CONTEMPORARY ART, REVIEWS

Bauhaus: Art as Life

BauhausLast week The Barbican Centre opened its doors to a major exhibition about the highly influential Bauhaus movement. The show explores the German art and design school that ran between 1919 and 1933 and made a profound impact on our contemporary world by uniting art, craft, design and technology. Bauhaus: Art as Life brings together over 400 works and highlights the scope of the Bauhaus vision. Throughout the exhibition are examples of architecture, paintings, film, sculpture, furniture, costume design, photography, children’s toys, typography and textiles from names including Paul Klee, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Josef Albers and Oskar Schlemmer. Nothing it seems was too ambitious or insignificant for the Bauhaus masters to tackle, from redesigning teapots and ashtrays, to creating vast housing estates and design manifestos that aimed to change the world they lived within.

Bauhaus: Art as Life is displayed in a loosely chronological order, starting with Walter Gropius founding the school in 1919 by merging of the Arts and Crafts school and the Academy of Fine Art, a radical move that incorporated the disciplines of art, craft and technology. Having lived through the horror of the First World War, this collective of artists and designers were keen to use their creativity to herald a brighter future and you get a sense of the optimistic, utopian force behind the work. However the Bauhaus was not just about high design for the greater good, the students and teachers were also having a good time behind the scenes. The Bauhaus group put on events that could have rivaled Warhol’s infamous art happenings. Gropius actively encouraged socialising between the masters and students and this took the form of spectacular themed parties with a Bauhaus band, elaborate costumes and performances. Included in the exhibition are photographs documenting this playful side of the movement and party invites.

By the mid 1920’s we see architecture, advertising and photography added to the curriculum and the school started to become commercially successful by partnering up with manufacturers. There was a focus on branding and a unified approach to typography and layout, as we can see in the ‘instruments of communication’ section. Pioneered by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, the Bauhaus had started to produce its own promotional material to communicate with a larger audience and this bold style has since become highly influential to the world of graphics. Elsewhere in the exhibition we also see Gunta Stolzl become the first female master at the Bauhaus, raising the profile of the crafts with her beautiful woven wall hangings. Josef and Anni Albers take a graphic slant on textiles, with simple geometric shaped patterns created from cotton and silk. As many of the Bauhaus group were on the political left, they came under pressure from the Nazi government and following pressure from the Gestapo, decided to close their doors in 1933. However as the students and masters emigrated, the principles behind the Bauhaus movement spread internationally and became the driving force behind Modernism as we know it.

Bauhaus

The Barbican is embracing the experimental spirit of the Bauhaus by hosting a diverse series of events and workshops relating to the exhibition. They have done a good job in making the links between the Bauhaus and its relevance on our everyday lives. The schedule includes guided walking tours around the Finsbury area looking at the Bauhaus influence on local housing estates and a tour of the City of London focussing on the relationship between the Bauhaus and commercial architecture. The Barbican will also host an experimental two-week ‘Art School Lab’ where a chosen group of artists will collaborate to create work that contributes towards social change. To be considered you must apply via the Barbican website.

If you are looking to take home a slice of Modernist design, head to the Barbican Gallery Shop where there is a great selection of iconic designs, in keeping with the Bauhaus philosophy that design should engage with production. These including geometric plates hand woven rugs, DIY Paul Klee puppet kits and an exclusive range of Bauhaus inspired jewellery from the BA students at Central Saint Martins.

Bauhaus: Art as Life . Barbican Art Gallery, London, 3 May – 12 May 2012. http://www.barbican.org.uk/

Review by Zoey Goto, freelance art and design writer and PR. www.zazzipr.com

More photos of the exhibition below

Bauhaus

bauhausBauhaus

PREVIEW

Fragile, a new show by Dan Baldwin at Gallery 8

We have had to wait for three years but it is now upon us – “Fragile”, the new solo show by Dan Baldwin is opening tomorrow to the publich at Gallery 8. We hear that the artist will explore the concepts of mortality and beauty. As always, the new works by Dan Baldwin promise to be distinctively colourful defying categorisation as figurative or abstract, real or imaginary.

