First published: Autumn 2024
British filmmaker Martin Wallace writes about how he travelled the world searching for extraordinary art environments, only to find one on his own doorstep... just as it was about to be destroyed
The Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier famously described a house as a “machine for living in”. I doubt that Ron Gittins would have shared this view. The roots of Gittins’ inspiration sprout from ancient history. His house is more indebted to ghosts than machines. Ron’s Place (as it is now known) has nothing to do with utilitarian functionalism and everything to do with a sustained eruption of expressive passion. Gittins’ house is an outgrowth of him; an ossification of his private obsessions, and a painstaking manifestation of his romantic fantasies and creative talents.
the Lion Room, with its Roman-style murals and frieze, is strewn with parts of life-size, papier-mâché figures; courtesy: Historic England
By MARTIN WALLACE
This is an article extract; read the full article in Raw Vision 120.
