A play with words, its title ‘Hung, Drawn, Quartered’ is one that would have given people the chills in medieval England for its handling of traitors, but also a title that in a few words coined the idea of the exhibition. Each participating artist created four unique works on paper measuring roughly 8.5 x 11 inches - and with no given restrictions on subject matter. The morbid connotation of the title of the show and an implied dark humour found their way into the works, many of them warm and witty.

Bob & Roberta Smith’s approach to art is exactly that; witty. A pseudonym of Patrick Brill, the artist created a new reality out of Goldsmith University of Arts in the early nineties and presented himself to the world as a monogamous artist duo, male and female. Smith’s text art is never as it seems and other than his famous work “Make Art Not War” (1997) most pieces don’t subscribe to an objective truth while delivering a potent message. This is the artist’s point. The anecdote about his stay in New York and the change-of-opinion on Bob Dylan’s music is a delightful example of growing up and meeting a younger, short-tempered self later in life. And how often do people go to their doctor to discuss lifestyle habits with an aim to plan a heart attack in their early 70’s? Smith did. Or perhaps it was Patrick Brill.

Finding true love may not lead to heart attack but could result in a broken heart. Abigail Lane suggests in her four collages that love might be a gamble. Cut-out letters - applied like a ransom-note - and a human heart is placed on an archer’s target, a dart board and a roulette wheel, hoping that repeated games improve the odds. Through her practice, Lane has been fascinated by circus performances, magic tricks and the darker unsettling aspects of the human psyche - and although the real-life contestants of Love’s Gamble think it can be learned, ultimately it is an encounter with Lady Luck. Love is a kind of magic presented by Lane with twisted humour.

A more light-hearted approach to the world around him is the artist and comedian, Vic Reeves. From the atelier in the British countryside he finds inspiration in people and the immediate nature; close-by horses and the frequent visitors in his garden, such as squirrels and the favourite subject matter, birds. Reeves’ drawings and paintings are a fabric of his wild imagination and warm wit, and occasionally he finds himself distracted by other genres of absurdity. UK Horse in Meteor Shower reveals his talent for political satire. Here, a fine horse with the Union Jack on its side, gaits forward with a Boris-esque excitement in the eyes and an cheery smile, seconds before three meteors strike.

Much further from planet Earth and beyond asteroids on a collision course, Dave White captures the portraits of a few villains roaming a galaxy far far away. An untraditional portraitist, White first set his eye on sneakers as subject matter and became a pioneer of the ‘Sneaker Art’ movement in 2002, creating oil paintings of in-demand, worshipped footwear. His drawings of Boba Fett, Darth Vader and Stormtrooper fills the space between objects of popular culture and the often-endangered species of the animal kingdom that shape White’s practice today. Perhaps aware of his imminent demise, Darth Vader appears almost apologetic in his pose; and the slightly tilted helmet on the Stormtrooper may be hiding a genuine smile.

Contrary to White, Simon Taylor’s series of portraits are abstract. A multi-disciplinary creative and founder of the illustrious Tomato agency in London, Taylor’s works has consistently been influenced by the latest technology, music and design. Titled Face #1 to Face #3 these are almost interactive, arranged by hand-drawn on/off switches. Move one switch to the right and another one to the left and a new face might appear. To understand the artist’s quest the viewer has to discard the conventional approach to art; one that often starts with lines or brush markings. Instead, Taylor uses rhythm and sonic waves - which are not visual - and transforms the impulses into images that are described as repetitive or kaleidoscopic.

‘Hung, Drawn, Quartered’ opened in December 2006 and many of the artists represented by Eyestorm at the time participated in what was the final exhibition of the year. Artists included Lucie Bennett, Eilidh Crumlish, Andrew Curtis, Fernando Feijoo, Marcelle Hanselaar, Jason Kedgley, Abigail Lane, Whitney McVeigh, Simon Parish, Ed Pearman, Vic Reeves, Bob & Roberta Smith, Simon Taylor, Dave White and others.

To view the unique works in further detail and to find more information about the works now available, please click on images above or visit the artist pages.