From: Sexia
Category: Art
Date: 22 June 2005
The Gagosian opening was posh oh so posh - chauffeur driven cars lined Britannia Street to whisk away those thin blond creatures swaying in Jimmy Choos - the rich wear shoes to pose not to walk. Bedraggled artists licked their lips at these aspirational blondes - artistic or financial success locks one on your arm - even Damien Hirst succumbed to the cliché. The work became an aesthetic backdrop to highlight the floating summer silks - such a pity as it was rather good. A 50 years retrospective of an artist whose work has suffered sadly from over reproduction. I slipped into the Hayward Gallery's major Lichtenstein's exhibition last year expecting well worn clichés and I was enchanted - Lichtenstein's oeuvre was simple but challenging and his later works had not suffered from the eventually trade mark style repetition caused by dry ideas. The Gagosian's sculpture show has a similar appeal. Unfortunately the Gagosian's hospitality had less to offer. Glasses of champagne miraculously only appeared to guests in designer clothes - the rest of us were forced down the road to the Rove Gallery opening for a bottle of bud and an ambitious group show. Some pieces were individually good and the gallery deserves credit for showing the notoriously talented and difficult Ed Lipsky - Good luck to you Kenny you are certainly going to need it!
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