Spirit of Things

Yoriko Murayama - seen here

I like the look of the next exhibition at Flow Gallery in London's Notting Hill - Spirit of Things: Crosscurrents between Japanese and Finnish Crafts. Gallery owner, Yvonna Demczynska says of the show: "I have travelled to both Japan and Finland and from these trips I have often wondered why the two cultures share the same spirit of simplicity, organic formations and pared down essence in the objects they create".  Artist's Include: Akiko Hirai, Anelma Savolainen, Anna Maria Väätäinen, Chioyoko Tanaka,  Hisako Sekijima, Kati Tuominen-Niittylä, Kristina Riska, Ritsuko Jinnouchi, Ulla Maija Vikman, Yoriko Murayama, Yoshimura Toshiharu. The show runs from 12 September - 10 November.

Charmed Life: The solace of objects

Felicity Powell - Conjuring Coral - seen here

The Wellcome Collection in London is currently showing an exhibition of charms and amulets, Charmed Life: The solace of objects which is the result of a project with artist, Felicity Powell. Powell has had the opportunity to engage with the museum's collection of 1400 amulets and charms collected in the early twentieth century by folklorist, Edward Lovett. She is also showing her own extraordinary wax drawings and films alongside the collection.

The exhibition publicity uses this insightful quotation from 1580:  “It seems that the soul... loses itself in itself when shaken and disturbed unless given something to grasp on to; and so we must always provide it with an object to butt up against and to act upon.” Michel de Montaigne, 'Essais' 

The exhibition runs until 26 February 2012.

Mike Nelson - Coral Reef

Mike Nelson: The Coral Reef, 1999, installation view;

image courtesy  of the Artist and Matt’s Gallery, London, Collection of the Tate.

On a recent trip to London, I went to visit Mike Nelson's Coral Reef recently acquired by Tate Collections and installed at Tate Britain until January 15th. This work was made in 1999 for Matt's Gallery in London, at the very end of the 20th Century but before events which have come to define current times; 9/11, 7/7 and the economic crash of 2008 in particular. In the light of our recent history this claustrophobic, disorientating piece has extraordinary resonances.

Entering the work through a grubby reception room, you begin your journey into a complex series of rooms and corridors. Each room has its own character - all are shabby, depressed, clues are scattered throughout to tempt us to construct a narrative for ourselves. The title, Coral Reef reflects Nelson's concept of a fragile structure which exists under a metaphorical ocean surface, in which "...in a sense each room is indicative of a different belief system". We are "...invited to become lost in this world of lost people" and that is exactly what the experience achieved for me.

Under electric light, the structure doubles back on itself, the spaces are tight and only just big enough to occupy. A sense of panic rises even though this is obviously a work of art, installed in a gallery - one cannot actually come to harm or get forever lost in the maze - the fiction is powerful enough to suspend the rational just enough to allow the anxiety to emerge. You can hear others elsewhere in the structure, doors are opening and closing, squeaking on their hinges, it could be reassuring but it also increases the panic. The residual evidence of characters living out their days, conducting their business and worshiping at their own particular alter in these uncared for spaces is disturbing, familiar and loaded with prophetic tension.  In a carefully constructed, paranoia educing twist we are led to believe we have reached the room through which we entered only to find the exit leads us into a loading bay, its shutters down - we have no choice but to turn and retrace our steps. 

It is a remarkable experience, here is Mike Nelson talking about the work and its contemporary significance.

Susan Hiller

Susan Hiller - Witness 2000 - seen here

I went along to Tate Britain whilst in London for the Susan Hiller exhibition, it only runs until 15 May and it's fantastic, so do get along to see it if you can. A major survey of her 40 year career, the show takes in the sweep of her work from the dream mapping experiments and cut up paintings of the 1970's, to innovative installation experiments with sound and image and quasi-anthropological collections of objects. She explores issues of the subconscious, the unconscious, the supernatural and the uncanny with a scientific veneer derived in part from her training as an anthropologist. 

