Simon Martin – författare

The artist Mark Hearld finds his inspiration in the flora and fauna of the British countryside: a blue-eyed jay perched on an oak branch; two hares enjoying the spoils of an allotment; a mute swan standing at the frozen water's edge; and a sleek red fox prowling the fields. Hearld admires such twentieth-century artists as Edward Bawden, John Piper, Eric Ravilious and Enid Marx, and, like them, he chooses to work in a range of media - paint, print, collage, textiles and ceramics. Work Book is the first collection of Hearld's beguiling art. The works are grouped into nature-related themes introduced by Hearld, who narrates the story behind some of his creations and discusses his influences. He explains his particular love of collage, which he favours for its graphic quality and potential for strong composition. Art historian Simon Martin contributes an essay on Hearld's place in the English popular-art tradition, and also meets Hearld in his museum-like home to explore the artist's passion for collecting objects, his working methods and his startling ability to view the wonders of the natural world as if through a child's eyes.

Resourcing Rural Ministry offers an in-depth exploration of the key aspects, challenges and opportunities of mission in a rural church. Relevant for ordained and lay leaders alike, the book covers subjects ranging from encouraging evangelism in a multi-church group to making best use of church buildings. Containing a wealth of real-life case studies and suggestions for follow-up, this ecumenical publication draws on the expertise and resources of the Arthur Rank Centre (ARC), which has served the spiritual and practical needs of the rural Christian community for over 40 years. This book contributes to ARC’s Germinate programme of training, development and support for rural multi-church groups of all denominations. Resourcing Rural Ministry was first developed by Simon Martin as Training and Resources Officer at the ARC. Additional chapters have been contributed by the Revd Caroline Hewlett, Rona Orme and Becky Payne and the final text has been prepared and edited by Jill Hopkinson. 'This book is packed with helpful resources and background theology that will aid the rural church to be a vibrant and relevant presence in today’s society.' Revd Peter Ball, Mission and Training Officer, Eastern Synod of the URC 'Read these contributions and you’ll be excited by a wealth of experience, insight and resource.' Rt Revd James Bell, Bishop of Ripon

The Classic Maya have long presented scholars with vexing problems. One of the longest running and most contested of these, and the source of deeply polarized interpretations, has been their political organization. Using recently deciphered inscriptions and fresh archaeological finds, Simon Martin argues that this particular debate can be laid to rest. He offers a comprehensive re-analysis of the issue in an effort to answer a simple question: how did a multitude of small kingdoms survive for some six hundred years without being subsumed within larger states or empires? Using previously unexploited comparative and theoretical approaches, Martin suggests mechanisms that maintained a 'dynamic equilibrium' within a system best understood not as an array of individual polities but an interactive whole. With its rebirth as text-backed historical archaeology, Maya studies has entered a new phase, one capable of building a political anthropology as robust as any other we have for the ancient world.

The Classic Maya have long presented scholars with vexing problems. One of the longest running and most contested of these, and the source of deeply polarized interpretations, has been their political organization. Using recently deciphered inscriptions and fresh archaeological finds, Simon Martin argues that this particular debate can be laid to rest. He offers a comprehensive re-analysis of the issue in an effort to answer a simple question: how did a multitude of small kingdoms survive for some six hundred years without being subsumed within larger states or empires? Using previously unexploited comparative and theoretical approaches, Martin suggests mechanisms that maintained a 'dynamic equilibrium' within a system best understood not as an array of individual polities but an interactive whole. With its rebirth as text-backed historical archaeology, Maya studies has entered a new phase, one capable of building a political anthropology as robust as any other we have for the ancient world.

