Total Arthole: Take Me To Church

Arthole is Morris Monroe’s new monthly event at Dalston Superstore, celebrating queer art and artists. 


By Patrick Cash

‘I’ve been teaching art and life drawing classes for about five years, after moving over to that from a fashion background,’ says Morris Monroe. ‘I’ve always done drawing, producing figurative artwork, but then I seriously got into my own artwork last year. From four exhibitions I sold quite a lot of work, and from having such a successful year I thought I’d roll out the idea to other artists that I knew, who had amazing work but maybe aren’t so successful on the self-promotion side.’

When quizzed as to why he left the fashion industry to devote himself to art, Monroe pauses to consider, and then replies: ‘purpose’. Creativity in his fashion work on a weekly basis was fine, but without an actual purpose, it began to feel a little vacuous. Eventually, he tired enough to leave. We avoid falling into a wider and potentially unending discussion about the purpose of art, but suffice to say that it amounts to more than commercialism.

However, artists – like anybody that produces work within the capitalist machine – still need to eat, buy a pint, enjoy a party and pay the rent in London. That means they need money. And a prevailing ethos in the capital, that seems to only have intensified in the duration of the recession, is that art in all its genres should be delivered for free; an ethos Monroe wants to change, starting with rejuvenating the wearied gallery system of buying art.

‘The galleries on Vyner Street have struggled and are closing down. Redchurch Street you have to pay to exhibit in as well, so I think the gallery scene isn’t as successful or as viable in this current consumer world,’ he says. ‘Everybody lives in these empty white wall boxes so everybody wants art, but if you’re going into a gallery, you need to know what the exhibitions are and something about the artist.

‘[With Arthole], we have a blog on the website so people can read it straight away and get a personal connection with the artist and artwork and then we have an online store. So you can actually go on a night out to Dalston Superstore, like the artwork, get on your phone and order a print that will be delivered in the next week. Whether you can afford to buy the orginal artwork, if not you can buy a print, or a canvas print.’

For launch artist Patrick Church (pieces featured on this page), whom Monroe has been mentoring since last October, prints will start at £30 and original artwork goes up to £450 at the highest end. Monroe believes it’s important to keep artwork affordable and accessible to all, as well as placing an emphasis on cross-genre entertainment at the monthly launch nights for each of the different artists participating in Arthole – currently six, and they are looking for four others.

‘From doing my own show, when you go to a gallery or an exhibition, some of them can lack atmosphere and unless you’re a friend of somebody you probably just wander around, have your free drink and leave. We wanted to give something else so it was more a well-rounded experience, creating an atmosphere for people to buy in, but also getting people in the mood for you’re not just there to buy art, you’re there to be entertained.’

 

On the inaugural launch night therefore, DJ duo Eyeshadows are performing downstairs at the ‘Superstore. An electronic pairing, real-life couple Mark and Panis combine visuals, shadowy beats and ethereal vocals. Artists exhibited at later events will include photographer Darren Black, Bruno Basso from Basso & Brooke and BJ Broekhuizen.

What convinced Monroe to begin with Patrick Church?

‘Patrick Church’s work is brilliant,’ he muses. ‘It’s going to be iconic straight away, it’s really bright, if you have it in your room it’s going to be a focal point, it’s interesting and quirky. And there’s a nihilistic sense of humour about it. What grabs my attention with art is something that connects with you emotionally. Something with an innate resonance.’

• The Arthole exhibition of Patrick Church’s work will run for a month from Thursday 5th February in the Dalston Superstore, 117 Kingsland Road, Dalston, E8 2PB.  

Advertisement

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here