Saatchi Gallery Iconoclasts Exhibition: Art out of the Mainstream

‘Iconoclasm’ initially referred to the destruction of religious imagery in the 8^th-century Byzantine Empire, but the term has long since lost its spiritual sting. The Saatchi’s current exhibition offers an impressive breadth of work by artists claiming to resist artistic norms through groundbreaking experimental techniques.

While the 13 exhibited artists, hailing from Norwich to Japan, cannot be described as Iconoclasts in the traditional sense of the term, they are all driven by an 'iconoclastic' or destructive urge, which manifests itself in the experimental and often destructive ways they produce art. On display are a myriad of unusual mediums and forms, from crow feather sculptures to portraits knitted from wool.

We love Maurizio Anzeri’s vintage photographs garnished with embroided patterns. Inspired by his Italian fishing heritage, the embroidery adds a third dimension to his photographs, offering an arresting juxtaposition of textures and colours. Thomas Maeilender’s images of branded human skin promise something teasingly provocative too.

Iconoclasts: Art Out of the Mainstream is set to offer a stimulatingly relevant perspective on experimental practices today – prompting us to reconsider how art challenges social mores.