LONDON'S CALLING Bob & Roberta Smith and Jessica Voorsanger

LONDON’S CALLING brings together the work of Jessica Voorsanger and Bob & Roberta Smith. Both artists presenting their independent visions of London following a summer bookended by the Queens Jubilee and the Olympic Games, which have both ensured the worlds gaze has been focused on the capital. Where Voorsanger uses historic images of London as the starting point for her series of collages, ‘This Is London’, Bob & Roberta Smith are looking firmly to London of the future.

Mostly known for their humourous sign paintings, Bob & Roberta explore the relationship between art and politics. They challenge their audience, elevating them from passive observer and instead directly engaging them in the debate at hand. These bold and colourful works are painted onto found materials and call for the return of the Tram system to East London. This eutopian vision of the East London of the near future is further reinforced in the painting, ‘Imagine the Mile End Road of the Future’ by the addition of cycle lanes, electric cars and lavender lined streets.

Through her art, Voorsanger explores the concept of celebrity within popular culture through obsession, fans and media representation. She works across a variety of media ranging from painting to performance. The projects themselves often dictate the medium that is most appropriate.

Through her interactive exhibitions, visitors are invited to wear wigs and accessories of famous television and film personalities and perform (often through karaoke) as a reaction to the onslaught of Reality TV and how celebrity has changed as a concept. Celebrity has become interchangeable, allowing us to become them. In the recent series of collages displayed here, ‘This Is London’, she explores the random nature of current celebrity through found images and drawn interventions. The starting point for all of the images is a juxtaposition of London locations, celebrity intervention and a direct drawn reaction to the spaces - ranging from the architecture to the formal shapes and lines created from window ledges, telephone lines etc.

On Sunday 14th October, Eleven Spitalfields will be hosting an interview exchange between our artists, which will be followed by a guided tour of the local area taking in spots of interest and perhaps a bagel or two! For more information or to reserve a place, please contact the gallery on 020 7247 1816.