COP3: The Gallery of Everything / Bedlam at the Wellcome

I'm planning on taking a trip to London next week for dissertation research. I was a little concerned that visiting galleries would not be the most immersive research point, but it is definitely more so than reading in a book or online but seeing a work in real life really does make a difference to how it is seen. To understand the gallery environment when discussing the handling of this work and the artists is also key.

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Luckily I found out about this place before the current exhibition finished!

The gallery's description/ mission statement:

"THE GALLERY OF EVERYTHING IS LONDON’S FIRST COMMERCIAL GALLERY DEDICATED TO NON-ACADEMIC ARTISTS AND PRIVATE ART-MAKERS. 

THE GALLERY OF EVERYTHING AIMS TO CURATE A NEW EXHIBITION EVERY TWO MONTHS, DISPLAYING ARTWORKS AT A RANGE OF PRICE LEVELS - FROM AFFORDABLE CONTEMPORARY MATERIAL TO HISTORICAL MASTERWORKS. ITS AIM IS TO COMMUNICATE WHAT IT DESCRIBES AS A PARALLEL HISTORY OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART TO A BRITISH AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE"

The current exhibition is based on Jarvis Cocker's very documentary series that inspired me to look into Outsider Art, which is a sweet twist of events. I'm not sure if it's because I haven't been writing or researching as intensely recently, but I'm reminded of why I took on this project in the first place: my interest in what collectively Outsider Artists make. I still vehemently believe that these artists should be treated fairly and I still have a lot of concern for their welfare, but I'm also reminded of the other side of the coin, of sharing this art with the world. The divide of Outside and Inside is still concerning, but how do we begin to expose this work (by will of the artist) in a way that does not label it in such a way? Truly, there is no doubt in my mind that the 'authenticity' of these artists is often what creates the very charm that draws people in,

I talked to Patrick about this and he said I should email Cocker himself some discussion points, which I will try for sure! This seems like a prime method of research that's a little more investigative than visiting galleries.

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Bedlam at the Wellcome 

I have been told about this exhibition by a friend in London. The exhibition seems to focus on the idea of sanctuary and now-dated-asylum, but I'm told there are examples of work made by people who had lived in the asylums, which may or may not consider the art 'outsider'. This work may have also been made before the term Outsider Art was first introduced, which adds a new context to discuss such work in. Regardless, I'd like to visit.