Our newest contributor, Lara Piras, is more used to fashion journalism than the art world. This is what happened when she ventured to the new Saatchi Gallery on behalf of Flamingo, armed with only a notepad and an open mind. Godspeed, Lara.
The Saatchi Gallery. Known for picking its artists through what seems to be a lucky dip draw.
I’m kidding, obviously.
It’s a pioneering and beautiful space that showcases and often – at one time, at least – flings unknowns into the dizzying heights of the art world. In the 90s, Saatchi himself curated, and in some ways created, the YBAs – the Young British Artists who counted in their number Hirst and Emin. Which explains the legion of controversial, neurotic, and arousing talent that has been chosen to exhibit this winter.
I went to view, explore, laugh at, poke at and be in awe of all the weird and wonderful goings on. I come to you with a few of my faves:
Graham Hudson – All My Exes Live in Tesco’s
This one caught my eye primarily because of the noise of the electric fans. Then your eyes are drawn to the size of the sculpture, a concoction of what one would call ‘bits of shit.’
My favourite part is the name – ‘All my exes live in Tesco’s.’ Which (I have searched and searched) appears to have no distinct relation to the aesthetic. I like.
Stephen Bishop – Christian Dior – J’adore (Mountain Goat)
Taxidermy. To love or to hate? That is the question. Or is it? I think the question here is ‘what the…’? A striking piece to say the least, the goat in question is ‘adoring’ a concrete perfume bottle of Dior’s ‘J’adore’ perfume. I liked the use of contrasting textures here – concrete vs. fur.
Dick Evans – Black Grape
Made from silicon carbide, Evans’ giant wave towers over the viewer. I felt it didn’t really need the cigarette butts and the can, but hey, Evans is a Hackneyite. You can take the man out of Hackney but you can’t take the Hackney out of the man.
Ximina Garrido-Lecca – The Followers
Now this was breathtaking – I can’t describe it in any other way. The piece is a monument to “a people annihilated by colonialism”, in the form of a wall adorned with artefacts and odd little objects the people of her native Peru would want to be buried with. Being from a Latin background myself, perhaps I’m a little biased, but the sheer enormity of the installation and the attention to detail was most definitely worthy of a place in the Saatchi Gallery.
LARA PIRAS
