PRESS RELEASE for Exhibition 'Guilty Pleasure'

24/04/10

Press Release - May 2010
Monkey Chews
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Photography from Daniela Fleckenstein in association with the hip venue
Monkey Chews
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‘Guilty Pleasures’
Daniela Fleckenstein
Exhibition Launch 18/05/10
Monkey Chews Gallery

Monkey Chews has come storming into the London art world after freeing its walls for anything
fresh, opinionated and on the pulse. Adding a colourful twist to the usual experience of viewing
art, you can stroll through Gallery@ Monkey Chews with a cocktail in hand and live music in the
background, making the experience all the more enjoyable!
’Guilty Pleasures’ is an ambitious adventure into the therapeutic uses of photography. The
exhibition is starkly honest; each image is unique in its personal expression but all a reaction to
temptation.
Each photograph is a personal construct conceived entirely by each sitter, a display of all that
is hidden, our innermost desires. This method upsets the usual dynamic between an artist and
their subject, as the emotions of the sitter dictate the composition of the photograph. Beginning
with a therapy session, the subjects are invited to express, what they see to be illicit and
therefore feared. When released from the bounds of society and usual artistic constraints, the
result is compelling.
‘The first time I realised the beauty of visual art and its ability to express what words struggle to
encapsulate, I was in my early teens. Ever since I have pursued a creative path, making it an
important focal point throughout my career and indeed, life.’
After securing a place at the prestigious Chelsea Art School, Fleckensteirn did not have the
maturity needed to express herself fully and left feeling vulnerable and exposed. Returning to
her studies a few years later, with an eye specifically on Photography, Daniela began to
understand the possibility for self-exploration and understanding through art. Finishing her
studies at University of Westminster, Daniela searched for a niche in the visual arts and
developed her own use of Phototherapy, an artistic outlet often used when working with
people with mental health issues. Photography is used as a tool for patients to express
themselves and explore their own reactions to their immediate environment.
• All copyright remains with the Photographer unless otherwise stated

Monkey Chews
"As charming as its name and twice as cheerful, Monkey Chews is a little-known, much-loved
lounge bar in one of Camden Town's more residential areas. The combination of frosted glass
and burly doormen gives no clue to the Chews' gloriously gooey centre. On midweek evenings,
its ambient red lighting, low couches and live acoustic acts inspire states of relaxation that
border on comatose, although DJs take control at weekends, spinning all manner of funky stuff
and turning one cramped corner into an impromptu dance floor."
(Time out bars, Pubs & clubs guide 2008/9)
Dates: 18th May – June 30th 2010 Private View – 18th May 7-9pm
Address: Monkey Chews, 2 Queens Crescent, London, NW5 Tube – Chalk Farm
Price – free
Mon – Thursday 5pm – 12pm / Friday 5pm – 1am / Sat - 3pm – 1am / Sunday – 12pm – 11pm