Contemporary and Country (C&C) present contemporary and applied art by artists and makers based in the east of England in exhibitions that celebrate their rural surroundings.
C&C work with artists and makers inspired by their environment or who use sustainable materials in their production process. Many live and work in rural areas, the villages and towns of East Anglia. Through their work they bring about a closer understanding of the countryside and reveal how their surroundings influence their creative thinking.
Country matters
Rural communities throughout East Anglia have become places where creative practitioners can make their work in relative peace and isolation. Unfortunately there are relatively few places in the area to show the results of their labour. Many of the issues that concern artists and makers, like the effects of climate change and the pitfalls of a rural economy are not restricted to the East Anglian region. They are concerns shared by artists and makers working in isolated communities located throughout the UK. C&C's exhibitions are configured around themes that attract audiences from rural communities as well as drawing in visitors from London, Cambridge and Norwich and from other regions of the country. They pull in an informed audience, drawing attention to the creative people C&C work with, brokering sales and facilitating greater understanding of their work and production process.
What makes the east of England a good location for creative activity?
During the last fifteen years artists and makers have left the cramped conditions of cities like London, discovering creative hot spots in settings much more condusive to creative production. The east of England is one of several regional locations where this process has continued unabated as London has become a hostage to unrestricted development. East Anglian creatives have access to generous workshop and studio space and better working conditions with fewer distractions.
While fragmented by distance, the east of England does have public sector museums and galleries. Some, like Firstsite and the Minories in Colchester, and The Sainsbury Centre at the UEA campus on the edge of Norwich, occasionally display work by artists with a connection to East Anglia. These publicly funded organisations enjoy a national profile and take in touring exhibitions. But they are few and far between.
Commercial galleries that promote artists and makers from within the region quickly become unviable, unless they cater to the tourist market. Which is why C&C have taken a different approach to exhibition making. Working across disciplines, displaying original work in different exhibition spaces, C&C have been building a dedicated audience for art and craft while avoiding being teathered to a single location or institution. C&C's projects are tailored to the way artists and craftspeople operate today, providing a curated context to show their work to its best advantage in more unusual spaces to connect with new audiences.
You may have already been to a C&C Pop-Up
C&C's exhibitions have been held at Stapleford Granary, Cambridge, The Crypt Gallery, Norwich, The Fermoy Gallery and Shakespeare Barn at The Guildhall, King's Lynn, Houghton Hall Stables, in West Norfolk, at BallroomArts, Aldeburgh, on the Suffolk coast, The Granary (Jarrolds), Norwich, and at Creake Abbey near Burnham Market on the North Norfolk coast. For each of these installations the work was chosen to suit the circumstances of the built environment being used, whether that was a purpose built art gallery, the top floor loft-space in a converted warehouse store, or an ancient chalk and flint barn.
The exhibitions at the Stables Houghton Hall took place between 2017 and 2023. These were large group shows featuring between 30 to 45 artists and makers with an East Anglian connection that were predicated upon a common theme. C&C's large group exhibitions were configured to support the solo exhibitions by acclaimed international artists: Richard Long, Henry Moore, Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor, Tony Cragg, Ernst Gamperl, John Virtue, and Sean Scully.
-
MEDIA COVERAGE
-
Art & Culture in Norwich and Norfolk
Our 2024 Season is Launched 8 March 2024As the 2024 season of arts events opens we are thrilled to be featured in the latest edition of Art in Norwich and Norfolk produced by the remarkable Marion Caitlin. -
Rosie Phillips - ArtRabbit
Portrait paintings and drawings following her residency at Norwich School, 10 January to 15 February,2024 10 February 2024Following her residency at Norwich School, Cathedral Close, Norwich, Contemporary and Country have curated 'Close' an exhibition of recent paintings at The Crypt Gallery. SEE ARTICLE -
Country Life - Heads & Tails makes it as an Unmissable Event
Unmissable Events 11 October 2023We are grateful to the editorial team at Country Life for giving us a mention in the 'Unmissable Events' section on p47 of this week's edition. -
Arty Facts in North Norfolk
Animal Magic 20 September 2023 -
Going Out - with a fair few animals included
7 September 2023Big thank you to the Places and Faces team for including mention in 'Going Out' column. Our new exhibition 'Heads & Tails: Picturing People and Other Animals' is open in... -
Heads & Tails - ArtRabbit
6 September 2023Norfolk Spotlight: Heads & Tails. Picturing People and Other Animals We are grateful to Vivi and her team at ArtRabbit for this feature on our new exhibition in the heart... -
ArtsEast: Heads and Tails at The Guildhall, King's Lynn
5 September 2023A huge thank you to Sarah Veness and her tteam aat ArtsEast for running an article about our current show 'Heads & Tails: picturing people and Other Animals' currently openn... -
Lynn News: Heads and Tails opens in King's Lynn
5 September 2023Thanks to jeremy Ransome of Lynn News for running an article about teh opening of our new exhibition 'Heads & Tails'. See link below to view online https://www.lynnnews.co.uk/whats-on/heads-and-tails-exhibition-9329014/ -
KL Magazine: C&C's East to East
An Eclectic Exhibiton of Local Talent 15 July, 2023Our exhibition "East to East" is open every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday until October 1. We recently had an article published in KL Magazine which had a focus on on those artists and makers based in the Fenlands of East Anglia. -
Sean Scully and East to East at Houghton Hall
27 March 2023We are thankful to Dominic Castle and his team at Norfolk Magazine for covering the build up to the opening of Sean Scully - smaller than the sky and our... -
An Arty Weekend in North Norfolk
23 March 2023We were delighted to get a mention in the Guardian on 23 March for 'EAST TO EAST' This year promises to be a wonderful opportunity to see lots of art... -
Arty Facts - North Norfolk Living
1 March 2023Big Thankyou to Amanda and her team at one of our favourite publications for giving our forthcoming exhibition 'East to East' in the stables at Houghton Hall, North Norfolk. Take... -
Compendia - A new guide to Norwich and Norfolk
4 November 2022A local guide to the best independent places to eat, drink, play, shop, party, sleep and heal in Norwich and Norfolk. Including us on page 366-367 There is a high... -
About Suffolk - River's Edge opens 7 June
10 April 2022We re delighted to be featured in Issue 1 of the newly published About Suffolk published by About Media.See p32 and p51 -
Escape into Art
1 June 2020Thanks to Dominic Castle, Editor of Norfolk magazine. It's June edition, just published, features Contemporary and Country on pp52 and 53 - take a look when you get your copy... -
Eastern Promise: contemporary art in Norfolk
31 May 2019Thanks to the Guardian Travel section for coverage of Festival 2019 – our latest pop-up in the Stables at Houghton Hall. We were contacted by journalist Kate Simon who wanted...
-