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Drawn Apart East

21 JUN – 22 JUL 2007
CONTEMPORARY ART PROJECTS, RIVINGTON ST, LONDON EC2A 3DU

Drawn Apart West

9 OCT – 20 OCT 2007
DAY & FABER, BOND STREET, LONDON WC1S 4RF

Artists: Kate Davis, Lucy Day, Leo Fitzmaurice, Kate Hawkins, Ben Long, Ed Pien, Terry Smith and Chloe Steele

BANNER IMAGE: KATE DAVIS

Drawn Apart presents the work of eight artists who use drawing as an integral but not exclusive element of their practice. Held over two locations in East and West London during 2007 the project provides a platform to consider the relationships between drawings by old masters and that of contemporary artists. The contemporary artists have all exhibited widely, some having graduated in the last couple of years whilst others have long held reputations as being exemplars of their practice.

Part 1 - Drawn Apart East took place at Contemporary Art Projects in the heart of the contemporary art world, London’s East End. As an introduction to the project this exhibition provided an opportunity to consider the varied approaches taken by contemporary artists to the medium of drawing. Underpinning all of their practice is a fascination with the medium, in some cases as the sparking point of an idea, in the other an opportunity to further develop a relationship with a particular body of work . The exhibiting artists are predominantly known for their other works in sculpture, installation and performance but all consistently use drawing to examine, explore and interrogate new ideas.

Part 2 - Drawn Apart West was hosted by Day & Faber, an Old Master Drawings gallery based in New Bond Street in London’s West End. For the past thirty-six years the gallery has exhibited and sold some of the best and most rare examples of work by 15th to 19th Century Italian, Dutch and French masters. This exhibition offers the opportunity to see a selected group of contemporary works alongside and sometimes responding to old masters drawings currently in the Day & Faber collection.

A deep appreciation of the setting down of an idea, however random, innocuous or completely considered can be seen in the work of Ed Pien and is comparable to the approach towards mark making of the Italian master, Francesco Barbieri, Il Guercino. However, the ease at which one can make direct technical comparisons between these artists belies the complexity of the relationship. Where Kate Hawkins deliberately examines contemporary issues of etiquette, works by Tiepolo, Rembrandt and Durer show clearly through their drawings how they were challenging convention. Each of the contemporary artists that we have selected for this show has an understanding of drawing that has a significant and profound effect on the rest of their practice. Drawn Apart is a project space for ideas and presents the viewer with works that are challenging, stimulating, beautiful and extraordinary. With all of these works available for sale Drawn Apart offers a unique insight into the language, history and collection of drawings.

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DAE - Lucy Day