Untitled © Dan Percy

PhotoHastings 2022 festival ends with Dan Percy and Agness Clark show

Hastings Arts Forum is holding the last show of the 2020 PhotoHastings Festival. The season has been excellent, introducing new work and techniques to fresh audiences. HOT’s Lauris Morgan-Griffiths went along to see the latest exhibition of two new PhotoHastings members, Agness Clark and Dan Percy, in an aptly named show, Balance in Opposition.

Walking into Hastings Arts Forum you are assailed with bright colours on one side of the room and cool, geometric shapes on the other. Two very different approaches. At first I didn’t understand why they had linked up to stage the exhibition. The two different styles and subjects shouldn’t work together but somehow they do.

© Agnes Clark Silent Joy

Both artists are interesting. Percy’s work is monochrome, studies in shapes and light, reflections and refractions. Some are calm black, greys and white, others more fractious, aerial and jagged, which seemed to me to show a vulnerability and frustration – understandable, for someone who had recently moved to a new town, with Lockdown, those types of feelings could easily arise.

Agness Clark works in a spontaneous, intuitive way as she  explores the inner conversation between her two passions: photography and painting. She explains,“I love working with rich, vibrant colours, overlapping layers and textures. Her pictures reflect personal moments and their relationship  to every day emotional experiences, consequently “my compositions may appear chaotic and garish, occasionally dark and distressing.”

© Dan Percy Untitled

In contrast Dan Percy’s works is somewhat quieter. It is not surprising to learn that inspiration for Percy’s work came while confined to home during the first lockdown. That lockdown space gave him the time to notice patterns of light and shadow created by objects and plants in his flat that he  hadn’t noticed before. His photographic images are monochrome, some of which appear relaxed, inhabiting their space, others angular, discordant, as if Percy is seeking something while at the same time the art is allowing Dan his inner world to emerge.  It reminded me of music, the change and layering of movements.

Dan has been a keen amateur photographer for a number of years initially drawn to abstract patterns in architecture and the urban environment. Time spent in a darkroom started an exploration of making rayographs and manipulating photographic prints taking inspiration from Dora Maar and Man Ray. From those original shadows and light he has developed that idea further by placing acrylic and lucite objects to create patterns of light and shadow from natural light. He creates an image and experiments until he finds an image that appeals to him.

© Agness Clark blue mirage

Clark has exhibited before – two of her paintings were selected for the recent Sussex Contemporary Open Exhibition in Brighton. This is the first time that new member Percy has ever shown his work. He has not lived in St Leonards very long. He joined PhotoHastings, and was encouraged by several members to show his work. With the supportive creative community behind him and a growing confidence, this show  has allowed him to consider himself an artist.

For two artists with different approaches, who only met and decided a few months ago to work together on a joint show, there appears to be some sort of settling, a meeting in the middle of feelings and minds. I felt both artists chimed together, giving off positive sparks and clashes. It is an interesting show which certainly offers ideas to mull over. Pondering on it afterwards, after my first thought that these two artists had little in common, the title – Balance in Opposition seems very fitting

Agness Clark and Dan Percy Balance in Opposition is at Hastings Arts Forum, 20 Marine Court, TN38 0DX until 13 Nov, 2022.
All are welcome to the opening event on Friday 4 Nov, 6–8pm.
There is a Meet the Artists event on Sunday 6 November from 2–4pm

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