Nottingham Contemporary Can Lift Spirits (Just)

I went to Nottingham's newest art gallery today. Nottingham Contemporary opened at the weekend but, despite it being only around the corner from where I live, I've been too busy to pop down there for a visit. It's a good job that I wasn't quivering with anticipation about it, because I'd have been sadly disappointed if so. Two years behind schedule, and £3 million over budget, the end result hardly seems worth the wait. The building itself is uninspiring and bland – from the bottom of Middle Hill it resembles a corrugated-iron grain house, and is far outclassed by the elegant deconsecrated church next door that is now a cocktail bar (have a look at the picture - the strangely glowing building on the left is the new gallery).

Internally, one wonders what all the time and money was spent on. This great vast box contains only four rooms for the actual art which is, after all, its raison-d'être. The gift shop almost gets more space than the pictures. The stairs that lead two floors down to the café-bar (and away from the art), resemble the entrance to Hitler's bunker – stark, bare concrete walls looking almost as if they're already stained with damp. Yes, yes, I'm sure that polished concrete is very fashionable these days, but it does nothing for me. The café-bar itself, with its uniformed waitresses moving genteely amongst the tables with pots of tea, is far too posh. I was hoping for something more bohemian; something with an artistic, intimate feel. This is no 'Au Lapin Agile', I can tell you.

Maybe it's early days only, and perhaps the building will develop an identity as time goes by. I hope so, because it has been much heralded as the new artistic hub of Nottingham. It has certainly pulled off a coup with one of its opening exhibitions – a collection of David Hockney's early works including the iconic 'A Bigger Splash'. I always find it fascinating when I see the original version of an image that has played a part in the artistic representation of a generation. It makes me quite shiver.

Even though I was less than impressed by Nottingham Contemporary today, my visit nevertheless lifted my spirits. Today I have been unusually disheartened by a series of personal problems that even my normal effervescence couldn't solve. My timetable had collapsed amidst the chaos of debauchery and entertainment, my self respect was at an all-time low and - to quote a line from the theme from TV's 'Friends' - my love-life was D.O.A. So wandering amongst Hockney's collage-paintings and sketches of nude boys lifted my somewhat dull spirits and put a new spring in my step. In fact, it gave me the energy to write this blog. So there, you've all benefited.