Kunst Please

The “Socialist Realism” art movement was created in the early days of the Soviet Union to encourage/order Russian artists to create propaganda that inspired people to be better citizens. It resulted in a wealth of saccharine and kitsch art that failed to portray the realities of Russian life. However, Aleksandr Deineka and Alexander Rodchenko found a way around the guidelines and managed to create some incredible pieces.

Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. 

Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.

Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease

Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/

Arte Povera, or "Poor Art" was born in Italy during the 60s. The movement's artistic aims were to rail against what they saw as cynical consumerism and elitism in the art world, by creating pieces from the most everyday and banal materials. Despite being marginalised at the time as the only female member, history has shown Marisa Merz to be one of the greatest exponents of the group.

Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease

Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/

A little over 20 years after a psychiatrist completed a thesis on the artistic talents of the inmates of various German mental asylums, Jean Dubuffet coined the expression "Art Brut". Thus creating a movement that totally democratized the artistic process, and distanced itself from the de rigueur modes of the art scene. This was raw art – and anyone could make their mark.  

Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.

Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease

Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/

In 1937, Hitler signed-off on a massive exhibition of confiscated so-called Degenerate Art. The some 600 works represented some of the finest artists from Germany and beyond (all despised by the Nazis) working in various mediums of modern art. In a somewhat hilarious twist of fate, the exhibition proved to be one hell of a back-handed compliment. 

Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.

Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease

Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/

With a prolific career spanning six decades, Bridget Riley moved from  monochromatic 60s Cool Britannia to modern expressions of beautiful,  blended colour. Her Op Art style is all at once mesmerizing and trippy,  but it exudes an innate mathematical precision thanks to meticulous  preparation and detail.

Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.

Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease

Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/

Joan Brown was a founder member of the San Francisco based art provocateurs, The Rat Bastard Protective Association. From the 60s to the 80s she regularly switched up her styles and approach to painting whilst inhabiting the same vibrant attitude. A talented swimmer, she adored the water and it provided a continuous inspiration to her until her untimely and tragic death.

Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. An exploration into the more unexpected side of modern and contemporary art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane. Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.

Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease

Check out show-notes and assorted ephemera at kunstpleasepod.medium.com/

The total void created by the beyond black pigment known as Vantablack was perfect for the infinite voids created by the legendary and highly celebrated artist Anish Kapoor. Unfortunately, his somewhat exclusive rights to use the anti-colour would become a tad divisive amongst the art community...

Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.

Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.

Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease

Mark Wallinger's 1993 "flesh and bone" readymade was a racehorse dubbed 'A Real Work of Art'. Although not so successful at the track it serves as an impressively dense, and very wry commentary on the British class system all wrapped up in a celebration of the suffragette movement.

Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.

Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.

Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease

Jenny Holzer's "Truisms" and "Inflammatory Essays" are brilliantly brutalist works of text-based art. Initially created between 1977 and 1982 the work is startlingly prescient and guaranteed to provoke a strong emotional reaction whether displayed as guerilla advertising or in a gallery setting.

Kunst Please is a micro-dose of modern art history. Tune in every fortnight for an exploration into the more unexpected side of modern art, featuring stories of the famous and the infamous, the weird and the wonderful, the unheard, the cult, the criminally overlooked and the criminally insane.

Created and produced by Jonathan Heath.

Follow the gallery space on Instagram @kunstplease