Walking towards the bright lights of PROUD across the vibrating cobbled streets of Camden on Wednesday, I anticipated an interesting evening ahead, and the Raw Artists showcase certainly did not disappoint.

Behind Proud’s doors I discovered an eclectic fusion of the weird and the wonderful. Art embellished one wall of the main room, while live singers sang familiar verses and kookily dressed 20-somethings clutched plastic cups of vodka and coke. There was a definite air of excitement as the audience absorbed the bright, the sparkling and the hilarious- namely a fabric covered sculpture which lifted its dress to reveal very large, very colourful genitalia.

I particularly appreciated ‘Invisible 2’ by Iman Awadh, who overlapped a circular image of vivid sky with faceless people walking along a promenade. The effect of the addition of the circle and the mystery of what was hidden behind it really appealed to me.

Striding into the room opposite I was faced with a smoke filled burrow, dressed in red velvet drapes and waves of cool air conditioning. Long comfortable loungers faced a large projection screen where music videos and short films were played. Despite feeling relaxed by the calm ambience within the room- I couldn’t shake the feeling that a stripper was about to appear from behind one of the curtains!

The venue was both busy and buzzing, with models running around in eccentric clothing preparing for their catwalk debut in the middle of the main room. The show was a definite must-see, a great evening out for both art-enthusiasts and people searching for a cool venue to flock to.

 

Louisa Jones