Lifestyle: Street Art finds a home in Brick Lane
Penelope by Nicci van P - Credit: Archant
The work of some the world’s leading urban artists is making its way to the East End for a special exhibition showcasing one of art’s most popular trends.
The Go Hard or Go Home urban art exhibition by Lyes & Jones runs at The Rag Factory, in Heneage Street, until Monday.
Twelve artists, including Pure Evil, After Dark, A.ce and Mambo, are exhibiting five pieces of their work, which curator J Patrick Boyle hopes will bring authenticity and excitement.
He said: “Art has become more conceptual and when people see work done by someone like Banksy, there is a social commentary to it and you can connect to it.
“Whereas with someone like Damien Hirst, it’s not as easy to get. People just want something that speaks to them.”
Although J Patrick is the curator of the show, his main passion lies in art, so despite having curated numerous shows previously, including last year’s See No Evil street gallery, he has also exhibited some of his own work.
However, when faced with the task of choosing what work suited the exhibition best, he had no doubts.
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He said: “I’ve been curating since 2007 and it can be difficult to balance my curation work with wanting to be an artist.
“But when I speak to the artists about a show, I want to create the sort of environment which they will enjoy.
“I invite the artists to send me their work and from the selection, I choose which art to use because I know their work and I know what to expect.
“I then make sure the work looks good in the space I have and importantly how it looks together with the other pieces.”
With backgrounds in street art, graffiti, raves, skateboarding, film and fashion, the Brick Lane exhibition will offer a wide range of diverse messages and J Patrick believes he has enough quality artwork to appeal to the audience.
He said: “Most of the work is aesthetically pleasing but I think I know what looks great and the work usually picks itself so it should be really enjoyable.
“I’ve done several shows. I have a history with the artists, and they know how I do things and believe that I’ll do a good job, so there is a strong trust between us.”
