A Brush With Burlesque is a brand new exhibition in London featuring British-based artists who currently paint or illustrate the vibrant British burlesque scene.
A Brush With Burlesque Exhibition in London
It arrives on 3rd May 2012 at East Gallery in East London. One half of burlesque event organisers, Sarah Bell of ‘Kinky & Quirky’, is also one of the creative minds behind it. She spoke to us all about the London art gallery.
How did the exhibition in London come about? My husband is a painter and has painted lots of burlesque performers but he found it hard to get exhibited so the initial idea was hatched last year and we began the process of writing proposals and gallery hunting in the Autumn.
Was it easy to put together? Actually it was easy. We knew the artists we wanted to have involved and they all jumped at the opportunity. We approached Chaz Royal as we wanted to do at the same time as the World Burlesque Games and he was enthusiastic as were the galleries. It was then just a question of us working out how we would fund it and choosing the right gallery.
What can we expect from the exhibition in London? Each artist is at different points in their careers but has the same passion for the scene and the range of artists is varied. The collection reflects the diverse events in towns and cities across the UK and the energy, the costumes and the nuances of individual performers are portrayed with a genuine love for the genre and a generous dollop of insider knowledge.
Which burlesque dancers are featured? We are trying to keep this under wraps as much as possible – in true burlesque style – the reveal will come at the end! However we can tell you that the big British names will be there but so will the lesser known, upcoming, exciting performers.
What are the highlights? I think there will be some amazing images and the most exciting thing is that this is the first exhibition of its kind in London. It will be a real reflection of a varied burlesque scene.
What has been the reaction from the burlesque community? The reaction so far has been enthusiastic. We went live earlier this week and have had lots of great comments. It will take awhile for it to filter down we think but hopefully everyone will accept this exhibition for what it is which is a real celebration of a community that, as artists, we are part of.
Find out more about A Brush With Burlesque and more about Kinky and Quirky.
Burlexe is a sensational London burlesque show inspired by the women who created the genre and perform the art. It fuses burlesque performance with storytelling, dancing with acting.
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(Main image from The Tassel Club)
