There is a real sense of walking away from the bustle of Cambridge’s city centre on the way to Kettle’s Yard, passing over the bridge and past a number of original, traditional shop fronts up to the entrance on the hill. In my interview with Susie Biller of Kettle’s Yard, she emphasises the sense of escape that many feel when visiting the house as one of a number of reasons to pop down for a relaxing afternoon. As somewhat of an antithesis to large art galleries such as the Fitzwilliam, which place emphasis on the history of art, she describes Kettle’s Yard as an example of the importance of living with art. For those of you who are sick of trying to memorise another quote or learn another fact, you’ll be pleased to know that nothing in the house is labelled and the experience feels more relaxing because of it.

After pulling on a large rope bell to enter, I am encouraged by an assistant to take a seat in one of the many chairs and enjoy the art. Susie suggests in the interview that what she enjoys the most is looking at the light, the shadows and the objects and how they interact with one another.  She also explains that the owner of the house, Jim Ede (previously a Tate curator) believed in the importance of enjoying the works whilst seated, often inviting students in for a cup of tea, and I agree that this adds to the tranquil, enjoyable and very personal feel to the house.  There is a sense that the natural objects, such as pebbles and shells arranged on tables and mantelpieces or a glass necklace on the windowsill are just as carefully placed as the sculptures and works of art that line the walls. These include works by Alfred Wallis, Joan Miro, Christopher Wood and Henry Moore to name a few, all friends of Ede. Even the light switches are interesting and individual, transparent to expose some (slightly dodgy looking) wiring and one quirkily decorated with snowflakes.  All these unique elements make for a really interesting place to walk around and the fact that the house is not large means it isn’t too overwhelming to visit even if you’ve only got an hour to spare.

Susie also emphasises the importance of students to Kettle’s Yard. For example, they are also introducing a student picture loan scheme in September where you can ‘borrow’ a piece from a specified collection to hang on your wall and boast about back in college. There also a number of weekly events that take place such as free lunchtime concerts every Friday for those who enjoy listening to music, usually with performances by students from the Music Faculty or free lunchtime talks on various topics. You could even join in one of the Practice Sessions they offer to have a go at making some art for yourself or if it’s been a long day of work, unwind by heading down on one of the days where they have late night openings and enjoy the house by night. I would definitely recommend it.