All posts by butterfly

Books, London, Shows

London: Francis Bacon Six Studies in Soho

Francis Bacon - Six Studies in Soho

To celebrate the forthcoming worldwide publication of ‘Francis Bacon: Catalogue Raisonné’,   a one day pop-up exhibition ‘Francis Bacon: Six Studies in Soho’,  opened to the public in London Soho on 25 May.

Upon entrance, visitors could enjoy a black and white portrait of Francis Bacon by John Deakin alongside five Bacon paintings as well as the Triptych, 1987.

Francis Bacon - Six Studies in SohoFrancis Bacon - Six Studies in SohoFrancis Bacon - Six Studies in Soho   Francis Bacon - Six Studies in Soho Francis Bacon - Six Studies in Soho

Eager visitors were flicking through the first editions of the Catalogue Raisonné in advance of the global release on 30th June 2016. Published globally by The Estate of Francis Bacon, Francis Bacon: Catalogue Raisonné is a landmark publishing event that presents the entire oeuvre of Bacon’s paintings for the first time and includes many previously unpublished works.

The impeccably produced five-volume, slipcased publication, containing each of Bacon’s 584 paintings, has been edited by Martin Harrison FSA, the pre-eminent expert on Bacon’s work, alongside research assistant Dr Rebecca Daniels. An ambitious and painstaking project that has been over ten years in the making, this seminal visual document eclipses in scope any previous publication on the artist and will have a profound effect on the perception of his work.

In addition to the 584 paintings, the catalogue contains illuminating supporting material, from sketches by Bacon, photographs of early states of paintings, images of Bacon’s furniture, hand-written notes by the artist, photographs of Bacon, his family and circle to fascinating x-ray and microscope photography of his paintings.

Francis Bacon - Six Studies in SohoFrancis Bacon - Six Studies in Soho     Francis Bacon - Six Studies in SohoFrancis Bacon - Six Studies in SohoFrancis Bacon - Six Studies in Soho  Francis Bacon - Six Studies in Soho  Francis Bacon - Six Studies in SohoFrancis Bacon - Six Studies in Soho     Francis Bacon - Six Studies in Soho

View the full set of pics here

The Catalogue Raisonne contains around 800 illustrations across 1,538 pages within five clothbound hardcover volumes and is priced at £1,000 | $1,500 | €1,400.
For sales information please contact  enquiries@henipublishing.com

‘Francis Bacon: Six Studies in Soho’
25 May 2016
6-10 Lexington Street
London W1F 0LB

Shows, Toulouse

Toulouse: Subcultures @ Espace Croix Baragnon – Part II

Subcultures - Toulouse

We continue our coverage (See Part I here) on the current exhibition ‘Subcultures’ in ‘L’espace Croix Baragnon’ in Toulouse curated by David Pujol featuring 10 established and emerging artists, with their influences and distinctive style on the local and international scene: Amandine Urruty,  100TAUR   (covered), A4 Putevie (covered), Mathieu Bourrillon, Nicolas Delpech, Fräneck, Herbot, Kinder K, Arnaud Loumeau and Benjamin Stoop.

Pencil drawings by Mathieu Bourillon (b.1976) invite the viewers into the subconscious mind and our pulsions. Each artwork has its own narrative and invitation to dive into an enigmatic universe where black and white figures are floating surrounded by a magical landscape.

Subcultures - Toulouse
Subcultures - Toulouse     Subcultures - Toulouse

Also using pencils, Amandine Urruty (b.1982) depicts a monochrome surrealist universe mixing antique toys and medieval bestiaries, Dutch landscapes with Little Ponies and Muppet Show characters, a little bit of spicy sausages and slimy monsters.

Subcultures - Toulouse Subcultures - Toulouse     Subcultures - Toulouse

Nicolas Delpech (b.1978) and Benjamin Stoop (b.1980) from the Atelier 2000 play with geometric shapes, letters, collage and patterns as well as light and neon installations to describe parallel universes.

Subcultures - Toulouse     Subcultures - Toulouse Subcultures - ToulouseSubcultures - Toulouse

Herbot (b.1968) aka Rene Apallec is a collage virtuoso, using his magic scissors and a juxtaposition of images to create a surrealist universe where his characters experience an unexpected twist.

Subcultures - Toulouse  Subcultures - Toulouse   Subcultures - Toulouse
Subcultures - Toulouse

View the full set of pics here

‘Subcultures’
Until 18 June 2016
Espace Croix-Baragnon
24 rue Croix-Baragnon
31000 Toulouse (FR)

Berlin

Berlin: Urban Nation Museum for Urban Contemporary Art

MARKUS TERBOVEN (GEWOBAG), THOMAS WILLEMEIT (GRAFT), YASHA YOUNG (URBAN NATION), TIM RENNER (UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR CULTURAL AFFAIRS) HENDRIK JELLEMA (BERLINER LEBEN) (Small)

Director Yasha Young has officially revealed the start of building work on the future URBAN NATION MUSEUM FOR URBAN CONTEMPORARY ART, a project that will enrich both Berlin’s diverse cultural landscape and the international art scene. In the coming months, a globally unique new centre for exhibitions, research and exchange focussed on one of the most important art forms of the 21st century will emerge.

