As the title of this exhibition - ‘Visual and Other Pleasures’ - suggests, the immediate impact of the work on display is a visual one. Oliver Marsden’s lush, hypnotically engaging paintings and George Taylor’s luxurious feathered and gilded panels could almost overwhelm the eye, but are complimented by the delicate nature of Colin Glen’s drawings of found wire shapes and Dan Chadwick’s intricate mobiles.

Then there are ‘other pleasures’; the work of each artist in this exhibition, in one way or another, animates and pleases the senses. The gentle physicality of Chadwick’s work tempts the viewer to respond accordingly - one wants to touch. Ralph Macartney’s love of music, which he makes visual - literally - through his compelling installation, echoes Marsden’s subject matter of stunningly visualised sound waves whilst the shallow concave shapes found at the centre of Taylor’s feathered pieces capture sound - like a radar dish - when the viewer is within a certain proximity, amplifying the ambient sounds of the gallery.

There is some powerful representational work on display, such as Glen’s beautiful drawings and paintings or Abigail Fallis’ bronze sculpture. Even Marsden’s painting, whilst seemingly abstract, can be interpreted figuratively. However, that each artist’s piece is also conceptual is evidenced by the fact that if one asks a question of the work - and stays with it for a moment - an answer is received.

The location of this exhibition also links the artists, who are all based locally. The Stroud area increasingly attracts artists and is fast becoming one of the most important artistic centres in the UK - this show certainly reflects and celebrates this fact. It is an area which, like the work on display, provokes the challenge to received perceptions and boundaries, encouraging much communication between disciplines. Fallis, previously a blacksmith, works with famous local foundry Pangolin to produce arrestingly evocative and striking sculpture, whilst Chadwick’s work strongly reflects his engineering background.

The more immediate location of the exhibition, The Illustration Gallery, is also significant; gallery owner Oliver Jelf's interest in illustration is excited by the immediate visual impact and intention of the art. The work in this exhibition is not solely illustrative but, like illustration, can be highly evocative for the viewer. Jelf hopes to challenge visitors to the gallery to consider the essential attitudes and expectations of the artwork.