Phoebe Unwin - painter - currently showing at Wilkinson Gallery, London.
Wilkinson prides itself on copious amounts of space. On two levels we have a display of white space which is exhausting, insulting and vulgar - it does not help that the white walls are often covered in crap. Unwin's show "Man Made" is of no exception, the walls are sparsely littered with medium to large canvas's all which are about as engaging as a fart in a phonebox.
I walked around the space in a clockwise direction passing each painting quickly, I even stopped for a moment at a couple of canvas's hoping that I missed something, I didn't.
I climbed up to the upper floor and was greeted by another bunch of miserable paintings, I did much the same as on the ground floor, leaving the space feeling cold.
In situations like this I often have to pick up the press release and see what excuse is given by the gallery for the dross encountered.
reading through the press release at great speed, I found nothing but patronising bollocks. "Unwin references and explores a world we all experience visually, verbally, sensationally blah blah blah bollocks"
The text reads as vague as her paintings, we are given nothing to ponder, nothing to read, nothing to grasp. Unwin is a weak painter who lacks ideas and conviction it is rather like her "abstract? figurative?" works were painted by a snake.
This is yet another infuriating example of a so called artist who gets to paint and earn a living. Art presented by gallerists who know nothing about art and pushed on collectors who know nothing about art, to decorate walls that know nothing about art. Where will paintings like this be in a few years time? On the scrap heap! It is just a shame we might have to wait a few years.
Wilkinson prides itself on copious amounts of space. On two levels we have a display of white space which is exhausting, insulting and vulgar - it does not help that the white walls are often covered in crap. Unwin's show "Man Made" is of no exception, the walls are sparsely littered with medium to large canvas's all which are about as engaging as a fart in a phonebox.
I walked around the space in a clockwise direction passing each painting quickly, I even stopped for a moment at a couple of canvas's hoping that I missed something, I didn't.
I climbed up to the upper floor and was greeted by another bunch of miserable paintings, I did much the same as on the ground floor, leaving the space feeling cold.
In situations like this I often have to pick up the press release and see what excuse is given by the gallery for the dross encountered.
reading through the press release at great speed, I found nothing but patronising bollocks. "Unwin references and explores a world we all experience visually, verbally, sensationally blah blah blah bollocks"
The text reads as vague as her paintings, we are given nothing to ponder, nothing to read, nothing to grasp. Unwin is a weak painter who lacks ideas and conviction it is rather like her "abstract? figurative?" works were painted by a snake.
This is yet another infuriating example of a so called artist who gets to paint and earn a living. Art presented by gallerists who know nothing about art and pushed on collectors who know nothing about art, to decorate walls that know nothing about art. Where will paintings like this be in a few years time? On the scrap heap! It is just a shame we might have to wait a few years.
