Fri 4th May: A Solo Exhibition by Sculptor Ray Readdy

The Underdog Gallery is proud to present a series of sculpture by Ray Readdy. Opening Night - Friday 4th May from 6pm until late with a welcome drink and DJ's. There is no need to RSVP our doors are open. Please CLICK interested our Facebook even for updates in the run up to the show. Exhibitions Dates - Friday 4th May to Sunday 20th May. Ray Readdy was born in 1945, and was brought up in south east London; he qualified in mechanical engineering and worked until retirement as a draughtsman and later as a design engineer. Inspired by the works of the surrealists such as Magritte and De Chirico he started painting in his early twenties working in acrylic and oil. He joined a group called 'Free painters & Sculptors' in London and exhibited in several local exhibitions. In 2001 he had a solo show in the Crypt Gallery of St Martin in the Fields, London that brought together over fifty paintings under the title of 'Journey into Abstraction'. Since his retirement Ray has concentrated on working in sculpture where he has found a new freedom to experiment, creating works that have made good use of his engineering background. Using wood, metal, resin, plastics, fibreglass and found objects he has created over forty sculptures that all use juxtaposition to reflect contemporary issues in a clever and often amusing way. Ray has developed a unique sculpture style that is both witty and varied in scope and vision – some deal with the Western world's obsession with materialism, consumerism and greed, others make uncomfortable statements about war and the use of weaponry whilst others mock fashion and advertising trends. All give a fresh and unusual insight into political, social issues whilst exposing the often frivolous and absurd nature of the human condition. "I consider that my art 'career' really started in around 2010 ......I started experimenting with sculpture, and have never looked back. I threw myself into my work and found that I had real scope to experiment – a freedom I never experienced whilst painting. My engineering background enabled me to put my ideas into practice. Graffiti and urban art has shaken up the art world. Banksy has raised the artistic bar using his brilliant wit and creative brain to produce original and thought provoking work. Good graffiti is the peoples answer to the endless corporate billboards and other forms of advertising that bombard us constantly, making us feel insecure and incomplete unless we buy a particular product or have the right look. Art can't change the world, but it can make people think". Ray Readdy