Review of Beardism, published 30th October 2008.
Abraham Lincoln had a beard, I don't know much else about him and I didn't know much about Beardism until I went to an invited gathering to see the latest collection of work at the Crompton Tavern in Derby.
As I walked into the Crompton I was struck with the number of people and the vibrancy of the colour of the work. It's not often these days that you walk into a pub with so many people in such good frames of mind and spirit. The atmosphere generated a lot of positive energy in me.
Walking around looking at the work I got a sense of individuals coming together to put work on a wall. I spoke to some members of Beardism, to discover that in their words "it's a revival of something from a much older time". I wasn't really any wiser about Beardism. I had had it confirmed that if you have a beard and you make work, you can put it on the wall.
In this current time of political and economical doubt anywhere that encourages activity and display, has to be applauded. In conversations about display there were references to certain other ways of displaying work being prescriptive, corportised and quite dull.
In conversations about the work, it became obvious that there was a freedom of choice and an in-clusional attitude towards putting work on the wall. In those same conversations I learnt that there was a non-displaying member of the group over seeing the choices of work who in another circle would be called a curator.
The Crompton has been filled with a diverse range of work and I personally have never seen that much work in the Crompton Tavern before. The downside of placing work by the pool table is that the work is a little under lit. There was an assurance that miners' helmets with lights have been ordered to permit viewing those pieces of work in the evenings. I felt reassured to hear this.
So as to who can be in the Beardism movement, well basically anyone. Just don an Abraham Lincoln beard and you're away seemed to be the message.
Beardism at the Crompton Tavern, Crompton Street, DERBY until 16th November, featuring the work of Ali powers, Matt Chell, Liam Sharpe, Adam Dutton & Chris Tree.
Review written by Andrew Martyn Sugars.