The CAM coach brings together the writing partnership of Mark Shields and Simon Martin. Mark is a Nationally renowned NLP coach and Trainer and Simon a veteran natural health journalist and editor of CAM, the monthly magazine for practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine. Between them they have come up with a host of proven secrets, strategies and evidenced techniques of how to successfully set up and run a Complementary Health Practice. The CAM coach is based upon Mark Shields Coaching for Practitioners Series in CAM magazine which has been proven to help,coach, inspire and motivate many practitioners over the years This together with expert contributions from industry leading experts such as Mike Ash, Jayney Goddard, Anthony Haynes and Kate Neil makes the CAM Coach a unique and valuable resource for anyone looking to work successfully in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine industry.

The CAM Coach brings together the writing partnership of Mark Shields and Simon Martin. Mark is a world leading, internationally renowned, multi award winning, Life and Business Strategist and creator of the CAM coaching methodology known today as CAM Transformational Coaching. Simon is a world champion athlete, veteran natural health journalist and editor of IHCAN magazine for practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine. Between them they have come up with a host of proven secrets, strategies and evidenced techniques of how to successfully set up and run a Complementary Health Practice. The CAM coach is based upon Mark Shields Coaching for Practitioners Series which has been proven to help, coach, inspire and motivate many practitioners from different corners of the world over the years This together with expert contributions from industry leading experts such as Mike Ash, Jayney Goddard, Anthony Haynes and Kate Neil makes the CAM Coach a unique and valuable resource for anyone looking to work successfully in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine industry.

The Italian love affair with sport is passionate, voracious, all-consuming. It provides a backdrop and a narrative to almost every aspect of daily life in Italy and the distinctively pink-coloured newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport is devoured by almost half a million readers every day. Narrating the history of modern Italy through its national passion for sport, Sport Italia provides a completely new portrayal of one of Europe's most alluring, yet contradictory countries, tracing the highs and lows of Italy's sporting history from its Liberal pioneers through Mussolini and the 1960 Rome Olympics to the Berlusconi era. By interweaving essential themes of Italian history, its politics, society and economy with a history of the passion for sport in the country, Simon Martin tells the story of modern Italy in a fresh and colourful way, illustrating how and why sport is so strongly embedded in both politics and society, and how it is inseparable from the concept of Italian national identity.Showing sport's capacity to both unite and deeply divide, this book reveals a novel and previously unexplored element of the history of a society and its state, which will be an essential read for sports fans, historians and students alike.

Edward Burra (1905-76) was an English painter who is best known for his paintings of the seedy underworld of urban life. Yet, as this fascinating new monograph on his work reveals, his interests were much broader, incorporating landscape and still-life paintings, stage designs, book illustration and watercolours. Somewhat neglected by histories of modern art because his singular vision was often at odd with the mainstream art world, his work is now due for a re-appraisal.This important book represents the first full-scale monograph on Edward Burra and reproduces 100 key paintings alongside drawings and a range of fascinating contextual material. It positions Burra as a major figure in the history of 20th-century art, placing his work alongside that of the German Expressionists and other important contemporaries and influences. Long awaited, this book will be widely welcomed by all those with an interest in the art of this fascinating maverick and documenter of modern life.

As the twenty-first century unfolds, notions of our cultural past and how our history has influenced our present shift almost daily. Within this, accepted artistic trajectories are being questioned and new connections made. In this wide-ranging and thought-provoking publication, experts in their field address specific aspects of British art of the twentieth century. Presenting new perspectives on established narratives, subjects range from British Surrealism and the rise of corporate and private patronage, to nationality and British identity. Complemented by a range of striking images, this publication succeeds in showing the strength of the British artistic tradition while also encouraging the reader to rethink and explore the existing narrative.

