Tatton Park gardens play host to art exhibition

May 3 2008 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

AN INAUGURAL biennial art exhibition opens today at one of Cheshire’s most prestigious locations.

Surrounded by, and drawing inspiration from, the beautiful gardens of Tatton Park, the event is likely to be one of Cheshire's Year of Gardens '08 highlights.

The theme is Botanical Collections and Collectors and until its conclusion on September 28, around 30 artists, performers and writers will develop new art works in response to Tatton Park's gardens.

Brendan Flanagan, general manager of Tatton Park, said they had decided to hold the event to coincide with the Year of Gardens event as a way of bringing a “contemporary edge” to the popular tourist site.

He said: “The gardens are already artistic in their own right, with areas such as the Japanese garden which is the best example of its kind in Europe and is a work of art in itself.

“The gardens also contain many artworks such as the sculptures and buildings.”

Among those artists taking part is David Blandy who is developing a series of filmed performances in which his Barefoot Lone Pilgrim attempts to live out aspects of the samurai “Hagaqure” amid an English recreation of a Japanese Tea Garden.

And artist Jo Coupe plans to work in the Orchid House and create an orchid and its root system cast in solid gold.