Collaboration with Maison Twenty

Happy 2014!

There were some good highlights to 2013: the joint exhibition with Twinkle Troughton at Galerie Michaela Stock in Vienna, selling some work to a Korean pop star through Maison Twenty at Brown's Menswear near Bond Street, curating the 'Girls Aren't Funny' exhibition at A-side B-side Gallery, being invited to stage The Bank of Tinsel & Twinkle at the Art Car Boot Fair, working with the wonderful artist and writer Graham Crowley to create a catalogue for the Vienna show, working with Street Feast London and running kids art workshops at Dalston Yard, producing a limited edition screen print with Jealous Gallery, taking part in the amazing car park exhibition Big Deal No.5 during Frieze week....  

Now I'm looking forward to 2014, and I'm really excited about my first collaboration of the year - with the Art/T-shirt fashion label Maison Twenty: 'A visionary unit comprising twenty emerging artists/designers from the UK'.  Launched in 2012, Maison Twenty works with artists to create unique Art T-shirts, they produce a new range every season and are now stocked in Harvey Nicol's, Browns and Harrods.

 
I was delighted when the director of Maison Twenty, artist Dannielle Hodson approached me about collaborating with the label.  With guidance from Danielle, I opted to use the lino cut image I had created for Jealous Gallery earlier in the year, you can read about this piece of work in a previous blog entry here.

 

The AW14 collection is now up online on the Maison Twenty website, see other T-shirts by Danae Doodles, David bray, Ben Levy, Rosie Emerson, Lewis Bannister, Rikki Nerreter, Rowan Newton, Agnetha Sjogren, Richard Zarzi, Sam Shendi, Darren McPherson, Corrina Eastwood, Mr Four Fingers, Andrew Salgado, Johnny Burt, Anu Samaruutel, Cameron Loeb, Quilla Constance and Toni Gallagher.

The collection was launched during Mens Fashion week at The Hospital Club in London, and I spent an afternoon doing some live printing at the stand.

So it has been an exciting start to 2014, I'm really looking forward to all the different projects I'm planning, but MOST importantly I want to focus on being in the studio painting, developing and researching several bodies of work I've been working on for a while.  Hopefully 2014 will be the year to make BIG progress with my painting, and maybe one day soon some of these projects can be revealed!

xx

Big Deal No.5 - a big exhibition in a car park underneath Cavendish Square, the Moniker Art Fair and the Affordable Art Fair

This Thursday I will be exhibiting two new paintings at Big Deal No. 5, a large scale group exhibition in a car park underneath Cavendish Square in central London.

The show will feature the work of more than 80 artists, international and London based.

 NO DSS 

Oil on Canvas

 0 Bed Flat , £285 per week 
Oil on Canvas

These new paintings address the spiraling cost of the rental market in London, this series is part of a body of work I have focused on since the end of 2012.  Rent prices continue to rise, with the cost of monthly payments for below average properties rarely matching the average salary in London.  As tenants we don't have the same rights as our European neighbours, we have short tenancies which mean landlords can raise the rent frequently, rental properties are seen as transitory and it is difficult to make adjustments and create 'home'.  In many countries in Europe 5-10 year tenancies, with low affordable rent prices in relation to salaries are seen as the norm.

I am driven to continue making these paintings to campaign for changes to be made, we need more social housing, the government's hefty housing benefit bill could be put to better use and cut down by creating affordable homes for people on average incomes.  This would avoid housing benefit payments going to private landlords, and instead rental payments would go back in to cover the cost of creating the social housing.  It's also worth noting that many people who claim housing benefit are actually in work, but the salaries they earn are just not high enough to cover the rising cost of rent.  There is an interesting article on insidehousing.co.uk which states that over the last couple of years, 90 percent of new claims for help with housing costs are made by people in work.  

These issues need to be addressed, and some sort of regulation brought in.

The paintings are inspired by real adverts in estate agent windows, the titles are taken from the language these agents use to describe what they are offering.

Twinkle Troughton will also be exhibiting paintings, and together we will also be running The Bank of Tinsel &Twinkle at the opening night, we have some new banker uniforms for the event!  Please come and share your thoughts with us on the global economy on our bank notes. 

