Communism? In Covent Garden? Well, not quite...
Since becoming a resident Londoner, I must admit I’ve avoided Covent Garden. Unlike its trendier neighbours, bohemian Soho and glitzy Mayfair, for the non-tourist visitor WC1 doesn’t seem to offer much beyond overpriced chain restaurants and irritating buskers catering to hordes of out-of-towners – which is why Simon Oldfield Gallery comes as such a breath of fresh air. After sweating my way through traffic-crowded streets, I'm led up a narrow stairwell, arrival champagne in hand, to find a buzzing little exhibition space above street level that feels more like a party in someone’s flat than a central London gallery.
The concept of Oldfield’s latest show veers equally away from the conventional. The title, Friendship of the Peoples, comes from an old order of the Soviet Union: quite appropriate considering the socialist element inherent in the concept – 20 artists were asked to create a work on the same, poster-sized sheet of paper, and were allowed to invite one other artist each to participate with them. The exhibitors’ list covers everyone from regular Tate-commissioned artists to young up-and-comers, further evidence of Oldfield’s drive to embrace cross-generational shows. Although giving everyone the exact same canvas to work with feels more like a democratisation of the art scene than anything he’s done before.
The idea of the poster is an interesting one, as at first it seems almost too easy – after all, weren’t we all given the old ‘create your own poster’ assignment a dozen times at school? Yet on further reflection, limiting the size, scope and materials at the artist’s disposal – particularly for those most famous for elaborate, large-scale pieces – in fact presents more of a challenge than a convenience.
Then there’s the fact that as cultural symbols, posters actually serve a very different function to the ones usually associated with art – though their visual attractiveness no doubt plays a part, it’s simple, direct mass communication that comes to mind when one thinks of history’s iconic posters. Try to be too subtle or too creative, and something that may work in a different context may come out quite bland, or worse, verging on tacky Ikea student furnishings territory.
The artists work around these restrictions with varying degrees of initiative – while some pieces from bigger names are surprisingly forgettable, and some perilously close to the aforementioned Ikea category, others strike the perfect balance between simplicity of message and subtle, interesting aesthetics. Fiona Banner’s Snoopy and the Red Baron [above left] benefits greatly from being the only piece given its own wall – a vivid red background which seems to illuminate the entire space, contrasted by deliberately crude black sketchings and the scribbled lyrics of the '60s pop song from which the work derives its name, at once create a sense of immediacy and dynamism that perfectly captures the spirit of the poster.
Another striking piece, though in an altogether different way, is Oldfield protegée Tim Ellis’s To Live Beyond One’s Usefulness. A stencil-like image of a lightbulb glowing in a dimly lit room, overlain with varnish to create a wistfully smoky texture, the work is almost haunting in its perfect simplicity. Similarly, the ethereal blue shades and angular folds of Caline Aoun’s Blue Paper Plane [above right] come together to create a modest, childlike beauty, while the placing of a delicate, colour-infused pencil sketch of a tiara within a muted grey background on Lucy Graves’ Commemoration suggests an interesting interplay between regality and austerity.
As a whole, the exhibition stands as an intriguing exploration of what transpires from the artists essentially being given a level playing field, and a challenging one at that. The direct, rousing nature of a poster, combined with the more subtle, layered and aesthetically focused nature of contemporary art, presents something of a conflict, both for the artist and the viewer. Challenging, colourful and continuing his efforts to blaze a trail of innovation through the more conservative central London art scene, Simon Oldfield’s new exhibition is well worth a look.
Friendship of the Peoples is at Simon Oldfield Gallery until 23rd July 2011.
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