Berlin’s secretary for cultural affairs, Tim Renner, was on hand to congratulate the initiators of this ambitious plan on behalf of the city government.

Since 2013 URBAN NATION has been working on building the first independent and non-commercial home for urban contemporary art. With more than 200 artists, URBAN NATION is already turning Berlin into a huge outdoor Museum ( Check our previous coverage  of projects M).

In mid 2017 the vision is finally getting reality. The URBAN NATION MUSEUM FOR URBAN CONTEMPORARY ART will offer an independent room for debates, research, interdisciplinary projects and creative exchanges.

Based on the motto “Connect. Create. Care.”, the museum, directed by Yasha Young and co-funded by the LOTTO-Stiftung Berlin (LOTTO Foundation) in Bülowstrasse 7 Berlin-Schöneberg, will host the growing and already unique URBAN NATION collection at the venue. Furthermore, the museum will be home to the unique book collection of legendary photo-journalist Martha Cooper: her pictures document the creation and development of urban art over the last decades, right up to today.

TIM RENNER (UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR CULTURAL AFFAIRS), MARKUS TERBOVEN(GEWOBAG),YASHA YOUNG(URBAN NATION) THOMAS WILLEMEIT(GRAFT), HENDRIK JELLEMA (BERLINER LEBEN) (Small)

Tim Renner, secretary for culture of the city of Berlin, Markus Terboven, board member of Gewobag, Yasha Young, Director URBAN NATION, Thomas Willemeit, Founding Partner GRAFT,  Hendrik Jellema, chairman of the board of “Berliner Leben”. (left to right) © URBAN NATION

Check out a virtual visit of the upcoming URBAN NATION MUSEUM FOR URBAN CONTEMPORARY ART

London, Shows

London: Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedman

Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedmann

Following recent solo exhibitions at Yokohama Museum of Art, Japan; Asia Society Museum, New York; Asia Society Hong Kong Center and Reykjavik Art Museum, Iceland,  Japanese artist, Yoshitomo Nara is returning  to the Stephen Friedman Gallery in London for a fourth exhibition of new works .

This show features new paintings on canvas, paintings on cotton mounted wood panel and the largest collection of new drawings on paper.

Adolescent characters and animals are depicted with nuanced considerations of alienation, anger and curiosity. Juxtaposed with slogans and often salty language, they are at once cheeky, vulnerable and threatening.

Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedmann  Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedmann   Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen FriedmannYoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedmann

Yoshitomo Nara mentions “This solo exhibition is comprised of ‘paintings’ (on canvas), ‘billboard paintings’ (patched cotton mounted on wood panel) and ‘drawings’ (on paper). These new paintings on canvas are more painterly than other works I have shown previously. They are marked by a conscious use of colour and subtle layering, which has become important in my recent practice. In contrast to my work on canvas, I originally called the paintings on wood panel ‘billboard paintings’, due to their catchy and iconic imagery and the use of flat planes of colour that is reminiscent of the style often used on billboards. Although the ‘billboard paintings’ in this show are still evocative of this style, these ones which are rendered on patchwork cotton are much more painterly, with many layers of colour.

Drawing is natural to me. Without being conscious of the eventual audience, I usually follow my emotions and just draw. For this show I am exhibiting a series of drawings that I think of as being mental images without colour. It is probably the first time that I have shown so many of these drawings all at once. I work in sculpture and installation, but for this exhibition I became very conscious of showing myself as a painter.”

Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedmann
Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedmann  Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedmann     Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedmann
Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedmann     Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedmann

In parallel to the show Yoshimoto Nara created a large scale billboard, visible from the Waterloo bridge, as part of a new project called the Waterloo Billboard Commissions by the Hayward Gallery where Nara exhibited back in 2009. The humorous, manga-influenced piece, titled Marching on the Butterbur Leaf, depicts a young girl playfully encouraging passers-by to fall in step.

Yoshitomo Nara @ Stephen Friedmann

View the full set of pics here

Yoshimoto Nara – New Works
Until 1st June 2016
Stephen Friedman Gallery
London

Art Fair, London

London: ART16 Highlights

ART16 London

The global art fair Art16 returns to Olympia London from 20 – 22 May 2016, showcasing work from more than 100 galleries worldwide and exhibit contemporary art from around 30 countries.

It will be the fourth show since the original ART HK, founded by Tim Etchells and Sandy Angus. As with previous years, the fair strongly promotes work from emerging talent and galleries with two programmes Emerge and London First, curated by Jonathan Watkins

From Retna, Space Invader, Cleon Peterson to Damien Hirst, Pearl Lam and Katrin Fridriks, discover the highlights from this year’s fair.

ART16 London
Art16 London     ART16 London    ART16 London     ART16 London ART16 London ART16 LondonART16 London    ART16 London ART16 London    ART16 London ART16 London  ART16 London  ART16 London
ART16 London ART16 London

ART16 until 22 May 2016
Olympia, Hammersmith Road
London W14 8UX