For those not so familiar with Dan Baldwin’s works, expect encompassing ceramics, silkscreen prints, resin, acrylics, spray paint and found objects carefully mixed together and resulting in complex and intricate pieces. It is also worth to point out that most of the objects in his uses have been collected since he was a child.

Big City | Art-Pie
Big City

The show will present another set of large-scale acrylic works where the artist continue the exploration of symbolism and narrative. By contrast, the artist has also developed a series of abstract canvasses which are devoid of any motifs but instead explore further his fascination with colour harmony. In comparison to others in the exhibition, these works evoke a positive response in the viewer but still ask us to consider the uncertain and short-lived nature of human happiness.

Sacrilegium by Dan Baldwin | Art-Pie
Sacrilegium – click to enlarge

A large proportion of the show will be dedicated to a series of delicate ceramics, a medium with which the artist has started to experiment further in recent years. Now working with a Sicilian pottery workshop, the artist is creating increasingly elaborate urn-like vessels which are representative of death and the fleeting nature of our existence. The most ambitious to date is perhaps “Sacrilegium” (2013) which is adorned with a real human skull cast in clay as well as 20% pure gold paint, crucifix, cherubs and an antique Russian bear figurine. These motifs increase the funerary connotations of the object, making it appear fragile in more ways than one.

But Dan Baldwin’s exploration of new mediums in his art does not stop here. He has also developed a series of large-scale tile paintings for the exhibition. “The Picnic” (2012), for example, is made up of 96 tiles overlaid with several glazes and precious metals. The dreamlike scene is filled with juxtapositions of life and death, innocence and corruption; children play with a severed head whilst Mickey Mouse dances with a skeleton. In a final act of ‘iconoclasm’ the artist smashed the tiles before assembling them, to demonstrate their fragility

The Picnic | Art-Pie
The Picnic

What – “Fragile” the new solo show by Dan Baldwin
Where – Gallery 8
When – 20/9 till 5/10/2013 (private view on the 19/9)

CONTEMPORARY ART, INTERVIEWS

Object-Culture: bringing cultures together

Object-Culture is the first pop up shows of a series of four which will happen back to back from now into May 2010 at Red Gallery on Rivington Street (London). ART-PIE went to see Paul Sakoilsky, the curator to find out more about it.

ART-PIE: Can you tell our readers more about you?

Paul Sakoilsky: I am an artist, a writer, a philosopher and I guess also a curator but I do not like using this word. I used to help out at the 30 Underwood Street Gallery back in the days, I mean between 1993 and 2000 when the gallery shut down for good. I worked in mixed medias and have been mainly focusing in the past few years on a project called The Dark times which has spawned a variety of works, installations and performances, which have been shown in solo and group shows across Europe. Continue reading Object-Culture: bringing cultures together →

BLOG, FEATURE

Fairies Wires sculpture by Robin Wight

Robin Wight & his fairies wires sculptures | Art-PieSculpture is a fantastic form of art and here, at Art-Pie, our interest is growing every day.

Especially when you see what a bit of imagination and craftsmanship can do.

Meet Robin Wight, artist based in Staffordshire (England) who has taken wires sculptures to the next level.

Fairies at the bottom of the garden

Here is what he says about how his interest for wires fairies sculptures came about. You will indeed notice that the artist has a keen interest in depicting fantasy characters, like fairies, in his sculpture work.

“In 1920 two little girls photographed fairies at the bottom of their garden and created a news sensation. As we know, the photographs were fake, but the story captured the imagination of people who wanted to believe.

A couple of years ago, while trying out my new camera, I took the picture (right) in the woods at the bottom of my garden. It was only later when looking at the results that I spotted the figure in the tree (above). Its obviously a trick of the light coming through the trees. What else could it be?

Whatever it is, it captured my imagination and inspired me to use the idea in my sculpture.”

Robin Wight & his fairies wires sculptures | Art-Pie

Just a hobby for now

We understand that Robin Wight only started making Fairies sculptures recently and while it is still a hobby, he hopes to make a living out of it. We do not see why people would not pay for the artists’s creations as they will enhance any garden or parks.

