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Papers by Jane Cradock-Watson

The Hogsmill, a tributary of the Thames and now one of London’s lost rivers was used as the rural... more The Hogsmill, a tributary of the Thames and now one of London’s lost rivers was used as the rural setting for J.E Millais' painting Ophelia. Recent research by a local historian has revealed the exact location, co-incidentally very near to my own home, used by the artist who worked on location over a five month period. Poignantly, the painting is known for its depiction of the detailed flora of the river and the riverbank, stressing the patterns of growth and decay in a natural ecosystem. The dying figure of Ophelia as the vulnerable woman is a popular subject in pre-Raphaelite paintings, echoing the vulnerability of the local natural history of its setting, surrounded as it is now by suburban housing, increasing traffic and pollution. Nature is so evocative of the human condition. The paper will present a new illustrated work exploring the beauty and fragility of nature within suburban environments, bringing the overlooked and unnoticed to the attention of the audience both visually and sensually. The work will explore the landscape of the river, its topography and natural history, as well as echoing the themes of death and decay, with particular emphasis on illustrating the materiality of the setting through a haptic reading of the work. In the context of the multi disciplinary nature of contemporary illustration, working predominately with the form of the book, the use of material and physical structure to create haptic readings (Mosely 2014) evoking intimate and sensory experience of the content (Hara 2004) is a central theme. The shape of the book, like the topography of the landscape, its weight, the surface texture of its pages and surfaces, the way it reacts and moves on opening unconsciously aid our sensory understanding of its contents. Furthermore, the paper considers the role of the illustration as a form of both physical and visual communication.

A limited edition artists / illustrators book which explores one of London's lesser known riv... more A limited edition artists / illustrators book which explores one of London's lesser known rivers, famous as the setting for Millais' painting of Ophelia. The work is a visual and material/sensual exploration of the river. A copy of 'Six Acre Field' was purchased by the Tate Britain in 2016 for its Artists Book Archive

A group exhibition, organised and selected by the curator of the Riverside gallery, Mark DeNovell... more A group exhibition, organised and selected by the curator of the Riverside gallery, Mark DeNovellis. To coincide with the annual literature festival, this exhibition showcased contemporary artists' books – artwork in book form – from unique examples to limited edition works

Much critical evaluation of artist's books has been based on the review models of art and lit... more Much critical evaluation of artist's books has been based on the review models of art and literature, yet the artist's book is more often than not a physical object - an artefact. Its physical presence and materiality is integral to its reading which invites a haptic reading and evaluation of the book. Haptic communication is communicating by touch. Touch is often intimate, like the reading of a book, and can be used as an act of domination or friendship, depending on the context. Young children and old people use more touching than people in the middle years. We seem to lose our ability to interpret the world by touch as our ability to read the world visually begins to dominate, by learning to read, watching television and using computer technology. Yet we touch materials everyday, but rarely consider that we are unconsciously evaluating the world by touch. Conservators and curators of collections of material culture evaluate artefacts by their materiality, the way the object is made, its material and handling. The book is hand held, we can lift it, it can feel springy on opening, solid or fragile on closing. The shape of the book, its weight, the surface texture of its pages, the way it reacts and moves on opening unconsciously aid our sensory understanding of its contents. Should we consider critically evaluating an artists book by its tactile qualities and its physical handling in conjunction with its conceptual and visual qualities?