Since the Dark Monarch Exhibition held by Tate St. Ives in 2009, interest in Ithell Colquhoun’s work and her association with Cornwall has been steadily increasing. Colquhoun-inspired art projects such as Ancient Scent, and tourism inspired by Colquhoun’s travelogue The Living Stones have all contributed to an increased enthusiasm for visitors who want to see and experience Cornwall through Colquhoun’s eyes. The retrospective of Colquhoun’s work at Tate St. Ives which has run from February to May of 2025 has firmly sealed the importance of her work to Cornwall’s artistic legacy.
However, Colquhoun’s interest in Cornwall was generally informed by romantic constructions of the region, many of which persist, driving tourism, and also artistic and spiritually based in-migration. There persists a tension between these romanticized encounters with Cornwall and those of Cornish people and residents whose experiences of place and culture, may be shaped differently, by disadvantaged local communities, post industrialism, lagging development and second home ownership. As interest in Colquhoun grows, it is critical that we address the difficult conversations around gentrification, colonialism and appropriation in Cornwall that will likely emerge alongside her increased popularity.
This day long symposium will consist of three casual roundtable conversations with a variety of artists, scholars, curators and others, each lasting an hour with 30 minutes for general discussion. Tickets are free to the public and there will be a virtual option.
This is a hybrid event. If you will be attending online you will be able to access it on Zoom here - Colquhoun's Cornish Context: A Day of Conversation with Dr Amy Hale
