MERTZ BARN EXHIBITION
ELTERWATER

Kurt Schwitters - 1887-1948

For a few years Kurt Schwitters lived here in the lake District (Cumbria, UK)

He occupied this barn on the outskirts of the village of Elterwater, in the Langdale Valley 

Mertz Barn, Elterwater  - Winter 2015

The art works that once decorated this humble home have long since gone, including one that covered an end wall - now housed in the Hatton Gallery, Newcastle

The Mertz Barn at Elterwater is the last of several that Schwitters decorated - none have survived nor was the barn in Cumbria ever finished

Schwitters and Hilda Goldstein at the barn in 1946

 Schwitters died in 1948 but earlier this week Green Door organised a small exhibition to celebrate his memory

My contribution to this exhibition was a diorama and this collage:

MIKE HEALEY

Schwitter's Garden - Dreamscape

The face is that of Schwitters himself:

My other contribution was a three-dimensional, boxed diorama in which I explored Schwitter's celebrated contention that perspective is a 'swindle'

MIKE HEALEY
Perspective is a swindle

Here I have reversed perspective so that the closer an image to the viewer, the smaller it becomes - the opposite of traditional notions of Renaissance perspective

I hope Kurt approves of my treatment!

MIKE HEALEY

The Mertz Barn exhibition runs until 12th October

For more details and examples of other artists contributing to this exhibition, go to the Green Door website via the link below:

GREEN DOOR - MERTZ BARN