Backing into art in Hastings

“Having just eaten cheese on chips from the chippy, it starts to rain, somewhere a baby is crying, one of the streetlights is out, one is bare-bulbed and bright, and I meet a man who looks like Philip Larkin walking a dog called Meredith. He points out artwork in the window of a shop in Hastings Old Town and promptly disappears down a Twitten.” …contemplating the art through the window of 32a High Street, HOT reporter Joe Fearn realises that in Hastings and St Leonards it is easy to back into art without really trying.

It’s not just the big events such as Hofesh Schecter performing their wonderful pieces ‘Uprising’ and Political Mother’ on The Stade, and the enthralling spectacle of Close Act performing ‘Pi Leau’ which surprise and delight. Lots of art just sort of happens in Hastings, whether its fine art or poetry and performance. I have fond memories of the curious walking into F-ish Art Gallery on Robertson Street in Hastings Town Centre, and finding themselves bemused and delighted by Bexhill Buddhist poet Bill Wyatt, subtly striking a ringing bowl and reciting haiku. As I recall, the accidental audience always stayed until the end of the F-ishtales spoken word event.

Coming across art in unexpected ways can happen locally when entering an open space, a shop, or even when going for a pee; the Trinity Gallery Digital Media Print are to feature art in the loos. The first ‘Karzi Art’ to be installed at DMP at the beginning of July is a collaboration between artist Linda King, photographer Adam Piggott, and Jayne Freeman (above right).

The mysterious ‘scrabble artist’ has also installed artwork on the wall of the public toilets in St Leonards. This illusive artist has another artwork stuck on the wall going down the Brassey steps in Hastings, and numerous others in innovative and surprising locations. Perhaps the mystery artist would care to contact HOT or email me at f-ishtales@hotmail.co.uk and we can arrange an interview (anonymity guaranteed).

Local art is sometimes loud, it shouts “Boo!” and startles, like the huge spray-can artwork by Inspire Art, emerging from the red brick wall behind Hastings Library and Dyke and Dean shop, or emblazoned on the front of The Tubman public house. It can also be a covert message from the scrabble artist, or just there, as in The Space, next to the steps near Warrior Square train station, ready to surprise the accidental tourist or commuter.

Café des Arts down Robertson Street in Hastings, is a Social Enterprise that aims to provide people with autism with an opportunity to undertake work-based learning and to showcase and sell their art work. Order tea and scones and hey presto! You have pleasantly backed into art without really trying.

As I contemplated the artwork in the window of 32 High Street, in the Old Town, home of Martel Colour Print, I imagined customers going in to price up an enlargement of a photo of their Aunt Ethel, and unintentionally encountering the pop-up art show of digital collages and occasional objects manufactured by Hastings artist Ben Browton, called ‘Preaching to the Inverted’ which is cleverly written in a mirror image on the inside back wall. Afterwards, they may notice the art of Michael Madden exhibited in The Weekend Gallery across the road, and chuckle at his re-interpretation of Old Master paintings, such as the one I enjoyed; a landowner and his wife, pictured as Guy Ritchie and Madonna.

Art seems to be Omnipresent in Hastings and St Leonards. Digital Media Print down Trinity Street in Hastings now features an art gallery, Love Café in St. Leonards has a mural on the wall outside, and art on display inside. The Kave is a recent art gallery to be found down The Kings Road, and Gill Gallery is just a few yards further down. Around the corner from London Road is Marine Drive which houses the two galleries of the Arts Forum and the Burton Gallery. One Café on London Road features work by local artists, and the pub currently being refurbished on the corner has giant art installations in the windows.

Any space is fair game for a bit of art, as Banksy showed with the ‘Tesco sandcastle kid’ painted on the concrete near St Leonards beach, and artists from St. Leonards twin town of Oudenaarde used the old underground lifeboat station near Bottle Alley for art installation and performance. Even the underpass, local lampposts and bus shelters have art attacks!

Should we be surprised by the way art is all around us? After all, almost everything we use has to have been designed at some point. Various values pervade and colour our simplest decisions, and art, largely to do with personal orientations towards life and the world, rejects any rigid dichotomy between facts and values. Art, skill and ordinary work and discernment establishes truth and reality by an insight which is an exercise of our everyday human capacity. Little wonder then that artists choose to spread art upon our striking seaside towns.

Also in: Visual Arts