Tag Archives: London

Malika Favre – Hide and Seek at Kemistry gallery

August 15, 2012 Pierrick Senelaer

Now in its summer break, the London art scene has slightly slowed down and galleries are either busy relaxing or putting altogether their next shows. One of these that has caught our eyes and attention is the “Hide and Seek” show by Malika Favre at Kemistry gallery.

This show is for the minimalistic art enthusiast and if you love prints, you should definitely come and see Malika Favre’s Hide and Seek show and become fascinated by the story of a furtive yet sophisticated woman very much looking like the elegant woman you would find strolling on the Champs Elysees in Paris. Malika Favre is from France and you can clearly feel a Parisian looking woman influence in her character.

The video that has been put together for the show – see below, is a real treat and is as funny in a way as intriguing. The woman keeps popping out of different patterns which are cleverly mixed together to lose viewers into them and thus increase the surprise effect when the woman appears.

From Kemistry gallery “Fascinated by patterns in everyday life, urban surroundings and architecture, French born Malika Favre has put together Hide and Seek, her first solo show in London. Malika’s work is bold and minimalistic, exploring the relationship between positive and negative space.”

From the artist “there is such beauty and intrigue in those repetitive concrete balconies, I felt like creating a series of abstract prints based on the architectural patterns that no one really notices.”

The 8 high end screenprints will be available for purchase at the gallery and online, each print is limited, signed and numbered by Malika Favre.

Malika Favre “Hide & Seek” | 6th Sept — 29th Sept 2012
Private View: Thursday 6th September 18:00 —21:00 | 43 Charlotte Road| London EC2A 3PD

CONTEMPORARY ART, REVIEWS

Otto Schade at Frameless gallery

August 9, 2012 Pierrick Senelaer

It was lunch time and I was again walking towards the place that would put an end to the hunger I had been victim off all morning.

I then once again walked past the Frameless gallery in Farringdon which I had never bothered to visit until today.

I certainly knew about it but either the thought of a mighty sandwich (I work really nearby) or a recurrent weak interest in what I could glance at, had always been dragging me away from it. Not today. Otto Schade’s show – Street art Olympics, was on.

It really adds a dimension to any show when the artist paints something onto the front of the building where his/her show is held at and Otto Schade just did that.

The one who knows Otto Schade’s works will recognise this familiar face – see picture. (more pictures after the fold)

There is a clear Olympics theme for the pieces on canvases that can be seen in the first part of the show (upstairs that is – it is worth to point out that I was not aware of the downstairs bit of the gallery which adds so much to the whole space and make it one of the best venues I have been in recent months).

Next to those, sit a series of more traditional prints.

The earthy colors scheme used for the Olympics themed pieces which are all on a black background gives them a very warm feel whilst the black – red – white scheme used for the prints does the opposite and seems to freeze the image.

Head downstairs and find a variety of other pieces from Otto Schade from portraits of the Queen Elizabeth to the representation of a panda which seems to have found a ball to play with. It was hard to find an obvious link with the Olympics here – let me point out that the show is called “Street art Olympics”.

And there I saw it, I saw the piece I want to own: a make over of the Queen of Diamonds playing card by Otto Schade. The colors work so well, the intensity of this piece obtained by hiding the face of the character is intense and seductive.

Would you agree?

“Street art Olympics” by Otto Schade rund until the 12th August
Frameless gallery | 20 Clerkenwell green | EC1R ODP | London
Opening Hours: 11am – 7pm Monday to Saturday

CONTEMPORARY ART, REVIEWS

Art Drive – BMW cars turned into artwork

July 31, 2012 Pierrick Senelaer

Whatever some may think about the London 2012 Olympics, it is bringing a lot art and life to the city making it not only the sport capital of the world but very much a cultural hub right now. We have started to enjoy the many exhibitions and pop up art shows part of the London 2012 festival that is running along the Olympics and actually right into September.

We made our first stop at Art Drive and we so glad we did. The NCP Car Park, 35 Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3ER which I ignored so many times as I walked past, is now cocooning the BMW Art Car Collection. 17 cars turned into pieces of art. I will never see again that car park with the same eyes.

You have to go back in 1975 to see the first ever BMW Art Car burning some rubber at the famous Le Mans 24-hour race. From there 16 other Art cars followed which all competed in this very race until the current and last one ever painted – The Jeff Koons one, see below for pictures. Some of the artists who got involved in this 35-year long project are Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, Cesar Manrique or Frank Stella.

But enough about the history, let’s go and see the cars! The settings for this show are completely surreal: the car wash team, based outside of the car park was at it while I was greeted with a big smile by the the Art Drive team and quickly ushered inside the car park and rapidly wafted in a huge lift that can most definitely contain a couple of cars but above all that made me feel right into some sort of action or sci-fi movies like Alien. I was excited now.

The girofar then went off, a strident sound soon followed that smashed the relative silence that had settled during my journey up to the unknown. The door slid open: I had reached the 8th floor and was about to see my first Art Car.

