December 31, 2011
Filed under: Photography — Alan @ 3:33 am
The four artists who have made the final short list for the Deutsche Borse Photography Prize of 2012 have been announced, and they are John Stezanker, Rinko Kawauchi, Christopher Williams and Pieter Hugo. This selection showcases the diversity of both the photographic approaches and subject matter, ranging from documentary and everyday photography to re-contextualising found images and also new concepts.
The 2012 Deutsche Borse Photography is presented the Photographers’ Gallery of London. This annual prize of £3000 is awarded to a living photographer of any nationality for their specific body of work that has been in either a publication or exhibition format. It also has to have made a significant contribution to European photography between the period October 1 2010-September 30 2011
The four artists on the shortlist have received their nominations for the following projects; John Stezanker, born in 1949 in the UK is nominated for the exhibition he held in London’s Whtechapel Gallery from January 29-March 18 2011. Rinko Kawauchi, born in 1972 in Japan, has been nominated for her publication entitled Illuminancec, which was published by Editions Xavier Barral in France in 2011.
Christopher Williams was born in the USA in 1956, and has been nominated for his exhibition ‘Kapitalistischer Realismus’ that was held at Dum unemi Ceske Budejovice, Budweis, in the Czech Republic from May 5-June 12 2011. Finally, Pieter Hugo, born in 1976 in South Africa, receives his nomination for the publication ‘Permanent Error’, published by Prestel in Germany in 2011.
Julia Taeschner is the head of corporate responsibility for Deutsche Borsche, and she has said of this years short list that their esteemed judges have once again made an excellent selection with their short list for the 2012 prize. She added that these four individuals were all outstanding artists that reflect everything this prize is all about, and it is a privilege to showcase and acknowledge some of the years most exciting artistic contributions.
December 29, 2011
Filed under: Art News — Alan @ 2:12 pm
Helen Frankenthaler, a celebrated painter and printmaker, finally succumbed to her long term illness at the age of 83. Throughout her career she has triumphantly created a crossover bridge between Color Field painting and Abstract Expressionism through her – among others — gestural brushwork and shimmering washes.
Lamenting the loss of this painter, who is fondly remembered for her bold color shapes and fluid, the former president of the Knoedler & Co gallery, Ann Freedman, said that finding an artist of her stature would be hard — especially those who are “as open to risk and change”.
What made Helen Frankenthaler special, according to Ann, as one of her close friends, was how she was “…open to everything around her.” People, nature and art included.
Helen’s foray into the world of abstraction and European art may have started during her brief study with the great Hans Hoffman. Whereas it was Symbolist painter Rufino Tamayo who critics believed she acquired her mystical edge from.
The art community remembers Helen most for her work in “Mountains and Sea”, where the artist applied a more refined technique of “staining”. The result was a surreal merge of the rock, ocean and horizon. But more than that, her ability to immerse people with her paintings will always be cherished.
December 21, 2011
Filed under: Exhibitions — Alan @ 11:41 am
Since his move to London, Henry Wood has been chosen to go to the United States to showcase art in Los Angeles. He will be showcasing his work at the Orange County Centre for Contemporary Art. He is one of the few artists that will be going to the USA to display his work there as part of a programme organised by a Notting Hill school.
Mr Wood recently graduated from Kingston University and was invited to attend the school as he was identified as having a particular talent. About being selected to go to the United States he has recently commented, “It is very exciting to go and put on a display in Los Angeles.
To be able to travel to California is a wonderful opportunity and I’m very grateful to the school who is choosing to back the project. The platform is wonderful for young artists and it is a great way for us to display our work in another country. “The flavour of the exhibition will definitely be British and most of the pieces are about the culture of the capital city.”
Most of the artwork that Mr Wood produces is created using primitive and raw materials such as bone and salvaged wood. A new piece of art has been created from objects that he has gathered from the River Thames. He said he chose the River Thames together with the items as it is such an essential part of the capital city.
The pieces of work that he has created are certainly interesting and explore the idea of the people of London having a shared history with the River. It also explores the idea of how the river has been controlled by the population into how this has changed over time.
The group of artists heading to America have been described as some of the best young artists in the United Kingdom. When you consider the artists who are going out there to exhibit you can understand why they have been selected.
Nicola Anthony is another one of the artists and she was the recipient of a scholarship from the Tate Britain. She has also recently had pieces of art displayed at the Tate Modern gallery and both Banksy and Saatchi are said to be collectors of her art. Rosie Emerson is another artist and she is most known for her work at The Southbank Centre.
