CANAL is pleased to present its show for the summer, an exhibition by Phil Ashcroft, mixing live painting, large scale canvases and screenprints.
Ashcroft will create a new large format painting in the gallery over the course of the exhibition, bringing his studio process directly into CANAL, as well as presenting a new lightbox work inspired by the gallery’s location on the Regent’s Canal at Haggerston, east London.
Ashcroft’s works are influenced by 1980s graffiti, comics, street art and graphics. His paintings are rendered in a bold, graphic style, combining loose, gradient brushwork utilising a limited palette.
Post-apocalyptic, overtly heroic landscapes reference sources as diverse as Japanese Ukiyo-e art, American pop art, Abstract Expressionism, graffiti and Marvel comics. The works draw on the myths of failed civilizations.
Ashcroft also collaborates on live-painting projects in galleries and alternative spaces from street locations to shops. These have included No Soul for Sale , Tate Modern, London (2010); Cans 2 Festival , London (2008); Special Relationship , Scion Space, Los Angeles (2008), Elephant Technique , Village Underground (2006), All The People We Like Are Dead , London (2004), and Graffiti Meets Windows 1 , Hank-Yu Department Store, Osaka (2002).
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His first monograph, Solar System Parameters , with forward by Paul Hobson, was published by Gamma Proforma in 2013.
Works are held in public and private collections worldwide. Commissions include projects for Aedas Architects, Amnesty International (UK), British Film Institute (Godzilla film poster/dvd cover), Levis, muf architecture, Nike Town, Royal Mail, Sony PSP and Yahoo (UK).
We (Art-Pie) were on our knees by the end of it but would like to thank all the artists as well as the 649 people who came through the doors of Studio Spaces
We’ve heard so much positive feedback from the artists as well as attendees and are very chuffed about that however we always want to improve things. Feel free to comment below with any suggestions you may have.
We are already preparing the next edition so express your interest today by filling out this form.
We want to hear from you if you are a visual artist, DJ, body painter, music band or an outstanding pancakes maker.
We included few pics below from the night – click any photos to enlarge and/or launch the slideshow
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Thank you to the artists who performed live art such as Mark Petty and Nathan Bowen – it’s always fun to watch and definitely a bonus for any show!
We included more pics below from the night – click any photos to enlarge and/or launch the slideshow
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As always, we produced a ton of pancakes throughout the night and much to your delight we heard… We thank all our “Pancakes Girls” for their efforts and for managing the steady flow of hungry people.
You’ve probably heard of Banksy‘s Dismaland, a dystopian amusement park which closed its doors in October of this year. However you may not have known the installations used for this art project have since been transferred to the port-side town of Calais France by volition Banksy himself. Labeled “Dismal Aid”, the timber and building materials have been repurposed into housing, children’s play areas, and community centers for the 7000+ Syrian refugees.
At the same time, Banksy has taken this opportunity to spread a few messages about the situation of “The Jungle”, the largest refugee camp in Western Europe. Three new pieces with very strong messages can be seen around Calais – read on below to see the images and brief descriptions.
The Steve Jobs Piece
With weathered clothing and an exhausted body language we see a depiction of Steve Jobs, sporting the now notorious expression from this iconic photograph. Steve carries an old Macintosh computer and a bin bag or rucksack on his shoulders. The message? Jobs is himself a son of Syrian migrants, he is of the same lineage as the refugees escaping ISIS today.
In a rare public statement to accompany the piece, Banksy expressed his drive and the message:
“We’re often led to believe migration is a drain on the country’s resources but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant. Apple is the world’s most profitable company, it pays over $7billion a year in taxes – and it only exists because they allowed in a young man from Homs.”
The Medusa Piece in the Center of Calais
Based on French artist Théodore Géricault’s Raft of The Medusa, Banksy updates the dark and striking piece with a small background image of a modern cruise ship or luxury yacht. The boat, like the original piece, is embroiled in an intense struggle with the sea. The message of “We are not all in the same boat” speaks for itself.
The Young Boy Piece on the Beach
A silhouette of a young boy can be seen looking through a telescope while a vulture watches over him. The message of hope, future and dreams is cast harshly against a looming potential reality of darkness and death.
These artworks have been well-received by the city of Calais with an official statement in the local newspaper by mayor Natacha Bouchart, describing their value for the city. The city has expressed their commitment to protect the pieces behind transparent plastic shields, so the message and artworks remain intact for the foreseeable future.
“Young Masters” is the latest show from Curious Duke gallery and is now in full swing. We went down to check it out what the group show has to offer.
If you have never been to the gallery, your first impression, as you step in, might be that the gallery is tiny but keep walking on and head downstairs where the main exhibition area is. The place is actually big enough to host a decent amount of work from several artists. “Young Masters” present us with artwork from 11 different artists.
What strikes you right away is the diversity of works that this show offers – you will encounter steel sculptures from Sam Shendi as well as amazing BIRO drawings from Mark Powell. You are greeted by ben levy’s portraits which always try to transpire current political, racial or sexual issues the artist cares about by using well-known pop references such as McDonalds.
