Category Archives: CONTEMPORARY ART

CONTEMPORARY ART

Erik Sommer or painting with cement

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Mediums you can use to paint are countless, it is only down to the artist to use them or not. Meet Erik Sommer and his very original and unique way of painting with cement. We talked to Erik to find out a bit more about him and his work.

ART-PIE: How did you come to use cement in your work?

Erik Sommer: I’ve been using cement in my work for several years. I like its urban grittiness, especially as I live in NYC and am surrounded by buildings and cement. My work is about the passing of time, and beauty and chance and control. It is about capturing the passing of time, and the beauty found within its accidental natural effects.

A-P: Most of the work I can see from your website are using mixed medias? What are they?

Erik Sommer: Most of my work is mixed medium on canvas. I use cement and plasters, acrylic pastes, gessos, some acrylic and oil pants. Most of the materials are home modeling materials which happen to be white, which make the most recent pieces white, although I do use colors as well. The various layers of material act as different stages of time. The work is very three-dimensional and comes off of the canvas. It is very industrial and physical.

A-P: What are your inspirations?

Erik Sommer: I like everyone from Rudolf Stingel, to Robert Ryman, Richard Serra, Andy Goldsworthy, Basquiat, etc.

Any upcoming shows?: I am represented in NYC by Rooster Gallery, and am beginning to work with Arch 402 in London as well. I have a piece in a group show/ auction with Arch 402 in April, and then hopefully will be doing more with them later this summer. My next solo show with Rooster in NYC will be next year.

Related link
Erik Sommer’s website – www.erikjsommer.com

CONTEMPORARY ART, REVIEWS

Slinkachu X Andipa Gallery "Concrete Ocean".

Slinkachu takes figures from miniature train sets and painstakingly modifies them so that they can be used as part of his almost invisible world.

He creates comical, satirical and sometimes slightly dark scenes with these figures, places them all over the world, shoots them with spectacular quality and then leaves them to become part of the scenery.

The first of this series was “the little people project” the photos were formed into a lovely little hard cover book produced in 2008. I purchased a copy of it and was suitably impressed with the content and quality of print.

This left us very excited for the new show “Concrete ocean”, hosted by the Andipa Gallery in South Kensington. It had been two years since Slinkachu hosted a show in London and when it comes to most artists after such a period of time you would expect to see significant progression in their body of work. This however was not the case with the Slinkachu show, but it really didn’t matter. The gallery was laid out with huge high quality prints showing the detail of the characters and the photographs almost bring them to life. The large prints were accompanied by very small location shots to show you just how much they disappear into their surroundings.

Andipa Gallery is a large space located in a very upper class area, totally different to the Hackney / Shoreditch spaces we are used to attending, yet it seem more than suitable for this body of work, it was extremely well organised and the 3d installations were well spaced so you could appreciate the minute detail.

It would come as a surprise to us if this show did not make you smile, laugh and sometimes feel just that little bit sad.

Check out our huge collection of shots from the evening here:

Slinkachu

CONTEMPORARY ART, REVIEWS

Amar Stewart X Lava Gallery

Amar Stewart steps up to the Lava gallery for his first solo show of 2011.

We first viewed Amar’s work in the East Gallery in early 2010, the show had dark undertones, accented with sections of colour, A mixture of spray paint and acrylic. A different approach has been taken this time, the entire gallery almost devoid of colour, a series of large canvases featuring Black and white photorealistic portraits.

This was a understated approach for show early in the year and to be honest, a welcome one.  It is easy to feel bombarded when you attend opening nights, peering through crowds to look at large canvases. Lava gallery is only a small space located on the first floor of Kingly Court, just off Carnaby Street.

Amar and the Lava crew did a great job laying out the space, taking a simplistic approach with the arrangement going with white walls and monochrome artworks.  It had a overall relaxed vibe, even with droves of friends and fans, it was easy to move around and check out all the work.

Amar’s progression in portraiture is developing a rapid rate and we look forward to seeing what he has to offer in the future.

