ABSTRACT
Ironically, the contemporary art which is potentially most clearly defined by its isolation in rural locations has most obviously eschewed the category 'rural' or 'local', but has ambitiously asserted its intellectual credentials and acquired transnational contemporary art status. The Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World (CCANW) was founded as an independent organisation by Clive Adams in the mid-1990s in order to create a new culture for art production and exhibiting rooted in the local environment, in Devon in the West Country. The mid-1990s became a burgeoning era for social engagement in contemporary art. The real sign of change in the rural contemporary art environment is the presence of successful commerce – not just shops, but also high-end galleries using the rural environment to stand for different values and lifestyles. The Crafts Council was formed in 1979 in an attempt to raise awareness and status of the studio crafts.
