You may know Mr Ian Bruce as the singer in the band The Correspondents, however, he is a man of many talents and now presents RubiCANE, an exhibition of erotic drawings that will open at The Society Club in Soho, appropriately, on Valentines Day.
The exhibition is accompanied by a book titled SOUVENIR that features works from the show along side texts from 20 contributors; an intriguing mix of theorists, playwrights, poets and porn stars. RubiCANE is the name IanBRUCE has adopted for this sex-based collection of illustrations that hopes to offer a fresh approach to the endless stream of pornographic imagery now so prevalent in contemporary visual culture. In the vein of artists such as Robert Mapplethrope, who similarly employed sex as a foundational theme, CANE considers areas of varied and sometimes extreme sexuality through the implementation of a poised and highly skilled aesthetic. This careful visual handling, at once a celebration and a questioning of an undeniably contentious subject, make this exhibition and accompanying book well worth a look. Another reasons to see and buy is that 10% of all book sales goes to Outsiders, a charity that works to recognise the sexual needs of people with disabilities, a topic that CANE confronts in this series.
The book is available to buy at The Society Club or can be purchased online at www.foxandsquirrel.com Book and exhibition launches at The Society Club, 12 Ingestre Place, Feb 14.
Fiona Haggerty
