Victor Skipp

Victor Skipp, historian and writer, died in 2010, aged 85, leaving his estate to Kettle’s Yard. He specialised in writing about the industrial revolution of the West Midlands, was passionate about art and philosophy, and developed an art and artefact collection during his retirement at his Suffolk home. Particularly in the later years of his life, Kettle’s Yard became increasingly influential on Skipp’s thinking about art and how it could be integrated into everyday life.

Skipp’s house became a place of art and philosophy, where minimalist art is placed side by side with tribal rugs, African sculpture and a range of artefacts reflecting his interest in pre-industrial societies. Skipp was a committed modernist and his library included rich holdings of 20th century poetry, literature and literary criticism.

Skipp’s art collection included paintings by Ivon Hitchens, as well as the work of Bob Law, Linda Karshan and Alison Turnbull. A selection of these works and aspects of the house will be specially presented and re-created for the exhibition.

Kettle’s Yard commissioned a film, by Candida Richardson, to document the estate, entitled ‘The Taj Mahal of Hopton’ which captures the collection and environment of this special place.