In the eye of the beholder

It’s the first week in August, so its the national eisteddfod. This year in the Vale of Glamorgan. Its always a good place to catch up with Welsh politicians. And true to form within my first few minutes there were three presenting themselves. Politicians are like buses when you need them for a story none can be found when you’re out enjoying yourself three turn up.

But its the politics of Art that gets attention for my first blog from the Maes. It is always a source of some controversy the Art Council’s pavilion.

The Art world is entered at ones peril. The trouble is we all have a view. Yes, a bit like politics.

As a presenter of one of the BBC’s art programmes commented as I was doing my tour of the Arts pavilion “I don’t understand nor do I want to understand this conceptional shit.” So there you have it. Art criticism at its most articulate.

This brings me to the winner of this years eisteddfod prize for fine arts - the gold award, no less. And the winner was..... Carwyn Evans for his work Docio. Translated as Docking.

Now as you  might gather it’s not without some controversy. But its conceptional art all right.

If that’s not to your taste how about a polystyrene Cildraeth cove by Alex Duncan. With the summer as it is your own indoor beach to give you that beach holiday moment without having to leave home.

If its a sense of direction you lack then Cecile Johnson Soliz's work might set you right. Or maybe not. 

Andre Stitt say's this is the perimeter. Or his other work is the Wladfa.

Some other selections just to give you a flavour. 

So much for the fine arts. Perhaps politics and economics ain’t to bad after all.