I have bought the exhibition catalogue because the show was so personally powerful and full of important references for my own practice. I'm looking forward to reading and thinking about her work and the extensive influence she has had on current practice.

Collect: The International Art Fair for Contemporary Objects

Stephen Bird - War on Pottery - seen here

I went back for a proper look around at Collect on Saturday, it's a real treat to see so much top quality work in one venue, I really enjoy the international aspect of the fair. Jewellery had a strong presence this year along with ceramics; textiles generally seem to be less well represented, however two Fibre Arts Wales members were showing, Laura Thomas with Ruthin Craft Centre and Michelle Griffiths with Lesley Craze Gallery. I was also delighted to find some pieces by ceramicist, Stephen Bird at the Bluecoat Display Centre stand.

Bettina Speckner - seen here

I really like Galerie Ra and Galerie Marzee, both Dutch based jewellery specialists. At Galerie Ra I made my (purely) fantasy purchase - a brooch from Bettina Speckner! Gallerie Marzee have a plan chest alongside their main display full of exquisite pieces from their gallery artists.

Galerie Marzee at Collect 2011 - seen here

Collect at Saatchi

Stefano Marchetti - seen here

I went along to The Saatchi Gallery last night for a preview of Collect: The International Art Fair for Contemporary Objects. I'll be going back today for a closer look, but here are a few of the makers that I enjoyed on first sight.

David Gates - seen here

Ike Junger - seen here

Collect 2011

Tanya Gomez - Submerge - seen here

I'm off to London tomorrow to go to this years Collect at The Saatchi Gallery. Watch this space for updates...here's a preview of the catalogue - strangely they have added some very cheesy background music so be ready with the mute button!

Jessica Holmes

Jessica Holmes - A Hole into which to Retire for Protection - seen here

Jessica Holmes - The Lesson is: Fallout Shelter is Needed Everywhere
- seen here

After yesterday's post on the new show at London's  Transition Gallery, I went off to have a look at the work of one of the contributors, Jessica Holmes. I like her recent paintings on wallpaper; the still lives and the dog images - beautiful.

Gilding the Lily at Transition Gallery

Jessica Holmes - seen here

I'll probably miss Gilding the Lily at Transition Gallery in east London, but it looks really interesting. I like the concept of the exhibition, it is a question that probably all artists - maybe all creatives - have to confront in their own practice. Here's the gallery publicity for the show: 

'To gild refined gold, to paint the lily,
is wasteful and ridiculous excess.' 
Shakespeare

 If making art is in part an act of embellishment, one critique could be whether the embellishment is adding something new, deepening our view or whether it is just excess with no additional value. The word embellishment has a range of meanings, from making beautiful, improving, adding fictitious details, to wasteful exaggeration. This range indicates its slippery subjectivity, depending on the eye of the beholder.

Even the most austere understated artist is an embellisher of sorts as nothing can be stripped away completely as there is always a fiction and pleasure at the heart of every artwork. The pleasure of making and of viewing would arise from the embellishing of ideas and materials, and whether or not the embellishment has become alchemic.

Each work requires a different strategy to achieve this act of embellishment. Some artists may explore ideas and materials through excess and opulence, others by pairing down. The artists in this show reflect this arc.

The show includes the work of Max Hymes, Jessica Holmes, Richard Livingston, Stuart Mayes, Will Tuck, Paul Westcombe, Laura White, Nicola Williams and runs from 19 March to 10 April 2011.

Louise Bourgeois: The Fabric Works

Louise Bourgeios -  Untitled 2005 - seen here

Hauser & Wirth have opened a new gallery in Saville Row, London. I went along to visit the current show before it ends on 18 December.

