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Story by Jack Foley |
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'The most fruitful course of study lies in the persistent effort to render
the majic and poetry of London, the most wonderful and complex city in the
world.'
Walter Sickert 1889
AN UNSEEN, mystical and frequently romantic side of London is captured in
a new exhibition by American artist Duncan Hannah, which opens at The
Charlotte Street Gallery in London on Thursday, May 9, until Saturday,
June 1, 2002.
Entitled 'The Mysteries of London', the exhibition is an affectionate
look at our great city by an American who has come to love it.
Duncan Hannah was born in Minneapolis in 1952 and first travelled to Europe
as a boy. He has returned frequently since, but cites London as one of his
favourite cities.
Educated at Bard College and Parsons School of Design, Hannah has lived and
worked in New York City since 1973, while also acting in several films, including
Unmade Beds (1976) and Art for Teachers (1995).
He has observed supernatural phenomenon on at least five occasions and his
work (which can be quite profound) is in major collections including the Metropolitan
Museum of Art.
Speaking of his passion for the capital, Hannah says that he aims to experience
'something of the spell London can work as one strolls through deserted streets
on a quiet summer's evening, something of the brooding phantasy hidden in
its stones'.
He freely admits that London has called to him since his childhood in the
1950s in Mid-Western America.
" I started visiting in 1967, catching the waning days of the Carnaby
Street era," he explains on the Charlotte Street Gallery website, part
of the Rebecca Hossack Gallery. "Even after I moved to New York City
in 1973 to be an artist, I felt a greater identification with the other side
of the Atlantic.
" I continued to immerse myself in English painting, music, literature
and film. Casting about for a romantic world for my semi-narrative paintings,
I found that Great Britain would answer most of my needs. The sense of distance
was helpful to me, allowing me to concoct a personal 20th Century mythology."
The exhibition at Charlotte Street consists of a series of small paintings
focusing on a very subjective London, a capital Hannah lovingly refers to
as 'my London'.
"Although these are portrayals of a city, and contain facts of locations,
they also have ingredients of fiction, possibilities of stories, lost places
and other times I have projected myself into," he explains. "I've
wandered into the brick heart of the city in the company of ghostly guides
such as Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Machen, The Camden Town Group, The Euston
Road School, Alfred Hitchcock (before he left home), Bill Brandt, Algernon
Newton, Roger Mayne, The Kinks, The Smiths, Iain Sinclair, etc.
"I hope the results are seen as a personal homage and not as a cultural
trespass; for indeed it was done as a valentine."
Certainly,
his artwork captures some of the enduring images of London with a fond nostalgia
reserved for the type of tourist who just has to return to the capital. Take,
for instance, the images on this page (which form part of the collection);
images which capture some of London's institutions, from the businessmen waiting
for a Tube on London's famed Underground (in this case, Notting Hill Gate,
above) and the distinctive red, double-decker bus and classic cars
(depicted on the right).
Whether this misty-eyed romanticism appeals to hard-nosed Londoners remains
to be seen, however, although art lovers are advised to pay a visit to Charlotte
Street to judge for themselves. At the very least, 'The Mysteries of London'
should provide a brief reminder of why London is such a great place to live
and why it remains one of the most popular cities in the world.
As a spokesman for the Charlotte Street Gallery rightly told Indielondon:
"It is just the kind of romantic burst to our city us tired Londoners
could do with."
The Charlotte Street Gallery, 28 Charlotte Street, London, W1T 2NA
Tel: 020 7255 2828 Fax: 020 7580 2828
RELATED STORIES: Three Great Australians. Click here
Rebecca Hossack uncovered, gallery details. Click here