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 founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting as opposed to conceptual art.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 ...
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 broadc ...
, 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
Stuckists
Stuckism () is an international art movement founded in 1999 by Billy Childish and Charles Thomson to promote figurative painting as opposed to conceptual art.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.
...
and nude paintings of Stella Vine 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 English artist, poet and writer. He is a founding member of the Stuckists art ...
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 ...
Tayyip Erdoğan
Tayyip () is a Turkish given name for males. Tayyip may refer to:
* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously ...
, 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, during the artist's first solo show in the UK.
In September 2007, it staged ''Hookers, Dealers, Tailors'', 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 ...
. 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, Carthagi ...
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 ...
."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 ...
Stuckist demonstrations
Stuckist demonstrations since 2000 have been a key part of the Stuckist art group's activities and have succeeded in giving them a high-profile both in Britain and abroad. Their primary agenda is the promotion of painting and opposition to conce ...