CHRIS OFILI EXHIBITION AT THE TATE BRITAIN

CHRIS OFILI EXHIBITION AT THE TATE BRITAIN

 Chris Ofili's work replaces actual art with a reliance on gimmicks. The gimmick for the early canvases presented here is a lump of elephant dung set into each painting and further pieces serving as base props for the canvas. This might be stimulating if it were done once or perhaps twice but it is simply done ad nauseum, representing a tremendous heave (for the elephant) and a tremendous sigh of relief for the visitor leaving behind this awesome stool. Ofili might be better served finding a Daliesque moustache or some other actual gimmick, tic or identifiable sign. Try growing a silly tache, dying your hair some weird or wonderful colour etc etc etc.

 There's nothing weird about Ofili's further work which is largely to do with the female nude, thus confirming the salient fact that Ofili is a man like any other man, not some effete South Ken woofter. (That's fine Chris but do we really need to see that nude over and over again?) Ofili has some good ideas and demonstrates his graphic art skills and use of colour even though the work can be repetitive in places.

 Paul Murphy, London

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