Off The Press Collective: PAPERBACK

Many of you lovely, cultured folk have probably stumbled upon this unassuming gallery before, as it is the entranceway to one of the most popular venues in this fine city. Without doubt, Norwich Arts Centre has consistently been at the forefront of craftsmanship and artistry with regard to performative work, yet this seldom echoes in to the physical ‘art’ apparent immediately as one enters. This, of course, leaves most evening visitors sauntering lazily around the bar, usually waiting to pounce upon a comfy sofa not unlike a predator – only, in this case, with a plastic glass of red wine in hand.

While this is an unquestionably enthralling temptation (and one that I have personally fallen victim to on multiple occasions,) it does beg the question as to why there aren’t more people admiring the artwork.

However, I am incredibly happy to say that the latest installation is very different.

Over the next month, the Bury St Edmunds-based group Off the Press Collective are providing us with a litany of visually striking prints with a rather ingenious unified theme. Entitled PAPERBACK, the work responds to notable must-read novels, challenging twenty artists to react to a list of 100 literary classics. Ranging from To Kill a Mockingbird to Charlotte’s Web, each artist has acted as intermediary for the books’ influence, injecting their own, defined style while doing so. In other, less inventive shows, this would create a disjointed aesthetic. Yet, what we see here is uniformity - neatly in-keeping with the exhibition’s premise – as the palette of all of the works mirror that of Penguin Books; grey, white and bold, dazzling orange. This latter pigment is also used to revitalise the usually monochromatic corridor, as the walls are wrapped in thick, bright colour, framing the exhibition as a whole. It lifts the work, not just providing a unifying effect – but rewriting the space itself.

The content is mostly of the highest quality, to the extent that it is easy to lose track of time as you stare at some of the more intricate prints. In fact, this is exactly what happened to me, as I gazed with eyes glazed at a stunningly delicate aestheticization of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A tentatively gentle line-drawing of a human skull had been layered over with that of a vampire bat, gifting the piece with small labyrinthine intersections that were glorious in their fragility.

I had one of those weird spine-tingle moments – it was all rather interesting.

Culminating upon this feeling came my realisation of the affordability of these works, which solidified sentiments made by the collective as to the accessibility of creative practice. Each piece, despite being universally limited to a total edition size of twenty, sat at only £25. The quality itself is enough to justify much more than this price-tag, therefore ringing closer to buying an older piece off a student than from a group that includes internationally recognised printmakers.

My only point of contention can be found within the area following, which is not emblazoned with radiant orange. This second location accommodates a couple works each by a few of the most prominent artists. Unfortunately, while it does act to assure the audience that the style used in their response to the brief is indicative of their practice, it feels entirely devolved from the rest of the show. It appears to merely be where the more expensive works are kept, alongside items not for sale and a few prints still kicking around after previous shows. Admittedly, if you like David Bowie, there are two pieces that you will adore. However, I cannot justify the risk they have undertaken; of potentially compromising such a clever theme, through the introduction of a tacked-on selection of unrelated works. These effectively create a separate exhibition, directly next to that which is so much stronger.

With that thought, I returned to the Dracula print – ah, sanctity.

All of my petty qualms are mitigated incredibly quickly when I think of the quality, ingenuity and affordability of the art here – along with their ability to enthral. This is by far the most engaging exhibition I have seen in the venue before, with such a wide variety of styles that anyone could find something to love. One would be remiss if they didn’t entertain the notion of popping along for a cheeky glance, as it is a rare opportunity to acquire an incredibly fine piece for such a preposterously small amount of money.

Events such as these are why I am running out of wall-space.

Off the Press Collective: PAPERBACK is at Norwich Arts Centre from 10th May to 7th June 2017

Opening hours are; Monday–Friday 1pm-5pm, Saturdays 10am-6pm

For more information, visit offthepresscollective.co.uk