Is Abstract Art Dead?

[Delphian Sibyl]

Robster970 and I have a new exhibition of abstract art coming up at our 'Guerrilla' art gallery in Slough. The launch party is next Friday if anyone's up for it. You might remember we featured Paul Russell's work last year as well as Robster's.

Here's our website to jog your memory www.gallery435.com

We occupy temporary warehouse spaces on the Trading Estate in Slough and surprise the locals with unusual displays of interesting and totally non-commercial exhibitions.

I know Zenie, Alef and Biddlybee have all enjoyed our previous events and Paul's show last year was a great opportunity for some of the posters here to meet face to face. If you fancy a trip out of London there’s art, booze and a sofa with your name on it awaiting your arrival in Slough. What's more, it's all for free!

It’s only 20mins from Paddington on the train....

 

[Stanley Edwards]

No! Abstract art is alive and well

Good luck with this. Fully intend to check out this gallery project when I'm next in the UK. No idea when that'll be mind. Looks like an interesting exhibition.

 

[Robster970]

No! Abstract art is alive and well

Good luck with this. Fully intend to check out this gallery project when I'm next in the UK. No idea when that'll be mind. Looks like an interesting exhibition.

We know - it's more rhetorical than anything else and to question it's position in contemporary art considering the fact that the genre has been appropriated by the gift card industry and fashion these days is for postmodern stuff

 

[Paul Russell]

Great to see that another show is about to happen.

Isn't it about time they gave you permanent free unit on the estate?

 

[alef]

I absolutely love Rothko, but haven't (yet) engaged with other abstract artists.

Unfortunately we won't make your opening as it'll be a busy weekend for us (PJ Harvey concert, family visiting and small birthday party for the munchkin).

 

[Delphian Sibyl]

Great to see that another show is about to happen.

Isn't it about time they gave you permanent free unit on the estate?

I dream of such things. It might make us less edgy but cleaning 6,000 sq ft of warehouse space every 4 months is becoming a little dull.

If we had a fixed abode it is my fantasy that marketing our shows would be so much easier.

 

[Delphian Sibyl]

I absolutely love Rothko, but haven't (yet) engaged with other abstract artists.

Unfortunately we won't make your opening as it'll be a busy weekend for us (PJ Harvey concert, family visiting and small birthday party for the munchkin).

Ah, munchkin birthdays must always take priority and the first is very special indeed.

Not to worry about the opening, you'll miss our host of international artists jetting into Slough for the evening but the show will still be there until 14 October.

 

[Paul Russell]

It might make us less edgy but cleaning 6,000 sq ft of warehouse space every 4 months is becoming a little dull.

That doesn't sound great.

Couldn't the good people of Slough be conned into thinking that they are taking part in a participatory performance art event involving mops and buckets of hot water?!

Hope it all goes well anyway.

 

[Chorlton]

anyone want to talk me through this one...

or is it, as i suspect, bad cock


eta: chorlton, you drunken fucknob thats not abstract art

 

[Robster970]

I saw your post this morning before you edited it.

My first point was that it wasn't abstract but you you sussed this one out anyway

2) Cultural references have been used in art ever since art started (whenever that was). Seriously the main reason we don't recognise cultural and popular references in older work is that it tends not to be pertinent to us now and hence it's just part of the picture rather than something that's recognisable & meaningful to us, for good or for bad. Mark Kemp using the myra and the smiths is equally as valid as Titian using a small dog in the foreground and a lady looking through a chest in the background in his Venus of Urbino. Likelihood is that most people don't know that's significant as it's only meaningful if you lived in the 16th century.

3) I like Mark Kemp's stuff, so I put it up on the online gallery. It's my perrogative. If you like it, that's fine. If you don't, that's fine too. Is it bad cock? Who knows..........

 

[Robster970]

it's tonight if anyone's in need of an art fix.

 

[Robster970]

Show had a good opening night on Friday - much booze consumed by the public and us and the artists buggered off for a curry afterwards. Couple of pics to give you a taste

 

[zenie]

Sorry I couldn't make this

So do you have to keep moving spaces?

 

[Robster970]

Sorry I couldn't make this

So do you have to keep moving spaces?

We do - it's like starting from scratch every time we do a show........

 

[zenie]

We do - it's like starting from scratch every time we do a show........

Fuckin hell

Meanwhile, the people who's warehouses you use get a nice clean unit to rent out to their new tenant right?

e2a I'd like to pop down and see the show (and you ) will let you know when I'm thinking of coming.

 

[Robster970]

Fuckin hell

Meanwhile, the people who's warehouses you use get a nice clean unit to rent out to their new tenant right?

e2a I'd like to pop down and see the show (and you ) will let you know when I'm thinking of coming.

there is the flip side to it that they don't tend to give us trashy units and ensure that electrics and other services have been fixed and certified before we take over. the more shows we do, the better the units we are getting.

give us a call to sort out when you're coming.

 

[Delphian Sibyl]

UPDATE - Show now closed

here's a link to a presentation by one of the artists to let you know what you missed.

http://www.pinturafresca.net/slough

The show went really well despite a slow start and we got 350 people through the door. Ended superbly with a last minute buyer taking a picture off our hands for 900 quid - in the last hour of the show! Although we don't really exist to sell artwork it's always nice when it happens and gives us a few quid in commission to go towards the next project.

Anyways, i know it's not always easy to get out to Slough but for those of you who are supportive of our gallery project, i thought you'd like the update.