It’s no secret that in the face of social upheaval and political strife, creativity blossoms. People all over the world have frequently shown that in tough times, freedom can lie in the flash of a tongue, the quiver of a pen or the flick of a paintbrush. Indeed, when we struggle to find a voice, art is frequently the vessel used to fight oppression — stirring up perceptions, offering clarity and providing a platform to address the frustration that simmers unspoken. All these emotions are visible in Can I Get A Slice?, an exhibition currently running at Atom Gallery in Stoke Newington.
Owned and run by print artists, Mark Perronet and Richard Pendry, Atom Gallery is a diminutive space specialising in limited edition prints of varying kinds. Open since 2016, supporting both emerging and established artists lies at the gallery’s core, and so too does the idea that art should be available to everyone. “Our ethos is that art should be affordable,” Perronet explains. “The whole point of print making is that you create an edition of a certain number so that each one can be sold for less than the original. It’s like street art, which is very much for the people.”
In tough times, freedom can lie in the flash of a tongue, the quiver of a pen or the flick of a paintbrush
It’s with this in mind that Can I Get A Slice? was launched. Inspired by a John Tombstone engraved pizza box that Perronet first spotted on Instagram and subsequently bought before hanging in the gallery’s downstairs toilet, it set off a train of thought that led to the inception of the exhibition. The pair decided to invite a series of artists to create a piece of work using a pizza box as the canvas, and once sold 25% of the sale price would be donated to Hackney Foodbank, part of the Trussell Trust, which does such a tremendous job helping those in the local area.
“We emailed about 70 artists and the vast majority came back and said they’d love to do it,” says Perronet. “In the end, we almost had more work than we were able to show.” The result is a collection of almost 90 works from some of the UK’s most auspicious talent, featuring domestic scenes courtesy of artists like Tinsel Edwards, print infused portraits from revered street artist, Donk, and a typically political montage from Wefail — though this was a prevalent theme throughout. “There are a some people who wouldn’t normally do political work but because of the nature of the topic their work became political,” Pendry affirms. “There were a couple of artists who really surprised us.”
A collection of almost 90 works from some of the UK’s most auspicious talent
Rob Ryan is one obvious example. A visual artist famed for his heartwarming and accessible paper cut prints, his pizza box comments on the darkness surrounding the international arms trade and society’s ability to switch off from the sordid at will. “This often happens when the political situation gets a bit desperate,” muses Perronet. “People have a lot to say. It’s quite an exciting time for street art because of that. I wish it wasn’t in a way, but people feel frustrated not having their voice heard and art becomes the outlet for that.”
It’s in this way of course, that the production of art is able to keep challenging the status quo, something that becomes a natural byproduct of exhibitions like Can I Get A Slice? “We like to think of ourselves as a gallery with social conscience because we’re not separate to what’s going on out there — we see it, we live it,” explains Pendry. “There are a lot of artists who are constantly finding a different way to make a statement, who are pushing boundaries, and we see it as part of our role to give them a platform.”
In doing so, many artists have been able to use Atom Gallery as a springboard to a wider, international audience. Former exhibitors include the likes of Darren Cullen, Joy Miessi, Naomi Edmondson and Carl Stimpson, who’ve all gone on to make seismic waves on the scene. “Art is at the forefront and always has been,” says Perronet. “It drives imagination, it drives fashion, it drives advertising, and that’s because it’s made by an individual with no censorship and no corporate body telling them what to do.” In an uncertain age, we need galleries like Atom more than ever.
Can I Get A Slice? is open until 23 November at Atom Gallery.