Louise Bourgeois: The Fabric Works is a beautiful show, spread over the two spaces which make up the gallery footprint. Framed fabric 'sketches' use the textiles Bourgeois collected throughout her life, sewn, woven and patchwork-ed into abstract designs. Many of the works reference her abiding interest with the spider; web-like, geometric patchworks. There is also one of her metal spider sculptures in the gallery; I'm a little ambivalent about these pieces - the first time I saw one in the flesh in the Serpentine Gallery, it was spectacular. It crouched, perfectly scaled and claustrophobic in the space, but the pieces I've seen since have often seemed out of sorts with their surroundings. I was more excited to see two of her room enclosures. 

Louise Bourgeois - Bullet Hole 1992 - seen here

There's a fantastic catalogue that accompanies the show; all I can do is covet it for now at £65 - one for the Christmas list...

Buddug & Jessie - The Shop

I went up to east London on Saturday and had a stroll along Columbia Road, it's full of lovely little independent shops, but my favourite is run by Buddug Wyn Humphreys and her friend Jessie Chorley. We have been stocking Buddug's work in the shop at Oriel Myrddin Gallery for a while, and this year she is also part of our Christmas show, LUX. Using vintage finds along with her distinctive enamel work, Buddug makes quirky jewellery and housewares often with words and phrases in both English and Welsh. Although based in Hackney, Buddug originally comes from north Wales. 

Buddug Wyn Humphreys

Jessie Chorley is also from Snowdonia in north Wales, influenced by old books and  text, she combines stitch work with paper and found objects to make jewellery and housewares along with hand-made books and journals. Their shop (158a Columbia Road, London E2 7RG) is open on Saturday 12 - 4 pm and Sunday from 9 am - 4 pm, and during the run up to Christmas on Wednesday from 5 - 9 pm.

Jessie Chorley - seen here

A few doors down is Ryantown, the shop showing the work of paper cutting artist Rob Ryan. His beautifully intricate work has become incredibly popular lately with designs available as greetings cards, ceramics, skate boards, scarves...

Rob Ryan - seen here

I continued on to Brick Lane on my wander with the intention of visiting a few shops and galleries, but got caught up in a fantastic event - Santacon. I had no idea why there were hundreds of Santa's gathered for a carnival-like parade in the street - but I found out later it is a worldwide semi-spontaneous gathering of folk dressed as Santa intent on having a good time and spreading cheer and goodwill...excellent!

Stéphane Rolland

Whilst at the V&A we were scooped up in an event that we hadn't planned to visit, but turned out to be an exciting addition to the day. Fashion in Motion is a series of live catwalk events at the museum, the featured designer at today's event was Parisian, Stéphane Rolland and the event took place in The Raphael Gallery. The couture dresses we saw were incredibly beautiful; sculptural, architectural - but exquisitely elegant and feminine.

The gallery attendants were all wearing little hats made especially for the museum - I think by milliner Steve Jones (please correct me if anyone knows differently!).

Shadow Catchers: Camera-less Photography

Floris Neusüss - Shadow Catchers - installation shot - seen here

The V&A has been on my list to visit, there were two things in particular that I wanted to see, Shadow Catchers: Camera-less Photography and Mat Collishaw's Magic Lantern zoetrope installation in the crown cupola of the museum's architecture. I timed my visit to make sure I was there after dark and got the most from the installation, billed as '...hauntingly beautiful...a beacon of light brought to life by fluttering moths...', I was disappointed. If I had not already read about the piece, I am not sure I would have noticed it, and if I had, I think I just might have assumed there was a strobe light on the roof. There was also a smaller piece installed in the garden to compliment the work, but I was informed that it was not working today.

Moving swiftly on, Shadow Catchers was an enchanting exhibition, focusing on the experiments of five artists, Floris Neusüss, Pierre Cordier, Susan Derges, Garry Fabian Miller and Adam Fuss in making images on photographic paper without the use of a camera. Various techniques had been used which manipulated light or used chemical processes to capture people, objects, abstract patterns and textures. 

