A Sudden Glimpse To Deeper Things

The most engaging extra on this well rounded set included on the dual-format release is Recent Discoveries From The Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Archive. In it, filmmaker Mark Cousins has a conversation with Rob Airey, the director of the WGB Trust, its collections manager Cassia Pennington and archivist Tilly Hayden, as they examine some of the objects and writing left by the artist. Among them are an Embassy cigarette packet that has been extensively doodled on and a lovely list detailing what she would buy with the money saved from quitting smoking, including a purple coat. There is also a photo album, which allows for speculation about her college years.

Also included is a short essay film by Cousins, Making A Sudden Glimpse To Deeper Things, which as the name suggests, outlines where the project began through to its winning of the top award at Karlovy Vary Film Festival and its subsequent release. A personal document that offers an interesting look at the process Cousins used when making the film. A second short, I Fill My Mind And Eyes, is a short concerning Barns Graham's time in Spain, taking a dive into interpretation of some of her work. Finally, there is a quadrant version of Cousins' gallery installation Like A Huge Scotland and the trailer.

The Conic package also includes three art cards of Barns-Graham paintings, a print of her Statement On Work, 1968 and some new writing by Cousins himself on films concerning painters, although these were not included in the review copy. A focused set of extras that offer further insight into the work and life of the artist.

Reviewed on: 29 Oct 2026