Last Chance To See Marthe Armitage Exhibition

Extended at Hogarth's House

Chiswick artist Marthe Armitage's exhibition of her hand-printed wallpapers at Hogarth's House will end this weekend. There is just enough time to visit the exhibition Sunday 12-5pm, admission free.

Marthe Armitage has been designing and printing wallpapers since the 1960s. Some of her designs have also been produced on textiles. The exhibition includes samples of most of her hand-printed papers, along with some original drawings and early stages of the designs.

Marthe studied painting at Chelsea School of Art in the 1940s. She married an architect and they brought up their children at Strand on the Green. The exhibition includes her first wallpaper design which was for her own home; it was based on images of angelica, a plant which grows wild beside the river there.

Pic- Anna Kunst

She used her skill at lino-cutting to prepare the designs and printed them onto lining paper on the floor, untilshe acquired an old cast iron offset lithographic proofing press. These days she works with her daughter, Joanna Broadhurst, printing by hand to order. Marthe prefers to print in muted colours as she thinks wallpapers should be in the background.

"My inspiration has always been the mystery of pattern, which is as basic to sight as music is to hearing. The best place to see pattern is on a wall. Plants lend themselves so easily to repeat pattern and plant designs came first. Later, after looking at toile de jouy fabrics the thought came of drawing imaginary worlds ", says Marthe. "All my information comes from drawing and all my ideas and inspiration from looking at God's work".

picture Jo Broadhurst

Hogarth's House, Hogarth Lane, Great West Road, W4 2QN Open 12 noon to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday Admission free

020 8994 6757 hounslow.info/arts/hogarth'shouse

February 7, 2014