De La Warr pop-up shop, Bexhill. Picture courtesy of De La Warr Pavillion

De La Warr exhibiting local artists

Something odd is stirring in Bexhill. The De La Warr Pavilion is sponsoring and showcasing twelve local artists.  It is refreshing to see an art gallery looking towards their own vicinity rather than casting their eye further afield and jumping over what is straight in front of them. HOT reporter Lauris Morgan-Griffiths went to Bexhill to find out what  was happening in  the pop art gallery in an empty shop in the town centre.

The project has grown out of the Pavilion’s Artist Critique Group which provides a context within which local artists, may present and discuss their work. For six weeks, a week at a time, the De La Warr Pavilion will showcase the work of twelve local artists from different disciplines – painting, installation, print- making, sculpture and photography – and exhibit them in pairs. It will be interesting to see how the pairings go, some might clash, some look comfortable, others produce fireworks.  Whatever happens the dialogue between the work, the artists and the public will be interesting.

First up was photographer Martin Everett and landscape artist David Stubbs. Everett was showing photographs of wooden beach houses built on stilts. The photographs have a timeless, rootless atmosphere.  When?  They  look old fashioned as if dating from the 1950s; and where ? New Zealand, Long Island. They were in fact taken recently,  in Essex – on the  estuary near Manningtree. It is a place where Martin has fond memories, a place where he spent long holidays playing Swallows and Amazon style in dinghies.

This week Claudia de Grandi and Beatrice Lacey – fragile and beautiful, meditative work. And next week another two artists allow one to contemplate and absorb.

The Gallery / shop is bang in the centre of Bexhill. It is a real window on the world as locals wander down  the busy shopping street. Some look warily at the gallery, others are curious enough to find out more. They have really welcomed the gallery in their midst.  In only one week there has already been a good response.

Wonderful to see an interesting display of local work. Look forward to the next few weeks!

What a wonderful idea it will promote Bexhill as an interesting town to visit – lovely paintings today, looking forward to the next few weeks.

Good luck with the gallery I hope it continues, looking forward to the rest of the current run.

Good to see some art ‘on the streets’ – long may it continue.

It is a great platform for local artists and encouraging that it is sponsored by the De La Warr Pavilion. It would be interesting if the Jerwood Foundation could cast its eye over to Bexhill, take a leaf out of their book and, in some way, interact with the artist community of Hastings.

De La Warr Pavilion
Martin Everett
David Stubbs

The Gallery, 1b Western Road, Bexhill-on-Sea will be showing pairs of artists for one week per pair, until 12 January 2013  10am–5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays (excluding the Christmas holiday period).

Also in: Visual Arts