Remap 3 – Street art project from Athens

If there is one country that needs a push right now, it has to be Greece. Remap, an international contemporary art platform open and free to the public, could just what Greek people need to hopefully put a smile back on their faces.

ReMapKM’s main purpose, which is held bi annually in the area of Kerameikos-Metaxourgeio in Athens, in tandem with the Athens Biennial, is to goal is to create an alternative platform for the production and experiencing of contemporary art within the urban context.

The REMAP event is in third edition this year runs until the 30/10/11 which a multitude of shows and events. Read the full program.

Big names include APSET, BOOHAHA and RTMone & SIVE and these artists have come up with an installation made of human faces expressions with alongside them, a made up ladder which is supposed to lead them up to the sky where they can free their minds. The reference here is easily spottable: the need for city inhabitants to escape the sometimes tough urban jungle. Some photos of the installation are included below and are courtesy of montana-cans.com website which sponsor the paint for the event.

This ‘ME’ Of Mine opens tonight!

This Me Of Mine ! Art-PieAfter many months of preparation and efforts, Jane Boyer, the curator for the “This Me Of Mine” show,  is about to welcome visitor to the first leg of the 4 that makes up this project. Tonight, it will happen at APT Gallery in Deptford – full details at the bottom of this post as well as for the other 3 other legs of the show.

Jane Boyer says – “The financial support and professional recognition by ACE signals their belief in the project message, the mission and goals of Associated Artists Curators & Writers (AACW) – an organisation created to help independent arts practitioners succeed, and in me as curator and project manager. The significance of this grant by ACE in this financial climate gives hope to a future for independent practice in the UK.

This ‘Me’ of Mine presents a model project for art as social enterprise in the mainstream arts through AACW and seeks to inspire others in the arts community to new approaches in arts presentation, engagement and development.

This ‘Me’ of Mine showcases work by: Aly Helyer, Edd Pearman, Jane Boyer, Darren Nixon, Hayley THarrison, Melanie Titmuss, Annabel Dover, Kate Murdoch, David Minton, Anthony Boswell, David Riley, Sandra Crisp, Sarah Hervey, Shireen Qureshi, and Cathy Lomax.

Where -APT Gallery | Harold Wharf, 6 Creekside, Deptford, London SE8 4SA
When –  14 – 31 March 2013 | PV 14 March, 6-9pm | Wed to Sun, 12 to 5pm

www.aptstudios.org

Contact: Jane Boyer
Email: Jane@janeboyer.com
Website: www.thismeofmine.wordpress.com
UK Mobile: 07561333028

Fractal art: when Mr maths is the artist

When I first heard about ‘fractal’ art, I did not have a clue what it could be so I thought I’ll investigate this further and was quickly to find out that Mr mathematics has its role to play here.

Before carrying on, it might be best to get out of the way a few terms definitions which shall shed some light on this form of art

Fractal: Rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is a reduce-size copy of the whole. So what is ‘fractal art’ then? Continue reading Fractal art: when Mr maths is the artist

El-Seed paints the Jara mosque

Tunisia has been the stage lately of a surge of intolerability towards creativity and especially towards anything to do with a spray can. As a result, the French-born Tunisian graffiti artist El-Seed took action.

El Seed - Jara mosque | Art-PieThe result is Tunisia’s largest mural but what matters above all is the the location; he painted on the country’s tallest minaret, at the Jara Mosque, located in the industrial city of Gabes. Pictures after the fold.

Here is what El-seed says about the project “I decided to do the mural because it was close to my heart. It had been a while I had wanted to paint a wall in Gabes,” the artist told Ahram Online.

“The primary purpose was, and is, to inspire people to get together and build community around positive action,” El-Seed told Ahram Online via email. “

The mural, which has been embraced with open arms by the mosque’s Imam, was painted on the 57-metre high minaret, and is meant as a message of tolerance and mutual respect.

