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Elise Buddle outside The Calthorpe Arms with her work inspired by pubs |
Fine ales, fine art: painter’s work set to spruce up pubs
Graduate calls for better use of ‘gallery space’ as she prepares to display pieces in watering holes
A PAINTER is urging pubs to better utilise their “gallery space” and wants licen-sees to remove what she describes as “Ikea art”.
If the term “pub art” conjures up images of dogs playing poker and sub-Rothko wine bar prints, 23-year-old painter Elise Buddle intends to change all that.
From December, the recent graduate from the Slade School of Fine Art will be sprucing up watering holes across the borough with her own colourful artwork, based on memories of her favourite Camden pubs, including the Dublin Castle and The O Bar.
First stop is The Calthorpe Arms in Holborn on December 6.
Elise said: “If you go into most pubs in Camden you’ll find a lot of stuff on the walls just to make the place more homely, but I think we should have more personal, interesting examples up there.
“It’s a great place for art.”
Elise, who lived in St Augustine’s Road until last month, believes both artists and the public would benefit from more exhibition space in drinking establishments.
She said: “We should broaden the spectrum of how people can get into art.
“It’s difficult for small artists to get into the art world and many people think modern art is out of their reach, but if it was introduced into local places we could make it more accessible.”
Emphasising the access issue, the pieces of art displayed will also be on sale for affordable prices.
Elise says she wants to go one step further than the “gallery feature” and make the art “part of its environment”.
She said: “There is a distinct character to every pub. If that can be enhanced by art then that’s a good thing, but there’s a lot of Ikea art that modernises pubs without bringing any character.
“The work is about the pub environment and the people who frequent it, so it’s almost like an installation.
“The show will change for each pub so that it reflects the character of that particular place.”
With her sights set on a different pub every month, it looks as if Camden drinkers may soon have culture coming out of their ears, not to mention another good reason to go to the pub. |
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