If there is one art fair I have been and do not want to miss from now on, is the London Art Fair (LAF). Why is that? Just simply because it presents over 100 galleries featuring the great names of 20th century British art and exceptional contemporary work from leading figures and emerging talent.
Added to that, there are always a bunch of solo shows and curated group displays in the Art Projects section and even a showcase for contemporary photography. You’ll have understood by now, the LAF is my Thorpe park as a kid; always eager to go and never willing to go home once in it.
When we first noticed Chen Wenling’s “What You see Might Not Be Real” sculpture, we immediately wanted to find out more about the artist and his work. This is not the name which jumped at us but the rather amusing look of the sculpture – yes it a farting bull!
Here is what Zhu Qi says about Chen Wenglin’s sculptures
Chen Wenling’s sculptures represent the spirit of collective imagery that defines China after her entrance into consumerist society. His work uses a mythological form that encompasses the spiritual insemination that overtook a generation with materialism in the 1990s, as well as the self-awareness and post awareness era everyday spirit of Chinese after the 1990s.
“What You see Might Not Be Real” (or the Farting Bull)
Zhu Qi adds –
Two main themes are prevalent in Chen Wenling’s sculptures, the first being an expression of the extreme human condition, the latter being an expression of the spiritual imagery of a consumer society.
The “farting bull”, we will refer to the work above using this – so much more fun, is a reflexion ab about the infamous global financial crisis.
The man getting crushed by the bull is Bernard (Bernie) Madoff who is an American fraudster and a former stockbroker, investment advisor, and financier. He is the former non-executive chairman of the NASDAQ stock market, and the admitted operator of a Ponzi scheme that is considered the largest financial fraud in U.S. history.
Chen Wenglin’s “farting bull” has also been used in several other sculpture works. We included below a few examples of these as well as more about the “What You see Might Not Be Real” sculpture – the piece first described above
In the centre of Grunwald Forest in the former West Berlin is an artificial mountain, Teufelsberg, made by man using the rubble from approximately 400,000 buildings that were destroyed in WWII. The structure that sits on top is ‘The Listening Station’ built by the US National Security Agency to spy on the Soviet’s. .
The listening station was decommissioned at the end of the cold war. There were many plans for it’s use in the future, all of which fell through. With that, over the years it has attracted the likes of vandals, youths, graffers and urban explorers. Amongst the broken glass from all the smashed windows and beer bottles, the collapsing stairwells, the gaping holes from the dilapidated flooring and the pitch black hallways, a diverse collection of pieces, dubs, tags, paste ups and stencils can be found.
Take two thing a large number of us have manipulated once in their lives: LEGO and chalk. Take it further and create something too amazing for not writing something up about it. Dutchman Peter Westerink and a few other helping hands must have astonished a few by-passers with their 100m2 3D creation depicting a army of LEGO men Terracotta style.
You will see below, pictures showing the steps these guys has to go through. Oh and did I mention that it took 6 full days to a crew of four artists (Leon Keer, who also came up with the design, Remko Van Schaik, Ruben Poncia and Peter Westerink) to get this leaped out if the concrete floor. No surprise that the Sarasota Chalk Festival in Florida was chosen, imagine doing that at Glastonbury festival where it is very likely to rain and wash out a pile of efforts.
A grid is first laid out using chalk, then painted over with white paint before being removed and a mammoth task begins: filling.
Peter and his crew (and many other artists) are part of Planet Streetpainting is a collaborative of international street painters
“Reified people proudly display the proofs of their intimacy with the commodity. Like the old religious fetishism, with its convulsionary raptures and miraculous cures, the fetishism of commodities generates its own moments of fervent exaltation. All this is useful for only one purpose: producing habitual submission.”
Guy Debord, The Society of the Spectacle, p.33
White 12 (L’Atalante), (c)2011 Cathy Lomax
My first question was what exactly is a ‘reified person’? “In Marxism reification is the thingification of social relations or of those involved in them, to the extent that the nature of social relationships is expressed by the relationships between traded objects,” I found that definition in Wikipedia, it made an impression on me once before and I wondered if it would shed light on what Debord might mean as a ‘reified person’.
Some possibilities perhaps:
1. a person who worships someone in the public eye turning them into an idol and collects all manner of idol memorabilia
2. a person who takes on the attributes of a worshipped idol in the projection of a personal identity
3. a person who expresses personal identity through the outward display of status brands
4. a teenager
5. each and every one of us in the Western World (I cannot speculate here on other cultures)
As I wrote the first three, I realised the fourth and fifth. Some of these possibilities present themselves through the work of Cathy Lomax and other artists in This ‘Me’ of Mine such as Annabel Dover and Kate Murdoch, though, in their work, not as idol worship but the simple expression of social relationships through objects or the exchange of objects. This idea of ‘reified people’ is implicit throughout my interview with Cathy Lomax, The Perfect Wrapper.
