What is intimacy? Why does it matter? It is a concept so fundamental to the human experience that we can lose sight of it. When we’re infants, it is tender care and a love which asks no questions, it is a Madonna and Child. When we grow up, the word assumes new, nuanced, meaning. To describe two people as being intimate has a clear connotation, but to know a subject intimately means something altogether different. Similarly, the intimacy of a restaurant, or auditorium bears little similarity to either of these. However, what they do all share is the expression of closeness, awareness, and a lack of space to hide. This sense of honesty is what lies at the very core of the notion; the preparedness to be hurt, the willingness to bear parts of oneself that usually are hidden from others. It is this inherent risk and vulnerability that imbues intimacy with its value. A life devoid of intimacy, without profound connections, is an empty one. In its absence we are left with nothing. 

 

The artists in this show each investigate the infinite variety of the theme. Whether that is a dispassionate observation of what it means to exist within the vast uncaring cosmos; or a poignant portrayal of the tenderness that exists between two people deeply in love. From the darker, more exploitative associations of the word; to a universal, human longing for security, we are invited to reflect upon intimacy’s myriad dimensions, both real and imagined, further contending with contemporary illusions of intimacy. From AI girlfriends, to the parasocial relationships that develop between celebrities and fans through social media, the levels of complexity surrounding this already fraught concept have been radically heightened. 

 

Not only thematically but physically, spatially, these artworks impose an intimacy between viewer and artwork. The space between us warped. They push and pull you through the canvas, collage and print. They grab you and demand a second look. It is this insistence which makes them all so captivating. Some more gentle, some more forceful, but never shouting.

 

Art is itself intimacy and we are fortunate to have been given windows into these artists’ worlds. What drives them, who drives them. We wanted to put this show on because of a desire to promote artists we truly believe in. Each of them has been chosen because of what they have to say, and how they say it. Their unique visions have a contemporary resonance, but it is the fundamental timelessness of their message which is more important. They are all extraordinarily talented, intelligent, industrious artists and it is a pleasure to be able to exhibit their work alongside each other.