Raven Row gallery opening, London

Raven Row, the newest gallery to hit the East End, is located in one a newly buffed and polished 18th century townhouse in Spitalfields.


See more images of the gallery
Under the watchful eye of 6a Architects, the gallery has been carefully converted from a run-down 18th century homestead into an open, clean and rather curious exhibition space. Not running in the pared-down White Cube vein so prevalent in this part of the capital, Raven Row has retained much of its antiquated charm, whilst providing the ideal backdrop for - in the words of the gallery - ‘diverse work of the highest quality.’
With an artistic agenda aiming to promote the under-promoted and the overlooked of the art world - Raven Row’s inaugural exhibition of work from prolific American pop artist, Ray Johnson (1927- 1995), looks set to start the fledgling gallery’s ball rolling in suitable style. ‘Ray Johnson. Please Add to & Return’ will offer enthusiasts the chance to view much of the late artists lesser-known collages and mail-outs in an unusually charismatic location.


See more images from the current show by Ray Johnson
Johnson, hailed as the father of ‘mail art’ for his unique artistic distribution technique, has (on a number of occasions, apparently) been named as the precursor to Pop Art patriarch himself, Andy Warhol. Johnson’s humourous, graphic style; his obsession with popular culture; and his habit of mailing his work out to involuntary audience members, have all secured him a place in the colourful history of Pop-Art (even if Warhol managed a few rungs higher on the erratic art-world ladder).