Art Star Press

Online: FAD Website

2010-04-29T15:53:00.005+01:00

FAD has had a relaunch, remake, rehash, regress, and their site is looking super-slick. It's even slicker than before... Check them at www.fadwebsite.com.

NEW BLOG - THE BABZOO BLOG

2009-10-21T20:02:00.001+01:00

You can now find me at:

www.babzooblog.blogspot.com

News - Hirst's Golden Calf Killing - London

2008-09-20T12:01:00.005+01:00

You probably already heard, and if you haven’t, you must have been living under a rock somewhere. Damian Hirst, and his representatives, Larry Gagosian and White Cube’s Jay Jopling, made a mint this week at Sotheby’s with his 'The Golden Calf'. Likely based on Poussin's painting of the same name, the work, valued at £12 million, sold to one of those so-called ‘secret’ buyers at £12.8 million.

The Piece is a pretty flashy one, but I guess that's what happens once you bore of the more rotten, and frankly more intense and interesting, floating sharks, and goats injecting whatever it is they’re injecting in their static tanks. I'm figuring this sheen is what happens when an artist gets clean, shuns Groucho’s, and becomes super rich.

Don’t get me wrong. I think Hirst is a genius; I’m wild about his work. I’m just not feeling The Calf, the golden one. I'm not moved by the work in the same way as I was, so dramatically, so remarkably, by Hirst's earlier works. No. This one is too clean and shiny for me. It’s too slick and ostentatious. It feels almost vulgar. However, I get that this is a great piece. I absolutely do; but for me 'The Golden Calf' is like a like something you’d find in the foyer of a (ironically) sterile, possibly Eastern, snazzy hotel. And who knows, maybe that’s exactly where The Calf has gone to.

Of Interest - Chris Cunningham and The Horrors

2008-09-14T10:56:00.004+01:00

I’m ashamed to say I just found this; a cracker from Chris Cunningham, The Horrors ‘Sheena is a Parasite’. This piece isn’t as in your face as some of his previous works, and in that it is, frankly, superb. Played by a perfect Samantha Morton, Sheena, strobbed-up in full vibrant action, starts of manic but easy, and just as you’re thinking, come on, where’s the usual Cunning madness, she lifts her skirt to reveal some more parasite qualities. It’s quick, it’s sharp and seriously effective. In fact, it’s brilliant. The track, which Cunningham allegedly found on MySpace, was released in 2006. Shot on DVCAM in an aircraft carrier in Ealing; produced by James Wilson, with post done at Golden Square on Inferno, as well as later work by Cunningham himself, the end product is sheer genius.

Coming Up - Peace and Agriculture in a Pre-Romantic Ideal Landscape Without Sublime Terrors @ Haunch of Venison - Berlin

2008-08-31T15:13:00.003+01:00

Showing - Daniele Buetti 'Snowflake Over a Burning House' @ Haunch of Venison - Zurich

2008-08-31T15:12:00.003+01:00

Showing - John Issacs 'Glass Eye...Glass Soul' @ Museum 52 - NYC

2008-08-31T15:10:00.003+01:00

Coming Up - Nouveau Cinema et Art Contemperain - Europe

2008-08-31T15:08:00.003+01:00

Showing - Lost in Riverside 'Graffiti in The City of Angels' - California

2008-08-25T16:17:00.003+01:00

Showing ' Ha Ha Road' Bank Street Arts - Sheffield

2008-08-16T10:40:00.003+01:00

This September, Bank Street Arts in Sheffield presents 'Ha Ha Road’, curated by Dave Ball and Sophie Springer. The show lives up to its name, pondering on those evasive elements, which make certain works funny. Featuring artists including Colin Guillemet, Debbie Lawson, Tobias Sternberg, Ed Young, and Dan Witz (left; 'Pranks 2004'), with contemporary works that cover video, installation, sculpture, painting, and performance, the show takes it name from London’s ‘Ha Ha Road’ in Greenwich. The title also has a secondary meaning, referring to a sunken boarder, a boundary that leaves the surrounding view unaffected – and that, in a way, is about as elusive as humour.

Ha Ha Road is showing at Bank Street Arts, 32-40 Bank Street, Sheffield S1 2DS from 11th September -12th October 2008.

Email: contact@haharoad.info

Film - Steven Sebring 'Patti Smith: Dream of Life' - NYC

2008-08-09T13:38:00.004+01:00

Steven Sebring’s ‘Patti Smith: Dream of Life’, is showing for a short, sharp stint during August at New York's Film Forum. While the movie is described as an ‘intimate portrait of a woman caputured over time’, this, of course, is no ordinary woman; this is Patti Smith; she’s more of a legend. The film includes Smith’s own and has no specific order. Think, a gritty but great organised chaos. So far reviews have been impressive. '...Dream of Life' and has been described as a ‘spellbinder’ that’s ‘charming’ and ‘expressively shot’. Indeed, it’s likely this is a must see for anyone with an inkling of interest for rock, music and art over the past few decades.

Steven Sebring’s ‘Patti Smith: Dream of Life’, showing at Film Forum, Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street, New York, NY 10014, 10th - 19th August 2008.

Tel: (9-5): 212-627-2035

Art:21, Nancy Spero, 'Becoming an Artist'

2008-07-31T19:43:00.001+01:00

Video from http://www.youtube.com/user/art21org

Showing - Home Delivery at MoMA and P.F.1 (Public Farm One) at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center - NYC

2008-07-31T19:35:00.002+01:00

Video from http://www.youtube.com/user/MoMAvideos

News - Chapman Brothers to Judge John Moore - UK

2008-07-28T15:51:00.003+01:00

This year, Jake and Dinos Chapman will be judging the John Moore Contemporary Painting Prize, alongside Sacha Craddock, Graham Crowley, and Paul Morrison. The shortlist includes Stuart Pearson Wright, winner of 2001’s BP Portrait Award, Neil Rumming, Geoff Diego, Julian Brian, and Tim Bailey (left). All shortlisted artists will be showing at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool from 20th September, when the £25,000 winner will be announced, until 4th January 2009.

