Artist Ian Berry has turned The Smallest Gallery in Soho into a vintage record store. It is a response to the ever-changing high street, where now we would meet for coffee, many in the past from the music community and like minded people would meet at a record store.
The space is filled with record covers, tee shirts, records and framed albums. Many have a connection to Soho and the story of denim. Music and denim have gone together through time. With acts and genres ranging from Elvis to heavy metal, Bob Dylan and punk, the pioneers of youth music have worn jeans. Many famous album covers of all time feature this artisan fabric.
Last year, 4.1 million vinyl records were sold in the UK, almost 1 million more than 2016, and a 12-fold increase on the levels seen in 2011. Fashion and music have always been inherently entwined together in society. Gone are the days of Virgin Megastore, HMV, Our Price, Woolworths and Tower Records where you would see such musical covers projected onto our streets. Yet it is an ode to the constant underground that music is always around and reinventing itself, as well as our lives.
Ian Berry creates melancholic urban scenes, often depicting a lonely or less glamorous side of city living – a comment of community – or lack of. The changing fabric of our urban environment. Even at touching distance, many viewers don’t realise that they are looking at many layers, and shades, of denim jeans.
His success has been seen in many countries, giving a chance for people to see the work in person. With all his solo shows selling out, he has shown across Europe and the States, including the home of the modern jean, San Francisco where in December he will unveil another installation. Ian has been written about in major media in all corners of the globe leading to him being named as one of the top 30 under 30 artists in the world by Art Business News Magazine.