- Venue
- Creative Hinckley Gallery at the Atkins Building
- Location
- East Midlands
An exhibition of work by Creative Arts Staff at North Warwickshire and Hinckley College takes its title from the old maxim ‘those who can, do, those who can’t, teach’ (origin unknown). This maxim has been a thorn in the side of artist-teachers since my student days in the 1960s (and probably long before) for the implication is that teaching is a fall-back position from being a ‘serious’ i.e. commercially successful, practising and ‘dedicated’ artist. The origins of this idea, which can be dated back to the age of Romanticism need not be discussed here but it is an enduring and revealing reminder of the pressure that the individual might be under when attempting to satisfy both the audience for art and the demands of teaching. There have been, of course, many very good artists and designers who have also made a serious contribution to education and theory (in particular at the famous Bauhaus School in Germany in the 1920-30s with Paul Klee, Kandinsky and Walter Gropius and some of the English Art Schools of the 1950-60s, notably Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore, for example). The current exhibition at the Creative Hinckley Gallery is a quite successful coming together of the two apparently distinct entities, the Gallery and the College which, happiiy for the Community, sit next door to each other in the Lower Bond Street area of Hinckley. The exhibition includes work by twenty five staff who are currently employed by the College ranging from heads of section to those on a part-time contract. The specialist skills range widely from traditional painting, drawing and sculpture, through photography, textiles and ceramics to digital media, video and film and from individual to joint and collaborative practices. The overall impression is one of clarity, brightness, energy and colour. The exhibition space is used intelligently with a clear and ordered presentation of work supported by an optimum amount of useful explanatory text. With such a variety and a relatively large number of participants I have chosen not to comment on the work of each individual. However amongst the ‘stand-out’ work for me was … Jim Botton’s ‘Global Travel’ pieces documenting disappearing cultures, Shaun Smith’s beautifully executed video/sound piece ‘Lithe’, Hazel Johnson’s ‘In Suspense’ is a sympathetic treatment of a serious social/political subject, I especially liked James Cunliffe’s ‘Noah’s Toys and Other Things’, an immaculately presented work of a quite original idea. In conversation with visitors to the show I was aware of the positive response to all photographic work and also the degree of interest and discussion generated by ‘The Decline of Industry’, a collage/construction incorporating found material, by Carl Alfry. There is an evident amount of enterprise and confident handling throughout the show but some pieces might be better on a larger scale I felt. However, on this evidence, it is safe to assume that the students of these teacher-artists are in capable and creative hands. Enquiries and information at www.creativehinckley.co.uk Peter Berry April ’13
