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Inspired Art Fair (IAF) provides an unparalleled platform for talented undiscovered artists to launch their creative careers. The Fair, which has nominated the Whitechapel Art Gallery as its chosen charity, is exceptional in that it is arranged by a non-profit organisation with the principal aim of showcasing contemporary artwork and of supporting practising independent artists. IAF aims to increase innovation in new visual arts practice and seeks to cross disciplines and media, stretching from the established practices of painting, sculpture, photography and crafts to moving image, new media and live art in 2007-8. |
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Innovation in the Heart of London – Diana Boydell
Inspired Art Fair (IAF) provides an unparalleled platform for talented undiscovered artists to launch their creative careers. The Fair, which has nominated the Whitechapel Art Gallery as its chosen charity, is exceptional in that it is arranged by a non-profit organisation with the principal aim of showcasing contemporary artwork and of supporting practising independent artists. IAF aims to increase innovation in new visual arts practice and seeks to cross disciplines and media, stretching from the established practices of painting, sculpture, photography and crafts to moving image, new media and live art in 2007-8. IAF actively engages with heritage, architecture, design and popular culture. For art collectors this is a prime location to talent spot. Furthermore IAF provides the visitor with a unique opportunity to meet artists firsthand, allowing discussion of the ideas behind work.
IAF is becoming an exemplary model of a more diverse contemporary arts scene and will attract more diverse audiences and participants as it recognises that artist’s work needs to be seen and experienced in contexts beyond the gallery. Open and accessible to the general public, IAF encourages all to take part in the arts whilst also embracing internationalism.
IAF 06, which runs from 8 – 12th November, sees a return to a more intimate setting for the display of selected works by some 40 independent artists at the stunning Christ Church, in the regenerated area of Spitalfields, East London. This Hawksmoor church, which received a RIBA award for the extensive restoration work it has undergone, is a magnificent example of Baroque architecture and is dubbed the St Paul’s Cathedral of East London, well worth a visit in its own right but a fabulous venue to set off works by a gifted group of photographers, painters, drawers, sculptors and digital artists. The quality of work on display is ensured by a selection panel, which in 2006 includes Susan Brades (former director of the Hayward Gallery), Jo George (managing director of IAF) and Kirsten Dunne (Arts Council). The fourth annual IAF sees some shining examples of artwork by practising artists (from both the UK and internationally) challenging our aesthetic understanding by examining issues surrounding gender, sexuality, reality, physicality and the distinction between art and labour.
Take for example Alexis Walters black and white photographs from her “Mannequin” Series. Playing with layers of the artificial from display dolls to the reflections off shop windows she frames notions of allure in relation to artifice and consumption. These glamorous shots allude to a vacancy or perhaps expectancy present in those figures encountered in these window dressings. Her shots frame a sense of the female as enigmatic and affirm her value only as surface (as an object to behold) as well as foregrounding the notion of femininity as performative, as a masquerade, an act that champions glamour, beauty, grace and mystery. Alexis Walters’ colour photographs continue on the theme of person as object, but given their vividness these pictures appear to be more authentic and present to the viewer. However the subject matter is again the dummy. This lends these images a somewhat kitsch and in some cases sinister quality where the others reflect a kind of sorrowful longing. These figurations are strange caricatures: larger than life characters though distant in their mimicking unreality.
Chris Nash’s giclee prints, both in black and white and colour, are similarly bizarre, capturing figures suspended in motion, poised in the air almost as if levitating. These spellbinding photographs show the human form in a moment of deep immersion in space. His images captivate in that they examine both the concentration and release involved in the act of dancing. It is transfixing to examine these weightless bodies hanging in time imagining the trajectory of their continuing movement. Chris Nash’s photographs scrutinise the process of dance, questioning whether we lose ourselves in the freedom of movement or whether we actually find ourselves. In such transitional instants as these the answer is elusive but meditating on these images in this light is utterly absorbing.
Colette Brannigan’s sculptures mesmerise in terms of the sheer amount of labour that has gone in to their making. She claims that her work is a “personal reaction to the tedium and drudgery of the production line.” Covering everyday objects readily associated with toil (like the trowel or the ironing board) with mosaic she elevates these mundane tools to the status of art objects arranging them in decorative formations. By disassociating these objects from their intended purpose she denies their functionality and endows them with the dignity of being regarded as beautiful and eye catching. They are like mandalas or effigies to the manual labourer. These sculptures’ primitive appearance tie in with this high/low art dichotomy, questioning whether less respected forms of culture like craft, domestic work or DIY compares to noble high-minded endeavours like that of fine art. Whatever your opinion these sculptures are novel and ingenious interpretations of the act of artistic creation.
Alexandra Dipple’s artwork and installations take manual labour as an intrinsic part of the creative process. Working with newspaper she obsessively follows a randomly chosen prescription to make her work. Cutting out all dashes and hyphens for a series of eight pieces, her work takes a minimalist stance, which is nevertheless aesthetically pleasing. These works resemble sound waves, the formations made on a heart monitor or a city skyline. They are amazing feats given the tiny scale of the materials she works with.
Dan Bennett’s paintings are also simplistic in nature and inspired by his work in garden design. He describes gardens as living sculptures, growing and changing by the hour. His triptych compositions are influenced by Japanese art from the Edo Period however his mark-making is adventurous and bold, straying from realistic representations of growth and foliage. He prefers to take the line for a walk experimenting with dripping, smudging and spattering with his materials. The product is a delicately abundant and burgeoning haven full of colour and budding or flowering exotic plant life. They are simple yet enchanting canvases. These are just a handful of the prolific artists who will be displaying at this year’s IAF. With such a mix of innovatory artists this year’s event promises to make stimulating and surprising viewing.
This year’s Inspired Learning Programme, which is provided in partnership with the Whitechapel Art Gallery, offers free professional development guidance for artists through a series of workshops and seminars taking place both at Christ Church and at the Whitechapel site. IAF is an event not to be missed and stands apart from other fairs in that it provides endless opportunities for both artist and viewer. IAF aims to attract new audiences to contemporary visual arts through its learning programme, by encouraging interaction with the artists and their work and through the inspirational works selected for display. Furthermore by association with the Whitechapel we are able to offer visitors access to the Art’s Council’s Own Art Scheme whereby buyers can borrow up to £2000 interest free in order to invest in their own piece of art. This is a prime opportunity for anyone hoping to start up an art collection.