El-Seed got interestd in the art of graffiti back in 1998 in Paris, where he spent his childhood. Later, when he moved to North America, he started combining graffiti with his passion for Arabic calligraphy (usually associated with the Quran and religious scripture). The artist likes to mix traditional script and contemporary pop-culture, giving birth to a distinctive urban graffiti.

El Seed - Jara mosque | Art-PieEl Seed - Jara mosque | Art-Pie

El Seed - Jara mosque | Art-Pie

Leonardo Da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan

Virgin of the RocksThe much hyped Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition opens at the National Gallery from today with a seven room exhibition. The display is ideal for those who adore the technicality of the line and the workings of an artist , with many drawings and paintings by Leonardo and his pupils on display.

Its build up has been felt for many months, ever since its advance booking opened in May 2011 – a long seven months before its actual opening day.

With its future opening date released then came the capped visitor numbers announcement, with the gallery saying it would restrict visitors due to an, ‘unprecedented demand’. Today (9 November) The Evening Standard has reported how the tickets have sold out until mid-December. The pressure for this display to deliver to its global audience is immense.

The exhibition brings together an impressive collection of international loans never before seen in the UK, from the Queen, America, Poland, France, Scotland and from Art Fund acquisitions.

One difference with this exhibition from others is it the first to be dedicated to Leonardo’s aims and techniques as a painter. Don’t expect reams of glorious huge paintings, though there are a few pretty ladies, curly haired men and angels.

The whole display focuses on Leonardo as an artist, his technical skills and his teaching skills, showing how his works were often finished or copied by his pupils, and in some cases edited. In particular it concentrates on the work he produced as court painter to Duke Lodovico Sforza, in Milan in the late 1480s and 1490s.

As well as finished pieces, each room is peppered with Leonardo’s preparatory and experimental sketches.

The final part of the exhibition, a few mintues walk away in the Sunley Room features a near-contemporary, full-scale copy of Leonardo’s famous ‘Last Supper’, on loan from the Royal Academy. Seen alongside all the surviving preparatory drawings made by Leonardo for the ‘Last Supper’ it makes for an interesting viewing,  but seems rather ‘tagged’ on to the exhibition.

Pieces to stop by:

The Musician (1486-7) Room 1 – An unfinished portrait demonstrating Leonardo’s skill in positioning of the face creating a life like portrait with depth.

Portrait of Bianca Maria Sforza (1493) Room 2 – Get your fill of opulence with this lavish picture showing a traditional Milanese style dress, with Leonardo’s profile technique on full view.

Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani (Lady with the Ermine) © Princes Czartoryski Foundation
Portrait of Cecilia Gallerani (Lady with the Ermine) © Princes Czartoryski Foundation

The Lady with an Ermine (1498-90) Room 2 – This piece is centre stage of the room and shows off Leonardo’s portraiture and colour skills. The lady almost leaps out of the canvas due to her 3/4 turned pose and the black back background, giving her a 3D quality that soon become sort after by Leonardo’s pupils.

Studies of the Nervous System (1485-8) and Studies of the Human Skull (1489) Room 3 – This is one of many anatomical studies in this room, and they took my breath away. He’s used hints of shadow and light to depict tiny features of the human body. The skull looks perfect in minature form and these observations were no doubt the ground work for his future paintings, making figures seem as real as possible. It astounds me how these delicate sketches are over 500 years old.

The Virgin of the Rocks (1493) Louvre and Virgin of the Rocks (1491/2-9 and 1506-9) National Gallery Room 4 – These pieces are obviously the focal point for this room and essentially a key point for the exhibition. They are on show together for the first time and are intended to show Leonardo’s difference in style and views of  painting and art. The earlier piece is very rich in colour and could easily fit into a church altar piece. The second is restrictive in its colour palette and the figures are more sculptural with a porcelain quality.

