ART 'N' AB ART - Undercurrent - Wighton 26 Exhibition

This annual exhibition of contemporary art made by Norfolk artists has been running for 26 years. Each year a different artist or artists curates the selection. This is only the second year we have stopped off to view it, and though this seemed a better selection overall than last year, that really isn't saying much. Ian McGilchrist in a recent lecture, bemoaned art that need a A4 sheet of text to explain it. And there are works here that do that, or come perilously close to morally berating you on the evils of plastic bottles. If you want to see art about the climate crisis and environmental degradation then the Legacy exhibition at Cromer Artspace recently, was exemplary in how to do interesting, relevant art that was visually thought provoking work, without turning that into belligerent propaganda or hectoring you with facts.

Using a church space well, is always quite a challenge. Last year's was generally quite poorly displayed, this exhibition is better thought through and arranged. What gets me about some of the work here is how astoundingly dull so much of it is, because it has so little to say. Muddy or very ephemeral looking paintings, sculptures that look like an aesthetic arrangement of objects, that are not actually in a productive conversation. Geometrical forms perched on plinths, with ranting sloganeering hand written on each face panel. 

The few striking pieces were - an obelisk with brightly coloured relief panels - various small pieces of neon art hung in porches, up pillars and waving at us from an old rood loft stairway, table cloths made out of gardening centre plant labels. My favourite sculptural pieces were a selection of spherical shapes with spiky fronds or studded with screws.

Overall it was hard to say stuff stood out, because it didn't, surrounded as it was by so many half baked ideas, and the sort of work you'd do at A level, and subsequently burn from embarrassment. 

CARROT REVIEW - 3/8