Thanks to Deutche Postbank for exhibiting my work and for the very enjoyable private view of the show we had on Monday night. Thank you also to those who came to see me and my work. I was really pleased to see as I glanced into the building from the street that one of my paintings was there in the foyer.
I went to a great visiting artist’s talk last week. It was by the incredible artist Andrew Grassie. He was talking about the development of his work since he studied at the Royal College of Art. He initially tried all sorts of styles (something I do too) but is now very much involved in a post modern-self referential type of painting. His work tends to involve setting up a virtual exhibition and painting it with his work on the walls from many angles. Then his paintings are hung on the walls where they are depicted to be. It’s a bit like when you look at yourself in the mirror at the hairdressers and you can see your own imge, many times over. His paintings look photographic and show his staggering technique and all done with egg tempera to boot! In this photograph you see a slide of one of his paintings projected in the lecture theatre onto a screen. The painting is of a screen in a lecture theatre showing one of his paintings and so on. I thought he might like it!
I saw this on the wonderful blog Aquamarine, written by my great friend Tara, this morning and loved it. Sometimes the most simple ideas are the most effective aren’t they? I think that the way that the ‘city’ breathes life into the ‘trash’ around it is so exciting!
With our world in such a state of delicate balance, and the way that history repeats itself and civilizations rise and fall, I imagine that our population could become significantly smaller and much more primitive due to some sort of apocalyptic event. What would this population of the future make of and from the objects that are contemporary to us today? Would everyday objects take on a magical significance?
I have been lucky enough, over the last couple of weeks to have had the opportunity to go to a seminar held by the amazing artist Simon Callery who works with commercial archaeologists at the time a landscape changes in order to see how it has changed. Currently working on the Thames Gateway Project there is an engagement with the changing landscape of the Thames Gateway, an area of development. There is a tangible materiality and physical quality at the time of excavation.
I then got to go to a lecture by archaeologist Dr Helen Wickstead who taught us more about how archaologists work and how they produce their field drawings and what many of the techniques and symbols used were. She showed us some examples of archaeological drawings which, although they have a wonderful aesthetic to them, actually only aim to be descriptive and accurate. It was fascinating to be let into this world.
I’m delighted to announce that two of my paintings are being shown in a six month exhibition at Deutche Postbank in the City of London.
There will be a private view of the show on Monday 3rd November from 5.30pm - 8pm at Deutche Postbank, 61 Queen Street, EC4R
The bank is located on the corner of Queen St - down at the river end.
Do not confuse with Deutsche Bank, which is nearby! The nearest tube is Bank.
Please come along if you can make it!
Yes it’s Frieze time again! I went today and not surprisingly I’m exhausted now. It’s often described as a cattle market of contemporary art. This is true in a way but it’s also a brilliant way of getting your finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the art world…all over the world right now! This is stuff that hasn’t had a chance to be published yet or put in a museum yet. I particularly enjoyed the work of Huma Bhabha, Cathy Wilkes, Hayley Tompkins and
Mark Manders. What better way of researching of the moment art than seeing the best of what the best contemporary, commercial galleries in the world have to offer all under one collosal roof in the middle of Regents Park? Yes it’s overwhelming, yes it’s exhausting but it’s also one hell of an inspiring smorgasboard of art and well worth a look!
Today I was a Drawing Marshall! Sounds grand doesn’t it?…does it?….hmm….
Anyway, it was for a wonderful project devised by artist Terry Smith in conjuntion with CCW (Chelsea, Camberwell and Wimbledon….colleges of art) called Draw, Cut, Tear. It was a one day project across all three art colleges with visiting lecturers, events and workshops. Everyone at each of the colleges was invited to do a drawing on an A4 piece of paper with the event stamp on it. The parameters were who i am or where i am as a starting point but these were very much open to interpretation. It was all about having fun with drawing and getting everyone involved from students to ground staff to lecturers and visitors. At the end of the day there was a one evening exhibition of the work in each of the colleges. Before they were taken down, the drawings were recorded with good quality photographs and collected up carefully. There will be an exhibition later featuring all of the drawing from all of the colleges and some may even be selected for an event at the national Portrait Gallery. I had a chat with Terry Smith this evening and I found his ideas about making art rather liberating. I look forward to hearing more of his ideas at the SpeakEasy event later this month.
The Art for Youth exhibition at the Mall Galleries was another great success this year. It was an honour to be involved and surrounded by such high quality work in an event in aid of such a good cause. A big thank you to everyone who came to see me.
I was lucky enough to be invited to go to the new Saatchi Gallery on the day it opened! It was awesome! The collection is a set of Charles Saatchi’s latest aquisitions from China. “The Revolution Continues: New Art From China” My particular favourites were “Love It! Bite It!” a huge city sculpture in the opening room made entirely from edible dog chews by Liu Wei , “Civilization, Bai Yilou’s corrupted vision of imperious power built on labourer’s toil in an installation of 12 ceramic busts with agricultural tools going through their heads, and Zhang Huans giant “Ash Head” sculpture made from incense ash!
I’m very happily going to be taking part in Art For Youth again this year, exhibiting five paintings in aid of the wonderful charity UK Youth. Now entering its 21st year, this hugely popular exhibition has so far raised over £750,000 for UK Youth.
Over 1,000 pieces of art (valued from £100- £3,000) by new and established artists will be on display at Art for Youth London. Set in the prestigious Mall Galleries (next to the ICA, nearest tubes Charing Cross or Green Park), works include: oils, watercolours, sculpture ceramics, photographs & jewellery.
Wednesday 8th October: Drinks 6pm-9pm Auction 7.30pm £12 in advance £15 on the door
Thursday 9th October: Free entry 11am-3pm, Drinks and music 6pm-9pm, Raffle draw and Silent Auction concludes. £10 in advance £12 on the door.
All of the proceeds from tickets go to the charity (as the exhibition is kindly sponsored by Rothschilds Bank) and there is plenty of free wine going around at these thoroughly enjoyable evenings. It would be wonderful to see you there. A proportion of sales of artworks also goes to the charity.
