On entering you are faced with cabinets of small treasures, impressive crafts, delights for the eye that capture many visitors attention, It’s the walls however that grab my attention. RBSA is run by the members and this exhibition is the showcase exhibition of the year, with over 200 members the works take up the whole 3 floors. The cafe wall shows a collection of colourful works in white frames. Andrew Kinmont’s landscapes dominate with their wonderful use of green and purple to create an atmospheric escape. John Scott Martin’s “Is this for the Bosses” is another highlight, a clever Lino-cut of the Welsh Pitt head in its hay day.
The first floor although seemingly light and welcoming on entering has some of the weakest work off the show with the exception of Gabrielle Roberts-Dalton’s evocative ink drawing “Blood-shot Eye Spy” and Heinke Jenkins “Leaving the City” and “Moving on.”
One of my own works is on this floor which makes me wonder if the curator felt mine was also a bit weak, it was a different choice for me, an abstract landscape in red. A two layer print consisting of a dry-point plate printed over a collagraph plate. This year we were limited to two works and only one could be over 60cm, as most of my work is around 100cm this left me with little choice but I was happy with the image.
My view of RBSA is that it should represent the best of the skilled artists in the area, conceptual and digital works have other places in the city to show. But once you are voted into RBSA there seems to be no criteria to remove a member if their work changes and is no longer appropriate. With an ageing membership it does seem to be an issue that standards could drop. An artist isn’t guaranteed to deteriorate as they get older, look at some of the great artists of the past. Picasso worked until his 90’s with amazing results, Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse continued to work with beautiful results up until their deaths, maybe it is a continued vigour that keeps your work fresh and not all artists are able to sustain the excitement in later years? And I do feel that this floor has some duds, art is of course personal but I believe quality does shine through. We have an ageing membership. Two shows a year are not judged at RBSA and this is one of them, should it be to stop a declining presence?
The top floor has a number of stunning works, Alex Callaway’s “Nature Morte” is perhaps the most impressive painting in the exhibition, with skill, composition and symbolism. Paul Bartlett’s “Collapse” is another highlight. This room has more skill and I am happy to say that I also have a work in this room.
If this is a representation of the society now how do I feel about being part of it? I am happy to say that at the moment it does represent some of the best artists in the West Midlands and I feel honoured to be walking amongst them, however with an ageing membership I wonder if the question of works being selected should be addressed? Or should I walk away when I feel the standard has dropped significantly? Selection for all shows would alienate some members and may cause a reduction in members but are we an artists social society? Or should the quality of the work come first?
I do recommend you visiting the show, it will be on at St. Pauls Square, Birmingham until the 24th December. You may even want to get a last minute Christmas present from the show as there will certainly be something for everyone.
http://www.rbsa.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/rbsa-members-associates-2018/