News - Picasso's Guernica Unmovable - Spain

2008-07-22T17:30:00.007+01:00

Pablo Picasso’s huge war-torn masterpiece, 'Guernica' is, according to the Head of Restoration at Madrid's Reina Sofia Museum, in a ‘stable but serious condition’. Depicting the Nazi bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, the piece, a mural-size canvas painted in oil, was acquired by Reina in 1992, along with several preparatory works. It was a move that proved controversial in Spain; Picasso's will stated that the painting should be displayed at the Prado in Madrid. Unsurprisingly there are those in the Basque, where Guernica is situated, who are keen to see the work returned its spiritual home. Reina states the work has 'suffered a lot and requires special care'. How it's suffered, who knows. Having been housed behind bullet proof glass with aligning machine gun toting guards, you'd imagine the work is as pampered and protected as your average pop star, rock star. Whatever. No doubt Reina would prefer to hold on to the work – Guernica is visited by hundreds of tourists and art lovers annually – so for the time being, it's unlikely to be heading elsewhere.

Showing - 'I am 8-Bit' @ World of Wonder Storefront Gallery - LA

2008-07-18T10:24:00.007+01:00

As the name suggests, ‘I am 8-Bit’ is all about eighties video games. Donkey Kong, Super Mario Brothers, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Sonic the Hedgehog, are the cool inspiration for this show. Now on its fourth annual edition the event, features over a hundred artists, and takes place at the World of Wonder Storefront Gallery in Hollywood. The pop-art venue is becoming ever more relevent with it’s out-there, on the edge shows. Indeed, '…8-Bit's’ inclusion of WOW, is as unsurprising a move as it is smart. While the opening night includes performances from Computer Jay and DJ R-Rated, the show itself sees works from talents including, the wicked Shok1-esque, Joe Ledbetter, the childlike, strangely comforting Amanda Visell, and the darkly devious, quirky Luke Chueh (above). It's a superb mix, a trip down memory lane, one that swings in the direction of future and funk.

I am 8-Bit will takes place at the World of Wonder Storefront Gallery in Hollywood, 6650 Hollywood BlvdHollywood, California, from 14th August 14 to 7th September 2008.

Tel: (323) 603 6300

http://www.worldofwonder.net/

Event - Liverpool Biennial 'International: MADE UP' - Liverpool

2008-07-17T14:21:00.005+01:00

Press is already out for Liverpool Biennial's fifth edition, ‘International 08: MADE UP’, which takes place in September this year. The event, unsurprisingly, is a punch of culture in all the right directions. With the Biennial touting itself as ‘the UK’s largest festival of contemporary visual art’, 'MADE UP' exhibitors rightly include a wealth of global names; Japan’s Atelier Bow Wow, Israel’s Omer Fast, France’s Annette Messager, Australia’s Tracey Moffatt (opposite), and Yoko Ono, to name but a few. These artists are as diverse in their backgrounds as they are in their work, which gives a good idea of how significant 'MADE UP' actually is. The show will take place throughout Liverpool’s many arts venues such as Tate Liverpool, the Bluecoat, FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology), and the Open Eye Gallery, alongside a whole host of further shows located in spaces across the city.

Liverpool Biennial, International 08: MADE UP, takes place from Festival Dates: 20th September - 30th November; European Biennial Network Meeting: 20th September; MADE UP Weekend - 23rd-25th October.

Tel: +44 (0) 151 709 7444

Event - Start Milano

2008-07-16T09:46:00.000+01:00

Showing - 'Paul Zone: The New York Underground Scene...' @ Drkrm - LA

2008-07-15T13:05:00.007+01:00

Another gem is on at DrKrm in LA. Back in the day, Paul Zone documented New York life, catching all sorts of superstars from Dee Dee Ramone to Debbie Harry, Divine, Iggy Pop, and the New York Dolls. Working as a photographer for Warhol’s Interview mag, Circus, and Rock Scene, Zone has managed to catalogue some superb scenes form the seventies. This month, until August, you can check these out at "Paul Zone: The New York Underground Scene from Glam to Punk 1972-1977", Drkrm.

Paul Zone: The New York Underground Scene from Glam to Punk 1972-1977, is showing at Drkrm, 2121 San Fernando Road Suite 3Los Angeles, CA 90065, from 12th July - 31 August.
Tel: 323.223.6867

Showing - 'Polaroids: Mapplethorpe' @ The Whitney Museum of American Art - NYC

2008-07-15T12:21:00.005+01:00

Another year, another Mapplethorpe show. But hell, you can’t really go wrong with Robert Mapplethorpe. His elegant, edgy works are as relevant today as they were in the thirty years ago. They hit that easy-uneasy juxposition between unnerving and welcoming. And that is about as close to perfect as you could get.

While you’d be forgiven for assuming that all of Mapplethorpe’s work was fastidiously conceived, you’d be wrong. During the early seventies, at a time when a young Mapplethorpe was shifting into his own sexual persona, he produced a large batch of Polaroids; shots that represent his later works, capturing well-known friends and lovers like Patti Smith, Marianne Faithful, Ozzie Clark, Candy Darling, or Sam Wagstaff, alongside everyday happenings, erotica, and all sorts of nudity.

In association with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation and curated by Sylvia Wolf, ‘Polaroids: Mapplethorpe’ at the Whitney Museum of American Art comes fast on the heels of Polaroid’s February announcement that they’re binning instant film. With its obvious cultural significance, this is an appropriate send-off, exhibiting around hundred pieces of intimacy from Mapplethorpe’s world. Indeed, many of these shots, which were taken during 1970-1975, are on public view for the first time. So, in actual fact, this show, is far from being more of the same.

“Polaroids: Mapplethorpe” is showing the Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street, New York, NY 10021, from May 3, 2008-September 7, 2008.

Tel: + (212) 570-3600

News - Jasper Johns Trio Acquired by MoMA - NYC

2008-07-14T11:46:00.004+01:00

For an undisclosed sum, MoMA has acquired a trio of works by Jasper Johns; 'Tantric Detail I' (left), 'Tantric Detail II', and 'Tantric Detail III'. Each is painted in Johns’ cross-stitch style with the addition of a skull and, well, balls, or rather testicles. These works were exhibited by the gallery in 1996, and since, MoMA’s people and Matthew Marks, Johns’ dealer, have been making tracks to ensure the set finds a final home at MoMA. Since traveling from Johns’ Connecticut home, through showings at The Met, and via a huddle of trustees, the canvases have now made to the New York gallery.

