A small display in a food shop has become a full-on exhibition – just in time for Inverness Fringe Festival.
Paul Haigh, owner of Oil and Vinegar, wanted to hang a small number of CD-sized artworks in the shop.
He invited everyone, from people with no experience at all to seasoned artists, to submit a small 120x120mm artwork to go on display. Paul was unsure if the idea would reach very far, but fast forward to today, and he has 112 submissions on his hands.
The artworks at Oil and Vinegar are all CD sized.
The Little Picture exhibition will officially open on September 28, the same day as the start of Inverness Fringe.
Every picture will be on sale, capped at £100, with all proceeds going to the artist.
Paul shed some light on how his idea snowballed into the large project it has become. He is halfway through making six display boards for all the artwork.
Paul Haigh (inset) got more submissions than he ever could have dreamed of.
He said: “I’d originally imagined a nice little exhibition in one part of the shop. Then the entries kept arriving and I realised I had to work out how on earth to display all of them.
“The last week has therefore involved considerably more MDF, bits of timber, measuring, sawing and mild panic than I had anticipated.
“Three boards down, three to go. I’m considerably more relaxed about the whole thing than I was a few days ago, but ask me again on Sunday!”
Part of the charm of the exhibition is the fact that a work by someone with bags of experience will be right next to one by someone with none.
“You can’t look at the size of something on the wall and decide which artist is supposed to be important,” Paul said
“Everyone got the same 120mm square and the same little plastic case. What they’ve done with that tiny space has been extraordinary.
“The variety is fantastic. When you put more than 100 completely different interpretations of the same format together, it stops looking like a little idea remarkably quickly.”
Though the art venture has grown arms and legs, Paul is still promoting the main side of his business – good olive oil and vinegar.
He said: “Oil & Vinegar is quite definitely not an art gallery, but apparently it is one now.
“We’ve had such enthusiasm from the artists that it seemed ridiculous to take everything down after just a week, so the pictures are staying for October.
“It also means people don’t have to rush. Come in, have a look, choose a favourite, buy one if you fall in love with it – and you can still buy some olive oil while you’re here. We haven’t completely lost the plot.”
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Dining and Cooking