‘Into the Cosmere’

Presented by, Brushes with Greatness

10 – 22 November 2021

Leo Sartain 19/11/21

Brushes with Greatness, or rather the mind behind the brand, Jack Trodd has had a huge win with this show. It is clearly a passion project for the curator, seen in the thought and energy that has gone into the preparation for the exhibition with his numerous artist interviews. The exhibition features 18 contemporary artists, all of whom have unique angles of enquiry and presentation, something that marks this show as one to be taken seriously, and seriously enjoyed. Spread across two floors the exhibition, which can be found in London’s art fuelled Shoreditch district, is a temporary space for the gallery, offering up the quirks and challenges this brings. The entry level is filled with glimpses of possible worlds, dreamscapes and alien surfaces. Here works from a number of artists help transport you to an unfamiliar yet strangely comforting environment, with bright colours, rich textures and soft shapes evoking the ideas of viewing planets from afar or perhaps the universes they inhabit.

The psychedelically vibrant and abstract work is punctuated by sculpture and surrealist portals into other planes. The thread of going ‘Into the Cosmere’ is clear here. It feels like Trodd is offering up a variety of settings for us to set our stories in. This initial awakening of senses is combined with an otherworldly soundtrack that sets the tone again of being somewhere foreign to us. It is a very busy show, with work seemingly covering every available wall space, something that cannot be helped given the extravagant costs of London venues combined with the ambition of the curator to include such a variety of artists and scale of work. I do wonder how some of the works would look when placed in isolation and whether it would add or takeaway from their impact. There is however a real cohesion to the work exhibited, which I think helps the flow of the show.

Following the journey downstairs one can imagine exiting a space ship and striding down the gangway into unchartered territory. The links to literary world building offer a great canvas on which to interpret the scenes. The landscaping and greenery in the subterranean space adds a further element of theatre to the show, and aid the concept that the scenes you see are from invented worlds. The works downstairs continue with intricate details of mythical icons and narratives combined with botanical experiments and abstract landscapes, all helping to transport you to a fantastical environment. As someone who adores myth, legend, sci fi and fantasy, there are a myriad of ways in which to interpret the paintings and piece together your own imagined cosmos. Taking the time to look at each artists work and understand their own visual language is the key to unlocking the hidden depths to this show. It is a highly saturated, bold and contemporary collection, but it is filled with mature, thoughtful and well painted pieces. It is a nice change of pace to the current onslaught of identity based figurative work that has filled the recent art fairs. This exhibition comes at a time when popular culture is rife with world building, from Harry Potter to the Marvel Universe and the recent release of Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ we are all being exposed to works of extraordinary literary imagination. Having the opportunity to engage with the artistic version of such a phenomenon is a real delight.

Speaking to curator Jack Trodd about the show, it is impossible not to be infected by the genuine excitement and passion he has for this project and indeed, all the art within. It is a very well constructed show, and one that feels as though you are peering into the collections of some omnipotent being who has obtained art and artefacts from galactic explorations. Overall the concept of the curation, and the quality of work on show is exemplary, offering up enough of a stage to form your own views and presented in a way that makes it a joy to do so.

ARTISTS

Anna S Woodward | Benji Thomas | Charlotte Kidger | David Harrison | John Collett | Joe Grieve | Kora Moya-Rojo |

Kris Lamba | Laura Wormell | Ofelia Botella | Olivia Mansfield | Olivia Mundy | Orlando Marosini |

Ozlem Thompson | Raffael Bader | Rebecca Gilpin | Russ Rubin | Suhaylah H.

Dates: 10th November 2021 – 22nd November 2021

Address: 188 Shoreditch High Street, Shoreditch, London, E1 6HU

Opening Times: Mon – Sun | 10am – 9pm 

Admission: Free 

Nearest tube: Shoreditch High Street