Showing - Various 'What the Midnight Can Show Us' @ Museum 52 - NYC

2008-07-13T12:02:00.003+01:00

Showing - Constraction @ Deitch Projects - NYC

2008-07-11T19:24:00.006+01:00

I’m mad about Deitch Projects. The New York based gallery is the business, it's the dog's bollocks - at the very least, it’s arguably the coolest art space in The City. Even their website is cool. Hell, the music on the site is cool (in a kooky way). And each time they've a showing; it’s guaranteed to have some furiously cool talent in hand.

Take the current exhibition. Curated by Deitch’s own Kathy Grayson, the nicely named, ‘Constraction’, is showing until August and comes on the back of the Spring 2008 show, ‘Substraction’. Like its predecessor, this is a group show of like-minded talents. Pulling together the strengths of six artists, each touting their conceptual wares, this is an abstract wonderland, a multi-coloured, multi-sensory, well thought-out thrill. With works from cubic-minimalist, Joe Bradley, language obsessed symbolic Tauba Auerbach, California’s cutout shadow-star Peter Coffin (who is frankly a bit of a genius), Xylor Jane, whose trippy work will mess with your head in a superb Sol Le Witt way, slick sculptor Mitzi Pederson, and the uber-talented Ara Peterson. Now, with a mix like that, how can you possibly go wrong?

Constraction is showing at Deitch Projects, 76 Grand Street, New York, from 28thJune 28 — 9th August 09, 2008

Showing - Sarah Braman 'Love Songs' @ Museum 52 - NYC

2008-06-10T10:34:00.000+01:00

News - Keith Haring's Houston Street and Bowery Mural - NYC

2008-04-24T10:53:00.004+01:00

The late, great Keith Haring's work is enjoying a welcome reappearance. In celebration of his fiftieth birthday on 4th May, The Keith Haring Foundation, together with Deitch Projects and Goldman Properties, has hired a group of artists to recreate his big and bashy untitled mural, which was once situated near Houston Street and the Bowery in New York. The piece that popped up a lone concrete slab in 1982, went though a few repaints in its time, and today, those involved in its reproduction are going for authenticity. The team creating the piece are working from old photos and fairly ancient paint samples from the site, putting together an almost bone fide Haring.

Keith Haring’s Houston Street and Bowery Mural from 05/04/08 - 12/21/08

Showing - Gajin Fujita 'Pacific Tsunami' @ Haunch of Venison - London

2008-04-19T09:34:00.003+01:00

Showing - Blek Le Rat 'Art is Not Peace But War' @ Subliminal Projects - LA

2008-04-18T11:06:00.006+01:00

A couple of years ago, I met Blek Le Rat, AKA Xavier Prou, at a private view in London – his private view. While we had a little language issue – his English is about as good as my French – I couldn’t help but to like the guy. He had this cheeky glint, as if he were permanently amused. And who could blame him? There was some heavy action going on at the view; I have never seen such a serious amount of sales. The gallery could hardly keep up with demand.

That evening was one of those mashed-up graff nights with D*Face showing down the road at Stolen Space. However, the two exhibitions, which essentially came from the same place, were a world apart. D*Face was, and is, something else. His work has come so far; he is now a fully-fledged, frankly outstanding talent. Blek Le Rat, meanwhile, is a seen it all, been it all, who’s fast being overtaken as the international stencil king by the ubiquitous Banksy. How it will turn out who knows, but one thing’s certain, Mr. Le Rat is where it all started. In fact, you could argue, that without the cheeky Frenchman, Banksy would never have travelled the road he's taken. Come on, where do you think all those rats came from?

Now, Blek Le Rat, like Banksy, is debuting at LA's Subliminal Projects Gallery with a show entitled ‘Art is not Peace But War’. The exhibition represents, in title, the difficulties of working as an artist. Difficulties, which undoubtedly bring forth great things, great thoughts, great work, and great art.

Blek Le Rat 'Art is Not Peace But War’ @ Subliminal Projects Gallery, 1331 Sunset Boulevard, L.A. Until 2nd May 2008.

Showing - David Hochbaum 'Tracking Invisible Cities' @ Strychnin Gallery - London

2008-04-18T10:19:00.002+01:00

Showing - Guy Tillim @ Haunch of Venison - Zurich

2008-04-18T10:16:00.000+01:00

Hot Work from Ellen Harvey @ 2008 Whitney Biennial - NYC

2008-04-11T09:04:00.002+01:00

Offering - Prints in Shoreditch - London

2008-04-10T14:02:00.006+01:00

POW, AKA Pictures on Walls, is offering folk the opportunity to “drop by the 'factory', buy special one-offs, and watch people in authentic Shoreditch period costume, rolling up prints and putting them in tubes.” I like the way they put it. So much so, I'm temped to drop by myself.

Now, print themed, POW, do much more than just wear funky clothes. They also represent a nice, tight stable of talents, including Jamie Hewitt, the ubiquitous Banksy and Invader, as well as Pete Fowler, of Super Furry Animals fame, Sickboy and Faile. All are available, or rather their work is available, via www.picturesonwalls.com. However, if you’re feeling more online than off, and fancy picking up a print or simply a few fashion tips, contact Dora at dora@pituresonwalls.com and make an appointment to drop by.

Showing - Hacienda 25 Urbis Exhibition - Manchester

2008-03-27T13:05:00.001+01:00

Showing - New Directors/New Films - NYC

2008-03-26T17:24:00.006+01:00

New Directors/New Films is fast approaching fortieth year, and enjoys it's thirty-seventh showing this month. The festival kicks off today, and comes courtesy of The Film Society of Lincoln Center and MoMA. It's concept is simple; introduce New York audiences to up-and-coming filmmakers from around the globe. We're talking everywhere from Thailand to Haiti to Greece and Israel here. As such, this event boasts a pretty hot bill, one aptly packed with creativity culture.

Unsurprisingly, America features prominently, hooking up with Rwanda for ‘Munyurangabo’, a film directed by Lee Isaac Chung, set in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. While the later is described as 'fresh, immediate and utterly authentic', other movies included are more sci-fi, such as Alex Rivera’s, ‘Sleep Dealer’, a thriller that deals with global capitalism, said to have the ‘look and energy of a futuristic computer game’. Additionally, France’s 'Water Lilies', from Céline Sciamma, deals with desire and disenchantment within the world of teenage girls, while the UK's (by way of China) ‘We Went to Wonderland’, directed by Xiaolu Guo, follows a Chinese couple travelling though Europe. Now, I haven't seen the film, but I like the sound of it. The husband communicates through writing having lost his voice to cancer, while his wife is described as 'delightfully pragmatic'. Their encounters are said to be amusing with the duo being greeted by what is essentially an alien world. And I like the sound of that; it's like a The Wizard of Oz by way of La Hague, without the agro.

