Spectrum Fine Art – the West End gallery committed to showcasing the work of the very best graduates from the leading London Art Schools alongside established greats presents The Kiss exhibition, running from Valentine’s Day to Monday 28th February 2005 at Spectrum Fine Art, 77 Great Titchfield Street, London W1. Originally conceived by the curator Robin Dutt at the West Soho Gallery in 1994, The Kiss concept has grown over time, developing to incorporate a number of artists who work in all manners of stylistic and technical disciplines.

The Kiss has been an important event on the London Gallery circuit for 15 years and after a year’s absence, the exhibition at Spectrum Fine Art will present many generations of artists, each with their own interpretation of The Kiss. A descendant of Indian-born Victorian poet Manmohan Ghose and the philosopher Sri Aurobindo, and a staple of the UK social circuit, Robin Dutt is a veritable master of all trades and a jack of none having been art critic, curator, author and advisor for over a decade, working for BBC Radio, Granada, The Independent, London Evening Standard and Mayfair Life to name but a few. Dutt believes that “The Kiss is an arena of possibilities where nothing is expected, but everything is accepted” and his famous show duly poses the question - what is The Kiss and why does it continue to fascinate, madden, sadden, create or destroy?

The Kiss is a gesture that can unlock the artist’s imagination, providing them with a challenge that is universal, but inherently self-referential and it is this broad scope of the subject matter and inspiration that leads to the unexpected mix of art commissioned for the show.

The artwork displayed at The Kiss at Spectrum Fine Art ranges from Helmut Newton’s provocative images to Rosemary Masson’s charcoal representations of three types of kiss – the kiss between lovers, between mother and child and between two siblings. Ian Brice subverts the partnership of the kiss, presenting a scene that is sheer narcissism whilst Andrew Flint Shipman entangles the kiss in symbolic fruits and flowers, mixed with the human form.

The Kiss at Spectrum Fine Art, despite opening on Valentine’s Day, is anything but saccharine and frowns upon cellophane-strangled roses and sentimentally bereft cards. Instead, the theme is a deconstruction of what is traditionally considered as a romantic gesture, challenging the whole notion of Valentine’s Day.

Artists include:

Helmut Newton
Edward Collet
Gilbert & George
Duggie Fields
Stuart Buchanan
Denis Bowen
Sebastian Horsely
Jonathan Root
Rosemary Masson
Cleo Mussi
Jason Brooks
Dianne Kaufman
Sam St. Leger
Sarah Jeffries

The Kiss opens to the public on 15th February 2005 with a private view on Valentine’s Day

www.spectrumlondon.co.uk

Gallery Phone – 020 7637 7778

Spectrum Fine Art
77 Great Titchfield Street
London W1
(nearest tubes – Gt. Portland St., Goodge St., Oxford Circus)

Opening hours are 10 - 6 Monday - Friday, Saturday by appointment