5 guys 1 girl, all illustrators, LK exclusively covers their first group show. They are Olly Jennings, Daniel Freeman, Rory Gleeson, Will Rigby, James Tanner, Patrick Cole and Catharine Osterberg. Originally formed a year ago, they started putting nights on at the ICA. The location of their first group show is the ultra hip Dream Bags and Jaguar Shoes on the Kingsland Road, and cold beer and music filled the buzzing space.
Daniel freeman a comic book enthusiast who draws a story about guys with kid and play haircuts travelling through Egypt and time. Heavy references to hip-hop and its pioneers, if chapter one is dedicated to Clinton and Bambaata then the last would be Pharell and Timberland, while illustrating his love of hip-hop Americana fashion and his weird twist on religion, with layouts that mimics the old Egyptian way, tomb raider style. His heroes quest to create the best album ever. He said the album is being made for real, and I am sure it will be a hip-hop luxury.
Moving on to Catherine's WAVE, building the waves in a circular motion and painting every segment to a tie-dying finish spiralling up the canvas, a nod to late 80's American surfer guys and the san Francisco sun culture, naked girls posing awkwardly on surf boards with only 3 men in the piece. The poses are sex self-portraits; quite sadistic and torture filled smaller images that lay beneath the major piece. I asked about how she felt being the only girl in the group, and agreeing that some part of her work reflects a certain tomboy approach, possibly making up for being the lone girl.
Strong themes relating to religion, hippies, sex and power ran through majority of the crystal visions work with Piers Brosnan making two appearances, half naked both, which leads me to the Olly's master puppet. Encompassing a screen printed in B/W with a head made out of orange felt, Pierce Brosnan to the right of me and weird guy to the left, and Olly telling me that it's based on the film matador, quizzing them as to their work had a god complex element to it, power and control is more evident in Olly's work.
Rory printed the a 7 foot Green Buddha with moss like effect, quite a hulk like figure next to the entrance, we had a giggle over the fact they all hard beards and lumberjack looks apart from Catherine who dressed like sandy in Grease.
This could be the famous London six, with the progress that they have already made I am sure it wont be long before their cult kool. They are currently working on a book and other exhibitions, a magazine maybe, first edition please queue here after me!
Molaroid
Exhibition runs until 15th of March at Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes.
