Sussex

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/1-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-60486" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/1-1.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/1-1-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/1-1-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/1-1-768x512.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/1-1-788x525.png 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>© Lee Miller Archives, England 2022. All rights reserved.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.leemiller.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.leemiller.co.uk</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;© Succession Picasso/DACS 2022&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>



You may not be fully aware of Lee Miller’s story, but you will certainly be aware of the influence she had on the Surrealist art world and her photo portraits of Picasso. Despite living a deeply fascinating life as a Vogue model turned war correspondent and later, a respected photographer, her work appears to have been overshadowed, a result of her modesty, leaving her legacy at risk of fading away. But this autumn, <a href="https://newlandshouse.gallery/exhibitions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Newlands House gallery</a> in Petworth, West Sussex, are honouring her work with a new exhibition and sharing her story with us. A film staring Kate Winslet as Miller is due for release early next year, but in the meantime, this exhibition&nbsp;will look at Miller’s rise to prominence in the 1920s as a model for Vogue in New York, and her move to Paris to work behind the lens as a fashion photographer. On the outbreak of the Second World War Miller became a war correspondent and photojournalist for Vogue, reporting on events including the London Blitz, life in concentration camps, and the liberation of Paris &#8211; her reunion with her friend Pablo Picasso following the occupation (which she photographed) is a particularly powerful part of the exhibition, as is her connection to Sussex where she lived in the later part of her life.&nbsp;



Muddy spoke to the gallery’s artistic director, Maya Binkin, who shared why we should visit this exhibition.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/2-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-60487" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/2-1.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/2-1-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/2-1-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/2-1-768x512.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/2-1-788x525.png 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>© Lee Miller Archives, England 2022. All rights reserved.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.leemiller.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.leemiller.co.uk</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;© Succession Picasso/DACS 2022&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was the inspiration behind this exhibition?&nbsp;</h2>



<a href="https://www.farleyshouseandgallery.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lee Miller’s house</a> (Farleys House in Chiddingly, East Sussex), does a great job of telling her story and reviving her memory but it’s hard to drill down into every aspect of her life. In her archives you can only skim the surface, so I thought this was a great opportunity to have a deep dive into Lee Miller and her friendship with Picasso.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Do people know enough about Lee Miller?&nbsp;</h2>



She’s not as famous as she should have been and it’s largely her own fault. When she came back from the war she had undiagnosed PTSD. Her coping mechanism was to forget, but by not talking about herself and her experiences, she allowed herself to be forgotten. For example, Solarisation &#8211; a photographic technique where the image is recorded on a negative&nbsp;and creates a halo like effect &#8211; is attributed to Man Ray, when Miller had a big part to play in it. No one knows the magnitude of what she achieved.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-60489" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/4.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/4-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/4-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/4-768x512.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/4-788x525.png 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>© Lee Miller Archives, England 2022. All rights reserved.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.leemiller.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.leemiller.co.uk</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;© Succession Picasso/DACS 2022&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How does the exhibition deal with her bond with Picasso?&nbsp;</h2>



In the 50s and 60s Picasso restricted who came into his studio, but Miller was a trusted friend and had the rare talent to take honest photos of him when he was at work and not playing up to the camera. My favourite image in the exhibition is of Miller setting up the camera and taking a picture of her and Picasso in an embrace after the liberation of Paris when Europe had gone through its darkest moments. She was the first allied soldier he saw. You can see friendship, trust and warmth between them &#8211; this is what I want people to get out of their visit to Newlands House, the touch of humanity between two people who just understood each other and shared&nbsp;enormous respect.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">How can we get kids interested in art?&nbsp;</h2>



It’s a tough task, the best way to do it is through social media. I wouldn’t try to impose on younger generations but I try to speak their language. On the wall panels at exhibitions I write in a language that is accessible without any ‘art speak’ I write it like a story, make it engaging and share what interested me about this particular piece. It’s up to galleries to properly engage young people and encourage them to put the phones down &#8211; it’s no substitute for the real experience.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://sussex.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-60490" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/3.png 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/3-800x533.png 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/3-1000x667.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/3-768x512.png 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/sussex/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/08/3-788x525.png 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption>© Lee Miller Archives, England 2022. All rights reserved.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.leemiller.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.leemiller.co.uk</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;© Succession Picasso/DACS 2022&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What&#8216;s the connection to Sussex?&nbsp;</h2>



Picasso was in the UK twice in his life and he spent his time at Farleys House &#8211; where Miller lived with Roland Penrose. We have nice pictures of him in the Sussex countryside, and he was inspired here. He had a great time in the county, I think largely because Miller was such a great entertainer and cook. 



Newlands Gallery is in Petworth which is also home to Muddy favourite, <a href="https://thehungryguest.com/hg-gallery-cafe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Hungry Guest Cafe</a> (ideal for a post-gallery coffee and cake stop).



Lee Miller &amp; Picasso&nbsp;opens 10 September to 8 January 2023, pre-ticket sales are available at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tickettailor.com/events/newlandshousegallery/729931/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tickettailor.com</a>

Must See! Lee Miller and Picasso exhibition, Petworth

You may also like