After All…

Cathy Simpson refreshes her knowledge of art history at ‘After’, an exhibition of the work of Michael Madden at the Weekend Gallery.

At first glance, entering this exhibition feels like going into a small gallery of Old Masters.  At first glance, these paintings and sculptures seem familiar – and then you realise they most certainly are not!  The artist has taken well known paintings, made them his own – hence the exhibition’s title – and entirely subverted their messages in a humorous, thought-provoking way.

The seminal ‘Adam and Steve’ which announces the show was inspired by a comment made by a Church of England cleric on the subject of same sex civil partnerships:  “If God had meant men to marry men, he would have created Adam and Steve”.

I wonder if it was the same clergyman who announced that “If God had intended us to run around with no clothes on, we’d all be born naked” – but I digress.

We should also remember the wonderful Lucas Cranach whose work has been parodied, and the original can be viewed here.

The imitation is so perfect that it takes a little while to register the deception!

Michael Madden learned his painterly and sculptural crafts firstly whilst working as an apprentice to a specialist decorator, and then on a restoration course where he started his love affair with woodcarving.  The consummate skill and understanding of materials shines out from every single piece; whether painting or sculpture, the execution is breathtaking.

A case in point is the majestic ‘The Almighty Cheeseburger and Fries’:

This reminds me of some of Banksy’s work, where classic piece and icon of modern consumer society combine to make a powerful statement – but this instance of Flemish-altarpiece-meets-Ronald-McDonald is all the more personal because we know that Michael Madden’s hand has lovingly uncovered every fold and twist in this sculpture.  The intimacy is palpable.

Other classic themes are brought up to date in smaller pieces which he describes as ‘little lies’, where natural forms are given titles like ‘Bad Apple’ and ‘Fig Face’.  But I won’t be giving you a picture here – because you really need to see this exhibition for yourself, admire the workmanship and smile at the wit and humour.

As tantalizing as the apple which seduced Adam and Steve.

‘After’ continues until July 15

The Weekend Gallery, 86 High Street, Hastings, East Sussex  TN35 3ES
Opening Times: Wed–Sun 11am–5pm
Tel: 01424 719296

More information at The Weekend Gallery website

Also in: Visual Arts