Smudge Gallery - East London

On my way to another student show last weekend, I was sidetracked by a small gallery just outside Spitalfields Market in East London. One step above a hole in the wall, Smudge Gallery couldn’t be more than 1000 square feet spread over two levels with one extremely steep staircase. We’re not talking Bond Street here, but rather London’s trendy east end, home of the local contemporary art scene. The gallery specializes in mounted photo art and posters provided by their own group of photographers. The images are young, edgy, and definitely geared towards pop culture favorites. Images of graffiti (including those done by London based graffiti artist Banksy), neon signs, and cars dominate the photographs covering the walls. The result is artwork that is accessible to the smallest of budgets and newest of collectors. For example, the prints come in many different sizes and the prices range from as low as £30 to a whopping £80. Depending on your mood, the images can be printed on wood blocks, aluminum, and canvas.

I have been collecting art for over ten years and do not consider myself a snob when it comes to my own collection. If I love the work and can’t live without it, it doesn’t make a difference if the gallery or artist is famous or a virtual unknown. While I thought about buying a few of the photos at Smudge, I couldn’t help but speculate: what would stop me from doing this myself? After all, there was a store across the street that mounted photos on poster board and canvas for you while you waited! While I normally hate this line of “why should I pay for that when my four year old does the same thing in kindergarten" conversation, I actually (shamefully) caught myself feeling like that. I am not an artist, but I have some amazing photographs from my honeymoon in Africa. Why not pick out four or so and have them mounted across the street? Would I like the work as much if it wasn't bought at a gallery? Would they feel more special and unique hanging on my wall if there weren't so many exact copies in existence? Would I feel the same if the process wasn't so transparent?

I ended up not buying any of the photos that day. Not because I thought I could do it better myself, but more because I couldn't decide which works to buy. In a perfect world, you buy a piece of art because you are drawn to it, appreciate it, and want to surround yourself with it everyday. Not solely because you couldn’t paint it, sculpt it, or photograph it yourself. It is in this case that I listen to my inner voice and realize that if I don't love anything enough to live without it, I am not going to buy it. No matter how affordable it is. Besides, if I find myself still thinking about any of the works, I can rest assured that the piece (or one of hundreds of mounted copies) would still be there in the future. Check out the Smudge Gallery at www.spitalfieldsartmarket.co.uk.