Extract from article about new Art Now Cornwall space

"To an outsider, aspects of the selection suggested that a lot of art made locally lacks originality or 'edge': it is too restrained and polite, and avoids polemic or difficult subject matter. This is especially true of certain sectors of art activity in Cornwall, and there are good reasons for it. As most private gallery-owners will admit, much art from Cornwall is conditioned to be conservative because of the nature of the local art-market. This market is shaped hugely by the all-pervading influence of the 'artistic legacy' - itself packaged for easy consumption by the Tate. It is not surprising therefore that art buyers have expections that art from Cornwall should have a certain non-threatening and familiar retro quality. The issue for the public galleries, and shows like Art Now Cornwall, is the extent to which they should challenge this state of affairs. Many feel that the current show achieved this in part, but could have gone further.

In fact, in its defence, the private galleries have had a lot of influence in recent years because of a lack of credible alternatives. For example there has been little significant art-writing in Cornwall, and even institutions like the artist societies have, in the recent past, seemed to conspire against the emergence of new art, dominated as they have been by older artists seeking to maintain their influence. Even artist-led organisations have struggled to gain enough momentum to make much of a difference, partly because the audience for genuinely challenging work has been so small. There are signs, however, that this is changing.

Cornish art is at a cross-roads. No longer able to rely on past glories, it has made the move away from the relative certainties of modernism into the uncertain world of ‘post-modern’ art tentatively and reluctantly, and has yet to fully assert its own identity and direction. Making good and interesting art is difficult and needs support from the right kind of infra-structure. Because of this, there are probably only a handful of artists living and working down here who are currently good enough to 'compete' on a national or international stage. That’s the bad news. The good news is that, on the evidence of this show and others, there are a lot more who have the potential to do so.