New Directors/New Films is taking place atthe Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center,The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1 at MoMA, from 26th March - 6th April.

Showing - Jack Pierson @ The Irish Museum of Modern Art - Dublin

2008-03-20T10:32:00.001+01:00

Film - Fantastic Planet (La planète sauvage) @ The Barbican - London

2008-03-19T15:57:00.007+01:00

Rene Laloux’s weird and whacky ‘Fantastic Planet’ is showing at The Barbican, this March. An adaptation of Stephan Wul’s eponymous novel, back in the day the movie picked up the several awards including Cannes Special Jury Prize 1973.

Often shown as a double bill alongside ye olde favourite ‘The Yellow Submarine’, the film lives up to its name, with action taking place on the planet Ygan, within a world habituated by bug-eyed, blue guys called Draags. These characters favour pet humans, AKA Oms (hommes, get it?); a taste that, unsurprisingly, leads to an uprising.

While this may all seem a little 'Planet of the Apes' meets evil 'ET' by way of Dali or May Ray, the movie is a classic, one relective of the times' political and economic climate. Mixing sixties notions together with seventies technologies, it's certainly got a certain something. And yes, OK, this may sound a little dated and cheesy now – but hey, laser jets, LCDs and, lipsuction, all came along in the seventies, as did the trusty cashpoint and Post It Note. Exactly.

Fantastic Planet (La planète sauvage) is showing at The Barbican, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2, on 29th March 2008.

Busted at the Biennial 2008 - Grrrr.

2008-03-13T16:05:00.001+01:00

Undercover @ Whitney Biennial 2008

2008-03-13T16:02:00.000+01:00

Showing - 'The Spray Gun and the Cosmos' by John Latham @ Delave Saltoun - London

2008-02-25T17:28:00.008+01:00

Representing a group of fairly funky artists (Colin Self, Dieter Roth, and Keith Arnatt to name but a few), Delave Saltoun is a relatively new gallery in London. The space specializes in post war British and international art, and this month is showing a rare collection from the late, great John Latham; ‘The Spray Gun and the Cosmos’. These works were last seen during the sixties, but to be honest, they're so current, they could have been created yesterday. And that’s just typical of Latham. He was such a quirky, radical kind of talent and, as such, is thought of as one of the most influential artists of the late 20th century. His techniques were extreme. His 'Still and Chew' collection was based around, well chewing and spitting. It’s a technique that must have worked pretty damned well as the works currently find home in MoMA.

Back to the Delave Saltoun show, and 'The Spray Gun...' pieces too are fairly revolutionary too, and are believed to be some the first examples of spay painting within fine art – and that can’t be a bad thing.

John Latham’s The Spay Gun and the Cosmos' is showing at Delaye Saltoun, 1st Floor, 11 Saville Row, London, W1S 3PG, from 29th February - 11th April.

Showing - Juergen Teller 'Ukraine' @ Lehman Maupin - NYC

2008-02-18T18:46:00.003+01:00

He is that good. No really he is. Juergen Teller, his work is superb. It’s filthy, fabulous, grimy and great. It’s everything it should be and more. This month, if you’re in New York, you can check out his new show, 'Ukraine', at Chelsea’s Lehman Maupin Gallery. While this latest body of work was originally commissioned by the PinchukArtCentre for the 52nd International Venice Biennale 2007, Teller's stuck to a fashion vibe with a shoot for W. Also including ‘real people’, he's focused on capitalism within an economic reality, all hinged together with a sharp twist. Think lean, long and lanky, female nudes standing aimlessless in a wood with designer handbags covering their heads. In addition, there’s a selection of prime cut portraits that include usual suspects such as Victoria Beckham and other more quirky characters like Harmony Korine.

'Ukraine' by Juergen Teller @ Lehman Maupin, 540 West 26th Street, New York, from 7 February – 15 March 2008.

Showing - Various 'A Loaf of Bread, a Carton of Milk, and a Sick of Butter' @ Hudson Fraklin - NYC

2008-02-07T12:55:00.000+01:00

The superbly entitled Hudson Franklin group show, ‘A Loaf of Bread, a Carton of Milk, and a Stick of Butter’, comes courtesy of curators Andreas Fisher and Nicole Francis. Pulling together the works of five hot, young artists - Anna Bjerger, Munro Galloway, Mairead O’hEocha, Anders Oinenen, and Alison Schulnik - the exhibition deals with ‘the relationship between representation and the basic material ingredients of the medium’. It's a pretty smart notion, so obvious it's unobvious; after all, that’s exactly what all art is about.

Now there’s one artist included here, who does this in spades; Alison Schulnik (Above: Fish Head, 2006). Her work is real ‘reach out and touch me’ type stuff. She slaps that paint on so thick it’s hard not to stick a finger into it just to see how it feels, not to mention whether it’s dry or not. And yes, I’m mad about her work. I think she’s a genius. Her paintings, frankly, blow my mind.

While I’m a big old Schulnik fan, it’d be remiss to leave other artists involved in ‘A Loaf of Bread…’ in the shade. Munro Galloway is another winner. While he’s gone through several guises over the past decade - everything from sultry video stills to fab Buddha shaped disco balls (Left; Shangri-La, 2000) - his work is continually inspired and, often rather intense (in the best possible way). Anna Bjerger is of the quirky Stella Vine school of thought, Anders Oinonen, cubic, and multi-coloured, while Mairead O'hEocha, detailed, stylised and figurative. Indeed, they are diverse and add perfectly to this eclectic, electric mix.

