Malmesbury Abbey South Porch. Lithograph by John Piper 1964

In Living Memory is a project celebrating artists who have lived and made work in Malmesbury and its surrounding area, from the late 19th Century/Early 20th Century to the present day.  

A partnership between Caerbladon and Athelstan Museum, we have set out to document artworks and capture the stories of the many artists and makers who contributed to town’s cultural life and offered inspiration to successive generations.

Abbey sculptures triptch by Peter Harris 1968

 Our last In Living Memory exhibition in Malmesbury Abbey looked at how artists in the post-War years have represented the Abbey, from both interior and exterior perspectives. This exhibition focuses on the iconic South Porch, itself currently subject to restoration work to protect the elaborate stone carvings from further deterioration. The sculpture of the porch is arranged in three interrelated parts; a Majesty over the doorway into the south aisle, six apostles carved on each of the side walls of the porch, and a complex narrative and symbolic scheme carved in medallions on the mouldings of the great arch at the entry to the porch.

 We hope you enjoy how artists and photographers have represented the South Porch, in various styles and media, and we thank Gordon Williams, Roger Griffin, Deborah Gray, and Karen and David Drake for the generous loan of artworks from their homes for this exhibition.