In this episode of The Decorating Dissidence Podcast, Jade French speaks with Nastasia Alberti, an artist and an assistant archive curator at Tate. Their conversation centres on Alberti's work on the Vanessa Bell archive, her perspective on photography, archives and making. From discussing Vanessa Bell's life as revealed through her archive of photographs and letters, the atmosphere at Charleston - the home of the Bloomsbury Group in Sussex, to contemporary practices of decorating one's home, the episode offers another perspective in the dialogue around arts and crafts and insight into the inner workings of some of the most famous figures of British modernism.
"She [Vanessa Bell] sees herself as an artist. And she's seen by others as an artist. Because of that, no matter what she does, it's regarded as art. And it goes back to this whole idea of what makes a piece art? Is it because you decided that you are an artist? Or because people see you as that."
Make sure to listen to the full episode and share your thoughts!
Bio:
Nastasia Alberti is an artist and an assistant archive curator. As an artist she has exhibited her work alongside the likes of Gillian Wearing and Juergen Teller. As an archivist and curator she has worked with prominent women's collections including Vanessa Bell’s photographs, Barbara Hepworth’s archive and has also programmed public events.
Links:
#MYNAMEIS – Gillian Wearing public exhibition
Free The Night – public exhibition
Tate Archive is 50: A Journey through the World’s Largest Archive of British Art
Show and Tell: Women with a Camera
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