Marion Kalmus

Marion Kalmus is a British artist who produced work between 1993 and 2002. After a first profession as a fresco restorer, Kalmus studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London.[1][2] Whilst still a student she was commissioned to make a work at the Royal Festival Hall, London[1] She won the Nicholas and Andre Tooth Scholarship[3] and used the prize to film her work Deserter[4] which was shown at the Tate Liverpool 1995.[1][5]

Career

Kalmus was the Kettle's Yard Artist Fellow in Residence at Pembroke College 1997-1998.[6][7][8] Kalmus returned to Cambridge in 2000 to stage her surround sound film Restoration Drama at the former Festival Theatre, Cambridge.[9][10] The work was "a silent movie of a play performance, projected in a disused theatre with the sound of a ghostly audience responding aurally to the action on the 'stage'."[11]

In 2002 her work was shown at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.[12][13] She was nominated for the Jerwood Artist’s Platform 2004.[13]

Digital art

Kalmus was an early adopter of digital technologies,[2] making computer-controlled artworks in the early 1990s when such technologies in fine art were still very unusual. She was nominated for both Digital Art and Fine Art Sculpture prizes within a year: The Imaginaria Digital Art prize at the Institute of Contemporary Arts 1999[14] and the Jerwood Sculpture Prize for 2001.[1][15] Her work, Deserter, was a "computer-coordinated slide program" in which she is featured as a wandering romantic heroine roaming the sand dunes of Australia. The work incorporated thousands of still images presented in rapid fire onto the surfaces of two-way mirrors.[16]

Sculpture and public art

Her sculpture proposal for the Jerwood Sculpture Prize, titled Before and After, addressed landscape design history, by taking the form of a rock formation that recalled the derelict ruins of Whitley Court, a Victorian Era mansion.[17] The maquette for the sculpture was described as raising "complex questions about the nature of artificial landscape" and the "eternal paradox of art as imitation of nature."[18] Richard Cork of The Times states that Kalmus wants viewers of the work to "meditate on time, nature and change."[19]

Kalmus' permanent architectural installation for the National Botanic Garden of Wales opened in December 2001.[1][20] The work, titled Thirty Three Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety Eight, was influenced by ancient Welsh roundhouse structures such as Castell Henllys. The installation incorporates a water feature, reminding visitors to the garden of the importance of water in the natural order.[20] A 15-foot high inverted glass cone protrudes through the round roof of the gatehouse; water cascades down the interior of the cone into a raised circular pool filled with stones. The lighting scheme highlights text that is etched into the glass, describing plants that are in danger of becoming extinct.[21] The title of the work references 33,798 endangered plant species. Kalmus' installation along with two other associated works won a Fountain Society award.[22]

Sources

  • Kalmus, Marion (1995). Deserter. Texts: Lewis Johnson, Wil Pennycook Greaves. Cardiff: Chapter. ISBN 1900029022. Published to accompany an exhibition at the Tate Gallery, Liverpool, Chapter, Cardiff, Oriel 31, Powys, 29th April -4th November 1995[23]
  • Kalmus, Marion (1997). I won't promise you the earth. Cambridge: Kettle's Yard. ISBN 0907074650.
  • Marion Kalmus : restoration drama. Cambridge: Commissions East. 2001. ISBN 0907074863.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Artists in Britain since 1945. David Buckman. Published by Art Dictionaries Ltd. ISBN 978-0953260959. issuu.com/powershift/docs/dictionary_k Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  2. ^ a b Walters, Guy (28 April 1995). "Visions of the Future". The Times (UK) (pg. 34). Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  3. ^ Goldsmith’s University of London, Departments, Academic Departments, Art, Awards and Prizes, The Nicholas and Andrei Tooth Travelling Scholarship - 1994, Marion Kalmus. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  4. ^ Shifting Horizons: Women's Landscape Photography Now: 1. Catherine Fehily (Editor), Kate Newton (Editor), Liz Wells (Editor). (Ellipsis) Publication Date: 12 April 2001 | ISBN 978-1860646355. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  5. ^ tate.org.uk What’s on, Tate Liverpool, Exhibitions, Video Positive 95: The UK’s International Festival of Electronic Arts, 19 April 1995 to 4 June 1995. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  6. ^ University of Brighton prism.talis.com – brighton-ac – Catalogue – Marion Kalmus: Kettle’s Yard/Pembroke College Artist Fellow 1997-98 "I won’t promise you the earth". Published Cambridge Kettle’s Yard 1997 ISBN 0907074650 Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  7. ^ artfacts.net – institution - kettles-yard – Artists Previous Exhibitions – 1997 – Marion Kalmus. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  8. ^ openlibrary.org/books/OL22378086M/Marion_Kalmus - I won't promise you the earth – Marion Kalmus: Kettle's Yard/Pembroke College Artist Fellow 1997-98 "I won't promise you the earth". Published Cambridge Kettle’s Yard 1997 ISBN 0907074650 Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  9. ^ Kettles Yard/Exhibitions/Archive/Marion Kalmus Restoration Drama http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk/exhibitions/archive/kalmus.html Retrieved 3 October 2013
  10. ^ Restoration Drama, Marion Kalmus. ISBN 0 907074 86 3. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  11. ^ Malpas, P.; Bassuet, A. (2007). "Providing audio design for public artworks - collaborating with artists and the changing public perceptions of the aural environment" (PDF). Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics. 29 (7): 101-104. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  12. ^ Digital Responses, Victoria & Albert Museum, London. 16 May 2002 to 9 March 2003. Curated by Professor Paul Coldwell. CD: ISBN 1 85177 414 9. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  13. ^ a b Insite Arts insitearts.com – Artists – Marion Kalmus. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  14. ^ Insite Arts insitearts.com – Artists – Marion Kalmus. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  15. ^ "First Jerwood sculpture prize launched". BBC News. 6 November 2001. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  16. ^ Feaver, William (7 May 1995). "ART:Back to first principles Possibilities of flat surfaces". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  17. ^ Sutherland, Giles (10 March 2002). "Shape Up". Sunday Herald (Glasgow, UK). Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  18. ^ Gale, Iain (10 March 2002). "Art reviews: Jerwood Sculpture Prize:". Scotland on Sunday. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  19. ^ Cork, Richard (14 November 2001). "Modern ideas add up to eight". The Times (London, UK). Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  20. ^ a b "Gatehouse | the National Botanic Garden of Wales". Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013
  21. ^ "New Art Show Springing to Life". South Wales Evening Post. 3 March 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  22. ^ Dube, Steve (30 November 2001). "Water features created for National Botanic Garden win prestigious award ; LLANARTHNE: Inverted cone water sculpture, gateway fountain and raised circular stone pool impress Fountain Society". Western Mail (Cardiff, UL). Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  23. ^ "Catalogue record for Discovery". JISC Library Hub. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  • Official website Includes descriptions of selected works; apparently last updated c.2004
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