Posts Tagged ‘London Art Scene’

The Museum of Broken Relationships: the ritual of romance

// August 30th, 2011 // View Comments // b-Crowd, b-inspired, b-scene

The summer is coming to an end, and so are a number of art exhibitions in London.  What show should you see in the final days of summer?  Well, you could go see whatever is on at the Tate Modern, or you take a chance on an alternative arts experience: the ‘Museum of Broken Relationships’, for example.

‘The Museum of Broken Relationships’ is a unique exhibition that is both visually and emotionally engaging.  Conceptualized in Croatia by Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić, each work of art tells the story of a past relationship – good or bad.  The works of art are a collection of random objects that are donated by people from around the world.

A forgotten wedding dress, underpants and a crumbling garden gnome are showcased alongside the descriptions of the stories that they represent: passion, romance and remembrance are explored in these stories.  There is no single way to view this show; the objects could represent the symbolic value of the relationship or the ruins of a failed romance.  However way you want to view the exhibition, one theme is true throughout: the Museum offers creativity in place of destruction.

When viewing the exhibition, one can’t help but wonder about these people who are willing to donate objects of such sentimental value to be placed on public display.  Perhaps it’s a way to overcome a destructive relationship or to honor a positive one.

Alongside the romantic shrines are objects donated by people living and working in the Covent Garden area as well as commissioned works in response to the exhibition.

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Carl Warner: food art with a twist

// June 3rd, 2011 // View Comments // Uncategorized, b-Crowd, b-inspired, featured

Did you play Candy Land growing up?  You know, the children’s board game where you travel through Candy Cane Forests and Gum Drop Mountains?  If so, this may be just up your alley.  Carl Warner is a London-based photographer who specialises in ‘foodscapes’: carefully crafted scenes made entirely from food.  This is food art with a twist.

When you first look at his photographs, it seems that they are naturalistic landscape paintings.  If you look closer, you realise that you’re really seeing a landscape of food.  Before your eyes, mountains transform into mashed potatoes, trees into prosciutto and the leaves are actually cereal.

Warner’s work has often been compared with 16th century Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who created imaginary portraits using vegetables, fruits, flowers and even books.  Some of Warner’s influences include the photographer Ansel Adams and films such as Wizard of Oz and, of course, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

These landscapes are very time-consuming to photograph - up to two or three days - and are captured in several different layers.  Warner spends a lot of time at supermarkets picking out the fruits and vegetables for his projects.  Finding the perfect broccoli head for a tree or cabbage for a rock is an involved process.

Since 2008, when his work was featured in the Sunday Times, he has attracted media attention from all over the world.  His work has been featured in magazines and picked up by television reports, documentaries and interviews.  He’s been commissioned by major brands (food of course) to apply his art to advertising campaigns.   These commissions have led Warner to expand his artistic practice into moving images where he has been involved with directing television and internet commercials.

What sets him apart from other landscape artists is how he crafts everyday objects into an intricate work of art.  By taking biodegradable objects and photographing them, he makes a scene permanent and brings out the beauty in looking at a familiar scene with a twist.

Test Sites: Antony Gormley, White Cube, Mason's Yard, London

// June 4th, 2010 // View Comments // b-scene

Got down to White Cube Mason’s Yard for a new exhibition, ‘Test Sites’ by Antony Gormley last night. The artist has created a major new site-specific installation and a new series of cast iron blockwork sculptures. Let me recommend it to all of you. As always Antony Gormley pierces the soul with anthropomorphic candor. I’m still pulsating with excitement from the experience. God I love that Angel of the North guy!

Downstairs a large series of 15 curious glowing and interlocking grids fill a dark room. The blue architecture creates a peaceful ambient, a meditative solitude and the 30 or so people allowed to view it at any one time have the freedom to weave amongst all its tranquillity. This interaction forces you to duck and creep, careful not to trip,  forever re-analysing the unfamiliar framework. All dispersing an equal gleam; the bars decidedly blend into one another forming infinite 2D images.

Unexpectedly hot high-wattage lamps viciously interrogate you suddenly shocking your vision, heating your skin. In unison we uncontrollably cry out as our whole being must adjust to this harsh exposing environment. Innately everyone flees the once cosy and now dictating structure. Surrounded by white walls the construction is barely visible but its presence is heavy and dominating.




Soon enough the paint is charged and the soothing period resumes. Breathing Room III is a potent journey through space and time. It emphasises our day to day interactions with these two elements and sparks wondrous tangents for the mind. This all for just £600,000!

These sculptures are the artist’s further investigation of the human body and its relationship to the built world. Classically-Gormley-rusted figures with unnaturally extended, block-body parts use a construct language of stacking, propping and cantilever to imply a tension which represents our urban-bound human condition. Poetry in balance and erosion.

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Graphic Art: Blotters, Posters and Teapots In the Belly of the Underdog

// March 9th, 2010 // View Comments // b-hind the scenes

Sammy Forway, 34 years old, started Underdog Art Company as an online gallery in early 2007 and opened the Underdog art gallery in London SE1 in mid 2008. Sammy discusses his gallery life, art he loves and the exhibitions held at this multi-media gallery on the Old Kent Road.

Why did you want to open a gallery?
I have always been interested in art since I was a small kid I always made art paintings drawings and was generally creative when I got older I realised I wanted to start my own business but didn’t know what yet, I only realised what it was when I started to see how difficult it was for new artists to get work seen and promoted and came up with the idea of the online gallery, since then its just progressed. We now have regular exhibitions and live events here at Underdog.

