As Chosen By…. exhibition by Kate Friend comes to the Cotswolds

The Tithe Barn at Thyme is delighted to host As Chosen By…. an exhibition of botanical portraits by the artist Kate Friend.

As Chosen By…, an ongoing series that began in 2019, begins with Kate inviting notable creatives and public figures to select a single flower that is symbolic and meaningful to them; a delicate wild Strawberry for Juergen Teller, a Bishop’s Flower for Amanda Harlech, and a Dahlia chosen by Charlie McCormick.

A single botanical in a vessel is then photographed in natural light at the home or studio of a creative individual, revealing the personal connection behind each plant.

Kate applies the same rigorous approach to each photograph. The result is a series of images of a single painterly flower transformed into unique portraits with an undeniable sense of humanity, despite the absence of a physical human presence.

Kate’s recent work has focussed on still life. Her style is minimal and considered, with a unique use of colour; she is drawn to stories of identity and human interpretations of land, sea and plants. Her two Botanical Portrait series were exhibited at the Garden Museum in 2018 and 2021.

Kate shoots exclusively on film, both medium and large format. The final prints are fine art C-types, made using a unique museum-grade printing process, exposing light onto colour paper. It is then developed and hand-washed using traditional photographic techniques.

This exhibition has travelled from The Garden Museum and Lyndsey Ingram Gallery, London, and is an evolving project. All works are available for sale with prices ranging from £3,500 + VAT to £9,500 + VAT.

As Chosen By… botanical portraits will be on display at The Tithe Barn at Thyme from 06 May to 18 September 2022.

Thyme is a ‘village within a village’, a collection of restored, historic farm buildings forming a peaceful hamlet environment. In addition to cottages and garden rooms, bedrooms are dispersed across a Georgian Rectory and a 17th-century farmhouse.

This quintessentially English country destination comprises the Ox Barn restaurant, the Swan pub, the Baa Bar, Meadow Spa, Botanical Bothy and
two boutiques selling Bertioli by Thyme silk wear, tableware and beauty products. A cookery school, farm, kitchen gardens, orchards and water meadows are also on site.

The Tithe barn at Thyme hosts a series of seasonal exhibitions offering a cultural narrative that reflects the ethos of Thyme. The Tithe Barn at Thyme is delighted to host this exhibition with Lyndsey Ingram – a London gallery with over 20 years of experience in the Post War and Contemporary Art Market.