A loaf of Bread, a Carton of Milk, and a Stick of Butter at Hudson Franklin, 508 West 26th Street, #318, NY 10001, from 15th February - 15th March 2008

Showing - Vanity Fair Portraits @ National Portrait Gallery - London

2008-02-06T11:39:00.000+01:00

There’s something hot happening at London's National Portrait Gallery with the aptly entitled Vanity Fair Portraits. Exhibiting a supernova stable of prints from the New York magazine, this show does exactly what it says on the tin. Works cover a 95 years of talent including Baron De Meyer, Edward Steichen, Man Ray, Cecil Beaton, as well as more recent luminaries such as Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino, Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts. As you'd expect, their subjects are equally impressive and range from Claude Monet to David Hockney, Arthur Miller and Madonna, Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, Run DMC (above) and Demi Moore. It's an incredibly mix; this is history, culture, fashion, music and arts, in one sassy punch.

Vanity Fair Portraits at The National Portrait Galley, St Martin's Place, London WC2, from 14th February – 26th May 2008

Showing - Jan de Cock 'Denkmal 11' @ MoMA - NYC

2008-02-02T13:40:00.000+01:00

Jan de Cock, 'Denkmal 11' showing at MoMA, 11 West 53 Street, NY 10019-5497, from 23rd January – 14th April 2008

Previous - Dan Perjovschi 'WHAT HAPPENED TO US?' @ MoMA - NYC

2008-02-02T13:31:00.000+01:00

"They way they rate it (cartoons) is lower somehow, but who cares, if I can do it at MoMA," Dan Perjovschi

Showing - Shara Hughes @ Museum 52 - London

2008-01-31T17:09:00.000+01:00

Shara Hughes @ Museum 52, 52 Redchurch Street, London E2, from 31st January - 1st March.

Private View Review - Mark Quinn @ White Cube Mason's Yard - London

2008-01-25T17:53:00.001+01:00

Mark Quinn’s work never really did it with me. I never quite got that whole Kate Moss yoga thing with 'Sphinx'. But I get it now. Today, I am a total convert - A fan of Quinn’s, a devotee to each and every one of his recent works, which were unveiled at the swanky west one White Cube Mason's Yard last night.

Now Quinn’s clearly got sex, birth and procreation on his mind; this show is all about human and plant style breeding. It’s a fantastic mix, one which Quinn’s given his all to, producing in a whole host of media’s, set out over three spaces of the gallery. Upstairs, in the first room, ‘The Nurseries of El Dorado’, was a real paradise jungle; four enormous hand painted canvases of brightly coloured flowers surrounded the floor space in between, which was covered with podiums topped by bronze, chrometized potted plants. Think shinny lilies, bearing fruit - strawberries, apples and large rather phallic giant jalapeños. Yeah, you get the idea. To a child it would look like the secret garden, to an adult, the secret sex garden – and it was frankly, breathtaking.

Downstairs, Quinn went back to marble, with nine enormous sculptures, depicting the various fetal stages of pregnancy. Now, that might sound a little icky, but believe me, there was nothing vulgar here. These, which are being sold as a set, were clean, solid and stunning. The embryos looked as though they were practically fighting to get out of the stone, while the grain of the marble was ideal, strangely flesh-like and alive. Finally, in the smallest room, Quinn included some working sketches; drawings in water colour and thick pencil, filled with energy and confidence.

Quinn is quite the funny guy. The works at White Cube have been dubbed with some dry, amusing titles like: 'Opening of the Northwest Passage', and 'The Lost Rivers of London' . Oh, and my favorite, 'Early Self-Portrait', a small pick marble fetus, of a stage when we all looked the same.

Mark Quinn @ White Cube, 25 -26 Mason's Yard, London from 25 January - 23 February 2007.

Showing - Michel Gondry 'Be Kind Rewind' @ Deitch Projects - NYC

2008-01-24T11:50:00.001+01:00

Michel Gondry 'Be Kind Rewind' @ Deitch Projects, 18 Wooster Street, NY 10013, from
February 16 - March 22, 2008

News - Jeffs Koons Exhibiting at Versailles - Paris

2008-01-23T19:48:00.000+01:00

Jeff Koons has made it to the Palace of Versailles. As an addition to the annual ‘Versailles Off’, from September 26 2007, he’ll be exhibiting up to fifteen works. Now, given that Koons is arguable the costliest artist around – this man has armies of artists working for him – I’m figuring, it’s apt that he’ll be showing at Versailles. With huge pieces placed both in and out of the palace, it should be quite the show. And you wouldn’t really expect anything less – and that, frankly, is not such a bad thing.

Showing - Yoshitaka Amano, Deva-Loka @ Galerie Michael Janssen - Berlin

2008-01-20T20:05:00.000+01:00

Mr Manga himself, Yoshitaka Amano, is back with a solo show, ‘Deva-Loka’ at Michael Janssen in Berlin – which is, by all accounts, a fair distance from Amano’s Tokyo and New York homes. Still, that’s not to say his genius won’t be appreciated on European soil; it will. His work is international, and crosses all sorts of boundaries. So, it goes without saying, you don’t have to be a video game aficionado to appreciate ‘Deva-Loka’.

The works presented here are diverse. Think large canvases, aluminum panels, ‘psychedelic ornamentation’ and ‘grim superheroes’. While I’m not so sure about the ‘psychedelic ornamentation’, it’s too close to lava lamp for my liking, I’m always sucker for a ‘grim superhero’, and as for the canvases, well, going by the press images, they're bound to be pretty funky too.

Yoshitaka Amano, Deva-Loka @ Galerie Michael Janssen Berlin, Kochstr. 60 D-10969 Berlin, from January 19 - February 29, 2008

Alison Jacques @ Artera - Bologna

2008-01-19T22:01:00.000+01:00

Showing - Global Lens 2008 @ MoMA - NYC

2008-01-17T12:48:00.000+01:00

Global Lens 2008 @ MoMA, 11 West 53 Street, NY 10019-5497, from 10th - 24th January 2008

Denis Darzacq La Chute @ De Soto - LA

2008-01-16T18:13:00.000+01:00

This month, there’s a superb slice of French action at LA's De Soto Gallery. Serving up the first US exhibition, 'La Chute', AKA The Fall, by France’s Denis Darzacq, this one, despite it’s content, is kind of slick. Influenced by the 2005 housing riots, Darzacq has photographed seemingly ordinary people floating, flying, and spinning round mid-air, as if catapulted during flight or flight. Documentary you might think, however, these subjects are hip-hop dancers and athletes. They are those used to getting spun above the nice firm ground. And that means La Chute is a little more staged than the average riot, and in that, a touch more classy and well worth checking out.

