If you’re old enough, local artist Martin Grover’s beautifully rendered trompe l’oeil (visual trick) paintings of vinyl record sleeves take you back to the 1960s and 70s and the great days of 45s, record shops and Tamla Motown. If you’re not old enough, they give you a glimpse into your parents’ (or grandparents’) musical collections and how they spent their Saturday mornings in less music-on-demand times. Either way his show in the Graham Hunter Gallery is well worth seeing.
When so much of today’s music exists in the ether, he celebrates an age of vinyl, heavyweight technology and boldly designed record sleeves, whilst paying homage to the classic songs and artists of that era. And his fine technique brings them all back to life – awakening old memories, resurrecting iconic designs, and renewing teenage pleasures. But there is more to his work than nostalgia. Each painting reveals a little piece of history and charts its journey to the present. He revels in their age and faithfully reproduces every tiny sign of wear and tear to show how they well they have stood the test of time.
If you get a chance go to Baker Street; these prints and paintings are little gems and well worth a bit of your time.
The show runs from 4 – 24 March in the Graham Hunter Gallery, 81 Baker Street, W1U 8QR
Open Monday – Friday 9.30 – 6.00, Saturday 10.00 – 5.00, Sunday 11.00 – 4.00
Call 0207 935 7794
For further information on Martin Grover’s work go to www.martingrover.com