 Big Deal No. 5 is curated by Vanya Balogh and Cedric Christie, read more about it in the Huffington Post here. 

The exhibition is supported by Geoffrey Leong, he comments:

"Supporting Arts is an important part of bringing incredible works to be evaluated and engaged with by the public, giving them the opportunity to review art in a different way. This multi media feast is curated by two renowned international artists Vanya Balogh & Cedric Christie through their continuous presence in various studios. In this case expect the unexpected, from organised chaos to uniform structure and much more. I believe this is both original and inspiring show which brings an element of fun to those who view it. There really is nothing like this in the world of arts that we see today, the engaging of artists and the public in perfect harmony." 

Big Deal No. 5
Underground Car Park
Cavendish Square
W1G 0PN

Private View: 17th October 6-9pm
Exhibition Open: 18-20th October 11am-7.30pm 

Moniker Art Fair and Affordable Art Fair

I will also be exhibiting with Jealous Gallery at both the Moniker Art Fair and Affordable Art Fair. 

The Moniker Art Fair also opens this Thursday 17th

Moniker Art Fair 
The Old Truman Brewery  
91, Brick Lane
E16QL

Private View: 17th October 5-9pm
Exhibition Open: 18-20th October 11am-7.00pm 

Affordable Art Fair
Battersea Park
SW11 4NJ

Private View: 23rd October 6-9pm
Exhibition Open: 24-27th October 11am-6pm

Text show at Jealous Gallery

I'm delighted to announce that this Friday I will be exhibiting a brand new limited edition screen print at Jealous Gallery.

Jealous are a gallery based in Crouch End, specializing in limited edition prints which they produce in their screen printing studios in Shoreditch.  I've been wanting to work with them for ages!  They've worked with some amazing artists since they opened in 2008, including Charming Baker, who's paintings I LOVE. So it was very exciting when they approached me about producing a print with them.

 

'The Revolution Starts Here' - My screenprints drying on the rack at the Jealous Studios

I created a design using lino cut, this is a technique I've been wanting to try for a while.  

Woodcut printing was first used by artists in the 1400's, initially the subject matter was predominantly religous, but woodcuts were later used to illustrate political commentary, allegories and satire.  Discontentment with the church was growing, and the woodcut became increasingly popular as a method of communicating political messages and often illustrating dissent toward the church.  The method allowed ease of mass production, and the images were often circulated to a largely illiterate audience, woodcut prints would often comment on social issues and became a form of communication.

It was also a technique used extensively by the German Expressionist painters, and more recently Billy Childish.

For these reasons I wanted to adopt the technique for some of my text based pieces, I'm fascinated by its history, and I love the bold contrasts and organic textures the method creates.  Lino cut is a slightly easier more up to date option!  So I opted for that.

Jealous Gallery then very kindly transformed my initial lino cut design into a two colour screen print, I am really pleased with how it's turned out.

The print is limited to an edition of 20 and will be available to buy from the Jealous Gallery website shortly.

 

Black, White and Red All Over

Opens this Thursday 22nd August

The Private View is 6-9pm Friday 23rd August

Jealous Gallery

27, Park Road,

Crouch End

London

N8 8TE

Little Dalston Builders at Street Feast

A couple of weeks ago I was commissioned by Street Feast London to create and run some kids workshops over the summer.  

Street Feast have taken up residency in a derelict, roofless warehouse space on Dalston Lane in East London for 9 weeks.  It's an amazing venue which has been made even more amazing and welcoming with lots of fairy lights, colourful graffiti and of course the Street Food traders.
  
"Street Feast is London’s pioneering night market. Thousands of people gather each week to eat from London’s best street food traders, chefs and restaurants, and drink festival-style pint-sized cocktails, craft beer and great wine."

 

 

 

I will be representing A-side B-side Gallery at Street Feast every Saturday until 14th September, the kids workshops are called 'Little Dalston Builders'.

Together, the Little Dalston Builders will be constructing and creating their visions for the future of the Street Feast site.  If the derelict warehouse could be absolutely anything what would the kids want to build there, a fairground, an ice cream factory, a farm, an adventure playground?