Le Chute @ De Soto Gallery, 08 W 2nd St. #104
Los Angeles, CA 90012, from January 12 – February 23 2008.

On a Street Near You - One Week of Art - Daisuke Yamamoto

2008-01-13T19:53:00.000+01:00

Graff Production Line Euro-Style

2008-01-13T19:47:00.000+01:00

Showing - Final Weekend by Martin Puryear @ MoMA - NYC

2008-01-13T19:26:00.000+01:00

Showing - Jim Isermann 'Viynll Smash-Up 1999-2007' @ Dietch Projects - New York

2007-06-29T15:51:00.000+01:00

Showing - Roswell Angier @ Gitterman Gallery - New York

2007-04-27T11:08:00.000+01:00

He’s just too good. Too hot. Too much of an in your face mix of chicness, crassness, and general tell it like it is, funk. Yep, as far as I’m concerned Roswell Angier is a bit of a God. It’s the way he gets down low to street level and documents street life in a frank, honest, raw way. Of course his subjects are pretty enigmatic too. Think; labourers, strippers, hustlers and pimps. These are the people that make the world go round. They help keep society moving and grooving. However, just to add an extra helping of (old) spice, these are the original toe tappers from way back when Hustler was a baby. Indeed, this 70s, full-funk vibe has been caught perfectly in Angier's head lights. It’s all boogie nights and Larry Flint by way of Boston’s finest strip joints and burlesque clubs and is superb.

Angier's photographs are all gritty and raw and quietly sexed-up. While these prints may be in black and white, packed with big haired girls and sharp suited, shady looking guys, they’re continually relevant today. Because, nothing much really changes with society and its various sub-cultures, and although many of these folk may now be a little less agile, their legacy lives on through Angier; and that, to me, is golden.

Roswell Angier at the Gitterman Gallery, 170 East 75th Street, New York, NY 10021 from 18th May – 28th July.

Showing - MACO - Mexico

2007-04-19T15:33:00.000+01:00

MACO (Mexico arte contemporaneo) kicks off this month with a whole mash up of works from a pile of international artists. Created by Zélika García, the enterprise is now in its fourth year and is growing by a rate of knots. Indeed, it is now one of the most important fairs in Latin America. This time round there’s over seventy galleries expected to exhibit. These include Washington's Connor Contemporary , which will be showing pieces from Erik Sandberg, Maria Friberg and Leo Villareal (Left; 'Solaris' (LED)).

Showing - Face Invasion - Galerie PremArts - Berlin

2007-04-19T15:20:00.000+01:00

Showing - Group Show 'DC Dusseldorf Contemporary' @ Alison Jacques - London

2007-04-16T15:52:00.000+01:00

Not True News From Banksy - UK

2007-03-30T16:51:00.000+01:00

News - £5-million Collection Left to the Courtauld - UK

2007-03-30T14:59:00.000+01:00

So, it’s been quite a week for art news; the best story concerning a so-called recluse, Dorothy Scharf, who recently passed away, leaving 51 artworks to the nation. Now, given that Scharf lived in a two-bed, ex-council flat, you’d think these paintings would be kind of average. Well, you’d be wrong. Scharf left a serious collection, valued at around £5 million, including pieces by Turner, Constable, and Gainsborough, to the Courtauld Institute. Needless to say, an upcoming show is in now in the pipe line.

A Lil' Something For You

2007-03-21T18:11:00.000+01:00

Showing - Clare E. Rojas 'Sympathetic Magic @ Stuart Shave - London

2007-03-20T16:30:00.000+01:00

News - Washington's National Gallery Stocks Up On Jasper Johns' - US

2007-03-16T14:25:00.000+01:00

Back when I was a young thing at art college, one of my tutors told me that my work was similar to that of Jasper Johns. Now, I’m ashamed to admit, at that time, I didn’t know who Johns was (I know, shocking, shocking). However, who knows what planet my tutor was on, because my work couldn’t have been more dissimilar and, I might add, I have never painted a flag in my life. But that’s not to say my tutor didn't do me a favour (for once). She steered me in the right direction. She introduced me to his talents and I became a big old fan.

Johns is quiet the icon (he’s even appeared in The Simpsons) and his work, well, it's just superb. It’s just too cool, too gritty, so typical of our times. While his name evokes images of stars and stripes, his pieces transcribes across all sorts of boundaries, be they cultural or historic.

So, let’s cut to the chase. Here’s the Jasper Johns news; Washington’s National Gallery of Art will be adding around 1,700 proofs of his work to their esteemed vaults and walls. These pieces include lithographs, etchings, relief and screen prints. They artworks are worth millions and where they were hiding pre-National days, I haven’t a clue. All I know is I would mind a gander. I imagine the Gallery, at some stage in 2008, will be putting on quiet a Johns show, and who can blame them.

Showing - World to Mother's 'Dead Trees Yellow Leaves Cups of Tea' @ Stolen Space Gallery - London

2007-03-16T12:01:00.000+01:00

Showing - Andreas Gursky @ Monika Sprüth Philomene Magers - London

2007-03-15T14:19:00.000+01:00

Apparently the only music Andreas Gursky listens to is techno. He has this inkling for banging house music, as he feels, apparently, that its ‘simple symmetry’ reflects that of his work. For some reason I find this vaguely amusing; amusing in a kind of cynical, techno-ed out way. I think it’s probably because techno is so damn hard, and Gursky’s work is, well, rather serene. At least I think it is. And let’s be honest here, there is nothing remotely serene about techno. So where the pair get together, who knows.

Moving swiftly on, and Gursky’s work is something of an enigma. His mega-size photographs are filled with details; details of life and that which goes on around and about our little worlds. He’s got a thing for football pitches, supermarkets, architecture and crowds. Of course, these are all seemingly standard scenes. However, it’s the way Gursky shoots and presents his prints of 'standard scenes', which makes them stand out from the rest. Taken from from a high focal point, and printed in a massive format, these works are something else. They document our times. They tell it like it is; warts and all.

As Gursky holds the record for the highest price ever paid for a print from a living photographer ('99 Cent II Diptychon' sold for $2.48 million in 2006) it probably goes without saying, he's exhibited worldwide and has hung everywhere from MoMA to the Tate. This month he’s back on British soil with a show at Monika Sprüth Philomene Magers, covering work produced over the past five years. These pieces go down a more digital route for Gurskey and focus on ‘the 21st century as the age of a globalized, capitalistic society’.

