WOW NOW at Shoreditch Underground

The question of whether Shoreditch really needs another art gallery is one that is soon answered with a resounding ‘yes’ when you walk through the doors of the former Shoreditch Underground station, into the aptly retitled ‘Shoreditch Underground’ gallery. Complete with Transport for London signage, the space consists of two main areas; (what I imagine was) the former ticket hall and a cavernous open air space below complete with the soundtrack of passing trains from the neighbouring overground station.

Despite the amount of time Londoners spend underground it is hard to visualise what an underground station looks like when stripped back and given a new purpose besides transporting sweaty strangers around a city but, as it turns out, they are quite resourceful spaces. With a seating area built along one side we are given, correct me if I’m wrong, Shoreditch’s first art amphitheatre.

The result is a space not unlike one of those outdoor galleries one might find in East Berlin – rather apt considering Shoreditch Underground’s inaugural group exhibition WOW NOW showcases the best in international graffiti and urban art.

WOW NOW brings together ten international emerging artists, including some homegrown talent in the shape of Sid One, Ben Weller and curator and gallery owner, Alex Daw, in an exhibition designed to inject rebellion, modernity and neon and prove these artists deserve anything but to be kept underground.

Inspirations are drawn from everything from art history as ZTY 82 reinterprets classic portraiture with neon, to comic books, drugs, music and modern fashion culture, as in Alex Daw and Ben Weller’s ingeniously decoupaged copy of hipster mag Wonderland.

Mixed media doesn’t really do justice to the wide range of styles included in this show, a refreshing change from all too thematic group shows, with amalgamations of sculptured paint, sculpture, collage, photography and even (remote) live installations. Austrian collective, Perfekt Device create a crowd-sourced painting where viewers are able to interact with the artists via webcam in Vienna to influence what they paint by simply typing a word into the laptop.

Representing the UK, Sid One’s simple black and white photographs are struck with slicks of neon paint creating striking and effective portraits while American artist Ted Riederer adds a new dimension to vinyl record art creating unique skull sculptures from melted records. Renowned graffiti artist and Saatchi favourite, James Jessop, contributes a typically luminous and giant pop culture homage, Beauty and the Beast, a sleazy horseback image reminiscent of cheap paperback romance re-imagined through spray paint.

The works are twisted and garish, but still accessible reflecting the vibrancy and enthusiasm of youth culture but also the talents of these emerging artists as they strive to capture the essence of contemporary society in their art. Putting the ‘wow’ into the ‘now’, if you will.

While WOW NOW is only stopping at Shoreditch station for a relatively short time, the exhibition will begin a tour of other European Capitals throughout the year, spreading the talents of these urban artists and perhaps picking up a few along the way.

WOW NOW is on until 12 June at:

Shoreditch Underground
Pedley Street
Shoreditch
E1 EW5