London Art Exhibitions Hoxton Gallery Reviews – June 2012

Hoxton Gallery Reviews

Summer is here in London and Hoxton has a lot to offer. Beatrix Jacot glides effortless through nine galleries and reports on the best picks for June

hales

Hales Gallery, where Bowling demonstrates how abstract painting can be remarkable. Using the gallery’s space and soft glow of lights Bowling’s large paintings seem to be almost 3D; a still pool of water just waiting to have its surface broken and rippled. As you delve the texture and interest with each layer of paint and arching of brush relays some of the character of the titles and meanings of the work ‘ Iona’s prompt (Snakes and Ladders)’ making for a classic example. To see rich and vivid colour with an impressive translation of thoughts to canvas Hales Gallery is a must.

Right next door ‘Rocket’ presents the elegant work of Martin Visser- who?- a renowned Dutch modernist furniture designer, curator and director in the 60s. Rocket opens our eyes to American minimalism. The chairs and tables ooze style and stand proud as  if they’ve ‘had’ manyer supermodel upon them…poolside. For someone who rarely takes an interest in design, this small collection is quite exciting. 

 

28redchurch

 

28redchurch

 

28redchurch

Next door at Londonewcastle 28 Redchurch Street, once again all madness has let loose. Futuretense has curated a phenomenal show displaying a phenomenal journalistic duo: Rancinan (man behind the camera) and Gaudriault (woman behind the words) creating something of a ‘Wonderful World’. One enters: sunglasses down, lonesome pout on, lighter quivering for a cigarette for that dangling shy hand, and one leaves: a bit freaked out but totally inspired, like a Tim Burton film where Johnny Depp doesn’t snog a girl who’s 100% top dollar and you think you may have a chance…

The exhibition’s excitement lies in tantalising photographs of comedy vs tragedy; such as the series of the Batman family, where ‘The Batmans want to be a model family’, The Last Supper- where idol replaces disciple courting a history ranging from Che guevara to Amy Winehouse and to add horror  Salome greets us with a headless Mickey Mouse. Exploring dark crevices of fame, humanity, greed and desire for love this show has so much more to offer than can be described in this slightly over-excited stumbling review..

 

claire-price-studio-1.1

Don’t fret, if you get too excited just head on up the road to Studio1.1 to an unsurprising show from the curators and you’ll calm down. As always with Studio1.1 we’re dealing with large rectangular canvases with abtsract shapes, however Clare Price’s work is, nevertheless, quite impressive. Price challenges the eye with warped perspective as she portrays almost a tiled floor and then depletes it with falling paint- so rather like in inception- one has no idea what level we’re coming in at..

 

kkoutlet1

 

kkoutlet

KK outlet are bottoms up this month (quite literally in one photograph) featuring Girlcore as part of their ‘What’s next?’  event; challenging what the young think about politics, equality, ‘education education education’. In normal circumstances one would think i’d rather make the repetitious newspaper man’s day and take his bloomin’ newspaper than have mundane politics corrupt a trendy gallery, BUT Girlcore is much better than that. Through photography, illustration, humorous images of conversations this collective of female artists make for funny, contemporary and enlightening work.Well worth a visit!

 

ibid

 

ibid

Now time to expand the mind from zine-art to grown-up’s gallery Ibid Projects and the impressive work of Ross Chisholm. In Chisholm’s work lies a beautiful division between abstract and perfect portrayal of portraiture. His thick brushstrokes, creating not features but shapes, somehow manage to capture the character of the subject. However it’s not just his allusions of presence that he brings to life it’s also the colour he entraps: sharp pinks contrasting with ivy greens, a series of small beauties- what would be exciting for the future is if he were to stretch to big canvas. Chisholm is an artist to follow. 

whitecube

 

whitecube

From abstract face to abstract nature we’re brought to White Cube gallery for Jessica Rankin’s exhibition ‘Skyfolds’. Enter White cube, enter starry night…at least that’s how it appears at first, but as you view Rankin’s work and slip deeper into the threads and lines the work becomes mesmerising. The features are the large pencil drawings however I consider the woven pieces to be of much more intrigue. As your eyes are drawn up and down Rankin’s threads and cast shadows words are eluminated that you may not have seen at first. Rankin’s work is personal and has an eeriness to it in its echoing quality with each piece resembling another. However I would have liked to see more variety in the work.


tom-gallant

On the theme of harrowing work Hoxton Art Gallery fills their little space with work that seems to be seeking out the natural human evil. ‘The Pleasure Principle’ explores the peoples inner selfishness and desire for gratifaction, much like that of Rancinan, yet this work is much less visually appealing. The work appears to be fairly futuristic, working with digital elements and colours that one can’t remember ever being fashionable together. If the future wasn’t scary enough Tom Gallant’s work references warped fairy tale scenes of Japanese girls with arms cut off and innuendos smothering them… if you like a thriller or horror, this exhibition is for you. 

 

rivington

 

rivington

Last but not least is Rivington gallery, who are also playing on the political path of art. Autograph ABP presents Roma-Sinti-Kale-Manush, a group exhibition flourishing with photography and film that explore the lives of Roma people and try to explain through imagery their culture and diversity. I often think any tourist can take a photograph of a culture or a scene that we haven’t ever met eyes on before and we’ll immediately take it for brilliant but this line of work really is brilliant. There are several films which are very intelligently put together. One film stands afar from a Roma settlement and records days of the Roma’s movement with people the size of ants, a real welcoming insight into the overall picture of who they are. Cleverly curated with fantastic photographers seducing vibrant colour and never seen before situations over a large period of time, Rivington Gallery should definitely be a party to a wander from you.

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