Published on 1st September 2024

The Association of Sussex Artists held its annual exhibition at the Drill Hall in Horsham on 16 – 24 August. The ASA was established in 1928 and has a proud tradition of bringing together some of the best artists working across the county. AAH visited the exhibition and met ASA members Caroline Darke, Fiona Hooper, Alison Ingram, Irma Westerdijk and Tim Wheeler...

Alison: The ASA is a long-established association, with this being the 111th exhibition of work. There are many excellent local art groups and I’m also a member of Horsham Artists, but the purpose of the ASA has always been to represent the best of Sussex art and the committee strives to maintain high standards. We hold other occasional events, including an exhibition at Parham House in May hosted by our patron Lady Emma Barnard. However, the exhibition at the Drill Hall is the biggest on the calendar and this year attracted over 1,000 visitors. 

Irma: It can be difficult for the committee to choose work for inclusion, especially art in the contemporary style. We all have different views when it comes to art and one person may love something that others don’t like, but that means a wider range of work is shown. I create sculptural figurines from wires, fabric and a variety of other materials, but I know they do not appeal to everyone. All of the work exhibited is for sale,and it’s nice when you sell something. Often, I find people don’t buy the art that they love the most, but something else that is maybe more functional or suits a particular room at home. 

Tim: One of the good things about the ASA exhibition is that each artist must submit new work, With many people visiting on the preview night and during the course of the exhibition, it’s an opportunity for artists to present their best work for sale. There is a deadline for submissions, so the final week can be intense as we’re all busy finishing work that’s good enough for inclusion! 

Fiona: One of the ASA’s strengths is the quality of work across different mediums. You have painters working with a wide range of materials including acrylics, watercolours and pastels, as well as contemporary lino prints and three-dimension work too including sculptures, ceramics and woodwork. The exhibition covers all budgets too, ranging from small pieces under £100 to large canvas paintings for £8000, so there’s something for everyone.   

Caroline: The exhibition is a great opportunity to meet other artists too. A rota means each member contributes towards stewarding at the Drill Hall. This means that members of the public can talk to artists about their work when they visit, while for us exhibitors, it’s a chance to come together from across Sussex to discuss ideas and meet friends too.

Fiona: This year’s exhibition was dedicated to Derek Golledge (right), a long-serving member and former Chairman who passed away earlier this year. As well as driving forward the ASA, Derek was a founder member of several other community art groups, including Southwater Art Club. He was the key motivator in changing the association’s dynamic, as it was very traditional and he broke down that barrier and introduced more contemporary work. 

Tim: Everything Derek did was done with the best of intentions. He truly wanted the best for artists in Horsham, for the town generally, and also the best for the association.  

Irma: The committee no longer has a Chair and we function more as a collective. It means nobody takes on full responsibility of running the association and more of us contribute in different ways. Since Covid, we’ve met regularly on Zoom, which is a useful way to keep in touch. I’ve been a member for 11 years now and the range of work exhibited has certainly become more contemporary and diverse. I think the overall standard has improved too. We also welcome work by non-members at the exhibition, although the selection process still applies. We’re always encouraging people to enjoy art and become members of the ASA or other local groups.  

Alison: I’m known for abstract wildlife paintings and my most recent work, including Swifts Over Broomlands Farm, focuses on birds. I live in Warnham and would often see swifts at Broomlands Farm, until the roof was repaired and the colony was inadvertently lost. Swift numbers are in decline and that’s largely because of barn conversions and roof repairs. Thy colony moved to a neighbouring farm and I worked hard to encourage nesting at my house too, installing bird boxes. I also became involved in rescue work and by hand-rearing swifts, was able to learn more about them. There are many swift enthusiasts who like my recent work, so I’ve had commissions too. I particularly like the Broomlands Farm painting as it’s a different colour palette to most of my work with hues of purple, pink and orange that create warmer tones.

Tim: My stone sculptures also feature swifts, as well as other birds. When you’re working with stone, it only takes one mistake and all you’ve got left is hardcore! So, I started by creating abstract shapes, rather than figurative work, as people can easily notice flaws in figurative sculpture. I use Maltese limestone, which is a nice material to work with and suits the smooth, flowing lines of much of my output. Some of my latest pieces also feature stylised birds, as we live in part of the country that is rich in wildlife and natural beauty. That is certainly represented in the art on display at the exhibition.

Fiona: I love painting landscapes and seascapes that represent nature. We are losing greenfield land to development, so I hope that in some small way my work raises awareness of the natural world and what we stand to lose. Most of my art depicts peaceful places, where you can hear birds sing and leaves rustling and can walk miles without seeing another person. In that way, I find painting is good for the soul.

Caroline: My abstract landscapes are inspired by the South Downs, as I live in Steyning and love to walk on the Downs and along the River Adur at Bramber. I also submitted one piece to the exhibition that I painted during an art course in Umbria, showing the view from our balcony. I like to sketch outdoors and my paintings usually come from these sketches. I have become more abstract with time, but still like elements to be recognisable. They are more reflective of a feeling of a place, rather than a representational depiction. 

Tim: We invite an independent panel to come in to judge the annual exhibition. They are people who make a living in the industry, whether as artists, critics or gallery owners. While they’re always looking for stand-out pieces in any genre, it’s difficult to judge such varied work. This year’s winners were painter Karen Grimstead and Carol Wagstaff, who won the 3D award for one of her mixed-media sculptures. Robert Eifion-Wynne, Alison Ingram and Jean Holder were all Highly Commended. We also have a People’s Choice award, voted for by members of the public, and the results rarely correlate with the choices made by the judges! The winners were Alison’s Swifts Over Broomlands Farm and Susan Tindall’s Crisis. That’s one of the joys of art; we find beauty in different things.   

WORDS: Ben Morris / PHOTOS: Alan Wright

Further information: For details about membership and future exhibits by the ASA, visit www.associationofsussexartists.co.uk