David Bailey Sculpture+

is at the pangolin gallery, london N1, 8th september till 16th october. From his interviews I love the bloke, an image maker he describes himself as and he is supremely good at it. His 'truth tourettes', an endearing trait. Cockneys aren't so different from Yorkshire men when it comes to describing a spade. He never went to art school, it sometimes seems to me that the very best artists never do, his school record was too bad. When any artist changes direction you expect a long learning period. Damien Hirst had become a master of his old way of working but is just beginning to learn how to paint, it takes a while. Bailey, however, though his sculpture maybe a little derivative of Picasso, is really good. It has a tribal, primitive feel. A hint of voodoo pervades. As is usually the case, the show catalogue writing is very poor and detracts from the work. There is a hell of a story here. His jelly bean cast of his old friend Warhol, splurging out of a baked bean tin is forgiveable in the artworld who knew who hierarchy, the self referential in crowd conversation that can be so annoying to all but those in the crowd. Great Art should reach further than your immediate friends, a joke all your mates get should be within the skill of any socialite and dropping in a piece like that is as crass as name dropping in conversation. On the bright side , Bailey is good enough without having to resort to such tactics. The Voodoo works do work. Sadly, the submission of a dolphins skull, beautiful and fascinating though it may be is the presentation of a natural history ready made. Duchamp does Hirst with a touch of last years Turner Prize show whale skull. Looked a little like Bailey didn't have quite enough pieces for a show. As I say, he's a great bloke but this is a bit like Hirsts blue paintings of last year. The early, naive footsteps in to a world they are permitted entry to through skill in another field.