Selfridges Cellar - The Museum of Everything

Last week I visited The Museum of Everything which has popped up in Selfridges from 2nd September until 25th October. For these two months, the Selfridges basement has morphed into an overcrowded haven of over 400 original artworks by mentally disadvantaged artists, many of whom have employed art as an alternative to language to break down frustrating barriers. Institutions such as HPCA have guided these unsung artists as students, helping them earn a living and redefine themselves. It was brush strokes that encouraged one such artist from Poznan in Poland, Henry Zarski, to utter his first words. 

Ruby Bradford, whose portrait of Prince Charles has acted as the ambassador piece for the entire exhibition, is certainly one to watch. Only twenty-six years old the blurb next to her pieces read:

‘Superman, Prince Charles and Prince Williams star as leading men in the vivid painted canvases of this starry-eyed pop singer-songwriter.’

My personal favourite was Michael Gerdsman, born in 1968, from Hamburg. His work consisted of uniquely knitted and crochet everyday objects such as electrical appliances (a brilliant iPod with one red earphone, one blue, plus microphones and old fashioned telephones) and potted plants.

'Selfridges have invited us for an eight week sleepover', the flyer quips. With only a couple of weeks remaining, now is the time to go and lose yourself in The Museum of Everything.