Scream
Scream is a bit different. Nestling amid the luxury car showrooms and the smart art of London’s Mayfair, it is ripped jeans in a sea of suits; rock n’roll at a tea-dance. Vibrant and mercurial, it a gallery that likes to make a noise. Hardly surprising, given its owner: Ronnie Wood, legendary guitarist with the Jeff Beck Group, the Faces and, since 1975, the Rolling Stones.
"I have been passionate about art for as long as I can remember,"says Wood. "I grew up drawing with my brothers, Art and Ted. In fact, those are some of my favourite childhood memories. I followed Art and Ted to art school and my very first job was as a sign-writer."
He later studied woodcut techniques and screen-printing in New York and began showing his work publicly in San Francisco in the 1980s. These days he counts British artists Tracey Emin and Sir Peter Blake among his friends. "I love music and art. They are deeply intertwined and expressions of my creativity. For me, my art and music have always gone together, and I like the two of them going hand in hand,"Wood says. His Stones band-mates feature heavily among his portraits, along with other musicians such as Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Pete Townsend.
Serena Morton, co-curator of Scream, says the gallery is a fusion of fine art and rock n’roll roll spirit. "We’ve tried to inject a bit of fresh air into Mayfair. It’s slightly two fingers up at the establishment."
Scream opened in June with a collection of new paintings by Damian Elwes, whose earlier work in the same series, Artists’ Studios, was received with acclaim in Los Angeles and New York.
Next came work by Wood himself, followed by Sebastian Krüger’s ‘personality portraits’ – stunning, playful depictions of famous faces, such as the craggy, close-up landscape of Keith Richard’s lived-in looks.
But the Scream Team are serious about their art and play down the gallery’s links with the celebrity stratosphere. "We just want a bit of freedom to explore and develop within the market," says Morton. "We like well-crafted, interesting art that has something to say, that is outward-looking into the world rather than just navel-gazing."
The gallery is also keen to promote an eclectic approach that excludes no one. Wood says, "It is so important for all artists, young and old, famous and fresh to be able to be appreciated in an environment that is fun and different and does not feel intimidating or out of reach.’"
Harry Langton, Scream’s co-curator, says that this inclusive philosophy applies both to artists and gallery customers. "As no two artists are the same, so no two buyers are the same. When artists’ works are bought and distributed, they find their own way into so many separate and varied environments." Morton adds that "absolutely everyone" comes to the gallery – young, old, locals, tourists, Stones fans. "That’s what we like – it’s fantastic."
So Scream is nothing if not eclectic and there are no signs that its founder is losing his appetite for either of the twin joys of his life. "I am deeply passionate about what I do,’"says Wood, "and it’s thrilling to be able to share my art in a space we designed to be creative, contemporary and most importantly fun for everyone."
Scream / 34 Bruton Street / London / W1J 6QX Map
www.screamlondon.com www.ronniewood.com
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