Desperate Artists

Who are we: We are an art history graduate and an artist who both want to work in the arts sector but have found it an overcrowded world that does its best to keep out newcomers. This is a real problem for young artists. Young artists often tell us they can’t exhibit their art without compromising their artistic motivations and their original concepts. Many are forced to alter and accommodate their art to fit themes dictated by exhibitions. Up to a point, that’s understandable, but it’s impossible to guess how much good, original, daring work is getting lost as a result, falling between the cracks. This is where the theme of Desperate Artists comes from; young artists need a place where they are united in their struggle, where they are no longer alone, where they have the freedom to make and exhibit their art in the way they feel is best. Desperate Artists will be the home of freedom of expression, an environment where young artists of all types can meet and work and discuss and create together. What it is: A lonely-hearts ad for desperate artists. A satirical take on the difficulty most young artists face in getting their work seen in the early part of their careers. An exhibition where artists can exhibit their work on their own terms, sell it and meet other like-minded creative people. A melting-pot for new ideas: perhaps even the birth of a movement. Why we are doing this: Between us we have a large network of artists and creatives and we want to create a ‘foot in the door’ for them, and for those who come after them, so that they can get into the world of art through talent and not through connections or money. We also want to give the new generation of UK and visiting young artists a voice, a space, a collective identity. We want them to mix and mingle and mash up their ideas and their worldview – so everyone gets better and better. We aim to create a series of events where the ‘Desperate artist seeking…’ something different every time.