'London💜Dick' at Velorose Gallery

'London💜Dick' is the new exhibition by the Loved Collective and is open to view and hear at the Velorose Gallery just along from the Barbican. I saw the last Loved exhibition in Brixton a couple of years ago so it was good to see this updated version, especially when most galleries are still closed. This was my first exhibition since seeing the Titian at the National Gallery on 16 March and it felt good to be seeing real things on real walls again rather than through a computer screen.

It's a small exhibition, with about 15 works on display in the small Velorose gallery but it's good that it's open and showing new works. The publicly displayed images all have the titular genitals covered but if you open the gatefold 'doors' in the exhibition you see the fully naked men. That's a bit odd, particularly given the title of the exhibition, since there are plenty of naked men in art galleriess but it also creates a sense of surprise. What will I see if I open this?

Something I really like is the strapline to the exhibition: 'Heroic stories of passion and acceptance (and dick)'. That creates all sorts of images and possibilities, the struggles some people face to accept who they are and their body shape. These aren't idealised visions of men but men with a bit of weight, hairy, tattoos, in a wheelchair (because some people are), all looking at what 'ordinary' men are like in an honest way. We see the infinite variety of the human (male) body and there's no one size fits all, different shapes and different sizes. And, let's face it, we're all beautiful in our own ways.

The artist is Charlie Hunter and the other half of the collective is Mike Wyeld who creates soundscapes of the stories told by the subjects of the drawings and others who didn't want to be drawn. I really like the simplicity of the drawings, simple but powerful and very distinctive.

If you fancy it, you can send in your own art contributions to be part of the exhibition. Take a look at the website for details - I've sent in two pieces. Details here: http://www.velorose.com

'Loved' at The Department Store, Brixton

'Loved' is an exhibition by illustrator Charlie Hunter and sound designer Mike Wyeld that's touched down at The Department Store exhibition space in Brixton for its London stop.

According to the blurb:

LOVED documents and explores the global phenomenon of the Bear Community, using it as a lens on the LGBTQ+ world – finding global and local incarnations and edges. 

While myths of beauty and ideas around body shape, fitness, even obesity are hotly debated in mainstream culture, some people – including ‘Bears’ – have found acceptance in new movements and set in motion new ideas – they are LOVED. 

It's a collection of three quarter length portraits of men mainly with their kit off (although some are more modest than others).  They're basically large line drawings with colour washes and I think it's that that creates some of the interest. Apparently they're drawn on an iPad rather than paper or canvas which must be a handy way to carry them round and print off when needed. The exhibition also included two large screens with changing quotes about their lives and experiences from the models.

I know that the exhibition is billed as an exploration of 'bear culture' but it made me think of something else, and that's how shy we are of naked men. Even the publicity for this exhibition covers up the mens' bits. Why is it still considered shocking to see a naked man? It reminded me of the Burne-Jones exhibition a couple of miles up the road at Tate Britain and how he got into trouble for daring to show a naked man, genitals and all. When I do life drawing, more often than not the model is female and it's quite rare to get a male model. None of these works are 'rude' at all and we all know what a naked man looks like, so what's the problem? These works aren't of the standard idealised body, these are real men you could see on a bus or train anywhere.

Anyway, it's well worth a visit if you're in the area and The Department Store is just a few minutes walk from Brixton tube station. The show is on until 9 December and admission is free.