The ArtsCelebrate the arts at The Assembly House

Noverre Gallery, Hobart Room, Café/Bar

and Gallery Cabinets - Friday 1st June to

Monday 27th August. Entry free.

The Assembly House is celebrating the

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a truly

British art exhibition. Artists will be

interpreting the exhibition’s title ‘Queen

and Country’ in their own quirky way,

presenting a range of work from paintings

of the wild Norfolk coast to an amusing

look at man’s best friend (including Corgis,

of course!). Come and see the exciting

selection on view!

As part of the ‘Queen & Country’

exhibition and the on-going Diamond

Jubilee celebrations, The Assembly House

will be exhibiting contemporary versions

of the Queen’s Beasts created by East

Anglian sculptor Tom Hiscocks from

recycled and reclaimed metals.

The Beasts are ten heraldic statues

depicting the genealogy of Queen

Elisabeth II, which were made as

temporary installations in plaster in 1953

for her coronation. These were later given

to Canada, and Portland stone versions

were commissioned in 1958 that reside in

London’s Kew Gardens to this day.

Her Majesty saw the first six beasts to

be made in March when she visited

Valentines Mansion and Gardens in

Ilford as part of her Jubilee Tour, and

she described them as “absolutely

fascinating”.

The inspiration to make this work came

when Tom visited the Beasts in Kew

Gardens. He was struck by their rigidity

and their solemnity, and the fact that

being carved in stone perpetuated these

characteristics. He said: “They spoke quite

clearly to me and asked to be released

from these poses of 60 years ago. They

had other ways in which they wanted to

be characterised. Given that for the past

three years my work has explored issues

of identity and expression, their plea hit a

chord with me”.

And so Tom decided to re-characterise

the beasts in a 2012 context, once again

as temporary installations. Accordingly

they are made from reclaimed materials

– old car parts, chainmail, bed springs,

a radiator grill, a de-commissioned

fire extinguisher, and over 3,000 used

beverage cans.

All ten beasts will be on display at The

Assembly House

Admission free