Art critic sparks fury in North
Date : 15/1/2003 Publication : THE JOURNAL
A London art critic has sparked fury by claiming a major art exhibition was too important to be held only in the North and should be taken to "more sophisticated" audiences in London. The Baltic, Gateshead, will become one of just two British galleries to showcase a group of seminal European artists, when the COBRA exhibition opens on Marc, 1.
The radical and experimental paintings and drawings produced by COBRA artists between 1948 and 1951 have been recognised as important works of art.
Yesterday London art critic Brian Sewell said the exhibition, which is also due to be shown in Manchester, ought to be shown in London, where experienced gallery-goers would better appreciate its significance. London's Evening Standard art critic said in a radio interview: "London has for centuries been at the centre of the art world. It is exposed to more art and culture, of course it is more sophisticated.
"It is a question of making sure, when you're publicly funding an exhibition that it should be shown to the largest possible audience. "That audience is available in the South-East, not the North-East "It is absurd to arrange a major exhibition and deprive London of an immediate view."
But the North-East arts community last night hit back - denying Londoners had a monopoly on cultural sensibility or a right to see all the best shows first. Director of the Baltic, Sune Nordgren, described Mr Sewell's comments as "a load of rubbish". And he said the range of cultural projects underway in the region was fuelling a growing cultural revival. He said: "There is a great appetite for the arts and it is growing all the time. "People come to the Baltic for the first time to see what it's like, but many of them are coming back."
He added: "People from the North-East have been travelling to London to see exhibitions for years. Why shouldn't people from London travel to Gateshead?" Director of Newcastle city centre's Waygood gallery, Helen Smith, said the decision to stage the COBRA exhibition in Gateshead affirmed the region's burgeoning art scene. She said: "The region has a vibrant art scene which is growing in confidence all the time."
Paul Collard, chairman of Northern Arts and head programme director of the Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, said: "As cultural facilities up and down the country continue to improve, more and more important works are going to be shown outside London and people are just going to have to get used to it."
In a recent article, Mr Sewell wrote: "If it (COBRA) is done well, it ought to be in London too, for this neglected group of wildly influential post-war artists will mean most to the more sophisticated audience that it would find in London."
But Mr Collard rubbished the idea that North-East audiences were too uncultured to appreciate the exhibition. He said: "Art isn't about being knowledgeable or having seen a lot of other exhibitions, it's about being open to new ideas and different experiences and people here are very good at that."
He pointed to the Angel of the North as an example of the North-East taking a leading role in cultural development. Mr Collard said: "The Angel couldn't have happened anywhere else - it took the vision and the energy of this region to make it happen."
Mr Sewell could not be contacted for further comment last night. Back to Archive | 
