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So what’s next for the Fourth Plinth?

Thumbs Up by David Shrigley | Art-Pie
Thumbs Up by David Shrigley

If you have been near Trafalgar Square in London, you must have noticed a 7m high sculpture looking like a thumbs up.

This particular pedestal on the square is called the Fourth Plinth and the current artist showing their works is David Shrigley.

So what’s next for the Fourth Plinth?

2018 & 20 shortlists announced

London’s National Gallery has revealed the five shortlisted proposals for the 2018 and 2020 Fourth Plinth commissions by artists Huma Bhabha, Damián Ortega, Heather Phillipson, Michael Rakowitz, and Raqs Media Collective.

The shortlisted proposals, which are currently on show in the National Gallery’s Annenberg Court until 26 March 2017, include an empty white robe, a recreation of a sculpture destroyed by ISIS, and a scoop of parasite-covered ice cream.

Not long now to find out which two works will be selected to finally stand on the plinth in 2018 and 2020.

Shortlisted sculptures in images

“Untitled” by Huma Bhabha
– an imposing figure, the scale reflecting a modern comic sci-fi movie.

Untitled, by Huma Bhabha | Art-Pie
Untitled, by Huma Bhabha

“High Way” by Damián Ortega
– a playful and precarious construction of a truck, oil cans, scaffold and a ladder.

High Way, by Damian Ortega | Art-Pie

“THE END” by Heather Phillipson
– explores the extremes of shared experience, from commemorations and celebrations to mass protests, all while being observed by a drone’s camera.

'THE END' by Heather Phillipson | Art-Pie

“The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist” by Michael Rakowitz
– a recreation of the Lamassu, a winged bull and protective deity, which was destroyed by ISIS in 2015.

The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist, by Michael Rakowitz | Art-Pie

“The Emperor’s Old Clothes” by Raqs Media Collective
– explores how power can be both present and absent in sculpture.

The Emperor's Old Clothes, by the Raqs Media Collective | Art-Pie

About the Fourth Plinth

STREET ART

Cardon Copy: boring looking flyers made stylish

We have all seen these handwritten flyers taped on bus stops or telegraph poles and for most of them if not all of them, they look rather boring and plain, aren’t they? This is what the New York designers at Cardon Copy must have thought and decided to do something about this.

This involves ‘high jacking’ these infamous fliers and give them a full make over in order to over powering their message with a new visual language. They are then stick back up where they were first snatched.

Art to help the community. Nice one.

See a few examples below

Related link
> Visit cardoncopy.com for more

ART-PIE

CONTEMPORARY ART

Mikael Alacoque – Mitty and Badbabysitter

This is badbabysitter!
This is mitty!

Artists Statement:

Initially trained as a traditional figurative sculptor and Mouldmaker. I now seek to find new meaning and relevance in old outmoded techniques.

I’m fascinated by the idea of the public monument and much of my work revolves around the need to investigate the way in which society records events and people by casting them in metal and stone.

I seek to rip the idea of the public monument asunder and then re-build it in a new order with a revised iconography. My work seeks to expose and examine the insecurities and frailties of society, and our place within it.

Recent works ‘Gnome Kone’ and ‘Bad Babysitter’ are part of a series of sculptures that are concerned with a playfully sinister bastardization of familiar objects. The pieces have an initial feeling of innocence and irreverence but on closer inspection seem more bizarre and
unsettling.

More of Mikael’s stuff here

Pictures and statement taken from the A GALLERY website

BLOG, PREVIEW

Edward Akrout ‘First Impression’ show at Hoxton hotel

Edward AkroutBest known for his roles in high profile TV series and films including; Mr. Selfridge, Midsomer Murders and The Borgias, actor Edward Akrout has kept his talent as an artist hidden from the public eye.

This was until recently, when he presented his debut solo exhibition at Café Royal in March to an enthusiastic crowd of gallerists, collectors and VIPs.

A big step in the art world

Akrout admits that even though he is capable of handling the daily rejection and criticism he faces as an actor, the idea of showing his art to the world terrified him. This autumn Akrout will exhibit a suite of new drawings and paintings titled ‘First Impression’ at The Hoxton, Shoreditch, offering visitors an insight into the world of Edward Akrout.

Emotions and studies in France

There is an unmistakable connection between Akrout’s two chosen disciplines, for as an actor his job is to inhabit different emotional states, and as an artist he has an uncanny ability to capture in only a few strokes of the brush or pen, the fleeting emotions and personality traits of characters he comes across on his travels in London, Paris and New York.

Born to a Franco-British mother and Tunisian father, 32-year-old Akrout grew up in France, studying philosophy at The Sorbonne and theatre at Le Cours Florent in Paris, and then spending time at the National Institute in Bucharest. He left Paris for London when offered a place at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Akrout’s philosophical and theatrical training is evident in his expressive, psychological studies of the eclectic characters he encounters.

'Blue Man' by Edward Akrout | Art-Pie

WHAT – ‘First Impression’ by Edward Akrout
WHERE – The Hoxton, 81 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3HU | United Kingdom
WHEN – 2 Oct 2015 — 1 Jan 2016

First seen on WSIMAG

PREVIEW

Four cities at Black Rat Press

In 2007 the global population living in urban environments passed the halfway mark, and that trend is accelerating. As cities become bigger and denser, and within the rigid structures of a mass-market society, truly meaningful personal interactions become increasingly elusive. The anonymising effects of scale and excess on the actor in the postmodern city can lead to a shared sense of social isolation.

In Four Cities Black Rat Projects will take a look at the four artists whose experience of urbanity propelled them to create within their environment in similar ways. With new works by represented artist Swoon, and secondary market works sourced from Os Gemeos, Banksy and Shepard Fairey, BRP will map the parameters of the street art movement across continents through the voices that emerged simultaneously as the strongest of their respective city scenes.

Artists featured: Swoon, Os Gemeos, Banksy, Shepard Fairey

Where –
Black Rat Projects
When –
20th May – 23rd June 2011 (Preview – 19th May – 6-9pm)

STREET ART

Street art goes digital in Paris

I stumbled across these very creative pictures of what appear to be some street art in Paris. Now, it would seem that the twist is that no one went into the streets and made those up but instead, someone sat in front of a computer and produced them. I must hope I got it right here as there was not much information about these pictures.

I can already hear the street art purists stomping their feet and voice that, to call something street art, the artist has to go out there, amongst the passing-by walkers and produce something. Well, I might agree with this to some extent but I thought I’ll share these pics from a pure creativity point of view which I think is awesome here.

STREET ART ENCOUNTERS