Institutionalized as a fascist game in Mussolinis Italy, football was exploited domestically in an attempt to develop a sense of Italian identity and internationally as a diplomatic tool to improve Italys standing in the global arena. The 1930s were the zenith of achievement for Italian football. Italy hosted and won the 1934 World Cup tournament and retained the trophy in 1938 in France. In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Italy won the soccer tournament with a team of university students, affirming the nations international football supremacy. At club level, calcio was reorganized into a single, national league in 1929namely, Serie Aafter which the first Italian club teams emerged to dominate European competition and threaten previous British notions of supremacy.In this time, Italian Fascism fully exploited the opportunities football provided to shape public opinion, penetrate daily life, and reinforce conformity. By politicizing the game, Fascism also sought to enhance the regimes international prestige and inculcate nationalist values.The author argues that the regimes attempt to use sport to formulate identity actually forced it to recognize existing tensions within society, thereby paradoxically permitting the existence of diversity and individuality.The book serves as a cultural history of Fascism in Italy viewed through the lens of football.

Institutionalized as a fascist game in Mussolinis Italy, football was exploited domestically in an attempt to develop a sense of Italian identity and internationally as a diplomatic tool to improve Italys standing in the global arena. The 1930s were the zenith of achievement for Italian football. Italy hosted and won the 1934 World Cup tournament and retained the trophy in 1938 in France. In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Italy won the soccer tournament with a team of university students, affirming the nations international football supremacy. At club level, calcio was reorganized into a single, national league in 1929namely, Serie Aafter which the first Italian club teams emerged to dominate European competition and threaten previous British notions of supremacy.In this time, Italian Fascism fully exploited the opportunities football provided to shape public opinion, penetrate daily life, and reinforce conformity. By politicizing the game, Fascism also sought to enhance the regimes international prestige and inculcate nationalist values.The author argues that the regimes attempt to use sport to formulate identity actually forced it to recognize existing tensions within society, thereby paradoxically permitting the existence of diversity and individuality.The book serves as a cultural history of Fascism in Italy viewed through the lens of football.

British Landscapes: A Sense of Place explores how artists responded to the landscape of England, Scotland, Wales during the 20th century. Drawn from the remarkable Modern British art collection of Pallant House Gallery, alongside exceptional works on long-term loan from private collections, it features much loved artists including Barbara Hepworth, Clare Leighton, Paul Nash, Ben Nicholson, Eric Ravilious, Graham Sutherland and Keith Vaughan.British Landscapes covers a wide range of genres, showcasing a history of 20th century art in Britain: British Post-Impressionism by Spencer Gore and Walter Sickert; a focus on the 1920s printmaking revival of etching and wood-engraving with FL Griggs and Robin Tanner; 1930s travel posters and watercolours by David Jones and Eric Ravilious; an exploration of Surrealism through Paul Nash, John Tunnard and Julian Trevelyan; and wartime landscapes by John Piper, Sutherland and Keith Vaughan. The final section considers the development of abstraction in British art via the St Ives artists and their contemporaries, such as Ivon Hitchens.It explores the concept of placemaking, and how artists have conveyed the spirit or sense of a particular place in their artworks. It not only includes pastoral idylls but also urban, suburban and industrial landscapes. A leitmotif running throughout is the relationship of people to the land: from images of rural labour and farming to the development of leisure tourism. It also considers how the British landscape has been central to the formation of regional and national identities, and how tangentially it can   convey the anxieties of socio-political events, such as the First and Second World Wars.This fully illustrated catalogue is published to accompany the exhibition of the same title at Pallant House Gallery.

A fully illustrated publication to accompany the first major presentation of William Nicholson (1872- 1949) in over two decades, spanning the entire career of an extraordinarily versatile and popular artist. Defying categorisation, Nicholson sat both at the heart of the art world and apart from artistic movements of his day. In this book, his spectacular output is considered afresh, from his acclaimed prints and book illustrations to his sensitive portraits of individuals of all ages and from all groups in British society. In unrivalled still lifes to expansive landscapes, Nicholson’s pictures are not simply representations of the visible world or scenes ripe with hidden symbolism; his are paintings of dazzling brushwork and exquisite colours that speak of his delight in the observation of his subjects. Exploring the premise that Nicholson’s work is more complex than previous interpretations have suggested, this publication will position Nicholson’s output as a product of the artist’s times, as revealed by his portrayals of key figures of the British Empire and his close relationship with London’s theatre world.Distributed for Pallant House Gallery