The trip is especially unusual because currently there is a significant lack of funding in the art world due to the economic recession. Many people have said that this is a good sign that funding for the art world is back on track and marks a great day for art culture in Britain.
Mr Wood commented, “We are currently raising funds so that we can get as many artworks out there as possible, it is not an easy task in these times but it is something we are very dedicated to. This is going to be an empowering exhibition for all of us young artists.”
December 18, 2011
Filed under: Exhibitions — Alan @ 7:09 am
Palaces is a new piece of art by Gina Czarnecki and is something that is going to make viewers of the piece of art think as well as smile. The new artwork has been constructed from teeth that have been donated by children. The new piece of art will be on display in a retrospective of the artist’s work, and is part of a collaboration with Imperial College London.
The piece of art is a work in progress and more teeth are being added to the structure all the time. The artist has said she hopes it will stimulate debate in the country about the benefit of stem cell research. Ms Czarnecki has commented, “The idea behind this piece of work is to make people start thinking about recycling and waste and it should also tackle some of the taboos in society.
“I’ve always been fascinated with science and art and in this work I have managed to combine the two.” Her father was a survivor from the Second World War concentration camps and her interest in the ethics of biology extends back to childhood.
The piece of art is being displayed at the Bluecoat Gallery, which is located in Liverpool. She has said that Liverpool is the perfect city to show off this piece of work because it is a place where medicine and art come together. She commented, “There is a huge integration between healthcare and art in the city and the funding the city received as the Capital of Culture is really helping to stimulate art in Liverpool.” The exhibition will start this month and will continue until late February.
December 15, 2011
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 8:26 am
One of the most prestigious art honours in the world is the Turner prize this week the ceremony where the awards are given is being held outside London. This is only the second time in nearly 30 years that the ceremony has been held outside the capital city and is being held in Gateshead. Mario Testino, the photographer, is giving the prize this year.
Many people have welcomed the move at the award ceremony outside the capital as it helps people remember that the award is a national recognition and not just focused on artists living in London. The Independent recently published a story saying, “The Turner prize is normally awarded at the Tate Britain and it is a good idea to move outside of the capital city to a more interesting location.”
The artist who receives the award will garner an almost celebrity like status and they will also receive a prize of £25,000. There are four nominees for this year’s Turner prize including Martin Boyce, George Shaw, Karla Black and Hillary Lloyd.
Currently the favourite for the award is Mr Boyce but Mr Shaw is a close second favourite. Shaw is the only painter from this year’s nominees and he is known for painting crumbling buildings in urban landscapes. His images are small but incredibly detailed.
The other two nominees are quite a way behind the two favourites according to bookmakers. Lloyd created a room of video and mixes technology with art wonderfully. Black created a fragile installation which involved curtains made of cellophane. Many people have seen this as a very competitive year for art and the prize is highly sought after.
December 9, 2011
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 9:10 am
A recent announcement has been made that will mean London will be hosting one of the biggest arts festivals that has ever taken place. The event will be taking place during the 12 weeks that the Olympics is hosted and will turn the city into a cultural extravaganza. Event organisers have said that the festival next year will rival the Festival of Britain that was held in 1951.
The event will begin on the same day as the Olympic Games, July 27, and all across the nation bells will be rung to mark its onset. Martin Creed, has designed a special artwork to be used at the opening ceremony of the Games which many are expecting to be particularly spectacular.
The cultural show will include what is regarded as the most ambitious Shakespeare play ever to be staged and there will also be music festivals that do not charge people for entry. Other events will be taking place in the city and there will be 10 million tickets given away at no charge.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has recently said, “We want to create a unique event like no other in the Olympics and this arts Festival is a way to ensure this. It is going to be an exhilarating moment in the history of the capital city.”
The chairman of the Royal Opera house is Tony Hall and he is responsible for the cultural festival that is running alongside the Olympics. He has recently said, “We are planning for London to be an explosion of cultural activity. We are hoping to create something that the nation will be able to celebrate in a time when people are feeling down because of the state of the economy. We want to give people something to celebrate and something to be proud of.”
Theatre, music, art, poetry, and dance will all form part of the programme and many people think that the proposition for it to be held was one of the reasons why London was awarded the Olympic bid. Initially many people were very sceptical about the programme and thought that it would not be possible to create a very unique experience however, now that announcements have been made detailing the project, many people have a renewed faith.
