Amy Garner at Flaxon Ptootch

Amy Garner at Flaxon Ptootch

20 October, 2008
by: Katuschka

The lure of the garret lifestyle is a quintessentially modern fairytale for torturously creative, nostalgia-seduced desk monkeys; especially in these times of economic downturn when emotional integrity and spiritual wealth are an increasingly more tangible currency. Some people trundle down to Iceland, whack some stuff on Ebay and get on with it whilst earning a crust, but some people decide that this isn't enough and set about Living the Dream. 

Amy Garner decided to quit her high-powered job in marketing and picked up the paintbrush for an altogether more holistic approach to life: she has created a series of 'mandalas', crafted to inspire a range of emotions in the viewer.  The press release for her show at fantastic gallery-cum-hair salon Flaxon Ptootch advises investors to consider the powerful affect that these mandalas can have whilst hanging on their wall.  Armed with a cocktail and an emotional Bastille of cynicism and speculation, I decide to risk any untoward affects and let the art do its worst.

Works like Love Mandala, Sparkle Mandala and a montage of smaller emotions (for that schizophrenic affect) such as Joy, Creativity and Peace are by turns vibrant, colourful and calming. And, in spite of the grandiose claims of her work, art that is physically affecting as well as intellectually engaging is a popular concept within creative healing and mysticism circles, and an intriguing suggestion for an industry which often favours style over concept. 

Art therapy has always seemed to exist alongside the art world as an embarrassing little brother (like, say, macramé and quilling) but there is merit to be found. Some of Garner's work references Caribbean art (one work is called Cuba), with the use of bold colour schemes, intentionally naïve figures and soulful, spiritual content. A standout piece depicts a cosmic Christ-like figure with Dada-esque nails hammered rigidly into the foamboard. 

Garner also reworks the mandala for relevance to the modern urbanite, with ominous modernist shapes and contemporary concerns like feminism and consumerism. She has also, thankfully, moved away from the 'spirograph on acid' technique favoured by a majority of contemporary mandala artists.

However, in spite of the interesting concept and earnest theoretical foundations, the exhibition seems to be marketed towards the Sophie Kinsella reader, and the majority of pieces offer little more than a print from Next Home. Garner's work relies too heavily on dead platitudes such as Just Dance and Throw away your TV (a slogan used by Banksy, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and probably every anarchically inclined artist since John Logie Baird thought 'Hey I'm bored…'). There's also enough glitter to startle a drag queen and some cartoon figures which refernce the inimitable Keith Haring a little too closely, and too randomly to show a purposeful connection to the artist.

Garner's raw material shows promise, but the art world will not be instantly won over with newspaper collages, floral motifs and sequin stars which offer only fairly vague alleyways of interpretation and inspiration. The work might fit in well with a wide range of interior décors, and its warm aesthetic will appeal to some potential investors. However, the promised exponential affects of the work haven't quite been achieved, and won't be until Garner digs a little deeper, spreads her net a bit wider and tackles her new career with more brutal honesty, tighter integral themes and a little less sparkle.   

Click here to see what is currently on at Flaxon Ptootch.
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