HOMErton First Show of Homerton Artists Group

About

Homerton Artist Group — or HAGs — present ‘HOMErton', a group show on the theme of ‘Home'. Part verbal play on the often-neglected area of Hackney in which the group are based, and part investigation into the resonances and intricate meanings that the notion of ‘Home' has for us all, the show brings together the work of 20 members of the group. HAGs was formed by Penny Tristram and Sadie Edginton, two artists living and working in Homerton. Acutely aware of the lack of support for artists such as themselves working alone, they decided a regular group would offer a much-needed opportunity to connect with other artists, view and critique each other's work, develop collaborative ideas and simply socialise. Their intuitions were well-founded: others responded enthusiastically to the monthly meetings in the ‘Elderfield', a local pub. Only three meetings in, the idea of a group show had been raised as an ideal way to raise the profile of the HAGs artists and demonstrate the range of work produced locally. Support for the idea was high but the mechanics of finding a suitable venue were complex. An empty shop seemed ideal, but proved hard to source, and Sadie eventually offered her own Homerton home as a venue. While there is a history of exhibiting in domestic spaces, such ventures normally treat the home as a gallery, clearing all homely trappings and paraphernalia of day-to-day life to replicate the ‘white cube' of the commercial art space. HAG have selected instead to maintain everything that makes the venue a home; work fits around and into the spaces left by everyday living and the lives of the people for whom 144 Daubeney Road is a home. The show explores themes of domesticity and links to home while showcasing a broad range of individual responses and incorporating techniques from painting to live music. Among others, Jessica Piddock's paintings of missing people investigate ideas of homelessness, while David Bradley's cast of his hand finished in bronze recalls ideas of home production and cottage industry. Una Hamilton Helle shows images from her home country — Norway — referencing the subculture of Black Metal and the inherent tensions of its world, darkly violent and misanthropic while simultaneously musically and visually rich. Clive Brandon's proposal of a ‘Pavilion for Daubeny Road' references changes in and around Homerton leading up to the 2012 Olympics and what they mean for the local community. Fuller details of these and the other artists are available during the show or upon request. ‘Home' is just the start of a programme of exhibitions and events organised by HAGs and operating outside the gallery context.