This exhibition brings together two coastal communities—South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, US and Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, UK—separated by 3,000 miles of Atlantic Ocean. The appeal to artists in both communities was simple – to reflect their Yarmouth. The curatorial objective was to pair works from each community, to emphasize the similarities, the differences, and the flavors of each town and each set of artworks. The pairings also had a more nuanced effect, that of creating a discrete narrative between the works, and therefore between the towns. This narrative is subjective, provoking a personal experience of each visitor to the gallery.

 

We looked at a number of criteria to generate the pairings. Broad subject matter was an obvious way of linking some of the works, but other approaches were also needed to help generate a tension in the viewing experience. Pairing through composition enabled works that were very different in subject, but shared a certain technicality to be placed together. Similarly, looking at color in isolation enabled pairings that while visually different had a tonal quality that naturally brought them together. Finally, we looked at juxtaposition; pairing unexpected themes and flavors to see what they revealed when placed together.

 

By curating the exhibition in this way, we hope your experience of the works is made richer and more enjoyable as a result.

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Curated by Rob Warren