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Camden New Journal - by DAN CARRIER
Published: 31 May 2007

Artists Liberation Front members Gabriella Slattery, Frederic Anicet, Elizabeth Norden, Vioncent Bkick and Joelle Ferly at the former Cavours store

THEIR WORK’S FOR SALE – BUT ARTISTS WON’T SELL OUT!

ARTISTS sick of being exploited by unscrupulous galleries have founded a new group to turn the tables on the experts who tell them what to paint and then charge astronomical sales fees for selling their work.
The Highgate-based collective, who call themselves the Artists Liberation Front, opened their first exhibition this week in a disused shop and say their scheme will change the way art is bought and sold.
Founded by figurative painter Gabriella Slattery, the group have set up a temporary exhibition in the former Cavours hardware store in Swains Lane.
Cavours closed in March and has been empty while landlord the Earl of Listowel considers bids. In a victory for a campaign led by 11 civic groups, the shop is due to reopen in the coming weeks as another independent hardware store run by Jed Beardmore, who manages Goodwoods in nearby Junction Road.
But while it remains empty, Gabriella, who lives on the neighbouring Holly lodge, approached the landlord and asked permission to use the space to showcase her own and friends’ work.
Ms Slattery, who studied art in Australia, said she had met many painters, sculptors and photographers whose pieces were worth exhibiting – but had been put off by the way the art galleries ran their businesses.
She said: “To produce an exhibition you have to pay the gallery huge fees before they even think about it. Then you get hustled by middle men who try to take control of your work.
“We wanted people to have the chance to see the pieces in a live situation.”
The gallery will be open each night until Goodwoods moves in.
Visit www.artworklondon .com

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I worked at Cavours in the '60's and visited Jeffrey & Elaine Lever the owners a few years back. They owned the shop nearly 50years. I recently wrote a story about the shop and the Russian spies that used to come into it from the Trade delegation up Highgate West Hill.
Arnold Levine