Muslin, (c)2008 cathy Lomax
Jane Boyer: Your work often deals with pop idols (Sixteen Most Beautiful Men, Dead Filmstars) and iconic film imagery (Film Diary, The Count of Monte Cristo). Curiously though, it’s not pop culture which is your subject, but the fascination, escapism, hero-worship and fan-love we’ve all experienced. What fascinates you about our psychological propensity to fascination and ‘longing for something unobtainable’?
Cathy Lomax: I think that pop culture in general is just a wrapper for supplying the things that the market demands – i.e. what we want. These things do not change much; they are excitement, desire, escapism etc. So with this in mind I let myself lead the direction of my work by following what it is that I am drawn to. I do not like to think that I am in any kind of elevated position in my commentary on my subjects; I am in and amongst the subject matter. Looking deeper into what it is I am interested and fascinated by, it is apparent it is something that I do not actually want but rather that it is something I can think about and live out in my head – probably because this is the safest way to do it. This is what led me to the Film Diary as film for most people is the most intense way to experience other lives and worlds.
James Bullough and Addison Karl are JBAK ans is a creative collaboration between two artists originally from Baltimore and Seattle respectively and hitting the walls of Berlin.
I could not describe better than Jennifer Weitman what JBAK is and is all about so here are her words. We particularly like the “Paintin Meryt’ piece which you can watch below
“Each artist brings his unique vision and style to their combined body of work. Bullough’s main focus is photo-realism, with attention to ambient and deep space, layers, and geometric forms. He combines contemporary street art techniques and materials with those of realist oil painters, creating pieces of vivid color and masterful detail. Conversely, Addison’s work is produced using a hatch drawing style, which utilizes fine lines and details to create fantastic illustrations of both diminutive and immense images and proportions.”
“JBAK have blended their contrasting styles into a mashup of antonyms: realism vs. illustrative, expressive vs. precise, hard vs. soft, black vs. a spectrum. The pair seeks desirable locations paying close attention to the space and the people that live and work within it. Their intent is not to disrupt but rather, to integrate their art into the existing environment, creating harmony, balance, and adding life to an otherwise colorless wall. Together, JBAK create large-scale murals, which highlight their differing design aesthetics while at the same time, reaching a common goal—to give people a reason to look up, around, and beyond themselves.”
Last time Shepard Fairey had a show in London was five years ago and it was already with Stolen Space. In the meantime, the artist enjoyed a ever growing popularity so crowd are expected to pile up at the preview on the 19th October 2012.
This show is entitled Sound & Vision and will see Shepard Fairey collaborates with Z-Trip to supply the soundtrack to the artwork. We are told that the new works will include mixed media paintings on canvas, works on paper, retired stencils collages, rubylith cuts, and as well as serigraphs on wood, metal and paper.
Producer and DJ, Z-Trip has created a soundtrack that is meant to translate musically Shepard Fairey’s art vision. Z-Trip comments “Shepard does visually what I do musically“. A nice touch from the artist : he provided records from his own collection as well as customised vintage turntables to enable viewer listening. This section of the show is complemented by a display of seventy-two works, which are inspired by the 12 inch LP sleeve cover.
The artist will therefore use both sound and vision to connect with his audience.
Sound & Vision, the exhibition title is taken from the David Bowie song of the same name so we have included the video clip below.
What – Sound & Vision’ By Shepard Fairey
When – 20.10.12 – 04.11.12
Where – Stolen Space, Dray Walk, The Old Truman Brewery | 91 Brick Lane | London E1 6Q
For a long time, artists have had to rely on their desktops and laptops to do work. Even with the dawn of smartphones, which are now as powerful as some PCs that were released over a decade ago, people still preferred working with their traditional computing devices. That all changed, however, when tablets were popularized by Apple. Now, professional artists can work in the comfort of their own home as well as on trains or buses when they need to do some work en route to the office.
If you’re in the business of producing art for a living, and are a tablet user, here are three apps that you might want to consider using.
Tayasui Sketches
Let’s start with the one of the most basic apps out there. If you don’t need a lot of advanced tools for drawing on your tablet, TayasuiSketches can be a good app for you. It is very easy to get used to, with over 8 essential brushes for users to choose from including watercolors, charcoals, and pencils. It’s free but those who are willing to pay for its premium fee get two extra brushes. It’s also a great tool for creating quick sketches and portraits.
We included a few examples of what can be achieved with the app
ArtFlow
ArtFlow is being marketed as a tool for kids but with over 70 paint brushes to choose from, it can easily become a professional’s best friend. It even has support for pressure-sensitive pens to help artists turn their tablet into a proper digital canvass.