Check out a the rest of the pics here: Amar Stewart at Lava gallery by Chasinghosts on Flickr

CONTEMPORARY ART, PREVIEW

Woozy at the outsiders

The Outsiders is proud to present I Dont Care About My Face, the first UK solo exhibition by the artist Woozy. Downstairs in The Dungeon, Woozy will exhibit a colourful showcase of his most recent canvases, works on metal and paper.

Originating from Athens Greece, Woozy is renowned for his large-scale murals and outdoor wall paintings that have graced the international urban landscape. Collaborating with a wide network of street artists most notably Os Gemeos, he has travelled his utopian vision across Europe into China and down to Brazil. Whilst maintaining his passion for painting the outdoors, Woozy has now after 20 years turned his focus inside to brightening gallery walls.

Woozys latest series of work retains his signature minimal, yet colorful forms interweaving
an array of diverse materials, styles and techniques. Transcending the limitations of a specific setting or known face, the characters in his paintings are those who journey through space and time embracing a sense of universal beauty found in the abstract.

Texture, light and colour are the Woozys means for the collective expression of freedom.
From the artist on the subject of his forthcoming show: There is a moment, an instant, an incident, a point of contact where the mind pauses. Painting is an action and the action of a painter is a scream. Society has no face. Its the echo of voices, the scent of life. Colors are the expression of movements in the light. When one looks behind his shoulder, everything will fade away, flames will burn out and the bombs will take away the veil from the eyes of those who have lost their freedom.

When: 18th March – 9th April 2011
Where: The Outsiders, 8 Greek Street, W1D 4DG | Monday – Saturday 11am – 7pm, free entry

CONTEMPORARY ART, PREVIEW

Jonathan Darby at Signal – Favela

Since the day we first saw Jonathan’s work in 2008 we have been amazed at how much it has blossomed and how many people have responded positively to his distinct and developing style. Since then several shows at Signal and exhibitions in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver have confirmed his international appeal.

Jonathan has achieved that rare thing of combining socio-political subject matter, with a real sense of beauty and truth. Despite the evils in the world he depicts, you come away from a Darby piece feeling refreshed.

Jonathan’s second solo show ‘Favela’ at Signal will take him deeper into the areas of concern he has touched on so successfully before. Concentrating on the favelas (slums) in the big cities of Brazil, Jonathan became acutely aware of the overwhelming social problems facing these communities. The favelas have been abandoned by national and local government and have been taken over by drug dealers and their gangs. A culture of lawlessness and violence exists unchecked, creating a level of poverty that gives Brazil the dubious accolade of nurturing the biggest gap between rich and poor in the world.

Some of the most vulnerable victims of this sorry state of affairs are the countless number of street children orphaned or abandoned by their parents. Jonathan’s show focuses on them and their plight. The show will be supported by the charity CARF (Children At Risk Foundation) that was founded by Englishman Gregory J Smith. Giving up a lucrative business career Smith set up and ran a home for street children called The Hummingford Project in Sao Paolo. Also a passionate photographer he has brilliantly documented this entire experience. Many of Jonathan’s works for the show will use these photographs as source material, creating a direct link to the abandoned children of the favelas. Some of the proceeds of the show will donated to CARF.

Jonathan’s work for the show is moving away from the more obvious use of logos. Instead, he will be using a range of more subtle artistic means to achieve his artistic goals. He has also spent time collecting together wooden objects to paint on, so that many of the works will have a more organic feel to them than his works on canvas. His aim in the show will be to create a unique experience combining paintings with atmospheric installations. This will be Jonathan’s most ambitious body of work to date, exploring an important issue using a wide range of materials and techniques. The show should establish him as one of the most important young artists on the scene.

When: 11th – March – 2nd April 2011
Tuesday – Saturday 12 – 6pm
Where: Signal Gallery | 32 Paul Street, London EC2A 4LB | 0207 613 1550 | mobile 07766 057 212

Words by Signal gallery