• About

Moor Stories

~ Reimagining the Dartmoor landscape

Moor Stories

Tag Archives: University of Exeter

Harry Hems according to Dr Corinna Wagner

19 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by Gabriella Giannachi in Process

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

antiquity, Bosses, bricoleur, community, Corinna Wagner, global, Gothic, Gothic Revival, Harry Hems, John Ruskin, local, neo-gothic, sensus communis, University of Exeter, Victorian, Victorian Medievalism, William Morris

To throw more light on Harry Hems, we have asked Dr Corinna Wagner, Senior Lecturer in English at University of Exeter, a series of questions that aim to locate Hems within the broader context of Victorian culture and history. Dr Wagner, together with Dr Joanne Parker, also from the English Department at University of Exeter, hold a large AHRC grant to study Identity, Community and Victorian Medievalism, exploring ‘how communities have turned to their regional histories and local landscapes in response to economic, technological and social change’. The project specifically looks into how Victorian artists like Hems ‘borrowed’ from the literary and visual artefacts of their region’s medieval past in order to ‘forge an aesthetic that they thought capable of inspiring “sensus communis” – that is a shared sensibility about what it means for a community to flourish

What do we know about Harry Hems?

Although not a native Exonian, Harry Hems became a well-known figure in the South West, and a significant member of late Victorian Exeter society. He was something of a celebrity for several reasons. First, he was an incredibly talented wood and stone carver, who collected a vast collection of medieval woodwork and sculpture, mostly gathered from churches he visited. He used these collected pieces as examples for his own designs, but interpreting them in a way that combined past and present. Quite wonderfully, he developed a meticulous understanding of medieval design but then creatively adapted traditional forms to reflect the tastes and priorities of modern Victorians.

There is also a second reason for his renown: Hems was a flamboyant character, and something of a self-promoter. He was passionate about what he did and he was a driven, disciplined craftsman. He expected much from his workers and was known for his fiery temper, which resulted in not a few lawsuits! Having said that, he could also be characterized as an old-school Victorian paternalist, who treated Exeter’s elderly poor to a Christmas meal each year.

Why is the Hems collection significant and distinctive?

The Hems collection, held at the RAMM, is significant for its sheer size, diversity and antiquity. There are hundreds of fifteenth-century carvings and architectural fragments, gathered from restoration projects in a variety of locations. These pieces could tell us much about the landscape, culture and social configurations of the communities that produced them, but alas, we don’t know where many of the pieces come from.

How would you describe Hems’ use of gothic?

To be honest, I’m not sure – yet – how I would describe Hems’ particular brand of gothic. This is one of the questions I want to answer in my project. What I can say is that he was something of a ‘bricoleur’ – that is, he is someone who borrowed from a wide variety of sources, and brought things together in new combinations. Clearly his carvings are traditional and religious, and use established symbols and designs. In addition, my research reveals his keen interest in recovering old methods of craftsmanship and in using time-honoured, local materials (like Beer limestone). Yet, he would re-interpret and experiment with the old in new ways, as can be seen in his award-winning neo-gothic furniture, which thrilled the judges at world exhibitions in Paris and America. The gothic became a brand of neo-gothic that combined the local with the global.

What do we know about how his art relates to other aesthetic movements?

Hems was part of the Gothic Revival, a much wider, international movement, which celebrated the aesthetics and social structures associated with the European Middle Ages. That he was extremely busy with commissions as far away as Africa, indicates the significance of this movement. There is also a political aspect to his aesthetics. Like William Morris, Hems related his art to his political philosophy (though he didn’t share Morris’ socialist leanings). Like Morris and John Ruskin, Hems saw the honest labour of craftsmanship as a deeply ethical enterprise; gothic design communicated important human values like vitality and honour. Hems identified a continuity between his aesthetics, his business, his participation in charitable organizations and his position as an Exeter city councillor.

How should we look at his bosses, what was the significance of these objects in situ?

I think we should attempt to read his bosses, to try to determine what it is they expressed and what they express to us now. We should ask ourselves:

  • How do these wonderfully detailed, meticulously carved ornaments affect us as viewers?
  • What values do they promote?
  • What do they tell us, if anything, about local identities?
  • What about changes in these identities, over time?
  • What are the differences between Devon bosses and say, Norfolk bosses?
  • People have observed that the bosses in the church at Honiton, Devon are among the most beautiful. Why?
  • What did the artist want to express?
  • Did he express something specific about that community?

As you can see, I have answered the question with yet more questions. I don’t have an answer, except to say that we must look at his bosses and when we do, we should work to understand what it is they say to us.

Advertisements

Rate this:

Recent Posts

  • 2013 in review
  • Growing the Cultural Landscape with Moor Stories.
  • Festival of Archaeology 2013 at RAMM
  • Moor Stories at Bellever Day 2013
  • Design

Archives

  • January 2014
  • September 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • October 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012

Categories

  • About
  • Community
  • Evaluation
  • Process
  • Replying to questions by users
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized

Alun Sands Andy Chapman antiquity archaeology archive 3.0 Art Maps Blast Theory Bosses bricoleur Bronze Age Captain Creig church CloudPad community Corinna Wagner creative writing Dartmoor detective digital economy ecclesiastical sculpture engagement Exeter Exeter Time Trail filming free style learning Gabriella Giannachi game global Gothic Gothic Revival GPS Harry Hems Harry Hems Centre Helen Burbage heritage history Lady Fox Lisa Sands local Lynn Hershman Leeson making history map Medieval Michael Shanks mobile learning Mrs Minter Naomi Howell neo-gothic past photography pre-history presence Presence Project preservation gloves punctum RAMM Rick Lawrence Roland Barthes Ross Sloman Ruth Gidley sensus communis Simon Olding St David's Primary School St Leonard's Church of England Primary School Tate Tom Cadbury trajectories Tudor University of Exeter Victorian Victorian Medievalism web design Will Barrett wood carvings Your Moor Stories
Advertisements

  • Gabriella Giannachi
    • Design
  • Helen Burbage
    • Filming at Chagford church
  • kateramm
    • I came, I saw, I scanned…
  • moorstories
    • 2013 in review
  • Rick Lawrence
    • Festival of Archaeology 2013 at RAMM
  • Tom Cadbury
    • Which Dartmoor churches did Harry Hems work on?
  • Will Barrett
    • Growing the Cultural Landscape with Moor Stories.

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 86 other followers

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.