“I only started wire sculptures about a year ago. I’ve been refining the quality and technique and I’m now happy to start doing commission work (before my garden turns into a theme park). Its currently a hobby which I’d like to make a career, but let’s see how much interest there is first. Every fairy is a handmade sculpture uniquely crafted to your desired pose and installation requirements.”

Robin Wight & his fairies wires sculptures | Art-Pie

Robin Wight & his fairies wires sculptures | Art-Pie

Let your creation go wild and make wires sculptures yourself!

If you are interested in how Robin Wight makes up his wires sculptures, you can head onto his website and read his detailed step-by-step section. I did not imagine how tedious, it would seem, such creations take.

Even better you can even download your FantasyWire Starter Kit

DIGITAL ART

James George or how to use Kinect (Xbox)

Microsoft must have amazed quite a few of us with their latest innovation, I want to talke here about Kinect by like for all genius products, there is a sleepy hacker waiting to exploit and excel in using such products.

James George had the idea to modify the Kinect accessory and with the help of a HD SLR, he presents us with these amazing shots below taken across the NYC subway.

For the techies, James is using the depth image in a custom open framework application.

James Georges

James Georges

James Georges

Related links
> James George’s blog – www.jamesgeorge.org
> Set of James’ Kinect work on Flickr

BLOG, FEATURE

Clement Beauvais beautiful ink drop

Solidarités International, an international humanitarian organisation, was looking to mark World Water Day with an awareness campaign that highlighted the scourge of undrinkable water.

That happened back in March this year but got made aware of this only now.. so you’ll excuse the belated post.

We were amazed here by the final effect – ie when the ink gets dropped to reveal the artwork but what we found even mire amazing is how the artist, Clement Beauvais, managed to create it.

The artist indeed needs to create an invisible water paintings on greaseproof paper.

The water beads and sits on top of the paper in clear rivulets.

With an eyedropper, Clément adds a single droplet of ink to the water and instantly darkness surges through the watery shape.

It’s amazing to watch an image loom out of seemingly nowhere.

It’s as much a performance as an artwork, as Clément has to time his drips perfectly to create the right tonal balance.

The main purpose of this Clement’s work was to engage the help of journalists to focus public attention on the issue of water contamination.

Clement certainly did manage that.

And of course, the core message is?

‘Your ink can help make an invisible problem visible’

A bit about World Water Day as it matters –

To mark World Water Day, on March 22nd Solidarités International and its agency BDDP Unlimited will roll out a campaign to build awareness of the scourge of undrinkable water.

Today, it is estimated that 3.6 million people, including 1.5 million children under the age of 5, die every year of diseases borne by unhealthy water, making it the world’s leading cause of death.

Yet the public isn’t aware of it and political leaders do not demonstrate the drive it takes to end the terrible deaths. The campaign calls on journalists to spread awareness of this scourge and appeal to readers to sign a petition that will be personally handed to the French president during the 6th World Water Forum in March 2012.

To evoke the silent and invisible threat of unhealthy water, BDDP Unlimited opted for a minimalist approach that is both visually appealing and surprising, using water and ink exclusively. The spot shows the power of ink to reveal the invisible.

The spot, created by BDDP Unlimited, produced by Hush and directed by Clément Beauvais, a young director, illustrator, musician and photographer. His multiple talents and mastery of various techniques enabled him to both create the drawings and direct the spot.

 

STREET ART

Banksy new pieces in Los Angeles

Everybody is talking about so it would be almost rude not to feature the three new pieces Banksy has just dropped in Los Angeles.

The first piece depicts Charlie Brown holding a gas can, this piece was dropped on what looks like a house that burnt down. The second one is a child holding a gun and firing crayons.

And the most recent and probably the bolder one can be spotted on Sunset Boulevard and features the vision of the artists on Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

We will all have understood here that Banksy is preparing the ground for the upcoming Oscars.

Banksy in Los Angeles
Banksy in Los Angeles
Banksy in Los Angeles

CONTEMPORARY ART, PREVIEW

Diana Taylor – Alpha Beta, at Room

After-All, DIANA TAYLOR

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 →

STREET ART ENCOUNTERS