Behind closed doors is a group exhibition that brings together some of London’s most talented visual artists.  All artists are based at the Blackhorse Lane Studios in Walthamstow, E17. This is a rare opportunity to see an exhibition that brings together all the studio artists in one show.

Neil Irons, who developed the title for the exhibition, curates the show by selecting some of the best and most interesting work that each artist has created over the last 18 months. Neil explains that the idea behind the exhibition is to explore our own sense of privacy by revealing what the studio artist get up to behind closed doors, in this case the studio doors. Although the artist might share a common space they tend to work independently from each other only sharing their thoughts and ideas when the work is complete. Irons states that, "It wasn’t my intention to fit artworks into a theme more a desire to see what if any similarities of intention were to be found in the artists working at Blackhorse Lane studios and where our differing approaches might lead. As I went around visiting the artists in their studios looking for works to select for this show I was carrying notions of privacy, intimacy and exclusion.
The artworks are quite separate, different works each reflecting their originators concerns and practice".

Franki Austin - Julie Caves - Elizabeth de Monchaux - Francesco de Manincor - Duncan Evans - Pauline Evans - Charlotte Gerard - Jonet Harley-Peters - Denise Hickey - Charlotte Hodes - Neil Irons - Tam Joseph - Matthew Krishanu - Valerie Large - Jean-Pierre Mas - Helen Maurer - Katrin Mäurich - Lucile Montague - Jonathan O'Dea - Michelle Reader - Daniels Rizzi - William Stok - Sandie Sutton - Barry Sykes -
Curator Neil Irons -

Julie Caves´ first major solo exhibition presents work from the past two years, celebrating beauty and its many juxtapositions: work and play, nature and synthesis, life and death. Caves has sensitively curated a largely site-specific show comprising of Colourist painting, sculpture and installation.

What are you looking at?
The artist peers at you on a huge scale, an intriguing look, wondering who you might be, and why you’re here at all. This close cropped self-portrait mirrors how you might feel about this show, huge eyes full of Curiosity. This show is all about that fascinating conundrum that will endlessly be debated in pubs and cafes all around the world: what is art?

Art, to Julie Caves, is all around us. There´s a fine line between a work of art and the art of nature, and she is constantly walking the tightrope between the two. This is most notably seen in her large window paintings, where she has created a series of works of views through windows, either panes in view so the window is quite apparent, and in other compositions no pane is shown so the work resembles and references traditional landscape painting. Reminiscent of Gary Hume’s enamel Door Paintings from the mid-90s, instead of confronting us with a barrier to a world beyond, Caves’ windows invite us to explore that same world, and realise it really is quite beautiful.

The exhibition is located a 5-minutes walk from the Frieze Art Fair.

Julie Caves -