Kettle's Yard Reopens

I know I sometimes post about random events. This week I went down memory lane.  As a student in 1964 I pretentiously projected myself as artist.  With an easel in my college room accompanied by the smell of linseed oil  I became involved in a small circle of student artists and, more importantly, I heard about Jim Ede.  I had no idea of his significance as a pioneer of modern art appreciation in the UK. A former curator of the Tate Gallery, he and wife Helen transformed a line of four dilapidated cottages at Kettle's Yard Cambridge into their retirement home with a purpose.  For in this space Jim created a gallery packed with paintings, sculptures, drawings and many other objects (especially pebbles) - all beautifully displayed in his living home.

His hand-written notice read: Undergraduates are welcome to call any day, including Sundays between 2 pm and 4 pm. His motto was: Do come in as often as you like- the place is only alive when used.  I remember ringing the bell (still in use) and meeting Jim for the first time who invited me to come in and enjoy his treasures.  Since then Jim has died and his home has been extended into galleries with a national reputation. His eye for art, beauty, balance enabled him to build an extraordinary collection, often having befriended artists in their early unknown years and benefiting by purchasing early work.  It has just been reopened after further extensions.

I remember one wet dismal afternoon ringing the bell and being let in.  Entirely on my own, Jim and Helen were upstairs, I plopped into an armchair just to drink in the surroundings.  After some time Jim came down and in conversation he learned that I was an artist!  Indeed, I was involved with others in an art exhibition in St. Catherine's College.  To my astonishment he promised to come and see my work.  Among my exhibits was a large 6 feet by 4 feet abstract oil painting called "The Catacombs" with Peter preaching a prime focus.  You can imagine my joy when later he told me he had visited the exhibition and he congratulated me saying he saw the influence of Picasso.

You can also imagine my wonder when he trusted me to take one of his paintings, by the naive artist Alfred Wallis, to hang on my college wall for one term. 'Just enjoy it' he said.  I don't think I took it for granted but looking back and seeing what Kettle's Yard has become (and how much that painting is now worth!) I revel in those memories.  Oh, the joys of being young and pretentious!