MARK BLOOM ‘Curated Mayhem’

‘Tales from the Trash’
30 May – 2 June
private view Thursday 30 May 6 – 9 pm

 

 

Curated Mayhem is an outlet for me to share my passion for the unsung hero’s of art: the weird & wonderful, the lovable & laughable, the pretty & putrid, the comforting & uncomfortable, the unique & unbelievable, the sublime & ridiculous.
I began curating art shows in 2014, featuring the discarded, original works of art I discover at yard sales, swap meets, thrift stores and in the trash. I avoid prints and reproductions, as it the uniqueness of an original painting that appeals to me.

 

The artworks are presented exactly as found. Occasional small holes or tears in canvases are signs of a life journey and should not be hidden. These paintings have had both adventures and probably misadventures. My only contribution is the addition of a title I feel is appropriate to the piece, or maybe it’s sometimes inappropriate.
This genre of art has been labeled as Outsider Art, Amateur Art, Art Brut, Primitive Art, Folk Art or just plain old Bad Art. I don’t consider myself a critic, it’s not my job to tell somebody else what they should or shouldn’t like, or give it a handy label. In curating Tales From The Trash over the years I’ve witnessed people reacting to every kind of art imaginable (and frequently unimaginable) in many different ways. I find all those reactions equally valid, magical, uplifting, life-affirming and positive. Except for one time… but that’s a different story.
Presenting an art show of over 200 paintings created by 200 artists, whom I have (almost) never met, whose styles and skills are all very much open to debate is an experience that has energized my life, my mind, my body and indeed my soul.
Because Art is too important to have just one convenient label.

 

Mark Bloom is originally from London. He is an illustrator, designer, mosaic artist and collector of other peoples’ discarded artworks. Currently residing in Tucson, Arizona, he has been collecting the strange, the weird, the unconventional and the offbeat for over 20 years.