Henry Moore at Kew Gardens, UK
Royal Botanic Gardens Displays Sculptures in Natural Landscape.
Just as Henry Moore desired, his massive sculptures are now on show with backdrops that complement them, and where the changing light and seasons alter the viewpoint.
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2003, offers the visitor 250 years of historical landscape. It houses over 40 listed buildings including the Palm House, Temperate House, Orangery and Pagoda, as well as Queen Charlotte’s Cottage and Kew Palace.
Currently it is hosting the Henry Moore Exhibition at Kew, a combination of Moore’s huge sculptures never before seen together. The exhibition runs until March 30th 2008, and cannot be recommended too highly.
Getting to Kew from London is simple as there are excellent tube and train connections, but many consider that the best way to travel is by river. Join the Thames River launch at Westminster Pier for a trip that follows the Royal Barge Route of King Henry VIII, passing famous landmarks on the way, Lambeth Palace, The Tate Gallery, Chelsea Old Church (on the site of the original where Henry VIII married Jane Seymour in secret), Putney, Barnes, Mortlake and Chiswick and Oliver‘s Ait where Oliver Cromwell planned his battle strategies The excellent commentary that accompanies the trip, adds quirky little nuggets of history that enhance the journey.
David Mitchinson, Head of Collections and Exhibitions at the Henry Moore Foundation (which has curated the exhibition) says, “Henery Moore always wanted his sculptures to be free standing, capable of being seen in the round from all 360 degrees, and for this the open landscape of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew provides the perfect setting”.
It does indeed. Seeing these powerful works against the backdrop of Kew's trees and grasses, helps clarify Moore’s objective in creating works that break the confines of the traditional gallery space. He placed many of his works in the landscape around his home as this emphasised for him the harmonious relationship of man and the natural world.
But Kew Gardens is about more than exhibitions. It is a unique collection of plants and trees in 300 acres looked after by 600 staff . It attracts over 3 million visitors a year, from specialists to garden lovers.
There are gardens with the Gardens, the Magnolia collection, the Grasses collection, etc. Seasons bring their changes and in the spring the popularity of the garden grows when 5 million bulbs burst into flower between February and May.
The landscape varies too, from early 17th to 21st century styles and there are 40 listed buildings dotted around, the most striking of which is probably the red brick 18th century Kew Palace and the Victorian glass-houses. But all is not in the past. Bang up to date is the Alpine House of stunning elegance which was built in 2006.
Kew Gardens is no longer a haunt of the specialist and the home owner who had acres of garden to plant. Nowadays, Kew operates special events for children with things like Climbers and Creepers for Kids 3 - 9, quizzes, and face painting. Holidays also attract a crowd. For Easter they come for Egg hunting, and at Christmas there are happenings usually involving an old man with a white beard!
So come along and see not just the Henry Moores, but see Kew Gardens. It doesn’t matter what time of year you choose, the gardens are always ravishing.
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