I don’t think I ever thought that on a random Thursday night I could head out after work and walk to a gallery (Newport Street Gallery) owned by the UK’s richest living artist (Damien Hirst) for an opening night of their newest exhibition
Ok, the exhibition was curated by his son with work from his father’s personal collection but still. When that collection includes work by so many prominent 20th and 21st century artists you know it’s going to be worth checking out.
Newport Street Gallery opened in 2015 in the back streets of Lambeth, just a stone’s throw from the river Thames. Converted from three workshop buildings built in the early 1900s, the gallery is used to display exhibitions from Hirst’s personal collection and is free to visit.
His work may be considered controversial and some of his practices may be questioned by many, but you can’t question the success he’s had since he first emerged onto the UK art scene in the late 1980s as one of the Young British Artists, alongside the likes of Tracey Emin, Gary Hume and Sarah Lucas.
When so much art is bought by individuals solely for their own personal pleasure or simply to be able say they own it, the fact that Hirst has chosen to invest in a place to share his personal collection with the public, for free, speaks volumes about his love of art and making it accessible to all.
The building itself is fantastic, a great canvas to display a wide range of art. I’ve been to many exhibitions there over the years, all of which I would’ve recommended to others. From Jeff Koons: Now in 2016 to Brian Clarke: A Great Light which closed in January, the exhibitions have provided an opportunity to see a wide range of art from a very eclectic collection.
The new exhibition Dominion, which officially opens tomorrow, includes pieces by Banksy, Francis Bacon, Sarah Lucas and Jeff Koons among many more. The infamous piece of Myra Hindley by Marcus Harvey greets you as you enter the first room.
The place was packed this evening with as wide a range of people taking in the art as the range of art on display. I’ll admit it’s not my favourite exhibition I’ve been to there, but it’s an interesting selection of work by artists you probably wouldn’t normally see side by side.
We walked out into the sunny but cool evening with free posters of the exhibition and popped to a pub for drinks and dinner before continuing our wander home.
I’ll get round to sharing some pictures at some point, probably when I go back to enjoy the art when it’s a bit quieter. I’ll try not to leave it until the last minute like I do with most exhibitions but it’s on until 1 September so I’ve got time.