For the first time since a small renegade collective of artists known as the Ikonoklast Movement formed in 1989, they will present an exhibition of new works called Future Language of the Ikonoklast opening during Frieze Week.
Formed in 1989, a small collective of renegade artists came together to form the ‘Ikonoklast
Movement’. Future Language of the Ikonoklast presents a series of new work that explores contemporary spray paint practice, and how this medium has directed the artists throughout their diverse careers. The exhibition includes work from original Ikonoklast members and other invited artists, curated by Keith Hopewell and Remi Rough.
About the Ikonoklast Movement
The Ikonoklast Movement, founded in 1989, embodied a new manifesto that escaped the constraints of linear letter/ character compositions directly derivative of N.Y.C. style writing.
This manifesto, while not intending to disrupt the UK graffiti writing community often received a hostile, sometimes violent, reaction from traditional graffiti practitioners. Their response was largely due to the Ikonoklast’s unorthodox spray paint approach.
The ‘Ikonoklast’ title was inspired from the 16th century reformation, a dissolution of tradition, led by Henry VIII. The term also honours the theories of the late N.Y.C. artist Ramm:Ell:Zee, by spelling Ikonoklast with two K’s, replacing the letter C’s, in line with his militarised letter theories.
Founded in the late 1980’s the movement of graffiti ‘style writing’ was in decline. This was largely due to the end of mass transit art in N.Y.C. & the rise of acid house music in the UK. Searching for new ways of working, a small gathering of similarly minded UK & European artists collectively decided to ‘break the rules’ in favour of creating their own autonomous visual language & identities.
Commenting on his involvement Keith Hopewell (Part2ism) said
I always saw spray paint practice as a grass roots DIY movement, so for me it didn’t make sense to continue to replicate an American model which had already come to pass. As a residual minority in the UK, we felt it was a necessity to explore the medium from scratch, utilising this DIY ethos to develop the practice beyond where we found it.
This thrust, in the face of adversity, and at a time when there were no art careers, gallery opportunities, or digital platforms available to young ‘pre-street artists’, created the blueprint for today’s democratic & globally successful street art scene.
From 1989 to 1994, a series of ‘invite only’ events at Bournebrook Recreation Ground in Selle oak, Birmingham UK, allowed the group to experiment & develop new ideas, with few onlookers. Large scale abstraction, drip painting, illustration & photorealism all rendered with automotive car spray paint created monumental and pioneering works, the likes of which hadn’t been seen before. These were executed in a very DIY, lo-fi, punk ethos without any preexisting templates or methodologies.
Remi Rough, speaking about his involvement in the movement said
Being asked to be part of Ikonoklast was a huge thing for me. Coming from London, which came with all kinds of unnecessary baggage was a both a blessing and a curse but being accepted into this collective gave me the confidence to paint whatever I wanted to. The artists within that group helped me grow as a person and as an artist and for that I am forever grateful…
Many of the Ikonoklasts, still maintain their arts practice, on the periphery of popular arts categorisation & art establishments. Alongside the core original members of this seminal & highly influential collective, the exhibition also features work of several internationally known artists. Their influences & approaches can be directly traced to the aftershocks of this tumultuous time or echo a similar trajectory in relation to their use of contemporary technology.
The aim of this exhibition is to illustrate a dialogue between visionaries who both embrace the spray paint medium & those who have abandoned it to explore other materials & methodologies. From work on canvas, to wood, concrete, metal, glass, textile & digital space, this exhibition will transport the viewer across historical timelines, while presenting the unique trajectories of the artists.
Future Language of the Ikonoklast investigates language & its role within the wider practice of these individuals, from type, font, structure & colour, to material, surface, portal, process & conceptual frameworks.
Participating artists
Keith Hopewell, Nikki Goldup, Remi Rough, Stormie Mills, Juice 126, Steve More, Derm, Shok 1, Jason System, Gary Stranger, Will Roids, Faisal Hussain, Oliver Kartak.
Curated by Keith Hopewell and Remi Rough.
Future Language of the Ikonoklast, October 3rd – 7th, Fleet House 8-12 New Bridge Street, London, EC4V 6AL
Private View – Wednesday 2nd October 6PM – 9PM
Ikonoklast Book Launch
Coinciding with the launch of the exhibition, a book, ‘Future Language of the Ikonoklast’ will be published. This documents an era charged with ‘street-art’ politics, decades before the term became the well know catch-cry of the street based works we know today. The publication includes exclusive images that capture the lived experience from those who were highly active in the art of making recalcitrant works, formed on the outskirts of a renegade youth culture.
The book details the history of an undocumented movement, many of its key works, meetings, and culture, spearheaded by a group of likeminded artists, all connected by a revolutionary vision.
The exhibition also offers a programme of informative talks, lectures & live painting throughout its duration, followed by a sonic and sound system event on Saturday 5th October (7PM – Midnight) which connects the influences of the artists & their associates.
