I am no Jonathan Jones. Every time I read a review of his that concerns photography, his words and insidiously snide comments irritate me beyond belief. Maybe his role as an art critic for that otherwise erstwhile tome, The Guardian, is meant to provoke and irritate. I somehow doubt it. He is opinionated and vulgar in his assessment of photography. I read Sean O’Hagan’s reviews and I don’t always agree with him but he is a more balanced critic in my view. I doubt I would use Jones’ reviews in the privy, whereas I used O’Hagan’s reviews to cement decisions to buy a book or see an exhibition. It is not just photographers that Jones destroys. He also takes out well-known if not challenging artists such as Maggi Hambling, one of his recent character assassination attempts.

What has this to do with Grain?

Last night I went to the seventh Prettys & UCS Arts & Humanities art show in Ipswich. It is called ‘Grain’.

Previously I curated two shows, Primavera and Trafalgar and selected work from throughout the Arts faculty. I feel that as an artist using photography as my main medium (I use others), that I can offer a fair critique of the event and base that on my experience presenting two of these shows.

Grain is very different to previous shows. One would expect that especially with the ebb and flow of artists through the faculty. Traditionally, a photography student has always led the event. I am not sure why but possibly it is historic based on the organisational aspect of photographic workflow. It is a skill set that lends itself to gathering and presenting work. This show had two curators, one of whom was a team member for Trafalgar. She will have watched how I worked and my successor and brought her own skills to the mix. The other is another mature student who is a successful businessman and voluntary sector organiser and ‘fixer’. This was strong team. As always with these events there are other team members as the work involved is quite onerous and too much for one individual or even two. It is interesting to look back on this event and the previous shows to see who stayed with the teams as they progressed through University. Those that give, always give.

So, what did I think? This show was heavily biased towards photography and there was no 3 D work other than a catalogue entry. In the past it was always harder to get photography students to submit work. It was never easy to get work off artists but I would spend hours wandering around their studio spaces talking up work that I knew would sell. I suppose it is a bit like having an agent. The maker of the artwork is not necessarily the best salesperson. I would have preferred to see more ‘fine art’ however that is defined, but let’s say painting drawing, sculpture.

It was good to see an improved catalogue. This must have taken a considerable time to design and put together. I used to use a database to record all the collections and for the purposes of the one opening night I ran off a rather utilitarian listing of the pieces and their prices. The website was also different this year allowing on-line purchasing. I have to say that although much work went into this, I did not like the number of mouse clicks I had to go through to see the entire catalogue. It became a chore to look at all the work.

The turn-out was not as great as it has been in the past and that concerned me. 10 pieces sold on the night however, and that is a good return. I think more could have sold had there been the footfall of previous events. Mrs O was the first to buy a piece, a piece that could have sold several times over. She must have an eye. She does know what she likes though and this was a predictable purchase.

So what of the other work?

Adam Riches, a very talented man with a pencil won the best in show prize for a pencil on bristle board drawing of Fidel Castro. Draughting skills are something I have seen little evidence of when I was studying. It is a traditional and very basic art skill and I suppose that these days there is more emphasis in the artist expressing themselves with their creation rather than demonstrably good painting and drawing. Hockney is good with a pencil. Grayson Perry recently criticised the way the brushes were held by Spall in the film ‘Mr Turner’ citing the lack of teaching of basic apprentice skills in art schools. I hope Adam continues to develop this natural talent whilst he completes his degree in Fine Art. I also hope that his skill is recognised and he gets a suitable mark for his efforts as others might do for leaning a stick against a wall for example. I realise that he will be challenged to express himself in many testing ways but gifts such as his are rare.

Jenny Butcher was on form with her work, as always. It was good to see the sold marker on her ‘Red Landscape’. Nicky West made me think immediately of Roger Fenton with her Cambridgeshire Pyramids.

It was poignant to see Alexander Osborne’s Abstract #8 in the spot where he suffered his stroke just over a year ago but his other piece sold. #8 was not for sale.

David Bull attracted much comment with his typology of static caravans. I liked his work. Many did not. I would rather have seen his work bigger and in a different space. I’m not sure it is best suited to where it is hung and if I am being picky it was not precisely a level hang through the series. The presentation in the catalogue is much better than the hang.

So the best picture for me in the show was not for sale. I would have had Cristina Grañena Sanchez’s ‘Pig’ on my wall in a flash. It is an almost grand masterly style portrait of what seems like a Gloucester Old Spot or possibly an Essex piglet. The lighting and composition and the all-important frame made this the best in show for me. It could have been an oil painting Mr Jones but it was as perfect a portrait as could be but painted with light and made in a camera.

All in all this was a good show. For the next one, I’d like to see more paintings and 3D work plus some bigger work. A bigger audience and more than two lecturers turning up would also help. It was good to see Geoff Buono and David Baldrey who always show up at these events but the school has more than these two.

I’m looking forward to the next show already. Roll on Spring time or thereabouts.