The Burlington Cartoon ( 1499-1500) Room 6 – This lively large piece in charcoal seems to move as you move around it. The unfinished aspect of the piece almost makes it work more, it stands out in this room. The figures are fluid and contemporary, it’s a break away and step up from Leonardo’s meticulous anatomical studies.

Two drawings of the boney structure of the head, 1489
Two drawings of the boney structure of the head, 1489 The-Royal-Collection-©-2011

Room 7 in the Sunley room has a handy time line of Leonardo’s artistic career, with significant events and works. This would of been suited to have at the beginning of the exhibition, putting this display into context even more, especially for those less familiar with his pieces. The room feels tagged on, an afterthought. It’s interesting to see the workings that may have gone into this work, and then the copy of the Last Supper is astonishing to see in its grand scale.

Head along to this exhibition for a peek into Leonardo Da Vinci’s undoubted skill as a technical drawer and creater of astonishing life like works, which capture humanity and idealised beauty in all its forms. He perhaps saw himself as a creator and observer of humanity, what’s key from the exhibition is that he was always striving for improving his skills and thankfully we get to see these still today in this exhibition.

‘If the painter wishes to see beauties that enamour him, he is the master of their production, and if he wishes to see monsterous things.. he is their lord and god.’

The exhibition is open now:  09 Nov 2011 – 05 Feb 2012 Mon – Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM; Fri 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM Closed Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, Christmas Day.

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/leonardo-da-vinci-painter-at-the-court-of-milan

The Curious Art-Pie Show

We had a great time and exhibited awesome works from drawing to sculpture in the hope to find emerging talents. We were very pleased with what we got in the end.

The Curious Art-Pie show | Art-PieThis show was generously sponsored by Curious Duke Gallery and consisted of an online public voting contest: anyone could submit one artwork ranging from paintings to sculpture.

We also asked a panel of judges that consisted of well known and established artists – Dan Baldwin, Pam Glew, Dave White and Andrea Tyrimos, and we got out 22 artists to exhibit their work last February 2014.

The response was overwhelming and the quality of the submissions was remarkable. Even better, a massive crowd turned up at the opening making this show a real success for us Art-Pie as the curator and organiser to Eleni, the owner of the Curious Duke Gallery who signed up a couple of promising artists.

Have a look at the Facebook photo album of the opening as well as the Twitter thread for #capshow14

Here are some of the artists that featured in the show

March Atherthon (catch22)

The Curious Art-Pie show | Art-Pie

Samantha Gare

BUY this print from our shop

The Curious Art-Pie show | Art-Pie

Stephen Whatcott

BUY this print from our shop

"The Pontiac" by Stephen Whatcott | Art-Pie

Dale Grimshaw at Signal gallery

Dale Grimshaw has got a fine art education which meant that he has been difficult for him to be accepted in the streets as a graffiti artist but long ago was that time, Dale Grimshaw seems to plain sailing his style, his own.

His new show, Semi-detached is the expression of monsters and victims, making reference here to his violent father and the tensions this created in the household. Dale Grimshaw are full of that tension, the whole composition and combination of human and animal gives the tone of what it must have be like at home.

Dale Grimshaw – ‘Semi-detached’
6th October – 29th October 2011
www.signalgallery.com | 32 Paul Street | London, EC2A 4LB

An afternoon on Brick Lane spotting street art

I got myself down to the mighty Brick Lane at the week end, the i-phone (to post photos on Instagram of course) in one hand and the camera in the other one and as always I spent a solid two hours strolling around the area looking for little wonders that is called “street art”.

I spotted a loads of C215 pieces but also a nice sets of PEZ smiling fish. Conor Harrington also has been at it and has produced striking artwork. Enjoy the pictures below. There was so much to see that I had to break into two parts, you are looking at part I, here is part II

Conor Harrington
Conor harrington

street art brick laneConor Harrington

street art brick lane

C215
C215

street art brick lanestreet art brick lane

street art brick lane

street art brick lane

Otto Schade

Ronzo

STREET ART ENCOUNTERS