THE CONNOR BROTHERS (BRITISH 1968-) §
I TRIED TO DROWN MY SORROWS - 2021
£2,520
Contemporary & Post-War Art // Prints & Multiples
Auction: Contemporary & Post-War Art: 11 January 2023 | From 10:00
Description
Hand-coloured pigment print with acrylic and oil stick, SP 1/5, signed, dated and numbered in pencil to margin, signed to an artist's label verso
Dimensions
the sheet 100cm x 68 cm (39.5in x 26.75in)
Provenance
Provenance:
To be offered to support The House of St Barnabas (Registered Charity 207242)
Based in a Grade 1 listed townhouse in Soho, The House of St Barnabas has helped Londoners affected by homelessness since 1862. In 2013 the building became a members’ club with a difference; combining a not-for-profit creative and cultural space at No. 1 Greek Street with an Employment Academy for people affected by homelessness. Participants learn their craft in front of house, in the kitchen, the bar, or in the charity’s offices: since opening, 254 participants have graduated from the 12-week programme, many of which have secured lasting employment after graduation.
The House of St Barnabas’ cultural events, music, and the generosity of members are key to the success of the charity, but the building also showcases work by both established and emerging contemporary artists. The permanent collection of visual art includes the works of Banksy and Tracey Emin alongside a programme of temporary exhibitions supporting emerging artists.
The House have kindly been donated 11 works for sale, ranging from sculpture to paintings to support the charity's work. Most of the pieces have been donated by the artists themselves or by the galleries who represent them. Below we take a closer look at the works featuring in our January 2023 sale.
2023 is the year of the house’s 10th anniversary. With your support and dedication, the charity hopes to continue to break the cycle of homelessness.
Footnote
Note: It is the paradox of art that artifice is often the best way to depict reality, fiction the best way to challenge conventional ideas of what we think of as ‘the truth’. Most people are happy to think that this is the way it is. But it really isn’t. Who knows the truth of anything? - Mike Snelle
This obsession with truth and fiction is the golden thread that runs throughout the life and work of The Connor Brothers and is particularly relevant in the current climate of fake news, post-truth and social media. The brothers create retro style figurative images which encourage us to challenge our assumptions and preconceptions, and as a result to perhaps see the world a little differently. Their interest in undermining our assumptions and casual acceptance of cultural norms is reflected in their extraordinary background.
They themselves started out as a fiction as in reality they are British artists Mike Snelle and James Golding. The fictional identity of Mike and James was designed to cloak their personal reality, and such was its success that it captured the imagination of the art world. The Connor Brothers were presented as innocent twins who had emerged traumatised from a Californian cult and were struggling to make sense of the world through their art – an interesting background no doubt, but the truth is more interesting still. After coping with some challenging personal issues for many years the two became great friends and started experimenting with making art as a way of looking at the world through a more positive lens. Their intelligence, humour and creativity gave their work enormous appeal, but when it was suggested to them that they might choose to exhibit it one day, both resisted the idea, unwilling to expose their artworks and themselves to the public gaze.