An artistic joy

It ran last month and featured some 74 collages of varying sizes.

They were the products of a collaboration between two artists exchanging visual ideas between 1979 and 1986 until one of these artists moved to Somerset, in 1988.

The other, David Mills, remained in West Sussex giving rise to an extraordinary outpouring of ideas through the post.

With one artist posting an idea to the other, who responded in turn with his own thoughts, a process was born, culminating in the finished assemblage of images at the exhibition.

Titles were then added to the collages to complete the effect.Imaginative and thoroughly engaging titles such as ‘Love me, love my yo-yo’ or ‘Flight of Fancy’ go to make this an astounding and exciting exhibition.

It was vibrant and rich, with oblique references to some of the artistic icons of the past 40 years.

Hidden away, visitors can find references to famed artists Andy Warhol, Eduardo Paolozzi, Peter Blake, Hamilton and others of the Dadaism and pop-art movements.

At the same time, curiously there was nothing relating to the figures dominating the current British art scene which was a refreshing notion, rather than a distraction.

Altogether the Pepito’s collages are a powerful reflection of contemporary society.It compelled visitors to consider the reality of how daily lives are virtually drowned in a sea of, what are basically, meaningless images pouring from the media in magazines, newspapers, television and the internet.

However, this was more than just a vibrant and colourful exhibitions, it was a must-see for any art student of art-lover – which is perhaps more than can be said for more run-of-the-mill displays.

This one manages to get into the head of visitors like no other.

Ron Dellar

The Square

Angmering