Break Out Culture With Ed Vaizey by Country and Town House

93. NIL BY HAND, ALL BY MOUTH: THE ART OF SARAH BIFFIN with Alison Lapper, Philip Mould and Ellie Smith

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Episode notes

Today we’re talking about Sarah Biffin, the Victorian artist who became a successful miniaturist and portraitist, after overcoming being born without arms.  We talk to gallerist Philip Mould and curator/researcher  Ellie Smith about the exhibition of her work at Philip Mould’s gallery on Pall Mall.  It’s called ‘Without Hands’ and runs till mid-December.

Also on the podcast is the artist Alison Lapper, who was born 180 years later than Sarah Biffin, with exactly the same condition.  She too paints by mouth and was an advisor on  ‘Without Hands’. Alison famously became the focus of an enormous amount of public attention in 2005 when her friend Marc Quinn sculpted her pregnant for Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth.

Alison tells of her own challenges of becoming a successful artist and sheds light on just how courageous and determined Sarah Biffin must have been to go from being a fairground attraction, as documented by Charles Dickens, to being a well-respected society portrait artist and miniaturist. Alison also describes just what an extraordinary feat it was for Sarah to paint feathers, for which she was known, of such exquisite delicacy, using only her mouth and shoulder. Listen in to find out more about this fascinating and inspiring breakthrough exhibition.