Lyon & Turnbull
Lot 182
§ MATT SMALL (BRITISH CONTEMPORARY) JAMES - 2019 Signed, titled and dated verso, oil on found metal panelDimensions:71.5cm x 43.5cm (28.25in x 17.25in)Provenance:Provenance: To be offered to support The House of St Barnabas (Registered Charity 207242)Based in a Grade 1 listed townhouse in Soho, The House of St Barnabas has helped Londoners affected by homelessness since 1862. In 2013 the building became a members’ club with a difference; combining a not-for-profit creative and cultural space at No. 1 Greek Street with an Employment Academy for people affected by homelessness. Participants learn their craft in front of house, in the kitchen, the bar, or in the charity’s offices: since opening, 254 participants have graduated from the 12-week programme, many of which have secured lasting employment after graduation.The House of St Barnabas’ cultural events, music, and the generosity of members are key to the success of the charity, but the building also showcases work by both established and emerging contemporary artists. The permanent collection of visual art includes the works of Banksy and Tracey Emin alongside a programme of temporary exhibitions supporting emerging artists.The House have kindly been donated 11 works for sale, ranging from sculpture to paintings to support the charity's work. Most of the pieces have been donated by the artists themselves or by the galleries who represent them. Below we take a closer look at the works featuring in our January 2023 sale.2023 is the year of the house’s 10th anniversary. With your support and dedication, the charity hopes to continue to break the cycle of homelessness.Note: Note: Primarily a painter, London based Matt Small has a strong, compelling style, often choosing discarded objects like car bonnets or old signs instead of canvas for his work. 'The theme of my work is young, dispossessed people: individuals who feel undervalued, who don’t have a voice, who get looked over.' Small explains how the urban debris he paints on becomes symbolic of the feeling of being without value: 'I thought it’d be interesting to connect the two – that oven door, that shelving unit, that piece of trash to someone – I don’t see it like that, I see that it can be something beautiful and worthwhile. That’s how I see our young people too. Let’s look at their potential, at the hope that’s in all of them.'