A celebration of the life and work of the artist John Craxton, a rebellious figure in British art history  Spanning a rich variety of works from the 1940s to the 2000s, this book celebrates the life and work of the British artist John Craxton (1922–2009). It charts the development of Craxton’s work from the poetic, melancholy images created in wartime Britain to the vibrant paintings and drawings produced in his adopted homeland of Greece. The book revisits the artist’s early life and looks at the influence of British Romantic art and the landscape of England and Wales on his work, while also exploring themes around LGBTQ+ identity, his relationship to significant modern British and international artists, and the historical context of mid-century Britain and Greece.  Featuring short essays and texts from contributors including Sir David Attenborough, Ian Collins, Simon Martin, Miriam O'Connor Perks, David Mellor, Edmund White, Hilary Spurling, and Tacita Dean—covering subjects across Craxton’s career, including book illustration, landscape, ballet design, ceramics, and tapestry—this lively account showcases the diverse artistic output of this key figure in British art history.  Exhibition Schedule:  Pallant House Gallery, Chichester(October 28, 2023–April 21, 2024)

Contemporary British artist Kaye Donachie (b.1970) is best known for her figurative, dream-like portraits of women. Her portraits are not direct representations of her subjects but are “abstract narratives”, informed by art and literature by twentieth century women. Often these women have been historically marginalized and include radical writers, activists, poets, and artists. Donachie describes their biographies as “sparse, but that affords a space in which to interpret narratives in my painting and representation.” This monograph will bring together a selection of the artist's muted, figurative paintings, exploring the complexities of the muse and female agency in art and literature. It includes an introduction by Simon Martin based on interviews with the artist exploring her engagement with modern art and literature, together with short texts by the artist herself.   Exhibition Schedule:Pallant House Gallery, Chichester(April 22–October 8, 2023)

The natural world as seen through the eyes of British artists including Eric Ravilious, Clare Leighton, and John Piper  Since its publication in 1789, Gilbert White’s Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne has inspired generations of artists, writers and naturalists. From Thomas Bewick to Eric Ravilious and Clare Leighton, many artists’ depictions of animals, birds and wildlife have illustrated White’s celebrated book, together providing a microcosm of natural history illustration from the eighteenth century until today. In Drawn to Nature, Simon Martin has gathered joyful and beautiful images of the extraordinary array of wildlife described by White, providing an insight into the continuing appeal and relevance of the Natural History.  This fascinating account takes us from some of the earliest published depictions of birds and animals, to pioneering nature photography, the revival of wood-engraving in the 1920s and 30s, and responses to White’s message about the natural world by contemporary illustrators such as Angie Lewin and Emily Sutton. The book also includes an introduction to the life of Gilbert White by Sir David Attenborough, an essay by Virginia Woolf, poems by modern and contemporary poets, and a jacket design by Mark Hearld.  Distributed for Pallant House Gallery

An intimate look at Ben Nicholson's everyday inspirationsThroughout his career, Ben Nicholson (1894–1982) transformed everyday homewares into extraordinary experiments in abstract art. Nicholson’s studio was filled with objects that inspired him. From patterned mocha-ware jugs and cut glass goblets to spanners, hammers and chisels, these ordinary personal possessions were a source of almost endless inspiration to the artist. This book brings together for the first time Nicholson’s paintings, reliefs, prints and drawings alongside his rarely seen personal possessions and studio tools. It traces how the artist’s style developed, from his early traditional tabletop still lifes to his later abstract works. Still life was at the heart of Nicholson’s artistic practice. Through these humble items, he began to experiment with form and color. His early works in particular owed inspiration to his father, the painter William Nicholson. The book traces the artistic and personal influences on Nicholson’s evolutionary still life style from the 1920s to the 1970s. It explores his time with Winifred Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth, as well as his encounters with other Modernist greats, Pablo Picasso and Piet Mondrian. Distributed for Pallant House Gallery