Saturday 30 May 2009

Tracey Emin - Those Who Suffer Love

Excitement filled the air as I scrambled through the crowds on thursday night for Tracey Emin's first london show in for years. Everyone turn out for the queen of the YBA's, from the cool art students to the well tailored collectors. As you enter the first room you are hit with a provocative projection of a headless women masturbating, it is made up of drawings of a naked women in high heels put together to give a continuously looping flick book film. This piece was intriguing and seemed to be reflecting of the the title, 'those who suffer love', the continuous pleasure of this women is contrasted with the deep loneliness of the none ending action. The show was very stripped back, linear and direct to the point, Tracey herself described it as her ' credit crunch show' and there was none of the pomp usually attached to white cube shows. Down stairs were a selection of note book drawings some from as long ago as 20 years, for these were the pieces that touched me as they showed a raw incite into Tracey's painful past. The Blankets with drawings stitched onto them were quite fabulous and was a interesting way to present the drawing threw the actually stitches. Definitely one to go and see and is on until 4 july. 

 

Wednesday 27 May 2009

Shaan Syed

Shaan Syed is a young contemporary artist from Canada. He creates some amazing eye catching pieces the stripe picture bellow, 'Bad Neighbour' , relates very closely to the work of Anselm Reyle but Syed used bright colours to create a brilliant exciting feeling to this piece. My favorite series has to be 'And when you're (really) High'. In these canvases Syed uses diagonally crossing stripes of colour on a black background crating an incredible image. The one bellow featured in a successfully show at Brown contemporary and was recently sold at Phillips de Pury. Although it didn't manage to reach its low estimate of $10,000 it eventually sold for %6,250. No doubt this lot was a casualty of the recession and at only $6,250 i think  it  has suffered from the market under valuing this incredible piece. Shaan Syed is definitely one too watch in the coming years.

Shaan Syed Bad Neighbour
2008

Shaan Syed 
SYED_SHAAN And when you're (Really) high no.2, 2007 
sold: May 15, 2009 





Sunday 29 March 2009

Artist Statement - Alexander Innes

My primary medium has always been paint. Originally oils however now I use mixed media on canvas. I had never considered photography to be the main thrust of my artistic expression. But without photography I would not been painting as I do now. I was traveling through southern France recently and the light that I found there was glorious. Travels often open our eyes and our senses. . . we become more alert if we allow ourselves. The first thing that really caught my eye was the decay of the older buildings which were often covered in graffiti. I loved this mixture of the old and the new which was enhanced still further by the light.


In England it is more difficult to find buildings of an age that have been allowed to decay naturally. . . let alone those that have modern marks laid upon them. It was the unintentional accident of these colours and marks that I found most appealing. I find that in Art it is more often than not the accidents that allow You to take steps forward in your work. . . accidents of colour or form. These will often lead You to make discoveries in your own work and lead to experimentation that You may not have considered.


This was the case for me. As I traveled from city to city bathed in beautiful light I began to use a camera properly for the first time. And on my return home it transformed how I paint. Both the mediums and the painterly manner of my work. What I saw on the walls of southern France was energetic and unrehearsed expression. I like this very much as I tend to feel that Nature is itself like this. As an Artist you have to find your own personal expression in whatever medium or manner you use and always be open to new possibilities. . . new discoveries. Travels and photography transformed my Art and opened up a new visual world.


http://www.alexanderinnes.co.uk/

http://www.myspace.com/laroute27

http://alexanderinnes.imagekind.com

http://flickr.com/people/alexanderinnes/





Saturday 14 March 2009

A Giant of Contemporary Sculpture - Antony Gormley

'Antony Gormley has over the past 25 years revitalised the human form in sculpture through a radical investigation of the body as a place of memory and transformation. “I am interested in the body”, he says, “because it is the place where emotions are most directly registered. When you feel frightened, when you feel excited, happy, depressed somehow the body registers it."
(White Cube Gallery)


http://www.antonygormley.com

TAKASHI MURAKAMI - Gagosian London

Takashi Murakami's show of new work at The Gagosian Gallery, is a must see. This small show consists of 3 paintings and a video work. The centerpiece of Murakami's compact exhibition is a vast and intricate five-panel painting, 'Lots, Lots of Kaikai and Kiki, 2009'. This piece is breathaking in its size and itracacy. This ambitious piece shows the buoyant toon characters which have come to be seen as a reflection of Murakami's own charachter. This visually stunning is full of humor, like many of Takachi's work. This piece is the ultimate self portrait.
This painting is flanked by too massive paintings from the Time Bokan series, begun in 1993, which are also visually amazing.
This show is a definate must see not just for followers of contemporary japanise art but for anyone, an amazing exhibition.




February 10 - April 9, 2009

17-19 Davies Street
London W1K 3DE

Installation Review - Pam Bowman

Pam Bowman is an amazing artist who creates phenomenal installations. Her work is closely related to the natural world and all her materials are carefully chosen and gathered. She uses her experiences of being a woman, mother and wife in her work and her installations reflect the every day house work in an intriguing and exciting way. My favorite from her installations is 'perennial' which displays a journey through a garden. The exotic feeling of the long grass and spices give a eastern feeling to the installation. The hanging fruit shown bellow, are extremely interesting as they seem as if they are floating or falling which creates an sense of the unpredictability of life. Pam really is a great contemporary artist.







http://www.pambowman.com

Welcome

Welcome!
The Contemporary Art Blog will be a place where you can share your views of Contemporary Art.

There will be a weekly review of an up-and-coming artist and a weekly blog on must see Gallery shows.

Please email your comments to benmaclean@ymail.com.
Related Posts with Thumbnails