Exhibition: No Stone Left Unturned
- Sep 11, 2019
- 2 min read
No Stone Left Unturned: An Exhibition of New Dust Sculptures and Drawings by Paul Hazelton following his three-month residency at the Caves.
28 September 2019 to 19 January 2020
Open 10am to 5pm, daily until 27 October from 1 November open 11am to 4pm Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Free entry, normal admission apply for the Caves.
Hazelton’s exhibition will present works inspired by historical figures and people associated with the site of the Caves, and the surrounding area of Margate.
Using his signature material of dust, Paul will sculpt figures based on some of these people, with their ‘shadows’ drawn in pencil, depicting their lives and legacies. The exhibition will include the 18th-century natural philosopher, science educator, and author Margaret Bryan (above) who – as well as running a girls’ school directly above the Caves – played a pivotal role in the progression of female science writers in Britain.
Also included will be the physicist, engineer and inventor, Hertha Ayrton whose stay in Margate in 1901 inspired her to investigate sand ripples, a mystery until she read her paper The Origin and Growth of Ripple Marks to the Royal Society in 1904. Paul will be including some ripple mark drawings inspired by Ayrton’s experiments and holding a family sand ripple workshop. Science historian Dr Patricia Fara, below, will present a new talk on Ayrton and her visit to Margate.
Also featured will be Dr Arthur Walton Rowe, the eminent Palaeontologist, considered the greatest chalk fossil expert even to this day, who was responsible for discovering the several zones in the chalk cliffs of Thanet. Paul has sculpted Rowe in chalk collected from the beach – rather than from dust – and his shadow is drawn in chalk, rather than pencil.
Paul’s journal containing his daily research for the residency will also be on view in the exhibition.
Paul lives and works in Margate and was shortlisted for the prestigious John Ruskin Prize in 2017. His works have been included in many major international exhibitions at Turner Contemporary, Museum of Arts and Design, New York and the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosity, Fine Art and Natural History in London.
From currently until October 27, the store is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. After that, it is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. ragdoll playground on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The Caves are free to enter, although usual admission fees apply.
I found the "No Stone Left Unturned" exhibition fascinating, especially how it explores the intersection of art and archaeology.Slope Run What inspired this theme? I'm curious about the stories behind some of the featured pieces!
The mix of sculpture, drawing, and then a talk/workshop around Ayrton feels like the right way to do it — not just a static display but something you can actually engage with. Also, dust + caves + “shadows” is going to look so atmospheric in photos. Funny enough, the mood you’re describing reminded me of a soft ghibli ai style filter I saw recently — that same hazy, storybook vibe.
I like that this isn’t just “art inspired by the place” but specifically by people tied to it — Margaret Bryan running a girls’ school above the Caves is such a wild detail. Makes you realise how many layers of everyday life sit on top of these sites. Slight tangent: a friend was messing with a new hairstyle ai preview thing and we ended up talking about how visual “versions” of yourself (or a person from history) change what you notice.
Those opening hours are honestly pretty friendly for a seasonal show — the winter Fri-Sun schedule makes sense, but I always forget and turn up on a random Tuesday. The exhibition concept sounds like it’ll reward a slow wander, not a quick in-and-out. Totally unrelated, but it’s the same “just one more minute” feeling I get with that addictive blockblast game when I’m killing time.