Cambridgeshire artists Sarah Evans and David Kefford, known as Aid & Abet, have created an artwork that celebrated old and new, tradition and innovation for Peckover House.
It was commissioned to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Peckover House coming into the care of the National Trust.
Visitors to the house this year will see the transformation of the Drawing Room into an immersive art installation.
‘Transitions in Time’ is the result of the artists spending a year researching elements of the Peckover story, taking inspiration from the family’s values, traditions and their links with the local community.
Artist, Sarah Evans, one half of Aid & Abet, said: “The work invites visitors to delve into the creative past lives of the people that once lived at Peckover House.
“They can expect the unexpected, as objects from the house jostle with new collages. The Peckover and Penrose families shared a passion for education and work in the community.
“We wanted to capture the spirit of that generosity, so that visitors can take fresh inspiration from this wonderful Georgian house and its long, fascinating story.”
Ben Rickett, the National Trust’s property operations manager at Peckover House, said: “In 1948, the contents of Peckover House were sold at auction. It signified the end of one era and the beginning of another.
“This is an opportunity for us to re-imagine the extensive collection that once filled the house, focussing on different elements of Peckover’s history and the family’s legacy.
“The Peckover family’s strict Quaker beliefs seem at first to be a stark contrast with the love of surrealist art by Lord Peckover’s grandson, Roland Penrose. “However, their shared love of art, collecting and working for the local community served to unite the family through the generations.”
Aid & Abet have drawn inspiration from the many interests of the family, including Lord Peckover’s collections of artefacts and books, even ordinary domestic items found in the house.
These things have been used alongside collected treasures, to create collages and sculptural artworks.
The project is part of Trust New Art, a contemporary arts programme inspired by National Trust places and supported by a partnership with Arts Council England, with a further grant coming from the East Anglia Art Fund.
‘Transitions in Time’ will open on Saturday February 24 and run to Sunday November 18 during normal opening hours.
However, work on the project won’t stop there. It will continue to develop with the changing seasons as Aid & Abet work with local groups in the community to create new artwork to add to the installation.
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