Enjoy the pictures below and leave a comment if you like any of them! Consult this website to read more about the cars, designs and artists that took part in this project

A bit of trivia for you – the BMW Art Car M1 by Andy Warhol was the most successful car on the circuit de la Sarthe, it took sixth place overall in 1979.

The latest and last BMW Art Car by Jeff Koons

ALEXANDER CALDER

SANDRO CHIA (left) | ESTHER MALANGU

ROY LICHTENSTEIN

FRANK STELLA

ANDY WARHOL

REVIEWS

Ron English and Risk at Black Rat Projects

July 17, 2012 Pierrick Senelaer

We managed to get a look at the latest show at Black Rat Projects called “Letters From America” where works from Ron English, TrustoCorp, Risk and Saber are on display. Pictures of the artworks below.

As soon as you step into the gallery, you are greeted by the “Big Boy”,an original 7 foot or so statue customized by the Los Angeles graffiti writer RISK Big Boy is a brand of meal kits for kids which infamously got in turnmoil when some of their products were tested positive for Listeria contamination back in 2009, but instead of a burger Big Boy holds a spray paint can which will remind visitors that they are about to see artworks from street artists.

Very quickly, another piece from RISK acts as a magnet for your eyes and illuminates the whole room. A graffiti made of neons. Sublime. What a piece to be made when you know how difficult neon making can be. Looking on the ‘Big Boy’ quietly from the back of the room, are pop surrealist painter Ron English’s colourful pigs that will make smile even the hardcore vegetarian out there. Just above them, a series of photographs by the same artist all very loyal to the artist’s style – pop surrealism. The “Telegrinnies” series have to be our favorites one, you will have figured out that Ron English’s work here is base on the “Teletubbies”.

Slightly hidden in a corner of the gallery, we enjoyed reading and laughing at TrustoCorp small scale signs

This show runs until the 18th June 2012 and is linked to another project that launched on June 30 at the London Pleasure Gardens where outdoor installations can be seen by the same artist until december 2013. Read the article about it on Arrested Motion website.

Big Boy by RISK (left) | Pigs by Ron English(right)

Neons by Risk (left) | Spray paint and acrylics by Risk (right)

Telegrinnies by Ron English

Signs by TrustoCorp

CONTEMPORARY ART, REVIEWS

Wonderful World, solo show by Gérard Rancinan

June 16, 2012 Christopher Digby

Where: Londonewcastle Project Space
When: 7-24 June 2012

Thursday evening I managed to drop by the Londonewcastle space to see first hand the Rancinan show presented by The Future Tense. I had known about the exhibition for some time and was really keen to visit. I was not disappointed.

Opening from The Future Tense

“Gérard Rancinan is one of the world’s leading contemporary fine art photographers. For the past 7 years, Rancinan, along with writer Caroline Gaudriault, have been developing the ‘Trilogy of the Moderns’ – a revolution in three acts. Pitched somewhere between comedy and tragedy, this vivid photographic tableau and accompanying texts paint a picture of a confused humanity, blindly groping in the darkness, obsessed with fame and guided only by an absolute desire for generalised happiness.”

Walking through the show I envisioned myself watching the film Donnie Darko and playing out scenes from which include the infamous bunny head. In addition the irony was that I was humming “Mad World” the corresponding score to the film. Batmanesq and cartoon imagery which although perhaps has been included within other contemporary art, I do not feel this is in any way reproduced. It feels new, yet old, fresh yet re-worn and very much engaging.

The narrative which accompanies the show, actually does not waffle or meander through meaningless meanings, it provides a commentary, which I find sits well with me. This is the first time for many months where the ideals which are being conveyed actually mean something to me. References to a society documenting its own history via social mediums are made and the act of me writing these very words endorse this. In addition the term ‘non places’ and ‘non people’ have been used which when used in conjunction with the virtual Twitter & Facebook world actually have a relevant description of contemporary society.

The works themselves are comparable to hyper realistic painting, coupled with well staged and well shot content arranged in such a way that just works. The sheer size of the works give an air of importance to them whilst drawing you in to the content. Another perfect fit to the show is that the final piece of work for the series was actually shot in real time at the exhibition using real people attending the show. This for me bridged the gap between aesthetic and interactive art in a way which I hope everyone can appreciate.

Ed Bartlett of The Future Tense said to me that “to fully appreciate the show you must come back” and he is right.The show runs until 24 June 2012. For more information visit: http://londonewcastle.com/arts-programme/events/2012-06-07/wonderful-world

Art-Pie

Tag Archives: London

Malika Favre – Hide and Seek at Kemistry gallery

Otto Schade at Frameless gallery

Art Drive – BMW cars turned into artwork

Ron English and Risk at Black Rat Projects

Wonderful World, solo show by Gérard Rancinan

STREET ART ENCOUNTERS