You can imagine my surprise upon walking into my now fiance’s flat for the first time and being greeted by a giant portrait of Margaret Thatcher. Upon closer inspection, I came to realise that it was not a typical depiction either;instead of your standard lines and shading making up the former Tory PM’s face , a sort of mosaic of sex toys, skulls and Tony Blair masks came together to depict that unmistakeable visage. Let’s just say, she made an impression!
Maggie by Marcus Harvey; Courtesy of Shapero Modern
Well, thanks to Shapero Modern and acclaimed British artist, Marcus Harvey, you too can greet your visitors with a bang!
Earlier this month, ArtAttack visited The Other Art Fair at Victoria House, London. Strolling through the press preview, we were truly overwhelmed by the vast quantity of excellent work being presented, and made it our mission to speak to every artist who’s art spoke to us in some way.
We decided to interview these artists to give our readers an inside look into the creators behind our favourite works from the fair.
Our first interview in this exciting series, is with artist, Orson Kartt, who shares with us, among other things, personal stories of his difficult entrance into the art world.
This year’s TEFAF is home to a new and exciting must-stop stand thanks to renowned Shapero Rare Books, setting up shop.
Courtesy of Albany Arts Communications
The London-based rare book and print dealer’s purpose-built stand designed by JSI Design Ltd.’s own Jamieson Innes, in collaboration with Bernard Shapero himself, definitely ‘hits the wow button,’ which Shapero explains was his goal for the structure, one that will now accompany him to antique and art fairs worldwide. Shapero rightly explains that ‘one of the challenges of fairs is to stand out,’ and this stand definitely does the trick! Both eye-catching and lusciously contemporary, the structure is engaging and immersive, inviting viewers to step in and take in the magic.
The London Art Fair (21-24 January), the UK’s premier fair for modern British and contemporary art, returns to the Business Design Centre in Islington for its’ 2016 event.
The Fair will showcase museum quality modern British art alongside contemporary work from today’s leading artists, covering the period from the early 20th century to the present day.
In addition to the main Fair you’ll also find two curated sections focusing on younger galleries, new work and contemporary photography; Art Projects and Photo50.
Coming to Shapero Modern on 6th October is Going Beyond, a comprehensive exhibition of Shelagh Wakely print works spanning the years 1972-2009. The late artist, who passed away in 2011, is best known for her public sculptural artworks, including the now iconic mosaic which decorates the exterior of the Royal Albert Hall.
On view as part of ‘Going Beyond,‘ are a variety of printing techniques exercised by Wakely such as silkscreen, photo etching with drawing and etching in bronze in silver. It will be quite exciting to view these 2D works, coming from an artist most known for her innovative installation and sculpture. Though Wakely’s work really does span across mediums, from ceramics and photography, to drawing, painting and video. Continue reading →
Consisting of 12 diverse artworks by 9 different artists, ‘Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain‘ is Blain Southern‘s summer tribute to its’ staff, “celebrating the wealth of emerging artistic talent within the gallery.” Benjamin Brett, Mark Couzens, Jamie George, Jonny Green, Benjamin Jamie, Deklan Kilfeather, Jonathan Kipps, Leon Matis Robin Monies and Ian Segrave all work for Blain Southern, as it were, behind the curtain; this show gives them a space to shine as artists in their own right.
Just downstairs from the gallery’s current Tony Cragg-curated ‘Andreas Schmitten, Gereon Lepper and Mathias Lanfer‘ you’ll find #BehindTheCurtain. The PV took place last evening, Tuesday 5th October, and was rightfully packed with a crowd of people, sipping icy Asahi and admiring the breadth of work on show, including painting, sculpture, textiles, conceptual pieces and illustration.
My personal favourite work of the exhibition is the sculpture. Entitled ‘Truss,‘ this large scale piece by Jonathan Kipps is made of burnt wood and resembles a sort of complex ladder. It takes command of the room and adds an exciting element as well, being the only non-hanging artwork on view.
Never-before-seen images of my personal favourite cinema siren, Brigitte Bardot, are coming to London thanks to Dadiani Fine Art and photographer Ray Bellisario. ‘Brigitte Bardot: 13 Unseen Photographs’ opens 6th June and features charming, off-the-cuff colour images of the actress taken over the course of a 1968 weekend PR trip to London.
Instead of the usual bikini-clad glamour shots in South of France, witness the French beauty virtually makeup free lounging on the bar of the pub and casually cruising through Selfridges, among other inconspicuous local haunts.
Courtesy of Dadiani Fine Art & Ray BellisarioCourtesy of Dadiani Fine Art & Ray Bellisario
It’s officially my favourite time of year: degree show season! And after kicking it off with a major bang at the fantastic Slade School BA/BFA show, I was anticipating a killer performance from Central Saint Martins BA and MA students too, who’s exhibition I had briefly previewed when I attended their Foundation Show. What can I say? I was not wrong. My visit last evening exceeded my expectations with innovative and fun works that really put the joy back in art.
From felted dogs humping in discreet corners, to a bathtub turned garden and replicated airline cabin complete with a not-so-typical safety video, I don’t think I’d be exaggerating to say that this show has it all, including some stunning painting and touching installation to boot. Furthermore, it is clear the students this year did not shy away from risk, but rather embraced it wholeheartedly. This fearlessness is obvious in the work and makes for a compelling, innovative and thrilling few hours of art.
Artwork by Emma Burns, 2015Ben Cooper Walker, ‘Melon,’ 2015Sarah Crew, ‘Hilang Airways,’ 2015
After two weeks being spoiled by the LA sunshine, ArtAttack is back in London and back on the blog! For those who haven’t traveled to the City of Angels lately, I’m happy to report that the art scene is booming. To give you an idea of the diversity and depth of LA’s art world, here are three of our favourite shows from this most recent visit.
1) Otis College of Art & Design, MA Graduate Show
As you’ve probably noticed already, uni shows are a soft spot for me. I find few things as exciting as discovering emerging talent, and school exhibitions are of course some of the best places to do so. This particular show took place in the Otis College graduate students’ own studios, so the vibe was casual — works in progress mingling with completed pieces, and tables filled with candy, food and drink lining the hallways. Like any show, I did not love everything I saw, but the thing is, the pieces that did stand out to me, are still at the forefront of my mind almost 2 weeks later — that’s definitely a testament to the talent in the room. Here are a few of these works:
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