Latest news with #MaggiHambling
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It went black': Maggi Hambling describes life as artist after finger amputation
Maggi Hambling's morning routine involves making one drawing with her non-dominant left hand as soon as she gets up – a practice that has come in particularly useful lately, after having her little finger on her right hand amputated. 'On November the 17th, I fell down the stairs, and I had a glass in my hand. And it's cut through the hand and cut through the little finger,' she told the audience at Charleston festival in East Sussex, holding up her four-fingered hand. After the accident happened, she said she 'just sat at the bottom of the stairs with blood everywhere, because I thought Ipswich hospital would be full of drunks and everything on a Saturday night'. She waited until the following morning to go to hospital and, after an initial operation, she and the doctors decided to 'wait to see how it does'. 'But it just went black and began to stink,' the artist said. 'So I had to have it off.' Ever committed to her art – she gets up at 'about five in the summer and six in the winter' and works every day – Hambling was back in the studio as soon as she got back from hospital. She started drawing her right hand, which was in a 'great big bandage', with her left, 'and it felt fine'. Her therapist told her that hand injuries were 'most difficult for musicians and artists because a lot of their brains are in their hands', but that was 'news to me', Hambling said. 'Two of the funniest things' about the injury, she said, were when her plumber came into her studio in Suffolk, 'saw I was working with my left hand, and said: 'Is it going to be half-price then?' 'And then I sent a photograph [of her hand] on my telephone to my friend Carol and she immediately texted back and said: 'You'll have to go to Prince Harry's Invictus Games',' Hambling said. 'And that's the end of that.' The artist was speaking at the festival, held in the grounds of the former home of the Bloomsbury Group artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, alongside the artist Sarah Lucas. The pair have just announced a winter show at Sadie Coles HQ, for which they will each select works by the other. The art scene is 'a stinking, bitchy world', Hambling said, with Lucas adding that a lot of artists want to be in the 'success club', 'get rich' and 'get a yacht'. 'Like Tracey Emin,' Hambling joked.
Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Maggi Hambling: I've lost a finger but it hasn't affected my art
At the age of 79, Maggi Hambling, the painter, sculptor and provocateur, is still making art every day — only now she is doing it minus a finger. The outspoken artist revealed that she recently had to have the pinkie finger on her right hand amputated after falling down the stairs while holding a glass. The accident happened at her home in Suffolk last November but, happily, the injury has not hampered her two greatest talents: making art or smoking cigarettes. She shocked the audience at a speaking event at the Charleston Festival when she held up a conspicuously fingerless hand. 'Can you all see that?' she asked, holding up her right hand, while taking sips of whisky from a glass in her left. 'You
Daily Mirror
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Beautiful UK seaside town with charming high street named among the best
This little-known town in Suffolk is nestled between the picturesque River Alde and a stunning stretch of coastline, featuring a classic high street that is filled with thriving local businesses This breathtaking seaside town is a little escape from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding villages, providing an abundance of experiences and activities for visitors and residents alike. Aldeburgh in Suffolk is right in the middle of the River Alde and a stunning stretch of coastline overlooking the North Sea. This alluring town offers a whimsical escape from neighbouring towns and has even been named the best seaside spot by The Times. The little pebbled beach features a stunning four-metre-high sculpture of a scallop, created by popular Suffolk-born artist Maggi Hambling entirely of steel by Aldeburgh craftsmen Sam and Dennis Pegg, providing picture opportunities like no other shoreline. Steeped in charm and history, Aldeburgh is a town where every corner tells a story. Its colourful Georgian houses line the seafront, creating a picture-postcard setting that's every bit as charming as it is authentic. The town's heritage as a former Tudor port is still evident today, with historic buildings like Moot Hall, a 16th-century timber-framed town hall that now houses the Aldeburgh Museum. While in town, boutiques filled with clothes, art, and antiques line the high street, alongside independent bookshops and a classic cinema. The high street is also home to culinary delights, from the renowned fish and chips to fine bistro dining, pizzas, and, of course, it's not a beach town without some ice cream! When visiting the town, be sure to stop by O&C Butcher. This 130-year-old clothes store has everything you need and more to kit yourself out for a weekend on the coast, selling beloved UK brands like Gant and Barbour. You can even treat your little furry friend to a matching coat, too! Aldeburgh is well known for its link to Benjamin Britten, the founder of the Aldeburgh Festival, which takes place annually in June. The Aldeburgh Festival has been a pilgrimage for lovers of classical music and culture since 1948. The town is also praised for its outstanding fish and chips. The local fish and chip shop has been in operation since 1967 and has received an overwhelming number of positive reviews from national publications, ranking it as one of the best in all of Britain. There's lots to see and do in Aldeburgh, the historic Quatrefoil Martello Tower is a great immersive experience for the whole family, a relic of coastal defence from the Napoleonic Wars. Walkers have a wealth of enjoyable routes available in and around the town. Among these, the 9.7km Aldeburgh Circular Walk stands out as a popular choice, rated as moderate. This beautiful trail leads you along the striking Suffolk coastline and through the adjacent heath and meadow. Whether you're leaving the city, enjoying the local attractions, or simply looking to try the local chippy, Aldeburgh is an ideal spot for a family staycation.