Andreas Gursky is showong Monika Sprüth Philomene Magers 7A Grafton Street, London W1 from 22nd March – 12th May

Showing - Kristin Baker 'Surge and Shadow' @ Deitch Projets - NYC

2007-03-15T13:16:00.000+01:00

Showing - Jeanloup Sieff, 'The Years of Harper’s Bazaar, New York 1961-1966' @ Galleria Carla Sozzani - Milan

2007-03-08T16:36:00.000+01:00

The late, great Jeanloup Sieff was nothing short of a genius. His work was slick, sassy, sexy, and just packed full of style and finesse. He was a real old school photographic master. The type that makes Holly Golightly look crass and all too Hollywood. Needless to say, during his illustrious career he shot everyone from Jane Birkin to Alfred Hitchcok and Rudolf Nureyev. He exhibited worldwide, and won all sorts of awards including the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres in 1981 and the Grand Prix National de la Photographie in 1992. However, it was during the ‘60s, while working for Harpers Bazaar, that he made a major fashion splash, churning out prints that were both surreal and sophisticated. In light of all this fabulosity, this month Galleria Carla Sozzani presents 'The Years of Harper’s Bazaar, New York 1961-1966'. It's bound to be superb and frankly, if I was swanning around Milan, right about now, I'd be feeling a little ecstatic, shimmying about this exhibition.

Jeanloup Sieff, 'The Years of Harper’s Bazaar, New York 1961-1966' at Galleria Carla Sozzani, Corso Como 10 – Milano, from 10th March - 7th April.

Showing - 'Surrealism and Design' @ V & A - London

2007-02-28T16:29:00.000+01:00

Listen, I know that the Surrealists are a, been there, done that, got the T-shirt kind of thing. I’m well aware that since their emergence during the ‘20s, they’ve flooded fashions throughout all genres, be it clothing or interiors or simple je ne sais quois style. And yes, I know you’re probably sick to the back teeth of hearing about these guys. So, sorry (in advance), if you’ve seen it all before; but the fact remains, the Surrealists are influential and will continue to be so, because this group – Magritte, Ernst, Schiaparelli, Dalí and co. – and their endeavours were, and are, remarkable. I suppose, that would be why the V & A are presenting a big old mash up of Surrealism and it’s various influences on ‘the world of design’, with ‘Surreal Things – Surrealism and Design'. The show comprises of some 300 exhibits, which means that the museum has gotten their hands on any piece or work that bears interest; Meret Oppenheim’s 'Table with Bird’s Legs', Dalí’s 'Mae West' sofa and Schiaparelli ‘Tear’ and ‘Skeleton’ dresses, they’re all there. And if they bore the hell out of you, ‘cos you’ve seen them all before, well, hey, there’s another 297 exhibits to check out.

Surreal Things – Surrealism and Design at the V & A, London from 29th March – 22 July.

Street Sounds - Part2ism 'ECOCENTRAL' - UK

2007-02-25T14:16:00.000+01:00

Showing – David Bray ‘Catford Classics’ @ StolenSpace – London

2007-02-22T19:38:00.000+01:00

I don’t know a whole lot about David Bray’s background; what I do know is that he’s a damn fine artist. Seriously, his work is very cool. Very slick. Very, kind of funky, filled with saucy looking women and horny animals. There's also a few My Little Ponies thrown in too, generally flowing from someone or another's nose (left; 'Reunited in Heaven'). What this means, I haven't clue. Whatever, the content of his pen and pencil pieces work. He’s represented by StolenSpace, who also represent such luminaries As D*Face, Shok1 and Connor Harrington. Indeed, the gallery, alone, has gone from murmur to a big old noise since launching in 2006, so it probably goes without saying; this guy is good. Tonight he presents his first solo show, ‘Catford Classics’, a n exhibition which should launch him into the srty stratosphere, to sit next to the rest and best of them.

David Bray’s ‘Catford Classics’ takes Place at StolenSpace, Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London E1, from 23rd February – 12th March.

News – FISTA showing in Yorkshire – UK

2007-02-19T14:35:00.000+01:00

Simon Sunderland, aka FISTA or AJAX, was given five years in '96 for 'defacing railways, bridges and walls'. The sentence was considered, by most, nothing short of shocking, and kicked off a ‘Free FISTA’ campaign. Subsequently his term was dropped to two years and, although I have no idea how much time Sunderland finally spent inside, six months for his so-called prolific tagging would have been overkill. Since, there have been murmurs concerning Sunderland’s work; art agent Mark Ticktum reckoned he might be a Basquiat in the making. While this may well be hearsay, Sunderland, who is now in his 30s, will soon be exhibiting his work at the Archipelago Gallery in Yorkshire. A bona fide legal show, it will launch Sunderland as a legitimate talent; though many would say he was legitimate decades ago.

Showing - Ian Monroe 'Planit' @ Haunch of Venison - London

2007-02-19T13:22:00.000+01:00

Showing - Damien Hirst 'New Religion' @ Wallspace - London

2007-02-09T16:57:00.000+01:00

Say what you like about Damien Hirst – and God knows, I’d said a few things in the past – but there’s no getting round the fact that he ain’t a bad artist. And have you ever read any of his interviews? Let me tell you, they’re pretty interesting. OK. Yes. I’m stating the obvious; the guy has something to say. Sure the Pharmacy stuff was a bit obvious. But the whole Pharmacy restaurant thing was a bit, well, off key to say the least. And, yes, yes, admittedly, Hirst can come across a touch abrupt, pompous even. But wouldn’t you be if the whole concept of Brit Art hinged on your contribution and influence? However, having said all that, Hirst has been quiet of late. He hasn’t ruffled any feathers or caused a scene. Gone are the coke-fuelled nights in Soho. Hell, his old hangout Grouchos’ is now stayed and dull; a media hangout for the highbrow-have-it-alls. Yep. Hirst has long been established, and today he’s been nothing if not subdued.

