All posts by butterfly

London : Christian Hook @ Clarendon Gallery

October 21, 2016 butterfly

Christian Hook, 2014 Winner of The Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year just unveiled his new collection of paintings and exclusive editions, as well as the release of his new hardback book ‘La Busqueda’ at Clarendon Gallery in London.

The exhibition features his infamous portraits from the Sky Art Series with actress Sue Johnston, singer Mick Hecknall from Simply Red and professional footballer Fabrice Muamba.

Christian Hook with actress Sue Johnston

The paintings of Christian Hook are rooted in tradition yet brim with freshness and vitality. The past and the present collide in each piece, creating alternating perspectives on one subject. There is a fascination with classical art and the broken image combined with an exploration of time and motion through subsequent layers of transparent paint.

Working between London and Gibraltar, Christian Hook is fascinated in capturing time and depicting motion, time and the moments that occur between events, hence the use of multiple view points to depict a single subject: “We are always on the move, if not physically, mentally.”

His ‘Monologues’ series reinterpret the timeless bather theme by depicting a female figure at different phases during bath time. Monologue because bathing time is a moment of self reflection. Christian Hook also started collaboration with other artists to bring an additional element to the paintings. The painted subject comes alive with an ornate ladder sculpture and silver flip flops.

Christian Hook

Christian Hook also manages to capture the essence of a greyhound while it remains still for a millisecond, ready to spring and pays tribute to the Spanish Cartujano horse with a close study of the anatomy and its elegant movements.

Christian Hook

View the full set of pics here

Christian Hook
Until 29 October 2016
Clarendon Gallery
46 Dover Street, London, W1S 4FF

Festival, Shows, Toulouse

Toulouse: Bleu Bleu @ ‘Printemps de Septembre’ Festival

October 17, 2016 butterfly

We continue our coverage on the Printemps de Septembre Festival in Toulouse with the Bleu Bleu Project (named after a mythical bar in Toulouse attended by the young art scene), a multifaceted project curated by Manuel Pomar.

Originating from a scenario and the eponymous play by Stephane Arcas, the Bleu Bleu exhibition borrows the play’s decor and some of its texts. The Lieu Commun space has been transformed into a decrepit student apartment whith emblematic artworks from the 90’s borrowed from regional collections of contemporary art (FRAC). Historical pieces are exhibited together with other works carried out by a selection of graduates artists of the Toulouse Fine Art School (isdaT) and EBABX. In parallel visitors can enjoy live performances of members of the collective 330 + 1 who reenact certain parts of the play. A report on the youth and the upheavals of the world.

Bleu Bleu - Printemps de Septembre

View the full of pics from Printemps de Septembre here

Bleu Bleu
Until 23 October 2016
Printemps de Septembre Festival
Lieu Commun, Toulouse

London, Shows

London: Save Yourselves @ Stour Space

October 15, 2016 butterfly 2 Comments

For at least a decade, the urban art landscape of the East London area called Hackney Wick has shaped and developed the aesthetic of this unique pocket of London. Many of these artists have gone on to become some of the most prolific street artists of our time. As most buildings are doomed for demolition, subsequently so is the rich heritage of urban art in East London. Is there now anything left to Save, apart from ourselves?

Save Yourselves celebrates the art and the artists who have personal and emotional connections to the area. From 14th October at Stour Space, curator artist Aida Wilde is gathering once again the ‘Lunatics’ from the recent takeover of the Lord Napier pub (Hackney Wicked 2016), bringing you an immersive, visual and historical experience.

By sharing personal photos and archival images and footage, the local people of The Wick, Hackney WickED and Save Hackney Wick have contributed to an extraordinary and emotional insight into this unique community past and present.

Exhibiting along with the ‘Lunatics’ will be the launch of the printed posters of Sisters In Print, a collective of opinionated sixteen national and international female artists, sharing the love of print and print making. The prints produced for the show are all printed in Aida’s studio in the heart of Hackney Wick.

An installation recreates the Lord Napier’s Pub with collaborative messages about gentrification of Hackney Wick from ‘Shithouse to Penthouse’ and features a Sweet Toof real estate agent promoting the area as ‘Urban and Edgy’.

Save Yourselves highlights the wealth and diversity of creative talents of East London, sadly pushed away by real estate speculation. A immersive show not to be missed !

LINE UP

MOBSTR, Donk, Zombie Squeegee, Static, Fatherless, Edwin, Mighty Mo, Sweet Toof, Dscreet, Unga, Deso, Malarko, Float, DONE, Gregg Abbott (The Hidden Print), Vesna Parchet, Teddy Baden, John Atherton, Hin, Sony, Darren John, RUN, Ronzo, Rowdy, Neoh, David O’Shaughnessy, Cristina Lina, Brenda Goodchild, Helen Ashton, Jo Hicks, Anna Chilton, Xenz, Busk, Fifth Wall TV, Rosa Romeo, Felicity Taylor, Gina Pellicci, Juliette Stuart, Allie Li, Ego. A. Sowinski, Pang, Tek33, ODC & Nudo de Víboras.

View the full set of pics here

Save Yourselves
Curated by Aida Wilde

Until 31 October 2016
Stour Space, 7 Roach Road,
Hackney Wick, London, E3 2PA

http://www.stourspace.co.uk
Enquiries: coby@stourspace.co.uk

Festival, Shows, Toulouse

Toulouse: David Shrigley @ ‘Printemps de Septembre’ Festival

October 12, 2016 butterfly

The Printemps de Septembre (Spring in September) returns this year after a three year hiatus to Toulouse in Southern France. The festival, which was recently redefined as a Biennal by founder Marie-Thérèse Perrin, takes place throughout the city with a programme of exhibitions, concerts, screenings and performances.

Fresh from his recent inauguration of the ‘Really Good’ sculpture on the 4th Plinth in Trafalgar Square in London, British artist and Turner Prize nominee David Shrigley has designed and manufactured all the elements to organise a music festival in partnership with the Higher Institute of Arts in Toulouse: the instruments, stage setting and rehearsal studio, posters and even the lyrics of songs, where bands can register and play.
The installation is called ‘ David Shrigley – Problem in Toulouse’.

The display is featured in the Palais des Arts school , as well as a series of David Shrigley’s distinctive black and white quick-witted drawings and hand-rendered texts with satirical comments on everyday situations.

David Shrigley - Problem in Toulouse

View the full set of pics here

David Shrigley – Problem in Toulouse
Until 23 October 2016
Printemps de Septembre
Institut Superieur des Arts de Toulouse

Art Fair, London

London: Frieze Masters Highlights

October 10, 2016 butterfly

Frieze Masters

As the entire art world collides to London for a plethora of exhibitions and fairs, Frieze Masters presents antique works from the Egyptian era to Modern Masters, 130 international galleries with 1000 years of art under one roof. We selected some highlights from Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol , JM Basquiat, Rene Magritte, Miro, Fernand Leger, Roy Lichtenstein.

Frieze Masters