It is interesting that these techniques seemed to lead the artists to muse on spiritual and philosophic questions about the nature and matter of the universe. Maybe the techniques themselves and the quasi-scientific element to the processes influenced the contexts. The often ghostly, ethereal quality of the finished works certainly hint at the more meta-physical aspects of humanity. 

Pierre Cordier - Chemigram 8/2/61 I, 8 février 1961 - seen here

I particularly enjoyed Chemigram 8//2/61 1, 8 fevrier 1961 by Pierre Cordier, it suggested to me the other-worldly presences of the ancestors seen in the palimpsest rock paintings of aboriginal Australia. 

Susan Derges - Vessel No. 3 (1) - seen here

I liked Susan Derges tadpole series, with all the memories it brought of childhood wonder at the process of transformation. Floris Neusüss' photogram Homage to Talbot: The Latticed Window, Lacock Abbey 2010 was absolutely beautiful. Adam Fuss' Shaker ladder was exceptional, and for me brought a little humour to the otherwise quite serious content of the show. 

Adam Fuss - seen here

Mat Collishaw - Magic Lantern

Mat Collishaw - Midnight Icarus - seen here

This looks amazing - Mat Collishaw has been commissioned by the V&A to create works that animate the museum's architecture, Magic Lantern - worth a visit after dark I think:

"...A monumental zoetrope - the cylindrical device first designed in 1834 to project a rapid succession of images to simulate motion - is the result. Magic Lantern transforms the Museum's edifice into a beacon of light, brought to life by fluttering moths visible from dusk each evening. Exploiting the theme of enchantment to the full, Collishaw plays with scale, much like Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by grabbing the attention of South Kensington passers-by with his monumental fluttering moths in the Museum's uppermost dome, the crown cupola.

This commission is accompanied by a smaller replica zoetrope which will animate the John Madejski Garden during the day, allowing a close-up view of the enchanting motion of moths in flight." 

Louise Bourgeois - The Fabric Works

Louise Bourgeois - Untitled 2007 - seen here

I can feel a trip to London coming on...I don't want to miss the inaugural exhibition at the new Hauser & Wirth gallery in Saville Row which is open from 15 October. The show, Louise Bourgeois - The Fabric Works, comprises of 70 pieces made between 2002 and 2008 along with four large scale sculptures. The drawings are made from the domestic textiles collected and hoarded by Bourgeois over her long life, and make reference to the family business in which her mother was an expert weaver and seamstress. I like this quote from the artist: ‘I always had the fear of being separated and abandoned. The sewing is my attempt to keep things together and make things whole’.

The show continues until 18 December.

Echoic Objects at Gallery SO

Karen Geyer - 'Grauton' Amplifiers, 7 boxes, sound and light installation - seen here

One of the places I missed on my recent trip to London was the new Gallery SO in Brick Lane. The gallery's focus is '...contemporary art objects and jewellery'. Recently arrived in London, the original Gallerie SO was established in Switzerland by Felix Flury in 2003. The current show Echoic Objects looks really interesting and features artists Marianne Flotron, Karen Geyer, Niamh Riordan, Strotter Inst., Annaïk Lou Pitteloud and Steve van den Bosch. Reading the exhibition statement and looking at the images, the show appears to use projection in various forms in conjunction with objects to dislocate and reinterpret form and function. There is a live sound performance on 15 October by one of the participant artists, Karen Geyer, which also looks intriguing. If anyone gets along to the show - please tell me more!

Jerwood Drawing Prize 2010

Virginia Verran - Space (signal) [detail], Pens on canvas, 76 x 62 cm 

Cadi Froehlich -Untitled (tea table), Side table, hot drink rings, 50 x 50 x 50 cm

The winners of the Jerwood Drawing Prize 2010 were announced this week, the selectors this year were Charles Darwent, Art Critic, Independent on Sunday; Jenni Lomax, Director of the Camden Arts Centre and Emma Talbot, artist.

