Nottingham Contemporary

Nipped down the M1 to Nottingham this afternoon, I wanted to visit the Contemporary Gallery.  I have been meaning to go since it opened 8 months ago.  I hate driving in Nottingham so have been putting it off until now.  As per normal I got lost on the way home, ended up going in the wrong direction on the motorway! The Gallery was good though, I was impressed and inspired.  I liked the print qualities of some of the Gert and Uwe Tobias works and the rawness of the sculptural pieces.The Diane Arbus photographs were amazing, and so many of them. They were what photography should be; interesting, moving and beautiful.  They provide a fascinating insight into the lives of so many people in an era long gone.  I'd love to be able to capture moments in time and preserve them forever in such a magical way.  My favourite thing was the Small Collections Room.  A tiny room with gorgeous ornate cabinets against the walls.  That in its self was lovely enough, but there was more.  Each cabinet was filled with a collection of objects chosen by selected artists.  The objects ranged from exquisite tiny pieces of mosaic jewellery to outsized drawing pencils.  It was one of those exhibits that leave me wanting to go away and create something...