New Work by Brian Lambert
September 30 - October 29
Opening Reception: Friday, September 30th, 7:00 PM
From the
London Free Press, Monday, October 3, 2011 by Joe Belanger
It's been a while since Brian Lambert was a familiar face on the London arts scene.
But after 18 years, Lambert -- musician, artist and carpenter -- is back and with a vengeance with his first exhibition of new work Friday at Strand Fine Art Services on Florence St. near Eleanor.
"I got tired of the art business and having no money so I set up my own business (carpentry, renos) and got very busy," said Lambert, who hung up the hammer to take a job at the McIntosh Gallery at the University of Western Ontario.
Interestingly, Lambert's new work -- a study of human reaction in urban settings -- is as fresh and current as anything being offered by the new generation of artists.
"I'm really excited about this exhibition and I'm having a lot of fun," said Lambert, who describes his nine-to-five gig at the gallery as "a fabulous job."
"I knew I was doing work that a lot of the younger people were doing and I'm hoping I get a response from them."
During the years, Lambert has focused on his music, writing, playing and recording, and is in the process of writing a novel.
Strand co-owner Andrew Smyth said many Londoners will remember Lambert's work in the 80s and early 90s before the hiatus, including sculptures, paintings and leather works.
"These new works are short narratives, moments of reaction," explained Smyth. "There's kind of a macabre humour in them and quite bizarre but there's also that humour."
His work focuses on the expressions of people in circumstances that aren't always obvious.
For instance, one ink work has a character leaving a bar mumbling "Man, the Leafs suck." In another, three men are reacting to something, but the word bubble is empty, leaving the viewer to fill in the blank.
Another piece reaches back to Lambert's early days when Call the Office was called the York Hotel. The painting is titled, Looking for Salvation and Beer at the York Hotel.
"I've always been fascinated by the emotional, psychological reactions and how people process things," said Lambert. "I'm particularly interested in city environments and how it affects people."
Other Pieces in Series
