Robert Cooper X Kate Dunn – Fugue at The Tub, Hackney, London E8 –  I like the freedom that is there of this body work, the decisions made, the boldness, this is a bright show, an upbeat show, a show that’s easy to feel good about. A relatively new gallery, it has been waiting there since last year but hey, you know the story, Covid and all that, it feels like a very new artist-led space. And how much do we need these smaller artist-led spaces over on this side of town, spaces where artists set the agenda rather than the often very aloof and seemingly uninterested curators –  yes, we like this space and yes, we like this show.

These are piece of art that demand you smile at them, fun isn’t quite the right word, fun suggests throwaway, a lack of serious artistic commitment to the art, but this is fun, this is committed fun, Kate Dunn and Robert Copper look like they enjoyed this as much as the audience are, I like these marks, the movement, the use of colour, rhythm, melody, the music they’ve made, it does feel musical, the exhibition is called Fugue after all. It seems that these pieces really are collaborations rather than just two artists sharing a space, it does feel like they’re feeding off each other’s (lockdown) energy, there does seem to be an element of escape here in the joy over over-saturation. The medium almost doesn’t matter, it really is about the movement of the marks,  motion, instinctive movement, a freedom developed, evolved, a joy, I just really really like what they’ve done.  (sw)

The Tub is at Unit 2 Broadway Market, London, 4TS – Not as easy as that may sound, canal end of Broadway, to your right before you head over the bridge and the gallery is in the alley that runs parallel to and behind the main street, a small place with nice inviting sign hanging outside their bright red doors  The show runs until June 13th s obe quick, open miday until 6pm.

Do click on an image t oenlarge or t orun the slice show