Chris Orr RA & Caron Penney at Kevis House Gallery

3 MARCH – 9 APRIL 2022

Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm

A series of eight Satires for our time., being shown together for the first time

CHRIS ORR

Born in London in 1943, Chris Orr studied at the Royal College of Art 1964-1967. He was elected a Royal Academician in 1995, and was Professor of Printmaking at the Royal College of Art 1998-2008. He was awarded an MBE and made Professor Emeritus in 2008. Elected as Treasurer of the Royal Academy and served from 2014 to 2018

Chris Orr has had numerous exhibitions throughout the world which include: ‘The Complete Chris Orr’ (touring show), 1976; ‘Many Mansions’ (touring show), 1990; Six Royal Academicians in China’, shown in Beijing, Shanghai, and London,  2005; LithORR graphy’, Royal Academy, Fine Rooms 2012. ‘The Miserable Lives of Fabulous Artists’ Royal Academy 2018.

His work is in public collections including The Arts Council of England, The British Council, The British Museum, The Government Art Collection, The Palace of Westminster Collection, The Ruskin Library at Lancaster University, The Queens Collection, National Portrait Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts, Science Museum, Tate Britain, and Victorian and Albert Museum.

”Prints come quite naturally in series. The artist can develop a theme, construct a multi level narrative and explore many aspects of ideas and techniques. A turning point in my career came through making 10 etchings about the life of John Ruskin back in the 1970s. I went on to make many prints and paintings that have serial themes and work in groups.

In 2021, with endless fanfares and raspberries, we were on the cusp of coming out of the state of paralysis to a fragile new, and not so new normal. For myself and everybody else the ground has shifted. My new collection of satirical prints are for our time.”

Chris Orr 2022

CARON PENNEY

Penney studied Constructed Textiles at Middlesex University, graduating with a BA (Hons) degree. After working as a professional weaver, Director and Consultant for twenty-two years, in 2013 she opened her own studio. In 2021 Penney moved to the Barlavington Estate near Petworth. She has been featured in House & Garden magazine in November 2017 and Crafts Magazine in July/Aug 2018. Penney was a selected artist for the Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition in 2014 and 2020 and has exhibited widely. Penney was a selected maker for Collect Open, curated by the Crafts Council for the Collect Art Fair 2022.

Penney uses the same limited range of materials traditionally used to make handwoven tapestry, worsted wool and gilt gold threads, with the addition of dyed cotton warp which edge the finely woven pieces. She has a deep understanding of hand woven tapestry techniques and her resulting tapestries continue to be embraced by the training she acquired as a professional weaver. She uses this knowledge to teach tapestry at numerous locations, from Central Saint Martin‘s to Morley College. As a professional weaver she currently helps the artist and musician Martin Creed to realise his tapestry artwork.