Exhibition
Sardine & Tobleroni | Pot Shots - WW Gallery
Sardine & Tobleroni | Pot Shots
19th Nov – 5th Dec 2010
Private View Fri 19th Nov 6-9pm
First Thursdays 2nd Dec 6-9pm
Open Sat & Sun 12-6pm and by appointment at other times
"There is nothing the matter with Americans except their ideals. The real American is all right; it is the ideal American who is all wrong." (G.K. Chesterton)
Take all the disparate elements of American identity, put them in a blender and among the pulp and pith, you might end up with something reminiscent of the latest offerings from Sardine & Tobleroni. Full of the inherent contradictions of American society and values, these new works take pot shots at notions of freedom and paranoia in this great country, of great extremes.
The American Dream is a vague yet extremely evocative phrase that describes the USA’s self image as a land of opportunity and freedom for all. The idea that America uniquely embodies these qualities has often invited ridicule, yet this ideology has a power that seems to resonate and transcend such criticism. America is a nation that pursues a moral and elevated path, a country that places emphasis on the virtues of assimilation, tolerance and consensus, yet despite this, manages to be as prohibitive as it is permissive.
Their right-wing politics could be viewed as outright fascist – does the rest of the world really need the self-appointed 'World Police' to guide us into virtuousness? Many loathe and despise all that the stars and stripes stand for and take every opportunity to destroy it in whatever form possible, yet globally we seem ever eager to assimilate and embrace all that is American within our own cultures, as if we might get a piece of the pie by proxy.
Targeting Hollywood glamour, gangsters, pop culture, icons, outsiders, easy riders, commie paranoia, patriotism, the war on terror, globalisation and consumer capitalism, Sardine and Tobleroni take us on a bumpy road trip through a Yankee wonderland. America invites extreme reactions, but love it or hate it, the dream still beckons.
Art duo Sardine and Tobleroni divide the surface of their works into two halves of which the right-hand side is painted by Sardine and the left-hand side by Tobleroni. The duo describes their practice as Conceptual Art Brut, the equivalent to what Punk is in music. They have participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions both in the UK and internationally. They were part of 'Travelling Light’ at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009 and their solo show ‘We Love 77’ opened in February 2010 in an Islington pop-up venue, with appearances from Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex, Don Letts, and close to 2000 visitors. Their work will be presented by WW in Art Projects at the London Art Fair 19-23 January 2011. Sardine & Tobleroni are represented by WW Gallery.
For more information please visit WW Gallery or contact Chiara Williams & Debra Wilson at wwgallery@gmail.com or 07531342128
