“They loved to breathe beauty, tradition and romanticism…” Short film

Film Stills from a short film, part of a site specific installation, “They loved to breathe beauty, tradition and romanticism…” “They Loved to Breathe Beauty, Tradition and Romanticism” was a site specific installation for ‘Unravelling Nymans’ exhibition, commissioned by Unravelled Arts. The installation consisted of a vintage garment woven sculpture, short film, film stills and small woven hair mementos. The work explored the lives and creativity of the Messel Women who lived at Nymans. In the film Lucy Brown stars as Elsa, a distant and fictional relative of the Messel family who visits Nymans hoping to learn something about her family roots and tradition. As Elsa moves through the gardens, ruins and interior rooms she senses the presence and lives of her relations Maud Messel and Anne Countess of Rosse. The film uses the Nymans house as a film set, exposing the spaces within the property that the pubic don’t get to visit or which are cordoned off Some of the vintage garments worn by Elsa in the film were used as raw material in the garment woven sculpture. Film Still. Elsa walking through The Great Hall Ruins. Nymans. Filmed on location at Nymans, West Sussex. February 2012. Thanks to the National Trust (Enterprises) Ltd, Paul Dutnall Junk tv and Unravelled Arts.