Exhibition: By a Click of Paint

This week in the Arts Space, was a very familiar SHOP-face indeed ... Brett Atkinson, one half of SHOP and a Director of the CIC.  You may have read in the last newsletter, that Brett and Jayne both decided to put their money where their mouths were, when saying art and creativity should be a universal pursuit ... so, they're trying things on the 'other side' of SHOP by having an exhibition each in the Arts Space this July.

Brett was first up with 'By a Click of Paint' and here's what he had to say about it, on his own website, Bifurcated:

“That’s not art!” You might be screaming at the computer screen. “That’s just stuff done on Paint – really badly!” Or “They look more like terrible football parodies that everyone who thinks they’re funny does?!” All of which are valid observations.


My art work, in all its incarnations (it hasn’t always looked like this) has always been about questioning the way art communicates via its “own” verbal and non-verbal language; about its context, and about its inherent snobbery. The central theme being our relatedness. I’m very interested in how people don’t want to share things; they want things all to themselves. When they do choose to share, it’s with those who already share the same narrow viewpoint.


The parallels between art and football, with regards to language, context, snobbery and relatedness, are why I’m interested in combining the two. Although that’s not to say these parallels are specific to these particular institutions. I have been a student of both for a long time, so feel qualified to express a legitimate opinion on both; that’s my start point.


It’s about football, but it’s not about football. The subject matter could be anything, but the subject matter couldn’t be anything else either. My favourite fable is, The Emporer’s New Clothes. I also believe the pursuit of perceived perfection to be, in general, a narcissistic one.


I can’t guarantee any of the above won’t be sacrificed for the sake of a pun or punchline. What? I’m an Artist – your rules don’t apply.

Below is how the show looked through the medium of Paint and then in reality.

He then added to it…