ArtHeat

It was a dark and stormy night, and for some bizarre reason I stepped out without an umbrella. I arrived at What if the world... soaked through, only to find that it was pretty much standing room only, and if you arrived late you couldn't even push through the crowds, and had to stand shivering and miserable on the pavement. And AL was there with a half jack of whisky in a brown paper bag. He said it was a performance peice, a salon de refuse for all the friends of the artists who were not invited to submit work. Definitely the best work at the show. Not that the show was shoddy. I really liked it, especially the portraits of me by a certain ex-girlfriend. Anyway. The soup was good.

The problem with the show was the way it was hung. The chaotic cluster thing works really well, and presents a very strong aesthetic. But its seems that the individual artists work and intentions got a little lost, a little subsumed by the show's. Some stronger curation could have done wonders. The artists participating were Georgina Gratrix, Andrezj Nowicki, Ashleigh McLean, Ali Aschman, Rebecca Haysom, Rowan Smith and Tony Walters. For most of them it was their first show, and like the title suggests they're not yet famous, but their was a load of potential jammed into the room. It did remind me that drawing and painting are still media with so much to offer. I'd have just wanted to see something bigger and more ballgrabbing.

I missed the rest of the Love Thy Neighbourhood line up because I had to go to work. I hear rumour that the Actual Size thing was a little boring, but correct me if I'm wrong. I'm really upset to have missed The Big Expensive fashion show. I only got a working camera today, so I stole the image above from What if the world... Nice Site.

2 Comments:

the barman said...: No correction needed, the Actual Size exhibition was actually quite kuk...Although some super fashionable uber cool designer types for some reason thought it necessary to tell me(why me i still dont know?) that they thaught the Not Yet Famous exhibition was nothing worth getting all wet for...uh um...mmm???

I on the other hand disagree and showed my appreciation for the work by standing in the 'ys koud-ness' for three hours handing out the 'elk' that kept all the pretty people warm, happy and eventually...drunk enough to go to The Bin where the rest of the AAA design school garbage was hanging out!!! ja...feel it!!!; 9:22 PM
pinky said...: well done little ones. i love all the pretty bunnies and rabbits and birds and little cartoon people and slashing of wrists and ex-boyfriend (haha) and dogs and ribbons and oh did i say birds? and flowers and dots and snowflakes and ghouls and milnerton market frames and oh did i say more birds? I felt warm and fuzzy and tearlful, like the first time i watched Bambi and the first time i heard Who killed Bambi? rolled into one great big cathartic toddler meets sweaty teen nightmare. The rain didn't help. Having to look like a depressed teenager all evening didn't help either. p.s. can anyone tell me why only ali's pics on what if... site? AND in mail and guardian? huh? i mean i like the girl alot but... this is surely lobsided. give kraftwerk a chance, i say.; 7:17 PM