Dave Pop
Oreet Ashery
Tomomi Takahashi
Larry Large
Gary O’Dwyer
Charlie Pfluffer
Paper People
LRP
Roney Fraser-Munro
Andy Watt
Performance Art at Notting Hill Arts Club. The Centre of Attention at Notting Hill Arts Club presents Gypsies, Jews, Blacks and Queers and other free radicals (Nu Elementz in Performance Art). This show is telling you that: Fine art is concerned with itself in a way that no other art form could get away with. Art people are neurotic contends Freud. Sublimated desire erupts in their practice. sexual energies are channeled into areas where the impulse that dictates them erupts again and again. Instead of obfuscating they should by stylish and hip. They should also be willing to exploit the downtrodden, the outsiders, the experience of others and put it to their own service. Because self-love rules.
Performance Art at Notting Hill Arts Club
The Centre of Attention at Notting Hill Arts Club presents
Gypsies, Jews, Blacks and Queers
and other free radicals (Nu Elementz in Performance Art)
Evening of Performance Art & private view : Thursday 31st May, 6 - 9 pm
(free before 8)
Exhibition : Thursday 31st May to Sunday 15th July 2001, free 6 to 8 pm,
open to 1 am
ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS: Dave Pop, Oreet Ashery, Tomomi Takahashi, Larry
Large, Gary O’Dwyer, Charlie Pfluffer, Paper People (Richard Torry, Little
Richard, Michael K), LRP, Roney Fraser-Munro (tbc), Andy Watt (tbc)
Press Release/Exhibition Notes
This show is telling you that: Fine art is concerned with itself in a way
that no other art form could get away with.
Art people are neurotic contends Freud. Sublimated desire erupts in their
practice. sexual energies are channeled into areas where the impulse that
dictates them erupts again and again. Instead of obfuscating they should by
stylish and hip. They should also be willing to exploit the downtrodden, the
outsiders, the experience of others and put it to their own service. Because
self-love rules.
I want some of your attention; give it to me. Chrisse Hynde. This work is
new and valuable: in dealing with culture, with desire, with Being, with
incongruity, with misplaced, mis-shaped, look at me, look what I done,
mentality, sensuality: broken and bastardised. The barriers that define the
normal, the bogeymen, out there: Your worst nightmare and your waking secret
dream. To be violated by that which you violate. If not them, then me: If
not me, then them.
‘Let my people go go’ - Moses or Sly and the Family Stone. Remove the middle
class nexus that neuters and drains of all vitality the wonderful human
exuberance of being. Puritan is suspicious of anything that gives pleasure.
Pleasure yourself.
The Thesis of Radical Chic suggests that the privileged adopt the modes of
dress of the exploited, the outsiders, the undesirables. The Romance of
‘Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves’, Cher, has a long history. The economically
disenfranchised, the surplus humanity that keeps labour cheap for the
masters; Tax evaders are great material for the Stylish.
PULLING A FAST ONE. The exploited become models for emulation in style
matters. Poverty is extremely marketable. This is what this show does. Using
individuals that belong to marginalised groups provides us with chilling
monsters. We let them speak.
GETTING AWAY with MURDER. Music and fashion are pre-occupied with the poor
urban blacks of North America. It’s cool to be Poor.... and make good. This
is what the privileged wish to tell the world by adopting the style of the
marginalised: they have made it on their own.
REVOLT not ROMANCE. To be poor and to become a master is every young blood’s
dream. But this solves no one’s problems and lets selfishness rule. This way
of managing our existence is no longer tolerable. Let’s give life over to
pleasure not struggle.
PURE FILTH is the ONLY WAY. The piety and the self pity of those that
identify with out groups has been underestimated. The only motivation is
that of self-interest.
The Centre of Attention has no Centre The romantic gypsy gallery continues
to wander intrigued by the marginal as an identity the gallery reflects its
own nature. Exploit or take on elements of the appearance of out groups,
elements outside society.
If you want to be cool.
For more information, call Pierre/Gary
at the Centre of Attention: 020 7729
0699
Notting Hill Arts Club
21 Notting Hill Gate (Notting Hill Tube)
London W11
The Centre of Attention now has new e-mail addresses:
For all press enquiries:
pierre@thecentreofattention.org
or
gary@thecentreofattention.org