A.O.N.B. (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) 1982 - 1984

Curator: Keith Arnatt's photographic work, "A.O.N.B. (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty)," certainly captures a certain… stillness. It's a black and white photograph held in the Tate Collections. Editor: My first impression is one of melancholy. The greyscale palette, combined with that hazy backdrop, speaks volumes about faded grandeur. Curator: Absolutely! Arnatt was always poking at the gap between expectation and reality. The hotel sign, the ruins—it's all so deliberately underwhelming, isn't it? Editor: The “Anchor Hotel” sign, with its literal anchor symbol, almost feels ironic against the backdrop of such obvious decay. It asks us to consider anchors in our lives, or in the life of a place. Curator: It's like a postcard promising something it can't deliver. It's quite funny, really, once you see past the gloom. Editor: Yes, the longer I look, the more I suspect the fog and desolation are the points here—a poignant reflection on time and tourism. Curator: It certainly leaves a lasting impression. A landscape less ordinary than it seems.