Affordable Art Fair, Bristol (18/05/12)

Last week I had the good fortune of returning to Bristol to go to the Affordable Art fair at Brunel's Old Station. As a first-time attendee, I was surprised by the overwhelming amount of work on display yet a little mystified by the atmosphere - that of an upper-class cattle market. The lower limit of £40 for artworks was hard to be found, perhaps because art dealers know that the sort of people who attend affordable art fairs do not look for bargains, but instead wish to celebrate their own embourgeoisement in a show of wealth. 

Although there was a lot to see, and in some respects much diversity to the work on show (I was pleased to see wax and resin implemented within the category of painting), I was left jaded at the lack of inventiveness in the majority of paintings. On the whole, I found them to be unsurprisingly commercial and, in most parts, highly generic. This is not to be taken as outright criticism, as it is to be expected at an art fair; the general public are invited to purchase a piece of art for their homes, not a sensational, avant-garde masterpiece. In complete contrast to most of what could be seen at the fair, it is often felt amongst art students and emerging artists that boundaries need to be pushed, albeit in terms of subject matter or media. This does not seem to be true of 'contemporary fine artists' as they are often known. 

While I am always in awe of artists who can skilfully handle egg tempera, or have a mastery of charcoal drawings, or etchings and so on, it is predictable and tiresome to see endless landscapes, women in beautiful dresses, Matisse-alikes etc. The general standard of paintings on show was high, however they possessed such a stylistic appeal that I found it difficult to admire the workmanship.

On a positive note, there was plenty to enjoy about the art fair. The Degree Art stall was a world away from the bustle of high-end art dealers in other stalls, and I really enjoyed Brighton artist Maria Rivans' box-collages a few stalls down. 

Louise McNaught (Degree Art) - Wilder

Sophie Derrick (Degree Art) - Head of O.B.

Maria Rivans - Party Area 2

I also thought that the sculpture on show was incredibly dynamic and offered so much more. Perhaps it is the tactile nature of a 3D object that draws the viewer to it, but I was largely impressed by the range of materials utilised by sculptors in the fair. There was a strong theme of animals, as ever, but each artist seemed to have a highly characteristic approach and an individual take on their subject. Beth Carter's mythological bronze statues were dazzling, as were the amusing Pug 'furnishings' dotted around by Dominic Gubb.

Beth Carter - Cat and Pigeon

Dominic Gubb - Leather Pug