Situated above the Griffin Pub near Old Street, Rod Barton Invites was established in September 2007, with the objective of showcasing British and International contemporary art, with a primary focus on contemporary abstract painting, by established as well as emerging artists.

The gallery does not currently represent artists: it focuses on artists of the younger generation, offering them opportunities to exhibit – solely as well as within curated collective exhibitions.

Despite the physical limitations dictated by the exhibition space - just less than 300 square feet in size- and limited access - the gallery can only exhibit works under 5ft square- Rod Barton Invites is characterized by a critically acclaimed programme, consisting of regular group and solo exhibitions, with curated off-site projects. The programme operates by invitation: artists are invited to participate in a gallery-curated exhibition, selected to have a solo show, or invited to curate a group exhibition.

To date, the gallery has hosted three gallery-curated exhibitions (Lady Holic, Lost Boys, Rainbow Straightener), one artist-curated show (Hypersurface) and one solo representation (Daniel Pasteiner – Paintings of Colour). A further two two-person shows are planned before closing for the summer (Chris Daniels & James Ryan, Peter Lamb & Jimmy Conway-Dyer).

In June, Hypersurface Plus (Curated by Michael Stubbs) will travel to OVADA an Oxford-based visual arts development agency and exhibition space. Expanded from the original three-person show to a larger eight-artist exhibition, it incorporates established and younger artist currently working with Rod Barton Invites.

The second artist-curated exhibition this year is a group show curated by Richard Woods, who has invited four artists to exhibit with him, will stretch from September until after the Fairs Week in October. With the artworks expanding downstairs into the public house, the exhibition will interlace the works with the listed Victorian architecture.

The last exhibition for 2008 will be Andy Jackson’s solo exhibition.

Rod Barton Invites intends to grow in the near future, maintaining a dynamic and interesting curatorial program by inviting more established artists and curators to operate under its aegis. The resulting increase in profile and exposure will allow the gallery to fully represent up to five emerging artists, helping them in their career progression.