At the opening of the games, the mass bell-ringing will be taking place and this is where every member of the public is encouraged to ring a bell as loudly and as fast as possible for 3 minutes, all at the same time. If you don’t have a bell then there is a mobile application you can download that will simulate a bell-ringing.
December 7, 2011
Filed under: Exhibitions — Alan @ 9:59 am
21 January 8 April 2012
Athletes and Olympians Shipley Art Gallery Gateshead
To coincide with the 2012 Olympic and paralympic games, a brand new exhibition that brings together a whole host great British sporting stars will be on display next year at the Shipley Art Gallery.
Athletes and Olympians will be drawn from the collection at the National Portrait Gallery and will feature portraits of many famous sportsmen and women, many of whom are winners of medals from previous Olympic and Paralympic games.
Some of the highlights of the exhibition will be photographic portraits of past Olympic champions Seb Coe and Dame Kelly Holmes, as well as the now boxing world champion Amir Khan.
There will also be a digital portrait of the champion swimmer Duncan Goodhew, a series of 24 drawings by famed artist Dryden Goodwin of multi Olympic Gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave, and the renowned video portrait by Sam Taylor-Wood that shows a sleeping David Beckham.
Amy Barker, Curator at the Shipley Art Gallery, says:
“I am thrilled that the Shipley Art Gallery will have the opportunity to display these unique portraits of British sporting champions in a year when the whole of the UK will be celebrating the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“We are looking forward to working with the National Portrait Gallery to deliver this exhibition and we hope it will attract many new visitors to the Gallery, both local residents and visitors to the North East.”
Unique vintage prints of Kitty Godfree, a world top ten tennis player in the 1920s and Cecilia Colledge, a 1930s Olympic figure skater, will also be on display.
Athletes and Olympians will open at the Shipley Art Gallery on 21 January and will be on display until 8 April 2012. For further information, visit www.shipleyartgallery.org.uk.
December 1, 2011
Filed under: Art News — Alan @ 7:31 am
A new gallery on New Bond Street is to be opening this month. The gallery is a new one from Halcyon Galleries and it will be hosting a special exhibition by Dale Chihuly. Mr Chihuly has recently commented, “This new collection of my work is something I’m very excited to present and returning to London to do it is a great joy for me.
This new gallery is located in a wonderful building and has enough space to show off my new work. In terms of scale I am pushing my medium as far as it can go and I’m constantly trying out new techniques.”
Next year is a particularly important year for the artist as it is 50 years since the foundation of the International Studio Glass Movement which he is the leading proponent of. The movement was started in 1962 in the United States and since those times has grown significantly and is particularly important for all artists who are working with glass.
The exhibition by the artist is going to be using all of the space in the gallery, which includes three floors. A special piece of work has been designed to fit in one of the larger rooms and it is 24 feet long. There are also numerous paintings and drawings by the artist featured in the gallery alongside the work that is done in glass.
Mr Chihuly has said about his work, “I like to work with glass in a very natural way and use the fewest number of tools possible. I want the glass I design to come from nature and not from a factory. The glass blowing process is incredibly inspirational for me and seeing glass being shaped by human breath is something I am continuously impressed by.
I also greatly enjoyed using colours in my work and I have never found a colour which I’ve added to glass to be something that I haven’t liked.” The artist is most famous for his architectural installations, where his glass forms a part of an important building. In many historic cities, private houses, and public museums around the world you will find his installations and in many cases, this work is one of the key features of the building.
His work is very popular among collectors in the United Kingdom and he is probably best known for a very successful exhibition that he had at the V&A Museum in 2001. One of the most impressive pieces of work that this gallery had was an almost 30 foot high chandelier which has remained as one of the museum’s permanent exhibits. Since it was first installed in the gallery, this chandelier has been seen by millions of people.
Another very notable installation by the artist is at Kew Gardens where he designed a glass garden specific for the location. Since it was installed in 2005 the exhibition has been seen by nearly 900,000 people. Throughout his career the artist has been featured in over 200 museums and has been commissioned for installations in several private locations.
The four artists who have made the final short list for the Deutsche Borse Photography Prize of 2012 have been announced, and they are John Stezanker, Rinko Kawauchi, Christopher Williams and Pieter Hugo. This selection showcases the diversity of both the photographic approaches and subject matter, ranging from documentary and everyday photography to re-contextualising found images and also new concepts.