What’s great about ArtFlow is that it supports high-resolution digital canvasses for up to 4096×4096. If you’re planning to use this resolution, however, make sure to keep an eye on your battery life. The last thing you want is to loose unsaved work. Alchemy Bet, an associate of the software company that runs Spin Genie Slots, suggests that people should check for apps that are running in the background and close them to save battery life. If possible, artists should only rely on WiFi and not data to save on juice since most tablets have short battery lives especially Apple products.
We included screenshots of the app
Procreate
Now this is for the seasoned veterans out there. Procreate is a fine app from world-renowned app maker Savage Interactive that allows people to create quick and accurate drawings of highly-detailed and striking artworks. It has advanced features such as GPU accelerated filters, and even a 64-bit support for high-end tablets. Check out the artworks that you can create with Procreate and see just how amazing this app is for work and leisure.
We included screenshots of the app
Do you have a favorite painting or drawing app that you use for work? Share them with us in the comments section below.
Photo London is located in the heart of the city and benefits from the support of London’s best photographers. Click here to watch these photographers discuss their love of photography, and why London is an important cultural hub for photography, in a special video for Photo London.
From the 19-22 May, Photo London will be celebrating the ever popular medium of photography across the capital by bringing some of the world’s leading practitioners, curators, exhibitors and dealers together with the public. Photo London have collaborated with 80 of the best galleries from around the globe to put together a stellar line up of both exhibitions and events, such as book signings and discussions, with those renowned in the field.
Amongst those attending is Don McCullin. Recently named Photo London’s Master of Photography 2016, the legendary war photographer will be the subject of an exclusive exhibition at Somerset House. McCullin will also be in conversation with Simon Baker, Photography Curator at Tate in a public talk on 19 May. This opportunity is available to anybody who purchases a ticket to Photo London thanks to the support of the LUMA Foundation, who work to support the activities of independent artists and pioneers.
Elsewhere, specially-commissioned exhibition, Photoprovocations, is set to be on view at the West Embankment Galleries. This showcase recognises Sergey Chilikov as an outstanding practitioner of the ‘new’ photography which emerged in the USSR in the 1970s. The work of Wolfgang Tillmans will also be displayed in Between Bridges at Somerset House. Stepping aside from the sensationalism surrounding the ‘Brexit’ coverage in the media, Tillmans aims to inform the public about the democratic and humantarian benefits of remaining within the European Union.
Photo London’s main exhibitors section welcomes a wealth of established galleries including Beetles+Huxley, London; Polka Galerie, Paris; The Photographers’ Gallery, London; Magnum Photos, Paris-London; and Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney-Berlin. In addition, new and emerging organisations will also have a place at the event in Photo London’s newest section Discovery, reserved specifically to introduce praiseworthy, but less well known, galleries to new audiences. Exhibitors include Tiwani Contemporary and TJ Boulting. Already one of the top 10 visitor attractions in the UK, Photo London’s home, Somerset House, is itself a cultural hotspot and a centre for art and culture in the heart of London.
London’s public museums and galleries will also put the spotlight on photography this month: Martin Parr will curate Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealedby International Photographers at the Barbican Art Gallery; National Portrait Gallery hosts Vogue 100: A Century of Style; Science Museum/Media Space displays the work of William Henry Fox Talbot; the V&A presents Paul Strand: Photography and Film for the 20th Century; and Tate Modern examines contemporary work in Performing for the Camera.
This year’s Photo London edition will feature the talents of two rising practitioners from the London art scene. Walter and Zoniel will transform the uncanny underground spaces of The Deadhouse at Somerset House into a giant camera for opening night. By doing this, the artists plan to create the largest ever Ambrotype portrait as a live ‘happening’, energising visitors ahead of the following four days, which promise to be filled with world class photography and photographers.
Photo London 2016, 19-22 May, Somerset House, London.
Here is our second entry for the Noise Intercepted project, a global art project curated by Labspace Studio (a creative agency & art house in Toronto, Canada). Noise Intercepted is a series of ten experience-activated noise challenges that prompt participants to listen, observe and interact with their urban soundscape in new and unlikely ways.
Noise challenge #2: The little things
“This week spend some time paying attention to the little things… the sounds that you tend to ignore and the seemingly insignificant noises that you take for granted. You have 1 week to listen, identify and select one “insignificant” sound and transform it into something “significant.”
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Water is all around us but often forgotten, we may see it but not necessarily hear it or listen to it but yet it can take all sorts of sound shapes or noises.
Here are four of them, from the subtle to the fierce…
Take two thing a large number of us have manipulated once in their lives: LEGO and chalk. Take it further and create something too amazing for not writing something up about it. Dutchman Peter Westerink and a few other helping hands must have astonished a few by-passers with their 100m2 3D creation depicting a army of LEGO men Terracotta style.
James Bullough and Addison Karl are JBAK ans is a creative collaboration between two artists originally from Baltimore and Seattle respectively and hitting the walls of Berlin.
Last time Shepard Fairey had a show in London was five years ago and it was already with 
