Spectrum London was a London art gallery which showed contemporary figurative painting, photography and sculpture. It staged '' Go West'', the first commercial West End show of the

Stuckists Stuckism () is an international art movement An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a specific period of time, (usually a few months, years or decades) o ...

, and a retrospective by

Sebastian Horsley Sebastian Horsley (born Marcus A. Horsley; 8 August 1962 – 17 June 2010) was an English artist and writer. Horsley's writing often revolved around his dysfunctional family, his flamboyant and eccentric behavior, his drug addictions, sex, and ...

. It closed in 2008.

History

In June 2005, the Spectrum London had a show of photographs by Dennis Morris documenting the daily lives, ceremonies and rituals of the Mowanjum Australian Aborigine community."Gallery is blessed by Aborigine"

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...

, 6 June 2005. Retrieved 18 January 2010. The gallery was blessed by Aboriginal tribe leader, Francis Firebrace, wearing body paint and tribal dress. Spectrum London was the first West End commercial gallery to show the

, in the exhibition '' Go West'' in October 2006."Stuckists art group in major show"
BBC online, 23 August 2006. Retrieved 9 October 2006"Go West"
telegraph.co.uk online gallery. Retrieved 9 October 2006 This "major central London exhibition" elevated the hitherto artworld outsiders into "major players", and occasioned controversy because of a satirical painting of Sir

Nicholas Serota Sir Nicholas Andrew Serota, (born 27 April 1946) is an English art historian and curator, who served as the Director of the Tate from 1988 to 2017. He is currently Chair of Arts Council England, a role which he has held since February 2017. Se ...

and nude paintings of

Stella Vine Stella Vine (born Melissa Jane Robson, 1969) is an English artist, who lives and works in London. Her work is figurative painting, with subjects drawn from personal life, as well as from rock stars, royalty, and other celebrities. In 2001, she ...

by her ex-husband

Charles Thomson Charles Thomson (November 29, 1729 – August 16, 1824) was an Irish-born Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress (1774–1789) throughout its existence. As secretary, Thomson ...

."Morris, Jane (200
"Getting stuck in"
''The Guardian'' online, 24 August 2006. Retrieved 9 October 2006Barnes, Anthony (2006
"Portrait of an ex-husband's revenge"
''The Independent on Sunday''. Retrieved 9 October 2006, from findarticles.comTeodorczuk, Tom (2006
"Modern art is pants"
''Evening Standard'', 22 August 2006. Retrieved 9 October 2006 from thisislondon.co.uk. Ten leading Stuckist artists were exhibited. Thomson's and

Joe Machine Joe Machine (born Joseph Stokes,Buckman, David (2006), ''Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945'', p. 1018, Art Dictionaries, Bristol, 2006, 6 April 1973) is an England, English artist, poet and writer. He is a founding member of the Stuck ...

's paintings sold, before the show opened, to buyers from the UK, Japan and the US.Gleadell, Colin (2006
"Market news: Roger Hilton's child-like drawings, 'stuckist' paintings and Edward Seago"
''Daily Telegraph'' online, 3 October 2006. Retrieved 9 October 2006 Royden Prior, the director of Spectrum London, said, "These artists are good and are part of history. Get past the art politics and look at the work.""The first West End show for the Stuckists"
saatchi-gallery.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2006

Edward Lucie-Smith John Edward McKenzie Lucie-Smith (born 27 February 1933), known as Edward Lucie-Smith, is a Jamaican-born English writer, poet, art critic, curator and broadcaster. He has been highly prolific in these fields, writing or editing over a hundred ...

wrote an essay for the show. The gallery also exhibited work by Michael Dickinson,"Michael Dickinson, Stuckist artist jailed in Turkey for a collage, now free. See his work at Go West"
stuckism.com. Retrieved 9 October 2006 who was released from ten days in a Turkish jail without charge after exhibiting a collage of the Turkish prime minister, Tayyip Erdoğan, as a dog."Keeping Turkey out of the EU"
(Video interview with Michael Dickinson on More 4) channel4.com. Retrieved 9 October 2006 In March 2006, in association with Sceptre publishing and the Italian Cultural Institute, Spectrum London presented author John Berendt in conversation with Venetian artist,

Ludovico de Luigi Ludovico De Luigi (born 11 November 1933) is a contemporary Italian sculptor and painter born and living in Venice, Italy. Career De Luigi's first exhibition was in 1965 with his one-man show at the Gallery "Il Canale" in Venice which included ...

, during the artist's first solo show in the UK. In September 2007, it staged ''Hookers, Dealers, Tailors'', a retrospective by

. Horsley became known when he underwent a

crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

; this show documented his diving in Australian shark-infested water and copiously ingesting deadly drugs. Other artists previously shown at the gallery include

Lennie Lee Lennie Lee (born 4 March 1958) is a South African conceptual artist who lives and works in London. Life and career Lennie Lee is a British artist born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He moved to the UK in 1960. He was educated at Dulwich college ...

,"Spectrum London"
Artfacts.net. Retrieved 9 October 2006

Rita Duffy Rita Duffy (born 1959) is a Northern Ireland artist, described in 2005 as the province's "foremost artist". She describes herself as a Republican, pacifist and feminist. Her installations and projects often highlight socio-political issues and ...

, Peter Murphy, Cheryl Brooks, Peter Burke, Antonio Riello, Gerry Burns, Sir Peter Blake and

Eduardo Paolozzi Sir Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi (, ; 7 March 1924 – 22 April 2005) was a Scottish artist, known for his sculpture and graphic works. He is widely considered to be one of the pioneers of pop art. Early years Eduardo Paolozzi was born on 7 March 1 ...

."Laptop dinner by Pii at Spectrum London"
allinlondon.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2006 Spectrum London exhibited at the London Art Fair and Art Madrid. The gallery was at 77

Great Titchfield Street Great Titchfield Street is a street in the West End of London. It runs north from Oxford Street to Greenwell Street, just short of the busy A501 Marylebone Road and Euston Road. It lies within the informally designated London area of Fitzrovi ...

, London W1. It shut in 2008.

Notes and references

External links

*http://www.spectrumlondon.co.uk Spectrum London official website (no longer online) {{Authority control Defunct art galleries in London Contemporary art galleries in London Buildings and structures in the City of Westminster Year of establishment missing Art galleries disestablished in 2008 2008 disestablishments in England

History

See also

Notes and references

External links