Shoreditch gallery ‘devastated’ after local artist’s painting was stolen in daytime robbery
A painting was stolen in broad daylight from a gallery in Shoreditch last month, leaving the painter and the venue distraught.
Facade of the commercial street by Stephen Harwood was taken on the afternoon of August 28 from the Studio 1.1 gallery on Redchurch Street, before Harwood’s solo show Gone tomorrow, which opens September 16.
The gallery is guarded and guarded, but the thief managed to remove the artwork from its place on the wall.
Harwood said: âI was hoping to include the painting in the show, so now I’m trying to do it again, against the clock – bigger and hopefully better. I try to stay positive!
Harwood lives in Hackney and recreates scenes from his neighborhood in a way that “falls”[s] somewhere between reality and fiction â.
He has made a name for himself on the London art scene, with biographer Peter Ackroyd commenting, âStephen Harwood’s work is filled with the energy and momentum of the city itself⦠he is one of the best performers in London.
The painting of a building on Commercial Street, a stone’s throw from the gallery itself, is the poster for the exhibition.
Studio 1.1 expressed dismay at the loss of the board.
A representative said: âThe impact has been quite devastating, and of course, it was particularly upsetting for Stephen.
âWe are a non-profit space and this is absolutely the first time this has happened in 18 years that we have been on Redchurch Street.
âWe are all the same determined to remain faithful to our policy of keeping the door to the street open, welcoming to all, against the closed door model, reserved for the elites, of some of our commercial colleagues.
âAt the height of Redchurch Street’s tourist attraction, we could easily see 250 visitors on a summer Sunday, and while the majority may be wandering around out of curiosity, we think it’s important to give them no -what a moment of exposure to art.
“What we’re happy about is having the chance to have this solo show.”
They added: âThe support [Stephen has] Receiving retweets from an account of the theft he posted on Twitter was also heartwarming.