Went
to Jim Swain’s opening. Made a few notes. Here they are. Lots of people. Music….by
Oliver Swain. Basquiat maybe. Late Picasso. Punk philosophy. Bad is good. Distrust
of language. Love/hate relationship with fine art. None of that analytical
art-speak stuff. Doing them on cardboard suggests transience….here today gone
tomorrow. Spontaneous and free. Canvas is inhibiting. Archival
quality? They should last a hundred years. Nothing is permanent. Still-lifes,
flower vases etc. with figures integrated. Variations on the nude human figure.
All male. Jim’s not sure why. Humanity reduced to basics. Alone in the
universe. Waiting for Godot. Life. Death. Masks. Pleasing colours, not too
garish. Nicely framed this time which creates a certain contradiction. Adds
another dimension. It also bumps the price up to $200 each. Good? Bad? People
like them. Lots of red dots. Good for Jim. Maybe they aren’t so bad. Enough
words.
Philip Willey
Beyond Bad
Martin Batchelor Gallery
Jan. 4 to 30, 2014
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