Last January I wrote and posted on my Art For A Change website, an essay about the International Stuckist Art movement... that essay can be read, here: http://www.art-for-a-change.com/News/stuckist.htm

The Stuckists are not just another bunch of trendy Artists, their most recent exhibits are co-coordinated to open simultaneously in London and New Haven, CT, and these exhibitions are harbingers of things to come in the Art world. Titled "War on Blair" (London exhibit) and "War on Bush" (New Haven exhibit), the exhibitions lambaste the war against Iraq through Paintings, Prints, and other works of Art.

Stuckism advocates realism in Painting and art making, and calls for an abandonment of "conceptual" gimmickry. The Press Release for the antiwar exhibitions follows:

PRESS RELEASE - for immediate release 2.4.03
"WAR ON BLAIR" Painting, photography and prints, including anti-war demos. Stuckists and guests protest at Tony Blair's war in Iraq. 4-27 April 2003, Wed-Sat 12-6 pm.

"The War on Blair " exhibition documents the outrage of Stuckists and guest artists over the war in Iraq.
It is the sister show of "The War on Bush", launched 21 March 2003 by the New Haven Stuckists in the United States. UK show organizer Ella Guru said, "We believe that Bush and Blair are putting the entire world in danger. By ignoring the UN they set a new precedent for any country to be able to attack anyone at any time.

"My painting "Candlelit vigil in Trafalgar Square, 18/01/03" depicts a protest held by CND and Tony Benn in solidarity with American protests taking place the same day. Similarly, we are holding protest art
exhibitions at the same time. People all over the world object to this war. Public opinion continues to grow in opposition, contrary to government media spin saying otherwise."

Nic Watson, the organizer of the simultaneous US Stuckist show said, "Bush and Blair have hypocritically betrayed their own standards and principles. If there is international law it applies equally to them as it does to Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden. The message they are sending is that it is OK to break the law when it suits you. What kind of example is that?"

The New Haven group, dressed up as clowns, held a mock trial of President Bush on the steps of the New
Haven Federal Courthouse. "Obviously Saddam is a bad guy and he needs to go, but we're opposed to how it's being handled," American Stuckist Jesse Richards said. "We're also worried about stability in that region."

The Stuckists were founded in London in 1999 by artists Charles Thomson and Billy Childish with twelve
artists and named after an insult by one of Charles Saatchi's favorite artists, Tracey Emin, to ex-boyfriend Childish: "You are stuck. Stuck! Stuck! Stuck!" There are now 60 groups round the world. The Stuckists believe in painting and are anti-conceptual art, which they see as being idiotic. They want to bring back spiritual values into art, which they feel has been hijacked by shallow gimmickry because of elitist and commercial interests.

MEDIA INFO:
The Stuckism International Centre-London,
3 Charlotte Road London EC2A 3DH
Tel: 020 7613 0988
Email: stuckism@yahoo.co.uk
London show organizers: Ella Guru and Sexton Ming,

American show organizers: Jesse Richards, Nic Watson, Catherine Chow and Marisa Shepherd
The Stuckism International Center-USA,
817 Chapel St. Suite 3F New Haven, CT. 06511
(+1) 203-675-2117 or by email: stuckism_usa@yahoo.com
Images are available on request Artists are available for interview.
Web site: www.stuckism.com