Category Archives: London

London: Miss Van & Olek @ Stolenspace

May 11, 2014 butterfly

StolenSpace gallery just opened a double exhibition by leading female street artists, Miss Van and Olek. Despite having worked on public installations and group shows across the globe, it is the first time they produce a two-person show together. Based on their strong friendship and artistic sisterhood, both artists are showing their mutual appreciation for each other work .

Miss Van new body of work titled ‘Glamorous Darkness‘ maintain the signature aesthetic of her ‘poupées’ (dolls) within a dreamlike landscape and colours. Adorned with masquerade, animal-like masks her sensual and erotic female characters evolve and interact with each other.

Miss Van & Olek - Stolenspace

In a tribute, Olek has recreated several of Miss Van’s favourite paintings in crochet form with intricate details, from the masks, corsets, wigs, hats to lips and nails and is displaying these artworks as photographic representations. Her exhibition title, ‘Let’s not get caught, let’s keep going‘, borrows itself from a Thelma and Louise film quote which reminds the artist of her friendship with Miss Van. Along with these new works, Olek has taken over the gallery space and covered the floor to ceiling in her signature crochet.

Miss Van & Olek - Stolenspace

View all pics from the opening here

Miss Van & Olek
Until 1 June 2014
Stolenspace Gallery
17 Osborn Street
London E1 6TD
United Kingdom

London, Street

London Streets: Olek

May 9, 2014 butterfly

Polish artist Olek just completed a 26ft crocheted mural on Corbett Place by the Truman Brewery in East London. With her signature intricate and colourful patterns, an embroidered message says Let’s not get caught, Let’s keep going, a quote from Thelma and Louise‘s movie. Olek didn’t get caught and even managed to find time for a tango.

Olek Olek Olek Olek

View the full set of pics here

London, Shows

London: Anoint Group Show @ The Outsiders

May 8, 2014 butterfly

Anoint Group Show - Outsiders

The Outsiders London is currently hosting a group exhibition called Anoint, which refers to oily marks made on a surface. Curated by Steve Lazarides, the show features a selection of artworks from international established and emerging contemporary artists including Adam Batchelor, Antoine Correia, Cyclops, Bill Dunlap, Billy Norrby and Margherita Marzotto.

Anoint Group Show - Outsiders

View pics from the opening here

Anoint Group Show
Until 7 June
The Outsiders
8 Greek Street
London W1D4DG

London, Shows, Street

London: Remed & Okuda

May 6, 2014 butterfly 1 Comment

For the second year Spanish based artists Remed & Okuda return to London Southbank to celebrate the Streets of Spain festival curated by Campo Viejo. Using their trademark multicolour symbolism both artists painted a glass box live for the delight of the onlookers.

Remed & Okuda 2014

View the full set of pics here

London, Shows

London: Julian Schnabel – Every Angel Has a Dark Side

May 3, 2014 butterfly

Julian Schnabel

Brooklyn based artist and film-maker Julian Schnabel is returning to London after 15 years with an exhibition titled Every Angel Has a Dark Side at the Dairy Art Centre.

Bursting onto the New York art scene in the late 1970s, Julian Schnabel became one of America’s most famous living artist. But Schnabel artistic career was almost eclipsed by his second passion as a film-maker. In 1996 he made a biopic of his late friend Jean-Michel Basquiat, played by Jeffrey Wright, which also starred Gary Oldman and David Bowie. In 2007 Schnabel was nominated for an Oscar and won Best Director at Cannes and the Golden Globes for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. On a humorous note he mentions ‘All the guys that were in my movies end up being in Bond films — Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric and Javier Bardem. But I don’t want to direct a Bond movie!’

Now Schnabel is back in vogue on both sides of the Atlantic. Already this year he has had two exhibitions in New York ( at the Gagosian NY) and one in Dallas (his first museum show in the US since the 1980s). For his London show Schnabel is keeping with his trademark use of multi-textured materials, using cowhide, polyester, canvas and tarpaulin. A video on Nowness shows his creative process.

“This show is a capsule of what happened, a selection of paintings from the past 10 years, more or less. It’s a continuum of ways that I have made marks, used materials and created images.”

Julian Schnabel