“For Your Convenience” Opening Night - A Review

Prior to visiting the much anticipated second installation in the Norman Rea Gallery’s 2024/25 programme, I sensed a mental reset coming on. Hyper-consumerism is an environmental issue grounded in a combination of ceaseless want and the “out-of-sight out-of-mind” ideology: a dangerous but comforting perspective that whatever we desire we may have, with no immediate negative implications presented to us. Fueled by materialism, dissatisfaction and an array of scheming brands and globalisation (don’t get me started on cultural homogenisation), convenience culture is a topic I could (and do) talk about all day. Uh oh, the Human Geography and Environment student also happens to write for Hard Magazine. 

I should say, subjectivity and context dependency in problematic societal conversations is, after two years in a degree rooted in inconclusive argument, familiar to me. Subjectivity is also a common theme in all forms of art - expression and how we perceive something is fundamentally unique. Nevertheless, the majority of us falling victim to instant gratification is difficult to argue against/ It is an addictive drug hidden in everyday life. For Your Convenience presented an array of selfish human behaviour, evoking viewers to look internally and address the discomfort that comes from looking the consequences of our actions dead in the eye. 

An enticing buzz of fabulously dressed art appreciators, the smooth rhythm of ambient live music from Substate and The Blazers, and the familiar blue and red lights flared against the walls greeted me as I arrived. Upon entry a choice of drinks were presented to us - a subtle nod to the convenience theme? Perhaps not. I might be reading into that too much. Even so, drink in hand, I wandered into the gallery, drawn in by the paper chains (crafted from newspaper) that hung in loops all around the room. The display of shapes that appear to be made of scrap pieces of cardboard fall from the ceiling, drawing the attention upwards. The eye is encouraged to explore the room, bringing back the simplicity of reusing and recycling, a playful perspective on an unsettling issue. 

The throwaway mentality was challenged by all the curators; a combination of multimedia, sculpture, acrylic and oil paint, fabric work and thought-provoking installations displayed around the gallery, brought together by an interactive section, where visitors could decorate a fabric square to later be sewn all together. In a room full of inspiring work, three curators stood out to me the most. The sobering messages conveyed and the unique presentation resonated with me deeply. 

The first piece that struck me was Atonement Dress by Arianne Wilson (She/Her), who repurposes secondhand fabrics, vintage doilies and laces to embrace the history carried in the chosen materials and celebrate their imperfections. In an effort to challenge fast fashion culture and the removal of character and flaws, she crafted a unique dress that to me, holds more charm and depth than any manufactured garment. Since visiting the gallery, I tried to determine why I was so particularly drawn to this dress. Was it simply one of the first pieces I saw? Did the patchwork/lace elements match my own personal taste? While both of these are true, I concluded that my interest in this dress came down to the hope it ensued. Something so physically beautiful and distinctive can (with careful hands and time) be created out of a variety of otherwise wasted characterful fabric. I can also appreciate the difficult technicalities of using several materials and textures in one piece that may not have originally been considered to match. It is exciting, daring and undeniably hopeful. 

Second, I became transfixed by Francesca Busca (She/Her)’s Hybrid Cactus (...and then it wasn’t), a trippy 3D piece made entirely out of medicine vials, used fruit nets, plastic cutlery and leftover bones. First of all, this was without a doubt one of most absorbing pieces of art I’d seen in a while. Pretty terrifying if you happened to have trypophobia. Luckily I do not, so this mesmerising structure had me staring into the swirling bumps and holes, until it resembled something similar to a cactus/coral/hive? Again, up to interpretation, but I certainly was mesmerised. Sustainable consumption was the topic addressed by this piece, more specifically whether plastic would soon replace organic material, potentially through human intervention and hormonal assimilation. Such dystopian ideologies are arguably closer to fact than theory, so using the combination of organic and non-organic material in this piece is a clever way of emphasising the blurring boundaries.

Finally, Sasha Hardy (She/Her) offered a new perspective on fast-paced convenience over the traditional handicrafts in her entirely unique Crochet mural. At first glance, the mural is a simple black and white homogenous wall pattern with no obvious meaning. With closer inspection, a spray painted crocheted granny square in the centre of the mural reveals that the whole piece is a repeated spray painted pattern using the crochet square as a stencil. The mural reflects the gradual decline of valued traditional handcraft giving rise to instant gratification and quick completion. As bizarre as it sounds, empathy for the little granny square builds up inside the viewer, or maybe for the diminishing skill of crochet itself. What happens when convenience culture, on-demand desire and fleeting satisfaction overpowers gentle, careful technique that has trickled down through generations of busy fingertips?  

Using various art styles to bring complex issues to the surface is vital for societal transformation. I’m sure others will share my opinion that art can explain and demonstrate difficult topics in a manner that is easier for people to understand. We feel connected to thought-provoking art in a way that we don’t with stated facts or depressing news reports, which makes digesting uncomfortable truths slightly more straightforward. While I’m sure many visitors at the opening night were already conscious of general environmental impact and societal convenience habits, I’m confident they left with a deeper internal reflection, as did I (even coming from the environment student!). The Norman Rea Gallery’s attention to detail is profound, planting a seed of awareness while displaying a multitude of talent. Visitors were challenged to reconsider their habits, and ask:

What are we sacrificing for the sake of convenience?