Peter Doherty: The Fantasy Life of Crime and Poetry
2020 has been a year of darkness in many ways. It began in fleeting hope that the pandemic would be quick and painless, summer flashed swiftly through the night, and we plunged back into swirling cold winter winds and routine lockdowns. In Paris, the second wave of coronavirus has been declared over, and we are ever cautiously stretching our isolation-heavy legs, attempting to rediscover some of the small galleries and other places of enlightenment that have been allowed to reopen. The doldrums of 2020 may have shrouded us in a grey haze of apathy but fear not! Peter Doherty is here from across La Manche to brighten our day.
Not many figures in contemporary society have the ability to at once shock yet spellbind as the British poet, musician and artist. While one half of the voice of the rock n’ roll romantics The Libertines is how he made his name, he’s been writing poetry since his youth and showing art since the mid-2000s. The noughties Indie rock legend shocked the art community when he revealed his first exposition at Galerie Chappe in 2008 with portraits of former flame Kate Moss, adorably scrawled in coloured pencil… and his own blood. The images were shown side by side with others that featured drug paraphernalia and lyrical musings that opened the mind and veins of the painter to the viewer. The barrier between flesh and blood cast aside, the raw reality of the bloody battle of love and addiction on display. Needless to say, Doherty set the bar high for himself in terms of originality.
Fast-forward a little over ten years, and Peter Doherty is back with a new collection, and although this round is less bloody than before, there is no lack of awe. The Fantasy Life of Poetry and Crime is an elegant new chapter in the fascinating life of Peter Doherty. In the new pieces which boast bright flashes of colour, typewriters galore, and even feature some apparent appearances by one of his beloved pet dogs we can see a joy and a sense of freedom.
The paintings travel as much as the man himself; some make mention of the romantic region of Normandy while others are more apparent nods to the good ship Albion, carrying steadily on at sea. There are also odes to The Libertines, any Libs fan would notice more than a few lyrics typed on one of his various typewriters emblazoned across several pieces.
One of the more intriguing features I noticed in these works was the empty space contrasted with the heaviness of the typewriter. Typewriters are seen as these massive clunky, nearly redundant luxuries in this age where we can tap away our poems on a smartphone in the palm of our hand. The typewriter serves as a reminder of the heaviness, timeless permanence of poetry. The weight of words, of literature and songs, are evident in contrast to the cut and pasted feeling of the silhouettes that dance around lyrics like “hell to pay at the gates of heaven”. The use of lyrics visually murmured as narrations to the story weaved into these works illustrates a dualism between luminescence and shadow which charms the visual and emotional space around each piece.
Doherty has effortlessly proved that he has a story to share and it’s marked by his signature eccentricity while also glancing at atonement, lustrous storytelling, and infinite creativity. This collection is a welcome glimpse of sunshine through grey skies.
For more information on the exposition: http://www.galeriechappe.com/
To check out Peter Doherty’s other works and music projects: https://www.albionrooms.com/
The Fantasy Life of Poetry and Crime will be showing through January at the Galerie Chappe in Paris.
Galerie Chappe is located at 4 Rue André Barsacq near metro Anvers and Abbesses and is open to the public from 14:00–20:00.
