How Chicago! Imagists 1960s & 1970s
Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art
15 MARCH - 27 MAY 2019
Free
This exhibition at Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art shows the work of various students who graduated from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Experimenting in the late 60's - the vibrancy, freedom and wackiness of the decade is evident in these vivacious and obscene images, where it feels as if the artists are taking you on their very own acid trip.
There are numerous groups which make up who class as 'The Imagists': The Hairy Who, The Monster Roster, and The Non-plussed Some to name a few. The works they produce span from sculpture, drawing, printmaking and, of course, painting. They are comical yet intimate portrayals of the inner workings of the human mind; depicting certain attitudes and feelings which they may have been feeling towards each other, themselves, and society at the time. An ironic and sardonic approach to the subjects depicted is present, with images often displaying scenes of ridicule and torment, with many parts left fragmented, distorted, and on the whole quite ugly.
One of my favourite images from the show is Ed Paschke's Elcina, a bold, brash, and original portrayal of who appears to be a showgirl or performer of some type. The contrasting colours within the piece reflect the type of personality of the subject and help depict a free, fun-loving character, whilst also alluding to a hidden darkness and eeriness. Gladys Nilsson's A Cold Mouth also stood out, purely due to the absolutely ridiculous and nonsensical subject matter. You could genuinely spend hours trying to figure out what the hell is going on in this painting, and the longer that is spent looking at it, the further down the rabbit hole you fall. Again, a sinister feel pervades the image and instantly makes you think of how genuinely horrifying this particular acid trip would have been.
Another noteworthy element of the show was the fine intricacy of many of the works. As well as the larger and bolder paintings, many of the pieces were small and meticulously worked on; sending you on a different journey altogether, focused instead on extreme detail. It is without shadow of a doubt that these guys were incredibly talented, and also without doubt that they had a lot of fun. The stories the Imagists would have been able to share at dinner parties is unrivalled, and the show was like nothing I have ever seen at a gallery before. Yes, New Cross is a faff to get to, but I promise you it's worth it.
OVERALL RATING: ****
https://goldsmithscca.art/exhibition/chicago-imagists/
