As part of The Art of Wallpaper: Morris & Co. exhibition season, we are delighted to present a series of online lunchtime talks exploring wallpaper, design history, conservation, craftsmanship, and the enduring legacy of Morris & Co.
Join our invited speakers - leading historians, artists, designers, archivists, and conservation specialists - as they share their expertise and insights into the fascinating world of wallpaper.
Programme
Mary Schoeser - Author, curator and leading authority on textiles and wallpaper
Mary Schoeser was the original curator of The Art of Wallpaper: Morris & Co. and is internationally recognised for her expertise in textiles, wallpaper, and decorative arts.
This wide-ranging talk explores the story of Morris & Co. from William Morris’s birth in 1834 through to the continued appreciation and revival of his designs, including the most recent displays of his patterns in 2020. Looking beyond wallpaper alone, Mary will also discuss related areas of Morris’s work and influence, including tapestries, Kelmscott Press, exhibition societies, and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.
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Dr Louise Atkinson - Visual artist, researcher and facilitator
In this talk, artist and researcher Louise Atkinson discusses the development of Heterotopia, a new artwork commissioned for The Art of Wallpaper: Morris & Co. Drawing on the lives, politics and visual languages of May Morris and Mary Seton Watts, the commission imagines a creative collaboration between two influential women whose contributions to the Arts and Crafts movement have often been overlooked.
The talk introduces the research behind the work and the process of transforming motifs from historical sources into a contemporary repeat pattern. Through composition, typography, and symbolism, Heterotopia considers contrasting, yet complementary ideas of social change in the 19th century and how those ideas still resonate today.
Dr Louise Atkinson is a contemporary artist, researcher, and community facilitator, currently based at the University of Leeds as a Visiting Research Fellow. Her practice explores the relationship between art and heritage, in which she employs a range of visual and digital media and techniques, including collage, animation, repeat pattern design, and augmented reality.
Kirsty Stonell Walker - Art historian and author
William Morris is not renown for his female companions, yet throughout his life he managed to inspire, love and influence many different women. From his wife, to his friends, through models and other artists, William Morris’s spirit and technical ability brought out the best in everyone he met. From his youth to his death, we will meet some of the women who made his life and legacy shine bright.
Over the last 30 years, Kirsty Stonell Walker have researched and written about the lives of Victorian women attached to the Pre-Raphaelite art movement. She is the author of Pre-Raphaelite Girl Gang (2018), Light and Love (2020) and Stunner (2022) and the blog The Kissed Mouth for over a decade, publishing articles on all aspects of Victorian artistic life.
Dr Emma Hardy - Assistant Archivist, Sanderson
Emma Hardy explores the history and archives of one of Britain’s most significant wallpaper manufacturers.
This talk will delve into the fascinating records behind Morris & Co. wallpapers, revealing insights into their production, design history, and enduring legacy through the company’s archive material.
Allyson McDermott - Wallpaper conservator and historic interiors specialist
Allyson McDermott is one of the world’s leading authorities on the conservation and recreation of historic wallpapers. Former Head of Sotheby’s Conservation Studio, she is an Advisor to the National Trust and Chair of the Historic Interiors Group of ICON and has received the Royal Warrant of Appointment to the King as Conservators and Makers of Historic Wallpapers.
Aliénor Cros - Interior designer and founder of Artfully Crafted
Aliénor Cros is a London-based interior designer specialising in historic styles and the founder of Artfully Crafted, a platform dedicated to celebrating craftsmanship and makers.
Aliénor will explore the history and production of wallpaper, from traditional block printing and rotary methods to modern techniques, and how these processes have influenced design. She will look at today’s makers of traditionally produced wallpapers and the unique qualities of hand-crafted papers. The talk will also explore creative ways of using wallpaper in interiors, with examples from historic houses including Sambourne House and Emery Walker’s House.
Book individual sessions or the full series, with a discount available when booking all six talks. Each talk will take place live on Zoom and will be recorded, with recordings available to watch for one week following the session.
Members of Watts and the Wallpaper History Society (WHS) receive a 10% discount on talk bookings.
Please note that as a charity we do not offer refunds on our events, workshops, talks or tours.
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