Kate Weir revels in an exhibition inspired by the characters of classic literature.
The postmodern art scene is rife with appropriation and 'homage'. From Lichtenstein to Sheperd Fairey, art is cannibalising itself amid cries that there are no new ideas; and in an age where cultural gluttony gauges an artist’s grasp of the zeitgeist, it has become de rigeur to name drop your connoisseur credentials.
Thus, hot on the heels of successful show The Idol Hours, where London Miles’ stable of bright young things re-imagined classic paintings in a lowbrow/street style, the gallery’s new show, Literal.eyes, sees artists such as Miss Sucette and Conrad Roset interpreting characters from their favourite books. Clearly hoping to appeal to the hipster bibliophile demographic, this includes such paintings as Frankenstein on a bike and carrying a boombox. (Modern Prometheus and Frankenstein by Michael Forbes and Zach Cohen)
The execution of the pieces is impressive; ethereal waifs, Carhartt-jacketed heros, doe-eyed kawaii and riotous candy and neon colours are present and correct; giving viewers a glimpse of high-end illustration which would make for lustworthy library editions. Perhaps what is most surprising is the homogeneity of some of the influences. Frankenstein, Moby Dick and Lolita all inspire multiple works, and Shakespeare pops up more than once, so the show could benefit from more variety; however, references to Isabel Allende and Cormac McCarthy will be satiate library name-droppers.
Stand-out pieces include Catalina Viejo Lopez de Roda’s Hamlet-inspired Stare, which offers an altogether more startling vision than Sir John Everett Millais’s famous drowning Ophelia; Alex Young’s powerful Moby Dick-inspired pieces (For Hate’s Sake I Split My Last Breath at Thee), which brim with salty wrath; and it’s hard to choose between the intriguingly different interpretations of Lolita – Conrad Roset’s bright and bold nymphette, or Carles Gomila’s sophisticated and overtly sexual Lolita as a Flapper Girl, which draws from Victoria De Lempicka.
Of course, the show shouldn’t be judged by its cover alone (this had to be dropped in somewhere). Whilst there is much to enjoy, and some stunning talent on display, those who prefer their literary heroes to remain a faceless blank canvas perhaps won’t be quite so impressed. However, with recent Penguin editions featuring Tara McPherson and Richard Salas and a thriving interest in literary illustration, London Miles might have hit on a winning show with some striking new images of old classics.
Image credit: For Hate’s Sake I Split My Last Breath at Thee Inspired by Moby Dick, Human Melville Artist: Alex Young. UK Acrylic, spray-paint, ink. 30 x 30 inches £1,750 (detail bottom)
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