New "Artistic Gallery"

The new art gallery has opened on West End Lane, near the tube. This is a slightly peculiar site for the purpose, as the entrance gallery is very narrow and not really wide enough for you to stand back and look at the art. This coupled with an absurd idea of having a tv screen at eye level so that you cannot see in must have kept some people away in the first week.

The tv screen has been moved and the place is bright and welcoming. There is also a downstairs gallery, which is much more successful as it gains the room lost to the stairwell in the floor above and is therefore easier to view the art.

Currently on display is work of one Gerry Laffy. Part Banksy, part Warhol, part Murakami - he certainly seems to be going for the crowd pleasers. Most of the art is in the under three grand category, currently viewed as 'affordable art'. In theory West Hampstead now attracts the type of young, cash rich types to pay for such things, so it will be interesting to see how this does.

It looks from the website that the gallery will get a rotation of artists from a central dealer. It will be interesting to see which other artists are shown over the coming months.

Gerry Laffy is a singer, guitarist and producer.