Nameless.

Sometimes I forget why I chose to come to this part of the world and start getting ungrateful about the scenery, wide skies, deserted beaches, hills, and the horizon to horizon wilderness on my doorstep. Sometimes I long for a greater access to the arts, music, cinema, a theatre I don't have to drive 25 miles to get to that has a better quality of production when I get there, and so on. Then I look in the paper and see that it is all here within 4 miles - if I care to use it. For years now I've been refusing to use what's available because I fell out of patience with the community down the road that has brought much of this creative life to the area. I got sniffy about the community and therefore didn't want to support it.I think that's called cutting off ones nose to spite ones face. Recently a neighbouring town 8 miles away has begun to add to the rich mix of possibilities with a steady programme of concerts and an annual Book & Arts festival which this year drew Carol Ann Duffy, amongst others. I suspect that although that town has had regional funding there has been plenty of input from their resident film star, Tilda Swinton who seems to be very supportive of her chosen home.

I thought about all these life-enhancing opportunities I've been ignoring today especially when I went to cast an eye over the Art Centre begun by one enthusiastic and dedicated individual who for many years held a vision. Unlike most of us who have a good idea and wish it would happen, he set out to make it happen and raised over half a million from grants, lottery funding and donations to get the beautiful building which now houses his vision. He has - and this is probably even more significant because others have managed to raise huge sums of money for projects in the area but they aren't always so good at actually running them ones they have them - he continues to amaze by bring together notable exhibitions.

I read in the blog (that he hasn't updated for a long time so come on Randy) that at some moment in New York he realised he wanted to create a place for beauty to flourish. It's the word 'beauty' that is remarkable here. Considering the most acclaimed works of recent art he does seem to be in a minority. My sister-in-law has a real sister who is an artist and sculptor. I wouldn't say her work was merely pretty or without meaningful impact but she was almost denied entrance into an exhibition in Brussels which, rather like the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, is open to almost everyone who calls themselves an artist. The reason given was very vague, but what it amounted to was that her work is too representational - not shocking, or ugly, or impossible to see the point of without a verbal explanation as a side dish.

The pendulum has to swing I suppose and when art broke free from the patronage of the churches and the rich that had confined it to religious subjects and portraits, still life and hunting scenes to hang on noble walls, it started to go a little wild. We haven't reached the end of the swing yet.

The recent exhibition in the Arts Centre is of a few of the hundreds of works by artists that lie in the vaults of the great galleries and museums of the world, unseen by anyone most - probably all - of the time. Randy has persuaded the British Museum, the Courtauld gallery and the National Galleries of Scotland to send over samples of 15th & 16th century Italian works by unknown artists. That's quite a feat and the logistics involved make my heart quail - all that insurance and shipping costs and keeping them at the right temperature and so on and so on.. I am terrifically impressed.

I was impressed by the works too. Rather small, tinged by age and oxidisation in less careful, or technically advanced environments over the centuries they have to be peered at to be marveled at for their tiny intricate detail and liveliness of line.

I learned a new word in the art context too - anamorphic. The strangely shaped painting that doesn't show up too well in a photo of a photo is just as difficult to view on the wall. It has to be viewed from one side or the other when the horse and rider (terrifying enough to be one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) become visible. So even the old masters where playing with possibilities!

I could only photograph the photos in the catalogue and then only the ones that were large or clear enough. Some of my favourites were very small, almost sketches but still very details.

The young men are rather beautiful though!