Siân Newlove-Drew's 'Magic Craic' installation explores pandemic anxieties at DIY London venue Brockley Gardens
Siân Newlove-Drew's installation 'Magic Craic' (2020) features dozens of repurposed plastic bottles filled with brightly colored cleaning liquids, twigs, and foliage, displayed with angled floor mirrors at Brockley Gardens in London. The work, which includes poetic text referencing breath and condensation, evokes pandemic-era themes such as disinfection, trapped breath, and lockdown-induced anxiety. Newlove-Drew graduated from Camberwell College of Art in 2019. Brockley Gardens, a DIY gallery operating since last year in a domestic garage in suburban South London, was founded by two young artists who met at art school and showcases peers and tutors. The exhibition runs from 4 September to 9 October, with viewing by appointment. The context highlights how low-budget art spaces may thrive amid challenges faced by major museums and the art market due to social distancing regulations.
Key facts
- Siân Newlove-Drew created the installation 'Magic Craic' in 2020
- The work includes around three dozen plastic bottles filled with cleaning liquids, twigs, and foliage
- Angled floor mirrors accompany the bottles, reflecting them sloping downwards
- A poetic text references breath and condensation, with residue of the artist's breath captured in sealed bottles
- The exhibition is at Brockley Gardens, a DIY gallery in a domestic garage in suburban South London
- Brockley Gardens was founded by two young artists who met at art school and features peers and tutors
- Viewing is by appointment from 4 September to 9 October
- Newlove-Drew graduated from Camberwell College of Art in 2019
Entities
Artists
- Siân Newlove-Drew
Institutions
- Brockley Gardens
- Camberwell College of Art
- ArtReview
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- South London