Head towards the stairs and find yourself facing with an odd sculpture made of steel which will catch your curiosity. Head downstairs and find scattered around the place several other pieces from the same artist. Sam Shendi’s sculptures use bright colours, often red, yellow and blue and the shapes are straight ones. You cannot walk past them and not stop and have a closer look. We particularly like “Freedom Of Speech” which consist of three small boxes, one yellow, one red and one blue all showing you a face where the freedom of speech os broken down. Simple but clever.
Oil on canvas has been a technique that has been around almost forever and the show via Richard Goold and Danielle Hodson gives the visitors eyes something to look at again and again. Danille Hodson portraits are somewhat quite traditional but with sometimes a twist – “Piggy” is a perfect example, the face depicts a pig instead of a human face. Richard Goold on the other hand does surrealism and does it well. If you like Dali, you will like this artist.
By Mark Powell
2 more artists caught our attention. Kate Knight and Mark Powell.
Kate Knight watercolour on canvas pieces are soft and delicate and will seduce the romantics out there although her subjects can sometimes be awkward. You will find yourself in from of series of encrusted blackened heart which for some reason comes across as beautiful. Maybe the metal leaf added on all Danielle Hodson pieces have got something to do with it.
Mark Powell drawing technic is mind blowing. Armed with only a ballpoint pen, his drawing are just so detailed and realistic, you wonder how much time it must take the artist to get these drawing done. We also appreciated that the artists use unusual support such as a 1853 letter/envelope or an antique map of France.
If the show tells you anything is that there are still out there, talented artists that keep their creativity up by using good old painting or drawing techniques, oil on canvas often wins you over I must say.
Exhibiting artists: Andrea Tyrimos| Ben Levy | Dannielle Hodson | Darren MacPherson | Hannah Downing | Kate Knight | Kareena Zerefos | Mark Powell | Otto D’Ambra | Richard Goold | Paul Don Smith | Sam Shendi | Sue Young Lee
Diana Taylor’s work, consisting of painting and drawing that will invade the gallery at every level from floor to ceiling operating between and making connections with paintings on birch ply panel.
The works, which combine figuration with a varied pictorial language, at times appear to be constructed of torn pieces from comics, patterned papers and other printed ephemera, but are actually painted. Continue reading Diana Taylor – Alpha Beta, at Room→
Last time I went to see an exhibition with this sort of line-up, the Lock Up exhibition for those who would like to read about it, the stuff I saw was pretty good and would actually most probably please any one into stencils, spray paint or hip hop so I was pretty eager to get down to Zero Cool GalleryContinue reading Kicks & canvas: lace’em up→
Remi/Rough has recently completed a piece of commissioned work for media agency MEC in South London. See the time-lapse video of Remi working on the hoarding.
If you are interested in seeing it with your own eyes, here is the address: 1 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8NU
Lazarides is pleased to present Internal Dialogue, a new series of works by American contemporary artist and BP Portrait Award 2016 exhibiting artist Brett Amory.
Corresponding with his critically acclaimed ‘Waiting’ series, the works in Internal Dialogue are concerned with everyday life, places, and people, yet this new body of work explores the time in which we live and how we make sense of the information that surrounds us.
Internal Dialogue explores the disjointed snapshots that make up our everyday life, and how our unconscious mind assembles these abstract, nonlinear events to attempt to fuse together a logical, linear explanation of our surroundings.
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This new series of works is also concerned with the human habit of viewing the world through screens. People in today’s society are attached to their devices; we view the world through our phones, our TVs, our computers, and complete the gaps of the surrounding world through our unconscious mind, as if what we see now is framed by what the world looks like on screen.
With each painting in Internal Dialogue, Amory allows the viewer to tap his or her unconscious mind to create their own meaning of what they are viewing. The viewer will be able to rely on their own memories, dreams, thoughts and universal archetypal symbols to create their own interpretation of the painting.
In the same week as his exhibition at Lazarides Rathbone, Brett Amory’s work for the prestigious BP Portrait Award will be unveiled at The National Portrait Gallery. His entry, selected out of 2,557 competing artists, will be one of 53 works shown at the iconic art institution from 23 June – 4 September 2016. Amory has also been shortlisted for the BP Travel Grant.
To coincide with (another) David Bowie exhibition, namely “The many faces of David Bowie” opening tonight at Opera gallery, Jimmy C unveiled a large scale portrait in Brixton, where David Bowie is from. You will have recognised the the iconic Aladdin Sane image here.
Now on to the show at Opera Gallery. We hear that a bunch of artists including street ones will share their visions of the iconic singer. Some of the artists includes Paul Alexis, Joe Black, C215 and Nick Gentry
What – The Many Faces iof David Bowie Where – Opera Gallery (new bond street) When – 21 June to 21 july
The exhibition that opens at the New Bond Street gallery on Friday (June 21) will consist of contemporary visions of ‘Bowie Mania’ with one-off masterpieces and tributes with street artists including Mr Brainwash, Joe Black and The London Police.
You’ve probably heard of 
