Conrad Leach’s latest exhibition, situated in Gauntlett Gallery, moments away from the buzz of Sloane Square, delivers a great sense of British nostalgia and grandeur from the off. On entry, large acrylics adorn the walls, displaying a vibrant, unique and distinguishable style. In his first solo exhibition in nine years, Leach has taken the forgotten past and brought it to the forefront of our minds, using a contemporary artistic style, that he himself labels, ‘Pop’.
On initial glance, the exhibition seems to be one of ‘boys toys of the past’; the Bluebird 301, the spitfire, the Norton Manx motorbike and the Brough Superior (the actual bike takes pride of place in the entrance of the gallery). However, as you weave your way through the gallery, you discover that it is more than this – there are famous faces and events that conjure up a whole host of memories, a compilation of the best of British in the interwar era, some of which have long been forgotten.
At a time when idols were those that risked their lives for the thrill, the question of their own mortality did not seem to enter the equation. Leach broaches this in some of his paintings, one displaying the ‘lucky’ number 13 on the front of a motorbike and another holding a skull in his hands in place of a helmet. It was at this point, on my way through the gallery that his work started to feel particularly significant and increasingly poignant. In light of the untimely deaths in the motor racing industry recently, the thrill of chase from days gone by are not as far away as perhaps we thought and the fragility of life is ever present.
Interestingly the gallery itself caught my eye. As I am led downstairs to see further pieces of work, you step into a cosy country snug – a fireplace, with Winston Churchill staring back at you and a vintage leather sofa, over which hangs a gesticulating, Steve McQueen; the gallery compliments the art work and vice versa. The combination of ideas from Leach and Richard Gauntlett, owner of the gallery, results in an exhibition full of character and a respect for the people and the machines of the 20th Century.
Taking one final look at the ‘indelible’ Union Jack, all in black, I left the gallery feeling pride in my country and those country men of days gone by. The heroic figures that led their lives with such reckless abandon are celebrated in this exhibition.
Leach’s paintings will provide talking points in years to come – however you choose to view them, they certainly represent a Paradise Lost.
Gauntlett Gallery, 90-92 Pimilico Road, London
