In the realm of British Modernism, the Bloomsbury Group has long captivated art enthusiasts with their avant-garde approach to life and creation. Among their circle, one artist stands out for her enigmatic works and unconventional lifestyle: Dora Carrington. A new exhibition at Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, “Dora Carrington: Beyond Bloomsbury,” seeks to shed light on this bohemian artist whose art has often been overshadowed by her personal life and famous connections.
Unveiling the Enigma of Dora Carrington
Carrington, who preferred to be known simply by her surname, embodied the free-spirited ethos of the Bloomsbury Group despite not being part of its inner circle. Her polyamorous relationships, including a complicated bond with the gay writer Lytton Strachey, often took center stage, eclipsing her artistic achievements. The exhibition at Pallant House aims to rectify this imbalance, showcasing Carrington’s remarkable talent and inviting viewers to appreciate her work on its own merits.
A Bohemian Life and Love
Carrington’s personal life was a tapestry of unconventional relationships. Bisexual and unabashed in her love for nudity, she found herself drawn to Lytton Strachey, despite his homosexuality. Their complex bond led to a ménage à trois with Ralph Partridge, whom Carrington married in an attempt to maintain their triangular relationship. This arrangement, while radical for its time, was not without its challenges, as Carrington struggled to find fulfillment and recognition in both her romantic and artistic pursuits.
Carrington was an enchanting person, by all accounts – the sort of captivating personality it is impossible to forget.
– Exhibition Curator
Landscapes, Nudes, and Tinsel: The Art of Carrington
The exhibition showcases the breadth of Carrington’s artistic output, from her distinctive landscapes with unusually high horizons to her striking figurative works and early nudes created during her time at the Slade School of Fine Art. Of particular interest are her “tinsel paintings,” crafted from foil candy wrappers pressed against glass – a unique and whimsical approach that highlights her inventive spirit.
While some of Carrington’s works are undeniably exceptional, the exhibition’s staging does not always do them justice. The intimate nature of her paintings and the domestic scale of her tinsel works demand a more thoughtful hanging that considers their unique qualities. Instead, they are sometimes swallowed up by the vastness of the gallery space, diminishing their impact.
A Legacy Overshadowed
Despite the exhibition’s efforts to reframe Carrington’s narrative, her art remains inextricably linked to her personal life and the Bloomsbury Group’s dramatics. The curators’ attempt to paint her bohemian lifestyle as a utopian ideal feels incomplete without addressing the darker aspects of her relationships and the role that class and colonial privilege played in enabling her unconventional existence.
Tragically, Carrington’s life was cut short by suicide, just two months after the death of Lytton Strachey. This abrupt end underscores the complexity of her story and the challenges she faced in finding balance and fulfillment in both her art and relationships.
Rediscovering Carrington’s Brilliance
The “Dora Carrington: Beyond Bloomsbury” exhibition is a valiant attempt to reintroduce the public to an artist whose work has long been underappreciated. By focusing on her artistic output and highlighting the unique qualities of her paintings and tinsel works, the curators invite viewers to engage with Carrington’s creations on their own terms.
However, the exhibition’s staging and its glossing over of the more complex aspects of Carrington’s life leave room for improvement. To truly do justice to her legacy, future exhibitions may need to delve deeper into the intricacies of her story while presenting her art in a manner that allows it to shine independently of her personal narrative.
Despite these shortcomings, “Dora Carrington: Beyond Bloomsbury” succeeds in sparking renewed interest in an artist whose brilliance has long been overshadowed. As viewers explore her captivating works and learn more about her unconventional life, they may find themselves drawn into the enigmatic world of Dora Carrington, a bohemian visionary whose art deserves to be celebrated in its own right.
