Ben Eastham introduces the Hannah Barry gallery in Peckham.
Occupying an old grain warehouse behind Peckham’s bustling Rye Lane, and identified only by a simple, austere sign, is the Hannah Barry Gallery.
James Balmforth, Failed Obelisk
The gallery was founded by Hannah Barry and Sven Mündner, who perceived in a group of Peckham-based artists the potential for greatness. Growing out of an exhibition space on Lyndhurst Way established by resident artists Bobby Dowler and Shaun McDowell, the gallery has built upon an atmosphere of collaborative community among young artists in the south east.
Hannah Barry says that the gallery was “founded with a very simple idea at its core: to promote the progress of the very best new artists by making in-depth solo exhibitions”.
She describes the determination of the gallery to support the development of young artists by providing a platform for the exhibition of their works, as well as an atmosphere in which they are able to discuss and build upon their own ideas, passions and practices.
Sven says that the gallery distinguishes itself from other institutions by actively working with the artist through every stage of his or her practice. This close collaboration means that the gallery “intuitively understands the direction of the body of works and is able to tailor the exhibition design accordingly”.
The cavernous space occupied by the gallery has been ingeniously employed: the erection of temporary walls means that the space is re-imagined to suit the demands of each exhibition. Each artist is provided with a space uniquely suited to his or her work.
The emphasis is not on the creation of a South London ‘movement’ but rather on encouraging the development of talented individuals. Consequently the work exhibited is wildly eclectic, ranging from the beautiful brutalism of James Capper’s functional, industrial machinery to the hallucinatory, dreamlike paintings of Nathan Cash, with everything in-between.
Sculpture by Hannah Barton and Xavier Poultney
The work is characterised by a belief in the capacity of art to excite and affect the most diverse of audiences.
Hannah and Sven have gathered a team of young, talented and passionate people, each responsible for some aspect of the gallery’s operation. Together they have brought the attention of the national and international art world to the neglected south east.
The gallery’s audacious debut at the Venice biennale, with the ‘Peckham Pavilion’, drew widespread praise for its boldness and daring. Hannah’s statement to members of the international press puzzled by the exhibition’s name that Venice is “just like Peckham”, and it was for this reason that the gallery had decided to visit, has passed into gallery legend.
A further sign of the gallery’s ambition, and its commitment to the local area, is evident in the sculpture park erected at the beginning of the summer on the roof of Peckham’s multi-storey car park. The monumental sculpture garden, complemented by the pop-up bar and restaurant ‘Frank’s Café’, gained much coverage in the national press.
Sven tells me says that trying the establishment of a great gallery south of the river is like looking at a painting by Georg Baselitz – it seems to be hung the wrong way up. The Hannah Barry Gallery is succeeding in its stated aim of turning the London art scene upside down.
Images: Thanks to the Hannah Barry Gallery, from the rooftop gallery sculpture park.
More DOV articles about the Hannah Barry Gallery:
A Loo with a View and a Cafe too
Shimmering Colours Lighten the Hannah Barry Gallery
Gareth Cadwallader, a DPG attendent, had a one man show at the Hannah Barry Gallery
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