There will be a range of activities and all sorts of materials for the Little Dalston Builders to use, the inventions and constructions will grow and develop as each week of the Streetfeast residency goes by.  It's all about imagining, constructing, building and creating, with lots of cardboard, gaffa tape, glue, paint, canvas and wood...

Little Dalston Builders

Every Saturday at Street Feast London

Dalston Yard, Hartwell Street, E8 3DU

12-6pm

It's FREE!

Art Auction and The Brick Lane Village Fete

This week there are two very exciting events coming up, on Wednesday 24th July an art auction, and on Sunday 28th July The Brick Lane Village Fete.

The purpose of both events is to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis and the Chris McMuck story.

Here's what the organisers have to say on their website:

"Chris McMuck was highly influential in creating Shoreditch as it is today. He managed & promoted some of the most popular and underground clubs throughout the early 90’s into the mid 00’s. He was a booker, promoter, PR whizz kid, music label compiler, magazine publisher, and most of all he brought a vast amount of creative people together.

In 2005 he was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

For the past 3 years Chris has been wheelchair bound and lives in 24 hour care. Irrespective of his physical restrictions, his mind is bright and we have seen him benefit hugely from the alternative care and support from a wide network of groups"

I first met Chris McMuck back in 2003....at the time The Fairies Band was going strong, and Shoreditch was our stomping ground.  Chris approached us about doing a gig at the then brand new Catch 22 at the bottom of Kingsland High Street.  Shoreditch was a different place back then, with an interesting creative crowd and small circuit of bars, the Spreadeagle opposite Catch 22 was still a strip club...

Chris had boundless energy and enthusiasm, he was a genuine supporter of our band and helped us to promote the gig in any way he could.  Including sticking posters to the pavements all over Shoreditch!  He was wonderful to work with and The Fairies have stayed in touch with him ever since then.

These events have been created by a wonderful team of volunteers who have pooled their resources in support of their friend, Chris McMuck.  The aim is to raise money for local charities and raise awareness about MS, proceeds from the event will also go 'towards supporting Chris in engaging with a programme of holistic and alternative healthcare practices'.

Both myself and Twinkle Troughton have produced art works to contribute to the Art Auction, alongside Pure Evil, Vivienne Westwood, Jim Lambie, Jimmy Caughty, Andrew Weatherall and loads loads more...check out the gallery on the BLVF website for more pics.

The event is guest list only, please do RSVP to the address on the website if you would like to come along, and please do spread the word!

 

My painting for the auction: '£327 per week for this Stunning Two Bedroom Apartment'

Oil on Canvas

The Art Auction

Date: Wednesday 24th July

Venue: Blackall Studios, 70 Leonard Street, London,EC2A 4QS

The Brick Lane Village Fete

Date: Sunday 28th July

Venue: St Matthews Church, Bethnal Green

Affluence and Avarice at Galerie Michaela Stock, Vienna

On Sunday, Twinkle Troughton and I will be flying out to Vienna to prepare for our exhibition at Galerie Michaela Stock, due to open on Thursday 27th June.

An Excerpt from the press release:

The title for our exhibition was inspired by the painting AnAllegory of Avarice by Albrecht Dürer (1507) which is in the Kunsthistorisches museum in Vienna. The painting serves as a warning at both the transience of life and the ultimate worthlessness of earthly fortune; it is one of many known paintings under the same title, all warning of greed and its consequences. 

Here the word 'Affluence' replaces ‘Allegory’ which offers insight into the narrative of the exhibition. Allegory is certainly relevant to some of the pieces, but ‘affluence’ reflects the hopeful references within their works as well as the critical and questioning aspect. We live in an affluent world, but her wealth lies in the hands of the fewest. And the artists do not believe affluence and wealth to be negative, but that it is used in the wrong way. 

With greed being a pivotal starting point to many of Tinsel and Twinkle’s own works, and as well as being an urgent current global issue, this title highlights our repetitive history and how art reflects yet challenges life, both now and centuries ago.

