EXHIBITION REVIEW - 1998
NAPA Open 98: Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Gallery
19^th April to 1^st May '98

At the Open Exhibition 1998 (Left To Right);
Front: Ieuan M. Pugh, June Crawshaw
Back: Alwyn Crawshaw (President), Linda S. Gunn (Director USA)

When I was invited at short notice to understudy Professor Brendan Neiland the judging of the NAPA Open 98 entries, my acceptance to Ken Hodgson was driven by two pertinent topics. One, I had heard many favourable reports on the work of the Acrylic Painters and, two, the initial recommendation had come from Peter Garbutt, Director of the Black Sheep Gallery. The common factor linking NAPA and BSG is that both are recently established entities, which are strongly emerging.

Judging an exhibition of paintings is a means of spreading ones' philosophy by proxy: reviewing enables one to get to the point more directly. I hold firm beliefs and enjoy promulgating them, as this review may well reveal, and welcome any opportunity for them to enter the public domain. A show as especially pleasurable as the NAPA Open 98 at the RBSA Gallery needs no veils of euphemism. Reviewing a collection of paintings, whether for prizes or report, is a moveable feast. A good field of entries is much more difficult to divide than an indifferent one. 

There is no doubt about the NAPA Open 98 exhibition being a good field; I was overwhelmingly impressed by the abundance of quality material in the show. Content was both enlightened and enlightening. The paintings were rich in control and expertise; time and time again, picture after picture, one was confronted by sheer immeasurable dedication. Although Ken Hodgson had supplied the appropriate NAPA literature which gave me insight into the philosophy and general objectives of the Association, I found the great majority of works singularly self-assured to alone enlighten the viewer on the Delphic innuendo through the macho impasto of acrylics. Yet nevertheless, collectively the exhibition generated an atmosphere of honesty and sincerity, of energy and industriousness. It was satisfying to use unreconstructed terms in this post-deconstructed era when their original meaning is precisely what I wish to say...

...A reflection of membership enthusiasm was manifest in a somewhat overcrowded exhibition. Just like people, some paintings positively thrive on proximity whilst others suffer. The small and miniature works are quite comfortable, but a few of the larger ones, however, would read quite differently given more space. This was particularly pertinent for Sarah Beaumont's work. All three paintings were very interesting, but especially 'Telephone Call from Milan', with its goldfish bowl perspectives bold shapes, loud colours and confident brushwork. The physical context was unfortunately too claustrophobic, which was not the fault of the picture. Beaumont's work was wonderfully idiosyncratic; I hope to see more of it in future, but with space around and distance to see. 'Grandma' by Alister Adams cheered me up splendidly; the character observation was first class. I have always enjoyed Adrian Henri's work: his 'English Hedge/French Colour's 1997' was typical of his humorous craft and sullen art. Similarly, the subtle humour in 'Mirror Self-Portrait' by Jeanne Masoero made it a close runner-up to 'Grandma' in portraiture. Jeffrey Perry's 'Malvern Hills No.4' demonstrated absolute control of form, and structure. Arthur Gee's 'The Moor' was a miniature painted with majestic authority, successful at any scale. Thomas Gilfilen's 'Coshocton Nocturn' is well worth a mention. A painting with all of the professional elements was 'Through the Pines to Nancy's' by Keith Williams. It was outstanding in its tight palette, control of form and in its poetry...

The NAPA Open 98 demonstrated that painters in acrylics are as versatile and well established as needs be. But the message should be more than the medium as indeed it was in the case at this exhibition, as technicalities were treated as an occupational aside and the viewer was drawn intentionally into other realms. The exhibition possessed an abundance of enthusiasm and initiative, of quality and expertise, as one would expect from such a fine number of professional contributors.

IEUAN MEIRION PUGH

International artist, and retired principal of
Bourneville and Loughborough Colleges of Art and Design

Copyright© 1999 K. Kianush, Art Arena