From the Editor: Tuesday 23rd May

Have you ever been to Jerwood Gallery? If not then you should remedy that with a day trip to Hastings whenever you get a moment. There is currently an exhibition by University of Brighton alumni Keith Tyson called Turn Back Now, which features large Studio Wall Drawings covering the entire ground floor of the gallery. It’s a fascinating medium: Tyson combines the personal, the political, the sexual, the surreal, the frivolous and the profound with an intricate wit and vividly varied visual pallette.

The effect of displaying each drawing closely together is striking: there are some vague themes but I enjoyed lurching around for an eclectic experience. It was difficult not to be moved and saddened by a black, faded American flag on the dark, dark day when Trump was elected, but I was also amused by an incongruous Lego ship amidst a more serious painting.

There is far more to enjoy than just the Tyson however. There was a taut collection of Eileen Agar’s Pigeon Post work that finely showcased the breadth of her work. There were also public choice selections where members of the public picked their favourite pieces from the Jerwood Collection (collected by Alan Grieve).

I sometimes find the fusty, impersonal, misty objectivity that can bedevil gallery walls a little off-putting, so it was a bracing change to read why members of the public enjoyed some art. One piece (Susannah and the Elders by Michael Ayrton) struck me in a similar way to the person who chose it, with the image lingering after several views rather than bashing one on first glance.

Rather than foisting some brash, clumsy vision upon the fishing beach, Jerwood Gallery settles in with the backdrop of seagulls and boats. The building fits in as part of the area (to this outsider at least) by feeling both harmonious and new, which is a rare feat indeed.

Joe Fuller
editorial@thelatest.co.uk