But is it art? It depends where you look!

A reply to Bryan Appleyard. The Sunday Times Culture Supplement

Far be it for me, a humble yet art-world weary arts practitioner, to point out the bleeding’ obvious to Bryan Appleyard and Waldemar Jauszczak, (Sunday Times. June 2015), who have both bemoaned the state of Arts exhibitions as fun-packed, curator-led ‘Entertainment’ and no longer places of enlightenment, knowledge and solitude.  And it is exciting that they have noticed, (should I say, at last?  Possibly not – that would be rude).  But it occurs to me that they are looking in the wrong places, and may have been distracted by the marketing glitz of the arts establishment into visiting their high-profile events at popular, well-funded galleries in central London.

Here’s a revolutionary suggestion.  What if they tried averting their eyes from the glamorous PV invitations that regularly drop onto their doormat (or inbox) and take themselves out to the sticks, where they will find struggling arts practitioners displaying thoughtful and enlightening collections of work, displayed quietly and spaciously on the walls of their Business Park, Wildlife Reserve, Barn and sometimes, backgarden open studios.

Of course, the wheat will not have been separated from the chaff and they might have to cast their gimlet eyes over many miles of walls covered in ‘hobby’ artists’ work of varying quality.  But occasionally they mind find something to reward their effort, they can certainly be assured of a very warm welcome.  You never know if you if you don’t look beyond the obvious.

  

From a Bucks Open Studios participant.