13th February: ArtCore opens at The Ultralounge, Selfridges Oxford Street (lower ground floor)
20th February: Urban Art and The Princes Trust Success Collection open at The Ultralounge
26th February: Auction of all the displayed works takes place at The Ultralounge.
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Admission free to all exhibitions
February 2009 sees the launch of three very special art exhibitions at the Ultralounge in Selfridges, London, followed by a public auction of all the works on display.
ArtCore
ArtCore is a joint venture between Mary McCarthy of Dreweatts Auction House and Ernesto Leal from Our Cultural History, is the first ever visual documentation of Acid House and the rave movement.
This historical exhibition celebrates the visual expression of 21 years of dance culture and will feature a host of artworks from the most iconic clubs and raves over that period. These will include the The End Club, Queer Nation, Hacienda, Spectrum, Beyond Therapy, Raindance, Tribal Gathering, Circus, Warp, Trade, DIY, Back To Basics, Sign Of The Times and many more. It will also feature works on canvas, paper and metal by the movements original artists and designers such as Goldie, Darren Bartlett, Derek Yates, Jason Manning, Kaborn, Junior Tomlin, Rufus Knight Wright, Dave Anderson, Mark Wigan, Trevor Johnston, Chu, Tom Hingston, Jason Kedgley, Matthew Smith, Ollie Trimmings, Pierre Anstis, Inkie, Steve Perry (Pez) and Dave Little.
Acid House and the rave movement had a massive impact not only on the music scene but on our whole culture. It evolved out of a repressed and depressed Britain under Margaret Thatcher and it lead to a movement that brought people of all cultures and classes together in a shared sense of freedom, love and respect for one another.
The music was different and exciting and came from the underground. The raves became the home of the Acid House movement and saw thousands of people unite every weekend on a massive hedonistic adventure. At the same time clubs sprang up all over the country to accommodate this new dance culture. It began as a means of expression and escapism but quickly became politicised.
The government tried to gain control of the movement and this eventually led to the Criminal Justice Bill, after the stand off at Castlemorton between 30,000 revellers who had converged for a free party and the police. The new law may have stopped the raves but it was the beginning rather than the end for the dance music scene which has now been going on for just 20 years.
Apart from the music, one of the most significant aspects of Acid House and the ensuing dance culture was its visuals. The flyers and posters for the raves and clubs were an integral part of their identity and brought a new form of street art in to the public domain. It also gave a broad platform for new talent such as Steve Pez Perry, Inkie and Peter Saville alongside veterans such as Jamie Reid. Some of the artwork was phenomenal and is as synonymous with the scene, be it rave or club, as the music. ArtCore is the ultimate visual representation of that very special era.
Urban Art
There will also be a new Urban Art exhibition, curated by Mary McCarthy, which will run concurrently with Artcore and will feature works by some of the leading national and international street artists of today, including Banksy, Nick Walker, Adam Neate, Faile, Antony Micallef, Guy Denning, Bast, Seen, Matt Small, Blek Le Rat, Rene Gagnon, Beejoir, Jeff Aerosol, Mimi the Clown, D*Face, Martha Cooper, Manuel Duboe, Pure Evil, Edwin Goodwright, Labrona, Mantis, and Judith Supine.
Several artists will be creating work primarily for the sale, such as Goldie, Jaime Ame, CBloxx, Inkie, Dan, Mau Mau, Eelus, K-Guy, Rowdy, Felix Flx Braun, Grafter, Silent Hobo, David Walker, Pinky, Ryca, Jim Starr, SPQR, Dan, Kev Munday and The Art Tart. They will be joined by auction virgins, Chu, Partism, Pam Glew, Faith 47, Klit, TRXTR, Byroglyphics, Danny OConnor, Ben Slow and Grafter.
The Princes Trust Success Collection
The third exhibition will be The Princes Trust Success Collection, twenty four works by some of the leading lights of the British street art scene, namely, Nick Walker, Cyclops, D*Face, Eelus, Guy Denning, Ian Francis, Matt Small, Inkie, Goldie, Mau Mau, SPQR, Mr Jago, Rugman, Dora, David Walker, TRXTR, Byrogplphics, Kid Acne, Cat Johnston, I-Lib, Grafter, Felix flx Braun, Dicy and Stephan Davids. Proceeds from the auction of the collection will help young people into work with youth charity The Princes Trust.
The Trust helps 100 young people every working day, giving them the skills and qualifications to get a job. More than three in four young people The Trust helped last year moved into work, education or training.
The Urban Art exhibition and The Princes Trust Success Collection will be on display from 20th February, preceded by a private view on 19th February. An auction for all the works will take place on 26th February at the Ultralounge.
With the continuing popularity of street art and the emergence of incredible talents from the scene, these three exhibitions promise to be a visual feast of the highest quality not to be missed.
