Hard Candy
Opening event: Friday 24 May, 6 – 8pm
‘I don’t want realism. I want magic!’ cries Blanche DuBois the flawed heroine of Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire.
In this exhibition, which is named for a Tennessee Williams short story, seven artists muse on Williams, his works, characters and companions. Williams was born in Mississippi in the American South, and his work is infused with the febrile atmosphere of this region. In this translocation to the cooler climes of East London, Williams’ themes of social niceties, sexual encounters, fragile mental health and magic, still resonate.
The exhibition is accompanied by the Tennessee Williams issue of the art fanzine Arty, which will be launched at the opening with readings by the Mississippi-born actor and director, Jaclyn Bethany.
Exhibiting artists include Lucy Cade, Jennifer Caroline Campbell (SPACE artist), Rosemary Cronin, Cathy Lomax (SPACE artist), Gavin Maughfling, Alex Michon, and Paul Murphy (SPACE artist).