byJenny Oldaker
PROSPECT COTTAGE: DEREK JARMAN’S HOUSE
Gilbert McCarragher
The Dungeness house that Derek Jarman owned for the last eight years of his life became a beloved retreat for the artist, and today Prospect Cottage remains intertwined with his legacy. In this book, author and photographer Gilbert McCarragher describes the place as Jarman’s ‘final and most complete work of art’, an observation that serves as a starting point for his exploration of the house and Jarman’s relationship with it. Composed of 160 photos and accompanying essays, this book provides a vivid insight into Prospect Cottage and the life of its fascinating owner. McCarragher’s images have a compelling intimacy to them, capturing the essence of the cottage, from its windswept coastal setting to its eclectically curated interior, filled with personal collections and curiosities gathered by Jarman and his companion Keith Collins.
£25, Thames & Hudson
TALES FROM BROKEN PLATES
Mark Lawson Bell
As someone who loves nothing more than a splash through my local stream on a mudlarking mission, the premise of this book holds a whole world of appeal for me. In it, artist and treasure-hunter Mark Lawson Bell draws on his passion for fragments of pottery to imagine the stories behind the ‘sherds’ he has uncovered over the years. He ascribes an owner, date and last meal to each one, conjuring up the tale behind its final moments, from being knocked from the table in the throes of a poisoning to a bowl shattered in the midst of blackberry picking. A close-up photo of each fragment appears alongside its story, and in part two, Lawson Bell explains what inspired each of his tales. It’s a lovely book to dip into, and utterly though
