Edgy gallery returns after hiatus
Three years since it shut its doors in Park Drive, a new-look Underculture Contemporary Fine Art Gallery has opened at premises in Richmond Hill’s trendy Stanley Street.
Sandwiched between restaurants Tilting Heads and Muse on Stanley, the gallery offers another meeting space for Port Elizabeth fine artists, artloving public and prospective buyers.
Gallery founder and artist Cedric Vanderlinden said he would strive to ensure the gallery would connect modern, up-and-coming artists seeking exposure.
“I’m specifically trying to appeal to your late 20s to mid-40s crowd – those people buying their first flats or moving into their first offices whose taste is not their parents’ taste, but is rather informed by the internet or TV,” he said.
The gallery, previously known for its edgy exhibitions, is returning with an unconventional approach to exhibition expectations.
Instead of hosting exhibitions with ceremonies for each themed showcase, Vanderlinden will regularly update the exhibitions without the need for openings.
“Before, I used to do set shows, whether solo or themed, but that model proved to be quite expensive.
“You had to do the opening, advertising and all the work for a particular show that you’ll then have to change down a month later.
“I’m just going to have a rotating roster of local and national artists,” he said.
This way, the gallery and artists could avoid unconducive expenditure, he said.
“What people often don’t understand is that the artist and the gallery carry a heavy burden of having to provide the posters, champagne, security, lights and so on, before they even sell the work, so doing all that work on a regular basis just isn’t worth it.”
While Vanderlinden thinks up a different plan to keep the public informed about exhibition updates, Underculture Contemporary is open from 9.30 to 11.30am, Monday to Friday, and 4 to 7pm, Wednesday to Friday.
There were no restrictions on what artists could or could not exhibit, he said.
“Some galleries are quite traditional and some are quite academic – Underculture Contemporary has that specific niche that is neither.”
At the moment the gallery is exhibiting works by 11 Port Elizabeth artists and one from Johannesburg.
Since his Park Drive premises closed, Vanderlinden has been doing popup shows around SA along with other artists under the Underculture Contemporary banner.
“That actually proved quite successful because we had several shows in other cities, so we weren’t tied to just Port Elizabeth, and we’ll still continue with the popups with a travelling glass show planned for 2020,” he said.
Vanderlinden also teaches figure drawing at Art on Target in Target Kloof, Essexvale.