Towards the end of last year, I had the pleasure of visiting the London art gallery of Rob and Nick Carter in Marylebone. You may well have seen their neon installations in windows around Connaught Village.
Rob and Nick are a husband and wife team, who work together even out of lockdown! They have captivated my attention with their love of neon, photography, colour and fun.
Dark Factory Portraits
At the gallery in Bathurst Mews Rob and Nick have an exhibition of extraordinary portraits that have been created autonomously by an industrial robot. These are the Dark Factory Portraits.
The robot uses acrylics and brushes on a vertically mounted screen. The first of its kind, it is incredible to watch the video and see how it works.
Take a walk through Marylebone, you will find a small screen in their window under a portrait of David Hockney. It shows you how the robot is programmed to create the portraits of some of the most iconic faces. It is ridiculously cool and fascinating to watch.
Rob & Nick Carter | Neon details
My favourites were the Neon Details. The vintage Postcards from Vegas with a modern twist of neon over them, are brilliantly clever and so original.
Love colour, then this is for you. Ingenious, cheerful and very beautiful.
Nicky took me around the corner to another studio to see something even more innovative. The yoga ‘photograms’. They are like nothing I’ve ever seen and I defy you not to fall in love with them. Taken from below the subject, the formations and poses take on a completely new dimension.
One of the most interesting moments of my tour came when looking at Rob and Nicky’s Transforming series. They have taken Dutch Golden Age paintings and created films around them. Watch the magic come alive before your very eyes. The Transforming Still Life was loaned to the Frick Museum. It is first time the Frick in New York has ever shown the work of a living artist.
This is itself should be a reason to go and see the extraordinary art work Rob & Nick produce, and find a space on your wall for it!
Viewings by appointment only.
Rob & Nick Carter studio – 5a Bathurst Mews, London W2 2SD.