Obsession is enjoyable, annoying, frustrating, dangerous and often unavoidable. Obsession, obsessive practices or obsessive subjects can move artists onto higher planes of experience and expression. The artists' obsessions have a quality that will reward the viewer with a fascinating journey into creative thinking. Curated by Robin Mason.
an idea or feeling that completely occupies the mind
curated by Robin Mason
With: Allman.Mason Debra Allman Andy Bannister Ann-Caroline Breig Michael Buhler Tony Carter
Gerald Davies Teresita Dennis Zavier Ellis Tessa Farmer Conrad Frankel Shelly
Goldsmith
Andrew Grassie Takayuki Hara Barnaby Hosking Jane Howarth Katarina Ivanisin James
Jessop Tatsuya Kimata Mette Klarskov Larsen Gretta Sarfaty Marchant Robin Mason
Hektor Mamet
Hugh Mendes Gavin Nolan Kate Palmer Tim Parr Hideyuki Sawayanagi Wendy Smith Amikam
Toren James Unsworth Stephen Walter
Obsession is enjoyable, annoying, frustrating, dangerous and often unavoidable.
Obsession, obsessive practices or obsessive subjects can move artists onto higher
planes of experience and expression. The artists' obsessions have a quality that
will reward the viewer with a fascinating journey into creative thinking. The
cerebral will rub shoulders with the satirical, while the minimal will sit alongside
the kitsch. From obsessions with the self, the erotic, the geometric, replication,
death and more, this exhibition serves as an obsessive collection of artists and art
works born out of obsession. A celebration of creative impulses, this will showcase
works by some of the country's leading established and new emerging artists. It is
hoped that this exhibition will slowly reveal a glimpse of something wonderful.
Selected obsessions in the artists' own words
Debra Allman
Obsession: Chasing
Why' The potential of a flat sheet of metal to evolve through the use of process,
using small tools and hammers into a hollow, organic contemporary form through a
process that is thousands of years old is compulsive.
Andy Bannister
Obsession: Disused Public Conveniences
Why' I have been considering making a work which refers to this building for a long
time. I grew up in its vicinity, and from an early age was aware of it as a
notorious, even dangerous place, having heard lurid stories about the goings-on that
allegedly took place in there from the neighbouring kids that I grew up with.
Ann-Caroline Breig
Obsession: Urban Eroticism
Why' Living in the city arouses sexual desires. The competitive environment evokes
the need of external expression.
Teresita Dennis
Obsession: Compulsion
Why' The promise of painting.......A Time opened, by a longing for myself. It seems
that in the gap between desiring to paint and the acts of making I am forced to
negotiate that I have a body and a life to which it corresponds. Face to face with
painting, aren't we confronted and called to respond'
Tessa Farmer
Obsession: The Miniature
Why' The skeleton fairies came to life around 1999, they were much larger (6-7 cm
height), with leaf skeleton wings. They amassed in swarms and were mischievous, but
not especially bad. Being a perfectionist I decided to see how small I could make
the fairies.
Conrad Frankel
Obsession: Obscure Self-Portraits
Why' People are always thinking about themselves, but they are not always looking at
themselves. I have spent years on end watching myself, often for 4 or 5 hours a
day... The mirror is my movie camera and I aspire to being Marlon Brando...
Takayuki Hara
Obsession: Childhood Sexuality
Why' Being aware of my sexuality in my childhood, in the Japanese tight-structured
society, I repressed my sexual desires not to let people know. That repression over
a long period of time consequently grew bigger and became distorted, and it became
an obsession which I don't have a control with, more like a vicious monster inside
of me.
James Jessop
Obsession: Graffiti
Why' I don't know why for sure, but when I was younger it was to do with doing
something beautiful and energetic looking in a place you're not allowed to paint or
draw..
Mette Klarskov Larsen
Obsession: Condition of Life - Hole in the Heart
Why' Because even though I believe my body is strong, I still see life as being
fragile. I do not know what will happen tomorrow or next week or in a few years
time.
Gretta Sarfaty Marchant
Obsession: Self Image
Why' I am obsessed with my self-image and the repetition of it. I duplicate the same
image several times to the point of creating visual patterns that have a
kaleidoscopic effect. Perhaps this is caused by the fact I am dyslexic; I want to
make sure I am understood.
Robin Mason
Obsession: Constant use of Metaphor
Why' Because I can't help it and now in a period of contemporary practice that
enjoys a freedom of quotation and reference from any or many moments in the historic
past to the present, without constraint, the doctrines of movements have lost their
ability to censor
Gavin Nolan
Obsession: The Bloody Never Ending Cycle of Life and Death
Why' Because of the Bloody Never Ending Cycle of Life and Death.
Kate Palmer
Obsession: Bereavement
Why' Following a personal bereavement I started a series of drawings and writing
that allowed me to enter into and explore my relationship with myself, my practice
and my situation
James Unsworth
Obsession: The Grotesque Image of the Body
Why' Initially an interest in low/peasant humour. More likely Sexual frustration
PV Thursday October 12th 6.30 - 9pm
Sartorial Contemporary Art
101A Kensington Church Street, London W8 7LN (tube Notting Hill)
Open Tuesday to Friday 1.30 to 7.30pm