Alexander James, the British-born multimedia artist known for his abstract takes on everyday life, is hosting his latest solo exhibition titled “Tuck Shop For The Wicked” at Marlborough London. Featuring eight new works, each created in his easily recognisable, bright, and evocative style, the exhibition is set to stay open from the 23rd September – 16th November.
“Tuck Shop For The Wicked” is exactly how it sounds: a sweet, sickly treat with references to James’ own family, memories, and emotions in candy-sized bites throughout his eight works. In fact, family plays a substantial role in the collection of works, as Alexander James was inspired by his grandfather, Henry Kaminsky’s infamous “Tuck Shop” in East London, resulting in the exhibition’s namesake.
This reference to candy-wrapped memories is seen in James’ multi-media approach to his craft, blending vibrant, warm brushstrokes and abstracted figures with physical material references such as family letters and photos, found memorabilia and ancient artefacts. James slathers canvases with a mix of his own perspective of memories and emotions as well as physical pieces of them.
Alexander James said of the exhibition that: “These paintings are a hybrid of details, focusing on the manoeuvres and antics that occurred during a timeline of owning this ‘Tuck Shop’ a modified word I’ve used to relate it to my own sweet tooth fascination, looking at transpired events filled with love, affairs, arguments, and business deals. Stripping it down to the bare minimum, exposing elements which can get left behind. How would the candy selection respond if woken at night to find a couple going at it.”
The selection of works featured in “Tuck Shop For The Wicked” are a portrayal of childhood blurred by time, memories tinted with subsequent emotion, and moments passed down from past generations. There are fingerprints left on James’ work, a nod to experiences we’ve never had as viewers but that can be easily unwrapped by looking long enough at the canvas. Don’t miss Alexander James’ “Tuck Shop For The Wicked” exhibition at Marlborough London, free to hit up anytime between September 22nd to November 16th.
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