‘N°3' 

Troika

I'm often asked what we (at Reem Gallery) look for when choosing artists to do solo shows with. I can never give a satisfying answer it seems because it's such a complex combination of factors which all hold varying weights. 

There are some things which dictate a decision for us: 

1. Can we get hold of the artist and enough original artwork to create a show? (often, yes!)

2. Do we have enough of an audience who love the work already or are guaranteed to love it? (Sometimes it's fun to take a risk on this one, so this isn't necessarily needing a yes or a no)

3. Have we exhibited/ are we exhibiting something similar in the recent past/ near future? Sometimes this is a good thing because it means people are enjoying that style or subject matter and so we know they will love something that continues the theme. Sometimes we want to mix it up. 

Then there's my own opinion: 

1. The art needs to interest me, and so does the artist. I want to be curious to learn more, I want to care about the process and the journey and the stories behind it all. 

2. The art needs to spark ideas of how to create a space in which it can be pulled out of the walls (whether or not those ideas come to fruition is somewhat irrelevant).

The artwork of Troika ticked all the right boxes. 

I was faintly bemused by the idea of three guys from Liverpool (a former tattoo artist, graphic designer, and sign writer) all working meticulously on a single work simultaneously in a studio that they call 'the bunker'. The work they create is built up on canvas, board, and road signs, layers upon layers of spray paints and stencilling. They are heavily influenced by the oriental cultures that they have all become involved with through Kung Fu, travelling, manga, and graphic novel illustration and typography. In one artwork, 'Tiger Tiger', the painting tells the story of a night out in San Francisco. The central woman is based on a woman at the bar, a bar where you played dice for your drinks. About a week before the show I hopped on zoom (and was momentarily transported back to lockdown days) to chat with Paul, Kol, and Jamie (Troika). We had never met before and the report afterwards was that they had enjoyed speaking to me "a lot more than we thought we would". A glowing review. I was struck by their genuine love, and need, for art and creativity. The humility demonstrated in collaboration ("a good idea is a good idea no matter where it comes from") and their belief in the power of art to transform lives and minds. 

You can listen to our chat by clicking this little button. 

The works arrived (eventually... having been sent originally to the Camberley gallery by mistake!) and the wall plan that I had made didn't need any adjustments (always nice). I hung the works and was glad that I hadn't skipped arm day at the gym because some of them were seriously hefty. We had agreed prior that Paul (1/3 of Troika) would come down the day before and spray paint the pink wall as a feature wall for one of the bigger pieces to hang on. 

With the door wide open and the appropriate face coverings, Paul embarked on the painting project whilst regaling me with tales of Berlin in the 1980s and working at Conde Nast on the Vogue floor straight out of art school. We discussed the prison system, drug addiction, state care of children, education, travel, social justice, artists that excite us, and the future of all these things. Towards the end of the day and when my admin tasks were winding down, he asked if I fancied a go with the spray paint; of course, I did. I received a crash course in the art of stencilling and then began to fill up the wall with pink and yellow flowers. If you come to visit the show, know that the pink wall is a collaboration, 'Phoebe X Troika', and I am now officially 'hard' according to Paul (a word I have never, and will never, have associated with me in the past or future). 

This show only has 12 works and I can't wait to see where they end up. I'm quite taken by spray paint as a medium and the technique exhibited in these works and my fondness for it all has been increased (as is usually the case) by getting the know the artists. Nothing is created in a vacuum, and these works are both tangibly and metaphorically layered. 

The exhibition is running until the 16th of July. 

Install shots by Sian Cook