could just stare for hours.”
There are, however, a couple
of options that offer a happy
middle ground: nomadic
galleries such as Antlers in Bristol
(www.antlersgallery.com), and
cafés that make art their priority
rather than just an ornamental
after thought.
“We chose to make Antlers
a nomadic gallery so we could
be responsive to different
artists, artworks and projects,”
explains director Jack Gibbon.
“It’s enabled us to hold intimate
drawing exhibitions in small,
well-lit historic properties and
large-scale sculptural shows
in old warehouses.”
Jack adds: “The great thing
about pop-ups is that, unlike
monolithic art spaces or cultural
institutions, they often resemble
the shops we go in every day,and therefore have a threshold
that’s far less imposing to cross.”
Kasim Ali runs Waterloo
Tea (www.waterlootea.com),
which has three teahouses in
the Cardiff area. “Early on we
decided that doubling up as
exhibition spaces was key to
our identity,“ he says. “The
amount of traffic in cafés and
similar spaces makes them
attractive in terms of the number
of people who’ll get to see the
art, and the informal nature of
the café setting also allows a
different appreciation of art.
Our art changes monthly, so
artists can have exclusive shows
in the teahouses. We view our
involvement with art as more
than just a token gesture.”
Victoria Young Jamieson
has been curating exhibitions
at espresso bar The CrazyFox (www.crazyfox.net) since
it opened in 2014. “I was
commissioned by owner Charlie
Stead to put up my photographs
and prints,” she explains. “The
café boasts light and bright
spaces and large walls. It had
always been a dream of mine
to set up a gallery, so I proposed
an idea where we could both
benefit – if I found the artists
and curated the exhibitions, the
café would always be supplied
with changing and refreshing
artwork on the walls.”
It was a solution that workedjust as well for The Crazy Fox as
for Victoria. Since January 2015,
she has been busy curating solo
and group exhibitions at the
café. “It’s a platform for artists
without all the extra costs you
face with traditional galleries,“
she notes. “The work is on view
to anyone coming in to enjoy
a coffee, to the art enthusiast
or to someone who wouldn’t
usually visit an exhibition.
“Why should artwork only be
on view to the people visiting
an art gallery?”
By Judy DarleyTop left: For Cardiff-based
Waterloo Tea, having
gallery space was crucial
to their identity.
Top right: The Royal West
of England Academy is
the only regional Royal
Academy of Art.
Left: Artwork by Jody
Thomas at Harvey Nichols
in Bristol.
Right: The Royal West of
England Academy's annual
open exhibition, currently
in its 163rd year.Displaying your art
Show the art,
not the frameYou want to see the artwork
first, then the mount, and finally
the eye should slide to the frame. You
don’t want the frame to scream:
‘Look at me!‘
Kevin LucasArtwork can look enhanced
and more complete in a frame,
but the frame should seem invisible
if the artwork requires visual
breathing space.
Rosie McLayDisplaying your artHanging
options
Ask the venue whether you will be
allowed to drill into the walls. Is it
a listed building? Is the wall crumbling with
damp or impenetrable? If any of this is true,
consider not framing your work at all.
Experiment with other mechanisms or
work directly on the walls – play with
string, clips, tapes, pins, or Velcro.
Jack Gibbon, Antlers GalleryThe work is on view to anyone
coming in to enjoy a coffee, to the
art enthusiast or to someone who
wouldn’t usually visit a gallery.PHOTOGRAPH:
WATERLOO TEA
PHOTOGRAPH:ROYAL WEST OF ENGLAND ACADEMYPHOTOGRAPH:ROYAL WEST OF ENGLAND ACADEMY