Exeter Contemporary Open in Review: Martyn Cross
Published October 1, 2026
To celebrate the 20th year of Exeter Contemporary Open, we're catching up with artists whose work has previously been shown at the exhibition. This time we chatted with Martyn Cross, an artist and painter from Bristol, whose work was featured in the 2009 Exeter Contemporary Open. He was also one of the guest selectors for the 2026 exhibition.
Can you describe what you exhibited with us when you were in the Open?
Back in 2009, I had 4 works selected, and they were unlike anything I make now. I used to take old knitting patterns and either paint over them or collage them in quite subtle ways, before displaying them in junk shop frames. They had this weird uncanny feeling because the original images I destroyed were from the sixties and seventies, but the interventions I made were clearly of the time I had made them. I don’t have any documentation to verify this, but I think one of the works had a man standing in a wine cellar wearing a vomit-stained cardigan. He was holding a can of Fosters, and his eyes were rolling in his head.
Luckily, we found a photograph of Martyn's Work from the 2009 open featuring the image he described.
What are your memories from being in the exhibition?
I certainly remember feeling elated about getting selected. In some ways, it felt like a validation of the work I’d been making at the time - this stuff was not only important to me, but, unbelievably, a respected panel had chosen it for a show. I don’t really recall much about the exhibition itself, as the very act of taking part was clearly too much to take, but I do recall meeting some of the other artists and having a good time with them in the bar afterwards.
How have things changed for you since you exhibited with us?
It’s been 17 years since I took part in the exhibition, so a lot has happened since that moment. My practice has evolved to the point where I now make works that are more recognisable as painting, which is something I couldn’t have imagined back then. This shift started in 2017 before Covid came along and my life changed forever. Gallery representation, along with showing and curating exhibitions overseas, has been an undoubted highlight of the past few years.
What does Exeter Contemporary Open mean to you?
Exeter Contemporary Open has always been something I keep my eye on - it feels like a good barometer of what’s currently happening in art studios across the land. It highlights the important stuff and often shines a beacon on artists that you might not have heard of before - I'm forever amazed at what is being made out there!
You can find out more about Martyn and his artist practice on his website
You can find out more about this year's Exeter Contemporary Open exhibition including dates and times of gallery tours here>>>