Words by Dan Warden
Celebrating the release of the DRIFT Art Review.
Nina Brooke - ‘Nanzila’
With the release of our first Art Review, for us here at DRIFT, is the perfect start to a new year. A celebration of not just the arts, but of the conversations they inspire and the arguments they provoke, we are delighted to shout loud about those featured within. Within the review, we take readers on an odyssey of exploration, considering in editorial form the stories, techniques, inspirations, and aspirations, of the artists involved, alongside profile pieces on influential galleries, collectors, and curators.
Mercedes Smith, in her foreword for the title, says: “…the more we talk about art, the greater its force becomes, which makes this first DRIFT Art Review so important. Cornwall has so many talented artists, so many exceptional galleries, but so few publications to champion them, and the bridge between Cornwall and the city-centric focus of national art magazines is yet to be built.” The DRIFT Art Review hopes to become a cornerstone for such a structure.
Featuring just two artists from each discipline, chosen by an anonymous panel, with a foreword from Mercedes – regular DRIFT Contributor and accomplished Arts Writer – this limited-edition book is a celebration of, and a platform for, the artists for whom Cornwall provides constant inspiration. Intriguingly current and timelessly readable, DRIFT Art Review is at once a valuable tool for collectors, a coveted addition to coffee tables for the year ahead, and a collectible for those who value the enduring appeal of the arts. It is the ultimate companion for anybody keen to immerse themselves in the creative theatre of Cornwall.
Copies are now available to purchase on the DRIFT website, with an exclusive readers’ offer currently running until 14th March. Quote ‘DRIFTART2022’ when ordering to redeem your discount.
Will Calver - ‘Clementines in Moroccan Bowl’ 12x12” – Oil on linen
Ashley Hanson - ‘City of Glass 9’ – Fiction & Fact
Left Richard Ballinger - ‘The Warm Room’ - Oil on Canvas - 103x103 cm. 2021
Right- Richard Ballinger - ‘Blue Trees’ Oil on Canvas - 122x91 cm. 2018
Trudy Montgomery - ‘Threshold 2016’
Paula Downing - ‘Slate Shard’
Circle Contemporary Gallery - John O’Carroll ‘Stepper’ Gesso, pigment, copper, resin on panel with raw steel frame, 120 x 120 cm
Left Luke Knight - ‘I like the summer but I like the winter too’ Oil on board - 100x70 cm | Right Patricia Wilson Smith - ‘Pots2’ Monoprint 2021