As well as exhibiting their individual paintings, the duo is heading to Vienna to stage their collaborative piece ‘The Bank of Twinkle and Tinsel’. Following on from their 2012 ‘Mini Retrospective’ exhibition and notorious Kidnapped Banker stunt in London, the exhibition at Galerie Michaela Stock will be the first time the artists have shown work in and taken their art performance works to Vienna. 

During a two week residency with the gallery, Twinkle and Tinsel will be setting up their Bank of Twinkle and Tinsel in public spaces to continue trading in their currency of thoughts, where passers-by will be able to write their thoughts on the global economy on bespoke T&T bank notes (pictured above) and receive a T&T banknote stamped and dated in return. The bank will also be open in the gallery during the opening night and visitors can participate.

You can read all about the progress of The Bank of Tinsel & Twinkle on our blog here: 

We have produced a catalogue for the Affluence & Avarice show, the artist Graham Crowley has written an essay to accompany the exhibition, a distinguished painter and previously the professor of painting at the Royal College of Art, he has boundless knowledge and energy! It has been wonderful working with Graham on this project and we are delighted that his text will accompany the show.  I will be posting the full text on here shortly, you can also read it here on the Tinsel & Twinkle blog.

I will be exhibiting several brand new paintings, all based on the theme of Greed.  My work has changed drastically over the past couple of years (more on that another time!), I am still a long way off from having a body of work which represents a new style, approach and ideas, but it's wonderful to finally be exhibiting the very small beginnings.  

Thankyou Galerie Michaela Stock for inviting us to exhibit with you!  We can't wait to show our work to a completely new and different audience.

 '£327 Per Week for this Stunning Two Bedroom Apartment'

Oil on Board, 2013

 'The Rich Keep Getting Richer, while the Poor keep Getting Poorer' (Study)

 Oil on Linen, 2013

 

'9 Years and 89 Days, ongoing.  Civilian Deaths 34,240, Military Deaths 2,208'

Oil on Canvas, 2011 

‘Affluence and Avarice’

27.06.13 – 20.08.13

Galerie Michaela Stock, Schleifmühlgasse 18,  

1040 Vienna/Austria

The Art Car Boot

It's been a busy couple of weeks getting everything ready for the Art Car Boot Fair!

Me and Twinkle Troughton have been invited to run a collaborative stall this year, and we can't wait to bring The Bank of Tinsel and Twinkle to the crowds at The Art Car Boot. I’ve been going to the Art Car Boot for many years, and always loved it! It’s really good fun, it’s usually glorious sunshine and there is a buzzing, busy atmosphere.  It is always jam packed with amazing artists selling their work, it’s a brilliant opportunity to meet the artists and in that way it really is unique.  We are so excited about running a stall there!  It’s something we have wanted to do for ages.

 The Bank of Tinsel & Twinkle at Ridley Road Market, taken by Phil Whitby

We will be running our bank, read more about that on our blog here: 
http://thebankoftinselandtwinkle.wordpress.com/tag/bank-of-twinkle-tinsel/
We will be distributing our bespoke Tinsel & Twinkle bank notes, and asking passers by to contribute their thoughts about the economy by writing them onto the notes.  The ethos of our bank is about sharing and exchange, it is a creative arena in which people can express their thoughts, opinions and feelings about what is going on with the global economy right now.  If you give us one of your thoughts, we will give you another written on a bank note, so people get to keep a little artwork and part of the Bank.

We will also be selling our prints at the Art Car Boot, and we will both be releasing brand new prints on the day, these are of the new paintings we have made for our forthcoming show in Vienna at the end of June.

Mark at Atom Printing has done an amazing job as always:

And finally we are also releasing our first ever collaborative print to coincide with our Bank.  Reflecting the ethos of the bank, it is a mathmatical sum which calculates that if we were all a little less greedy and more willing to share that affluence could be enjoyed by all.  These are A4 giclee prints on german etching paper, they will be on sale for £20 each with 20% from each print sale going to the Art Car Boot chosen charity Just For Kids Law

The Art Car Boot runs between 12-6pm, Sunday 9^th June 2013

Brick Lane Yard on the corner of Brick Lane and Buxton Street, Entry: £5

For more information see the Art Car Boot website