Not: An Exhibition

‘Ceci n’est pas une pipe.’ Not: An Exhibition. Yup, arty types just love denial.

But where Magritte’s famous pipe was, as we’re all aware, merely an image of a pipe; Not: An Exhibition is, in fact, an exhibition, acting as the visual fanfare to the launch of No Way, a new agency for creative types of all disciplines.

No Way is the brainchild of ambitious young Charlotte Jansen, and is based in Vice Land itself, London’s Dalston. The agency aims to bring underrepresented artists musicians, designers, photographers and illustrators the recognition they deserve.

Jansen says, ‘I wanted to do something that was passionate about supporting emerging artists that weren’t being promoted or covered otherwise.’

Not: An Exhibition is run in partnership with the rather wonderful online magazine Huh , which is run by Jansen’s fellow Dalstonian neighbour Jack Lowe.

However, Jansen is well aware of the potential to become a slave to the confines of the, like, big, bad east.

‘I don’t want to just work with those kind of people’, she asserts. ‘[The artists on her books] aren’t typical “Shoreditch East London” – there’s a danger of that and I very much don’t want to be like that.’

Far form extolling the virtues of weirdness for weirdness’ sake, Jansen says the only discipline she wouldn’t consider representing is conceptual art – otherwise, No Way is very much open to all.

The initial roster is refreshingly diverse, spreading its wings beyond the Hackney borders as far field as New York and, er, Devon.

It includes Hong-Kong born founder of the East London Art Company, illustrator, painter and designer, Hin; Argentinian artist Gustavo Ortiz; JMF Casey; Leonie Lachlan; Dawlish-based illustrator of D&AD New Blood, Philip Harris; and New York based photographer Adam Ianniello.

Jansen adds, ‘It’s all very accessible art – it’s obvious straightaway that these people are really talented, and doing it because they love doing it. It’s stripped of pretence – the only thing I wouldn’t work with is conceptual stuff, so it’s more on the design and illustrative side.’

Not :an exhibition runs from 9 – 30 June at  the Print House Gallery, 18 Ashwin Street, London E8