Nottingham is Contemporary
Under the pleasant rumble of the overhead trams, I spent another weekend in the bowels of the new Nottingham Contemporary Cafe bar. Sheltering from the depressing rain, cheered by the retro style decor of artist Matthew Brannon that adorns the New Brutalist walls.
After months, no years, of expectation for both the building and the organisation to bear fruit, I knew many were worried that all that would come of this sweaty palmed anticipation for a bespoke contemporary art centre in my home town could ultimately prove to be a disappointing anticlimax. And yet nothing can be further from the truth. It still early days, but this second rainy weekend is still drawing crowds from far and wide which require a barrier to protect them from the puddled streets of the Lace Market, whilst they wait in line patiently to see art star David Hockney and LA based contemporary painter Frances Stark (who incidentally, is a woman, despite the inaccuracies of a certain journalist in his presentation of the new exhibition in last week’s Guardian Guide.)
The selection of artists for the opening programme display an obvious link to the West Coast of America. In addition to the work of artists at the top of the bill, Nottingham Contemporary also treats us with TJ Wilcox, an artist known for his films which take on a documentary style and which incorporate a distinctive pseudo historical form of creative writing – coinciding aptly with Hockney’s ‘boys’ upstairs in the form of a filmic homage to the Emperor Hadrian and his Greek boy-lover Antinous. This film programme in the Space downstairs is set to continue with a feature length documentary about Southern Californian Latinos who idolise Morrissey by William E. Jones, as well as Morgan Fisher’s ‘Standard Gauge’, an experimental film from the ‘60’s.
Nottingham Visual Arts will be presenting a series of reviews about Nottingham Contemporary’s opening programme in the coming weeks, including insights into the architecture and fabric of the building itself, interpretations by artists and designers as well as the usual write ups of exhibitions and events. We think it’s well worth a second visit, and third, and fourth, and…
Nottingham Contemporary Launch Weekend
Nottingham Visual Arts shares a few snaps from the weekend's celebrations at Nottingham Contemporary.