How would you describe the art and artists you represent?
The type of art and artists we represent are very diverse but I do tend to go for art that is quite edgy and urban also counter culture style work, I love graphic poster art and we have recently had an exhibition with LSD blotter art. We basically filled the whole gallery with sheets of Acid.

What kind of work do you love?
See the above, graphic art I have always had a soft spot for but I love any art work that has genuinely something to say. Can’t stand pretentiousness in anything.

Do you think there is anything missing from the art scene at the moment?
I do think that art and artists are not doing enough to open people’s eyes to the corrupt bullshit. War and terror that is being waged over the world and not always by the “Terrorists” as we know them. It seems like we are all too smug to stand up and rock the boat. I hope this is changing though.

How do you source your artists?
I just look around find work I like and try to persuade the artist that they’d love to work with me.

What are you currently exhibiting?
My Current show is called Rock around the Crockery! It’s a show of graphic art screen prints, stencil and digital work, oh and not to forget the Graffed up defaced and debouched Crockery! Tea sets, trays, coffee pots etc. Art should be fun too eh.
How do you vary your exhibitions?
Ha ha erm sometimes get pissed and come up with silly concepts like the Crockery show, but mostly just finding a good mix of artists. I could put on a show every month in the same genre of art but as long as you have original artists it’ll never get boring.

What do you do to promote a show and do you do anything special for a preview?
We always do something special for an opening of a show, we usually always have live bands playing and sometimes movies visuals etc down in the belly of the Underdog. We try to make an event as memorable as possible. As for promoting, the web is great but we still design cool posters and post all over London and I have found this very successful. If you have really nice designs that people want to nick and have on there wall chances are they’ll come check out the show/gallery.

Have you found it successful to have live music when you launch a new exhibition?
Very successful, I am a musician myself and know lots of bands so we have really good live music at our shows.

What’s been your best and worst exhibition?
One of the best is the show on now but the most successful was probably the gig poster show, Underdog Rock n Roll Poster Riot! Last May it was awesome. We had about 100 people turn up on the opening day from all over the UK and we sold a lot of work. We are doing a Poster Riot 2 this month on Saturday the 20th. It’ll be excellent again with top gig poster artists exhibiting limited edition screen printed posters, LSD Blotter Art and of course some excellent bands. It’s an all day event starting at 2pm. The worst was when I tried to do two openings in one week, terrible idea.

What’s the most expensive piece of work you’ve ever sold?
The most expensive individual piece I have sold was £2500/£3000 we are more on the affordable art side here at Underdog so that would be our higher end work.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
Selling work for 3 grand.

If you could represent any artist, who would they be and why?
Raphael, he was the most productive of the old masters and he died at 37… Quids in! Only joking, I love Franz Ackermann’s work I would love to represent him. His work is very psychedelic, cerebral and visceral but still with something to say. I’d also like to have represented Von Dutch and Ed (Big Daddy) Roth. Because they were pioneers of graphic art and sure loved rock n roll.

Have you got any exciting ideas for future exhibitions/events?
Always have, just keep your eye on the Underdog.

Are you an artist as well?
Yes I suppose so, I do make stuff whether that makes me an artist is up to anyone else.

Do you think it’s harder to be a gallery owner or artist?
Its harder to be a gallery owner and an artist.

How do you make sure you have enough money to pay the bills?
Now that’s a good question, basically budget yourself. If you sell a big piece don’t go wild n think you can spend it. We also do fine art printing canvas etc at the gallery so that helps with bills. But no one said it was gonna be easy!

What advice would you offer to (a) an artist?
 Keep on doing what you love, but be realistic 90% of artists do not make a living from art. If you can get a job that is at least creative to help you live, pay bills eat etc that’s great. But keep on making art if you don’t believe in yourself no one else will.
(b) someone who wants their own gallery?
 Go do it, but try not to borrow too much money, if any. and really think about all decisions before you jump in at the deep end. Find the best artists you possibly can as this is your gallery. Good luck!

Who Let the Mutants Out?

// October 20th, 2009 // View Comments // b-scene

Giant fire breathing animals, the Queen crying, floral skulls, and pole dancing babies in UK army suits; did I just see that? And just as I think that I definitely need to call that dealer again, pole dancing robots are bumping and grinding their techno hips and torsos in rhythm to the beat of the music being played by a robotic disc jockey. Alriiight!

The “Mutate London” exhibition could have been the perfect setting for an “Alice in Wonderland Returns to the Future” movie, or just a remake of David’s Cronenberg’s Naked Lunch. Picture yourself in a 15000 square foot open air gallery with freehand paintings, stencils and paste ups from three to thirty feet high decorating huge walls, surrounded by giant Mutoids, dinosaurs, and prancing horses sculpted. If this isn’t tripping you out, I don’t know what will?!

The exhibition features sculptures, paintings, stencils and graffiti from some of the world’s most prominent and trippy street artists such as Mode 2, Matt Small, Dr. D, Part2ism, Best Ever and too many more to mention here. Oh and the trip around the exhibition becomes even more interesting after sunset when human-fleshed bodies need to be warmed with alcohol. That’s when you decide to take another look at the pole dancing robots and think they haven’t quite mastered dazzling feats like flipping upside down or lifting their legs above their headlight faces; but then there is this guy sitting in an alien hammock eating a salad and sure enough, you will want to be doing the same thing he is, and you’ll be swinging there with a childish and slightly dumb smile stuck on your face. Got it? Mutate London is one of those art exhibitions that makes people at Saatchi go uhhhhh!

Now, run go tell your enemies and your friends! Oh, and have a look at shots of what’s on offer. It’s still only a small selection – get down there if you want to see the rest!