The winner is Victoria Verran for her pen on canvas drawing, Space (signal), this is her description of her work:

‘Intuitions · layers · planes · demarcations · nations · symbols · threats · bombardments · pointings · ponds · settlements · migrations · repetitions.'

The 2nd Prize went to Cadi Froehlich, she says: 

‘Untitled (tea table) has evolved from a process of work looking at what was, what isn’t and what could be. Mindful of the passing of time and the potential of the future, this period of work has questioned the reality of the now. Evoking moments spent, lost or yearned for, the table bears the marks that illustrate meetings, conversations and quiet contemplations spent over a cup of tea. The format of the drinking and the style of cup changes, as does the purpose, aim or hope in the moment of the drinking.’

These works along with the other 70 shortlisted pieces will be shown at Jerwood Space in London from 29 September to 7 November 2010. Oriel Myrddin Gallery will host the touring show in March 2011.

Tomomi Sayuda

Tomimi Sayuda - Oshibe - seen here

One of my favourite pieces from London Design Week was shown at Tent London by designer Tomomi Sayuda.

Here is how she describes the work: "Oshibe is a playful interactive music and lighting sculpture which means stamen in Japanese. Oshibe represents our optimistic elements of life, for instance plants, eggs, light and the moon. When you put the eggs on the stamens, Oshibe plays different tender ambient sounds dependent upon the particular stamens."

Lab Craft: Digital Adventures in Contemporary Craft

We went to Tent London in the Truman Brewery building, Brick Lane on Saturday. I've been really looking forward to seeing the Crafts Council's new touring show, Lab Craft: Digital Adventures in Contemporary Craft which was showing here.

The work of 26 makers have been chosen, all of whom augment their craft practice with cutting-edge digital technologies such as rapid prototyping, laser cutting, laser scanning and digital printing. The show "...explores the use of technology as an extension to the capabilities of the human hand."

Amongst the exhibitors are weaver, Ismini Samanadou and designer Gary Allson. Both are also currently showing as part of Oriel Myrddin Gallery's warp+weft show, their collaborative work experiments with weave patterns and laser cutting techniques in wood.

I was intrigued by a piece by Michael Eden called Babel Vessel, made from nylon with mineral coating. The top of the piece is cut with a digital pattern which behaves like a code. By downloading an app to use with a smart phone one can photograph the pattern which in turn brings up a website about the show. The possibilities for museums and exhibitions are very exciting; a kind of real-time hyper-linking process. It also has the slightly arcane wonderment of the world of secret codes and languages - a touch of Indiana Jones! This app could be used throughout the show when the little digital icon was shown next to a piece of work.

Michael Eden - Babel Vessel 1 - seen here

I am fascinated by the aesthetic language which is emerging through these techniques; born of the processes themselves, contouring, forms and surface pattern defined by layering, cutting and printing technologies.The exhibition left me feeling really excited and energised, many questions are raised about the nature of 'craft' and the handmade in a digital world, but they are asked with eloquence and skill. Here's a link to the essay about the show written by curator, Max Fraser.

Zachary Eastwood-Bloom - Information Ate My Table - seen here

The One Room Hotel - James Plumb

Hostem - interior designed by James Plumb - seen here

I went along to Hostem, in Redchurch Street, Shoreditch this evening to see the beautiful shop interior that has been designed by duo James Russell and Hannah Plumb (collectively James Plumb). Behind the shop is an adjoining space which the couple have designed as a hotel room as part of London Design Week. Full of their exquisite, lovingly salvaged and re invented furniture, The One Room Hotel is a show of their work during the day and - for the duration of the exhibition - a lucky person gets given the keys for the night (jealous!).

Hannah and James will be showing work with Oriel Myrddin Gallery in our winter show Lux which opens on 6 November - I am so excited to have the opportunity to exhibit their work in Wales.

Hostem - interior designed by James Plumb - seen here