Printmaking Workshop
16 - 17th November
Soulton Hall
Moot Hall
Chandler is undertaking a culturally significant project that draws a direct connection with Shakespeare, his play As you Like It and Soulton Hall in Wem, Shropshire.
Discussions began in Mid 2023 and extensive research has been undertaken.
Access has been granted by The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Globe Theatre and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre to archival imagery to help inform initial designs.
Sketches from these reference points have lead to the design of eight, two meter tall relief prints featuring the four couples that marry at the end of the play and dance together, the choreography of this dance has been discovered on the grounds of Soulton Hall, it speaks of peace, harmony and statecraft.
With this print work well underway Chandler is now embarking on developing these prints into relief sculptures with a series of “Flatland” pieces to follow.
This has been academically Chandlers most challenging project pushing the depth of research far beyond that of other bodies of work.
Project Supporters and Creative Partners
SOULTON HALL
This 16th century manor, located in Shropshire, England and the inspiration of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, is the home of 'Old' Sir Rowland who Hill built this house in a Renaissance code in the reign of Queen Mary I, and ushered in the culture of Elizabethan England.
The hall has a rich history, and it is associated with figures like Sir Rowland Hill, who played a role in its construction. Hill defies easy definition. This figure of the Tudor era was a true Renaissance man: statesman, philosopher, merchant, and patron of the arts. His life intertwined with pivotal events and themes that shaped England's story.
While his accomplishments are numerous, his most lasting impact stems from publishing the Geneva Bible in 1560.
“We have been delighted with the way that Jacob has approached our commission. He has embraced the academic rigour of analysing the characters in Shakespeare's play, As You Like It. Consultation with The Globe and The Royal Shakespeare Company has ensured his portrayal is both well referenced and current. Using source material from the likes of Helen Miram and David Tennant he has reduced character and emotion to basic forms, in a way that has surpassed our expectations. Jacob's natural enthusiasm and skill have been essential for this project.”
Quote Tim Ashton of Soulton Hall
BYRGA GENIHT
James David Wenn is an expert in the social and architectural history of the English people.
Educated in the shadow of Gloucester Cathedral, at Cambridge University (Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic), and Leicester University (The Centre for the Study of the Country House), James has spent a lifetime refining a deep understanding of the soul of historic English architecture and design.
BYRGA GENIHT is a portal through which James makes this knowledge and expertise available to individuals and institutions seeking clarity and vision in this area and has added a wealth of knowledge to this project.