A Magic Carpet ride at The Crypt Gallery
December 17th, 2009
Contemporary art where you least expect it is what is so great about London, and the little known gallery in the crypt of St Pancras Church which opens for (so short you could easily miss them) group exhibitions is a perfect example.
Magic Carpet is 14 artists’ work based around the theme of Time Travel. Walking among gravestones and bits of broken masonry you can’t help but see references to transience appearing in the works in front of you.
Most of the art is small and spread out quite thinly over the impressive space, a shame as it would have been good to see a bit more from each artist. Near the entrance, Luna Paiva’s manipulated photograph of a woman plucking a bird, perfectly set into a scene of rich and dark ‘baroque realism’ (if that exists) instantly catches the eye. As does the red velvetine skull skewered on a hat stand in the vault next door by David. A. Smith.
Some basic installations from Michael Murphy are displayed and David Cochrane has exhibited some thoughtful works, a video of a moving ‘still’ of a riverbank projected onto a wall and another using easily found objects. Several painters are exhibiting, including the part figurative part dissembled portrait paintings by Jill Mulleady and Lindsey Bull’s burry visions of a psychedelic world.
For more work by the artists mentioned see here:
