Review Feature: Roll up roll up | The Circus of Life

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

The Review - FEATURE
Published: 20 November 2008

Time please: John Afflick’s Last Orders

Roll up, roll up for the Circus of Life

WELL it’s not Turner prize, certainly, but John Afflick has an intriguing solo show The Circus of Life at the Gallery Kaleidoscope.
The gallery’s founder, Karl Barrie, says of Afflick: “His subject matter may be labelled as complex by some, too spiritual for a broad public by others, but this man can paint.”
His pictures portray religious set-pieces in a circus-style setting and they are full of colourful haunting humour and provocation.
“He creates honestly with a disregard for commercial fashion and in so doing stands well among the successful modernists,” adds Barrie. “When God Created Adam” is a child winding up a toy robot as he constructs it – and lubricates it with 3-in-one oil.
“Last Orders” sees the strong man ringing the bell in a bar serving, among other things, 3-in-one draught beer as the clock ticks round to 11 o’clock. Plenty of trinity visual
jokes here.
Afflick is a former soldier who was shortlisted for the Not the Turner Prize four years ago and who recently supplied a 15ft Altar Frontal for the Church of the Holy Innocents in Hammersmith.
• The Circus of Life is at the Gallery Kaleidoscope,
64 Willesden Lane, NW6. Tuesday to Saturday 10-6pm; late night Thursday
1-7.30pm. Opening tomorrow (Friday) until January 7

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment:

» Exhibition Listings
» Exhibition Tickets