1936. Carrington met Penrose and Miller through Max Ernst in 1937. She would continue her friendship with Lee Miller, and when in England with her young children she would stay at Farley Farm.
The Penrose's son Anthony, has opened the Farley Farm up to the public.