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Braving the elements
Why Phoenix Contemporary gallery has designs on your home. Words: Louisa Pearson
ou won‘t lind an Athena poster on Ruth Cherry’s walls.
As manager ol~ Glasgow‘s Phoenix Contemporary she‘s
surrounded by art. but a new scheme will take her out ol‘ the gallery and into the front rooms ol~ folks like you and me. Elements is the gallery‘s new design service which is rapidly winning a legion of fans.
It all began with a commission from Langs Hotel for prints to use throughout the building. ‘We said we'd look at the designs. because they hadn‘t actually linished the building yet.’ says Cherry. ‘They were saying: "We want something cool. we want something contemporary."'
Having looked at the project. Cherry came up with an alternative proposal she felt would do the building justice: 18() tailor-made paintings. designed to complement the interior design. More jobs were to follow: ‘We’ve done qtrite a few corporate jobs. ol'lices. hotels and restaurants] she says. ‘But more and more people are coming to us for residential work
The breakthrough for moving into Scotland‘s lounges. bedrooms and kitchens came alter an appearance on TV ‘s T/H’ Home Show where the cameras came into the gallery and an artist created a work on-
screen. The day alter the ‘You can have
show went on the air they
were inundated with calls. canvas any S what ‘xz ‘tl' l - o c 1c y toes
the service ol‘l’er‘.’
lissentially the galler will tailor-make a piece ol‘ llat deSIgn as artwork to meet your as it’s
requirements. ‘You can
have the canvas any size. abStraCt,
any colours. really any
design as long as it's
abstract: says Cherry. You‘ll get an initial consultation in your home where you can peruse Phoenix‘s extensive back catalogue for inspiration. ‘Some people come in with a very clear idea ol‘ what they think is artf says Cherry. ‘()r maybe they‘ve got an idea but just don‘t know how to put it down on paper so that’s where I come in. People need a point to start at. which is why we have the catalogue. Someone might say: "I like that painting. btrt I don‘t like the shape and I want it to be blue to match the rug or the cushions.” lir‘om this starting point. you’ll be guided in the right direction. then l‘our weeks later it‘ll be ready to hang on your wall.
There’s a team ol~ live lull—time artists working to create your own personal work ol‘ art. That said. Cherry does stress that this is lirst and l’oremost a design service rather than a means ol‘ collecting line art: ‘lt‘s not going to be a collectible. though each piece is signed by the artist who painted it and it is an original because it‘s painted specilically for you.‘ As well as paintings you can commission a matching rug. and the gallery is about to venture into abstract photography on canvas. If you‘ve been searching for the perfect piece ol~ art for your home this could be the way of making sure you get something that lits your requirements exactly. As Cherry says. if you can't al‘l‘ord to spend that much then there is something else available — you don't have to btry a mass-produced poster.‘
Rise with Phoenix at Groucho St Jude’s
Prices start at £240. Phoenix Contemporary is at 6 Vlfilson Street, Merchant City, Glasgow. Call 0141 552 0702 or log onto www.phoenixcontemporary.co.uk for more details.
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