Mark Frith: Ancient Oaks will be on show at the Harley Foundation, Nottinghamshire from 20 April until 14 July. This free entry exhibition shows 10 astonishingly detailed pencil drawings of Britain’s ancient oaks. Visitors will marvel at the impressive scale of these 1.5-metre-wide graphite drawings.
At the age of 60 Mark Frith began an ambitious project – to draw 20 of “the most important oak trees in Britain.”
Inspired by a childhood immersed in countryside and woodland, his first portrait was of the Great Oak at Nibley Green, a tree he had explored as a child. This tree portrait took him two months to complete, with the final drawing measuring in at a huge 1.5-metres wide.
For the next four years, Frith travelled the length and breadth of Britain to capture the character of each tree, rendering buds, bark, and branches. His finished tree portraits are not only beautiful, but serve as a record of these enduring oaks.
Visitors to the exhibition can get an up-close look at these meticulously detailed drawings, exploring the distinct character of each tree. The drawings in this exhibition have been generously loaned by the Heart of England Forest Trust, they were last exhibited six years ago.
A highlight of the exhibition is a depiction of Nottinghamshire’s Major Oak. The exhibition may inspire a visit to the Major Oak, which is located in nearby Sherwood Forest, a 15- minute drive from the Harley Foundation.
Lisa Gee, Director of the Harley Foundation, said “This exhibition is a testament to our deep connection with trees. From woodland walks to off-grid staycations – our fascination with trees extends beyond childhood tales of enchanted forests. Ash dieback and the recent vandalism of the sycamore gap tree show how much trees matter to us. Mark’s drawings express his profound connection with trees, a connection I believe we can all relate to.”
"Mark Frith's immaculately presented exhibition continues a long-established landscape tradition of drawings of Trees. Artists such as John Sylva, Sir Antony Van Dyck, Paul Sandby, John Constable and JMW Turner RA are just a few such past artists who have been inspired to draw the trees in the British landscape. This field of artistic aesthetic interest in trees is the very ethos of The Tree Art Gallery where we specialise only in artworks inspired by Trees and Wood and we are delighted to represent Mark Frith." Emmeline Hallmark, Founder and Director of the Tree Art Gallery
Mark Frith: Ancient Oaks is one of four new contemporary exhibitions at the Harley Foundation exploring trees and woodland. Other exhibitions include photography by Paul Hart, paintings by Anthony Whishaw RA and glass by Effie Burns.
For more information and press releases on these exhibitions, contact Alexandra Powell e: apowell@harleyfoundation.org.uk.
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- Mark Frith: Ancient Oaks is on show at the Harley Foundation, Nottinghamshire from 20 April – 14 July 2024.
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- The exhibition is free to enter and there is a large, free car park.
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- The Gallery is open Tuesday – Sunday. Please check www.harleyfoundation.org.uk
for opening times.
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- The Harley Foundation is on the Welbeck estate, on the A60 south of Worksop. It is
15 minutes from both the A1 and M1.
www.harleyfoundation.org.uk
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Notes to editors
For further information about this news release, please contact:Alexandra Powell at The Harley Foundation e: apowell@harleyfoundation.org.uk t: 01909 501 700
The Harley Foundation
The Harley Foundation is a charitable trust which supports the visual arts and crafts. It has created award-winning visitor attractions, a community of artist’s studios, and a vibrant event and education programme on the historic Welbeck estate.
Visitor attractions include the award-winning Harley Gallery, which shows contemporary exhibitions and The Portland Collection, a museum showing the art collection created by the Dukes of Portland and their families over 400 years.
The art spaces are accompanied by the gallery shop specialising in contemporary craft from leading names and emerging makers. Visitors can also enjoy an Art Trail through the Welbeck countryside, family activities, and an events programme that includes a monthly programme of talks.
Free entry. Free parking. See www.harleyfoundation.org.uk for opening hours and current exhibitions.
Mark Frith
Artist and filmmaker, Mark Frith has created several documentaries, including the BAFTA award- winning The Lie of the Land. After returning to his childhood home in Gloucester, he rekindled a love for drawing and began to sketch.
In 2011 he began an ambitious project to document Britain’s ancient oaks, commissioned by the late publisher, poet and lover of trees, Felix Dennis. These drawings express our deep connection with trees, capturing something of the soul of the ancient oak tree. Since completing this project, Frith has started work on another 20-drawing series to capture Britain’s ash trees.
“I’m an old man yet I’m only 71, and some of the trees I’ve drawn are 1,000 years old. When I’m with them and when I draw them, I think about my mortality and the brief nature of human life that passes fleetingly beneath them.” – Mark Frith
The Tree Art Gallery
Mark Frith is represented by the Tree Art Gallery, a contemporary art gallery specialising in artworks inspired by trees and wood. It was founded by Emmeline Hallmark, a specialist in British landscape art of the 18th and 19th centuries, and is a culmination of her studies, passion and interpretation of nature in art.
See www.thetreeartgallery.com or email info@thetreeartgallery.com for more information.
