ROB AND NICK CARTER, CHINESE WHISPERS, THE COMPLETE WORKS 2011 - 2015

http://www.faslondon.com/fine_art_society_contemporary/exhibitions/current/chinese_whispers.html

The Fine Art Society presents Chinese Whispers a new solo exhibition by Rob and Nick Carter of over 20 works, marking the development of a series first glimpsed in their acclaimed 2013 exhibition Transforming. The exhibition coincides with the publication of a new book, of the same title, documenting all 66 works, with an introductory essay by critic Sacha Craddock. At the heart of this exhibition is the exploration of the notion of truth. The Carters commissioned selected Warhol works to be reproduced by professional artists in China. The resulting copies were replicated again in different workshops. This process was repeated with each reproduction, with each individual copyist making subtle, almost imperceptible changes to their own version. These alterations build on each other, layer upon layer, until the final version emerges, a faithful reproduction of its predecessor but a stark contrast to the original image; an artistic Chinese whisper. A highlight of the exhibition comprises 50 individually framed iterations of Warhol’s iconic The Last Supper, spanning 9 metres. This series explores the differences in image perception between the East and the West and also comments on the issue of authenticity in art. Art writer and critic, Sacha Craddock writes, “This series of work by the Carters, a departure in terms of technology and personal touch, still asks questions about time, about which moment out of every one reproduced is true and valuable. Is the idea still all when each individual artist involved has as much agency as a cog locked in step with its neighbour?” SHOWN: Rob and Nick Carter, COCA-COLA II after Andy Warhol (1982), 2015. 30 drawings by 30 different artists pen on paper | 51 × 60 in, 130 × 152 cm