Reviewed: Joe Loughborough, ‘The Anatomy of Strangers’
Who: Joe Loughborough
What: ‘The Anatomy of Strangers’
Where: Old Vic Tunnels, London
Joe Loughborough spent the last 12 months living in self-imposed exile in Paris for this show. The culmination is the depths of his soul, confessions, sins and desires turned out from the inside for all to see. The works are impressive in both form and contour, which is what Loughborough had purposefully dropped his usual colourful palette for.
Lines of graphite and charcoal and negative lines, caused purposefully by an eraser, vividly transport the contents of Loughborough’s mind to paper.
The works are intense, fuelled with emotion and express Loughborough’s personal confrontation with the human condition. It is these qualities which the viewer is drawn to, allowing each work to secure one’s undivided attention until each part of the picture has been visually explored.
Loughborough’s works are not dissimilar to that of Antony Micallef’s, harbouring a similar form of expression and an unearthing of the deepest dark stuff. Large scale portraits confirm his talent for realism but whilst smaller framed works in pencil impress, they do not do half the job of delivering Loughborough’s entire ego, id and everything in between, which the large scale graphite and charcoal works do so incredibly.
Loughborough will be drawing live at the Old Vic Tunnels on Saturday 16th June from midday. Open to the public.
A limited edition print (edition of 20) ‘Toward the Infinite’ is to be released in conjunction with organisers of the show, The Future Tense, by Thumbprint Editions.
