Squid & Tabernacle’s Shipping Container Closure

Curatorial duet George Major and Hanna Sorrell of itinerant art gallery Squid & Tabernacle, must feel quite at home in their Dalston shipping container by now. Their previous three exhibitions have all been staged in the claustrophobic pod, which has proved to be a remarkably versatile space throughout the course of the year.

But now as they say, ‘all good things must come to an end’ and so it is time for Squid & Tabernacle to find a new home, but not without one final fantastic finale exhibition to give the shipping container the farewell it deserves. From September 2nd S&T present; Matthew Coombes: Come What Will.

The Fine Line Between Art and Comedy

‘The Descent of Chris Tarrant Into Hell‘ by Harry Hill, oil on board

Who knew TV Burp host Harry Hill is a bit of a don with a paint brush? His colourful oil painting are very much in tune with the comedian’s sense of humour, picking upon figures in popular culture such as Jedwood, Susan Boyle and Chris Tarrant. Of course the Royal family are prime targets too. In a recent interview with TATE ETC. Magazine, Harry revealed all about his lesser know talent as a painter.

Show Art Some Affection in 2010

This month saw the launch of Love Art London; a brand new art membership club which organises unique experiences in our own capital city – the very hub of art and culture that is London town. For anyone who has a genuine passion for the arts but finds their enjoyment compromised by the busy crowds at the weekend or simply works and plays too hard to find time for culture in their daily routine, this new scheme could be exactly what you’re looking for. Aimed at busy, professional types, Love Art London provides exclusive late night access to galleries and exhibitions and hosts eye-opening experiences including film screenings, talks and tours offering a refreshing alternative to mundane week night activities.

Love Art London launch party at The Estorick Collection, Islington

Highlights over the next few months include evening admission to the universally acclaimed, Van Gogh exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts – this is a unique opportunity to bypass the seething hoards of tourists and weekend visitors and enjoy a far more relaxed experience of this remarkable exhibition. April offerings include a member’s only film screening of Andy Goldsworthy’s fascinating Rivers and Tides at The Horse Hospital in Bloomsbury. And for anyone who’s ever wanted a sneaky insight into what goes on behind the scenes at London’s most prestigious auction house, membership to the scheme offers access to a private tour of Sotheby’s in May. Previously employed as paintings expert at Sotheby’s, Love Art London founder Chris Pensa should be more than qualified to facilitate an engaging and informative tour.

Chris Pensa (left) founder of Love Art London

A self proclaimed ‘brave pioneer’, Chris hopes to “ignite a fire in your belly and give you something interesting to talk about” as he puts it. Last week’s Love Art London launch party at The Estorick Collection in Islington was attended by art  world greats such as Tracy Emin, Andy Goldsworthy and Frida Kahlo (or very convincing look-a-likes at least!) and provided an initial taster of the playful spirit at the heart of the enterprise. Along with the fun comes a genuine passion to make art more easily accessible to those who want it and Chris insists, “We’re deadly Serious About Art”.

Frida Kahlo? At the Love London Launch

Membership costs just £25/month so why not make a gesture of Love towards Art today and sign up online at www.loveartlondon.com

Banksy Vs. King Robbo Street Art War

Britain’s most notorious street artist Banksy stands accused of disrespecting a graffiti legend by modernising a 24-year-old work by “King Robbo” in Camden, North London. In old fahioned street war style  Robbo responded by obliterating the artist’s work with 3ft high silver letters spelling out his own name. Banksy has apparantly been on an extensive spraying spree of late having painted a series of images last week on walls under Camden Street Bridge, directly behind the British Transport Police building in Camden Town. Robbo however; apparently took exception to the manipulation of his mural, accessible only by water, that had been in place since 1985.

Read the full Article.

ShortList Shopping Guru!

Yes, according to Shortlist magazine I’m a ‘Shopping Guru’ and who am I to protest? Check out my pick of the best art prints on cultureLabel…

See the full article here (pg.32)

CIA Wall Mural by Pirates

The Central Illustration Agency have recently signed up creatvie talent, the Pirates who they claim are set to ‘turn the world of graffiti and street art on its head’. The team’s ambition is to create the largest most breathtaking creations ever seen and rather than lurking in the shadows and staying anonymous, the Pirates want to be seen everywhere and by everyone. The Pirates have collaborated with some of the greatest brands on the cards and are all set to reclaim the streets, one wall at a time. Working across all mediums and breaking all boundaries, you wont have to look too hard before you see a PIRATES creation. Check out the wall mural film HERE.

Fashionistas Imortalised in Wool

Having been dubbed the ‘coolest toy of the year’  by Urban Junkies, everyone wants to get their hands on these adorable finger puppet characters, each one an uncanny representation of the worlds leading designers, editors and fashion icons. These odd little chaps come courtesy of The Daily Rubbish magazine and are exclusively available from Liberties for the princely sum of £65 per set. Sold in box sets of five, you can choose your favorite fashion city, Milan, London, Paris or New York. Heroes of the fashion world from Vivienne Weswood and Donatella Versace to Karl Lagerfeld and Paul Smith should be honoured by these woolen imortalisations (although I’m not too sure how impressed Giorgio will be with his wrinkly, orange representation!)

Ashmolean Museum Gets a Makeover

It’s Britain’s oldest public museum but thanks to a £62 million redevelopment, museum director Christopher Brown and his architect Rick Mather have dragged Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum into the 21^st Century.

Mather’s subtle extension actually doubles the museum’s display space which now boasts six floors – one underground – and no fewer than 39 new galleries, including four for temporary exhibitions. The museum is set to reopen on 7^th November and is expected to engage with a wider public audience than ever before. In the Guardian today Jonathan Glancey describes gushes of the work; “While Mather’s Ashmolean addition is a magical combination of cool stone, oak floors, spruce plywood, polished plaster, steel, glass and zinc, all its elements have been brought together with a lightness of touch… he result is a building in which every last inch is hard at work, while giving the opposite impression.” Read the full article.

China supports its Creative Industries

Despite booming sales in the Asian art market throughout 2008, nowhere has been immune to the ravaging effects of global recession. The Chinese art scene was devastated by the collapse in prices that saw the disappearance of scores of galleries in the first months of this year.

Hope is on the horizon however, and according to the Art Newspaper China is now witnessing the first tentative signs of recovery, underwritten by significant regional government investment in both Shanghai and Beijing. The Chinese capital and other regions are set to receive huge investments to stimulate “creative industries”—an umbrella term which includes the arts. Under this programme, said Dong Menyang, director of the Art Beijing fair, “the Beijing government has also set aside Rmb1bn ($146m) to promote cultural industry development.” Recovery is still a slow process however, and times are particularly hard for artist’s in Beijing’s troubled 798 district. Artist have been staging rent strikes in protest against the high studio fees whilst the area has also suffered a spate of break-ins, with galleries losing computers and suffering smashed windows.

Read the full article…