"Arguably, no artist grows up: If he sheds the perceptions of childhood, he ceases being an artist." Ned Rorem
"Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows." John Betjeman
Many of us yearn to return to that time in our lives when the world was about pure play, pushing boundaries and hanging out with friends. The Victorians and Edwardians idealised the childish imagination, endlessly exploring its innocent pleasures in painting, poety and art. These days our enjoyment of the subject has been tainted by a paedophile-hungry media breeding suspicious minds.
This week's exhibition celebrates childhood without shame or censorship: little angels and rascals, curious young adults and their crazy world. Artists, more than anyone, understand the importance of keeping the inner child alive.
Ones to watch are Adrian Gatie, whose stunning black and white photography captures young people growing up on the streets of Northern England while David Palazon captures childhood on his travels around the world. Also noteworthy is Marco Ronga's Portrait of a Little Girl and Against the Light and Hansmartin Petzel's portrait of the young Bollywood filmstar Aishwarya. Lee McConville has developed a unique naive style, painting from a child's perspective. Or if it's pure nostalgia that your after then Katarzyna Lesiakowska-Tofil does very competant copies of famous childhood paintings. There's something for everyone here - including the little brats! | |
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