Not for long though. Now, the man is giving his all to ‘New Religion’, a show that, unsurprisingly, is taking place in a church turned art venue; All Hallows in London Wall. The whole point of the show is the rift between science and religion – religion, the most overly debated subject in the history of mankind. So, the whole thing will undoubtedly cause a little stir. While the exhibition is presented by Wallspace, Hirst is holding centre stage with a selection of works covering almost every medium from silkscreen to sculpture. These include a child’s scull cast in silver and a heart pierced by syringes, razorblades and nasty looking medical paraphernalia (above). The latter is a pretty hot piece of work. It’s the kind of sculpture that give’s you goose bumps. It’s poignant. It's superb. It’s brilliant. So there you have it. Pharmacy may have been pants but this new stuff, it’s bang on.

Damien Hirst 'New Religion' @ Wallspace, All Hallows on the Wall, 83 London Wall, London EC2, from 7th March.

Showing - Kirsten Telfer Beith 'You're Behaving Like a 5 Year Old' - Vinyll - London

2007-02-08T16:44:00.000+01:00

Showing On a Street Near You - Part2ism - Lo-Tech Branding - UK

2007-02-07T16:31:00.001+01:00

Showing - Haluk Akakce 'They Call it Love, I Call it Madness' @ Deitch Projects - NYC

2007-02-07T13:22:00.000+01:00

Showing – Gert and Uwe Tobias, ‘The Hora Never Stops’ @ Sprüth Magers Projekte - Munich

2007-02-06T15:35:00.000+01:00

There’s these two twins, and they do big old woodcuts and sculptures. You’ve probably heard of them; Gert and Uwe Tobias. Apparently they come from a Transylvania-esque part of Romania, and whether or not this is PR banter, I don’t care, because I rather like the notion of woodcuts and Dracula. Their work's kind of interesting too. It’s full of skulls and monsters and shock-frock horror. It’s the type of stuff you’d expect from a couple of men from Transylvania, who’ve grown up surrounded by the ledgend of Vlad the Impaler, under the tyrannical rule of Nicolae Ceausescu. The duo moved to Germany in '85 where they first discovered Bram Stoker's Dracula (Ironically, Ceausescu wasn’t so keen on airing that part of Romania’s history). Much like the rest for the world outside communist Romania, all this folklore must have been a surprise for the Tobias boys. It must have been like a breath of pine-fresh, fruity air.

Given all this experience, it’s probably not that surprising the Tobias brothers’ work is kind of dark, laced by a little wry, dry humour. It makes sense, really, because these guys know where they’re from and in that, they also know precisely where they’re at. It also makes for some interesyting works.

Like the Chapmans, it’s a collaborative, reciprocal effort between the two brothers. However, the Tobias’ have three studios; one each, and a third, which they share. It's a system that works as the pair can certianly churn out work. For their upcoming show at Sprüth Magers, the duo have gone for four large woodcuts, a selection of works on paper, and couple of sculptures. They’ll be exhibiting these pieces in a red setting as the gallery walls will be painted in an ox-blood tone. They've dubbed it ‘The Hora Never Stops’. Funny that...

Gert and Uwe Tobias, ‘The Hora Never Stops’ @ Sprüth Magers Projekte, Ludwigstr. 780539, Munich, from 25th January – 17th March.

Showing - Jeff Wall @ MoMA - NYC

2007-02-05T15:16:00.000+01:00

Not so long ago, purely by chance, I fell into a Jeff Wall exhibition at Tate Modern. Now, I’ll be honest here, save one picture based on Ralph Ellison’s 1952 novel, Invisible Man, which blew my mind (left; 'Invisible Man'), the show didn’t do it for me – not one bit, not a touch, not at all. It just left me cold. And that's kind of weird, and pretty embarrassing too, since Wall is generally considered to be one of the most innovative and adventurous photographers of his generation.

Moving on and this month, he’s showing at MoMA in New York. In that, I got busy, checking out his work once again. Well. I’m eating my words here, because and hands up, I got it wrong at Tate Modern. Wall’s work is superb. It's remarkable; and it’s remarkable because, by offering up seemingly standard images – a group of people walking down the street, a flooded grave, a sink soiled by filth – he’s suggesting that average isn’t average.These images are clever, they’re smart, not because Wall has the savvy to stick a massive light-box behind each photo illuminating every colour in sight – they’re clever because they capture a static moment before or after another moment, leaving you with the dark suggestion that something has or will happen. And as the viewer, you want to know, what’s going on, what's the story here? But of course, Wall doesn’t give an answer. And that, least for me, is precisely why the man is a bit of a genius.

Jeff Wall @ MoMA, Sixth Floor, 11 West 53 Street, NYC, 25th February – 14th May.

Part2 with Part2ism in Switzerland

2007-02-02T16:14:00.000+01:00

And Ya Put it All Together - Men in Black 3 Graff Clip

2007-02-02T16:09:00.000+01:00

Banksy in Palestine - BBC Footage - UK

2007-02-02T16:04:00.000+01:00

Showing – Albert Watson ‘Epic’ @ Guy Hempner – London

2007-02-01T13:38:00.000+01:00

If you haven’t heard of Albert Watson, you’ve probably been living under a stone somewhere. His photographs are pretty much omnipresent in the world of fashion, fads and media, and have been for the past couple of decades. He’s done umpteen covers for Rolling Stone, and numerous others for Time, Vibe, and Vogue. He’s dealt with ad campaigns for Chanel, Gap, Levi’s and Chanel. Has shot everyone from Alfred Hitchcock, Mick Jagger, Jonny Depp, Jack Nicholson and Naomi Campbell. Hell you name it, he’s done it. In that, it’s hardly surprising, Watson’s upcoming exhibition at Guy Hepner Contemporary has been dubbed ‘Epic’. Kicking off on the 5th February, the show centers on mega prints, some measuring 96”x 72”, and is certainly worth checking out.

Albert Watson: Epic @ Guy Hempner Contemporary, 27 Cork Street, London W1, from 5th – 10th February.

Showing - Jason Schmidt 'Artists' @ Deitch Projects - New York

2007-01-31T13:34:00.000+01:00

News - Steve Wynn's Fourty Million Dollar elbow - US

2007-01-12T16:28:00.000+01:00

It’s been quite the relationship between Steve Wynn and ‘Le Reve’. It’s been a saga that’s turned out a real corker of a story. It’s a tale of love, money and misfortune, and it’s infinitely better than the recent palaver with Munch’s ‘Scream’. In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years and the tale has passed you by, it goes a little like this; Wynn picked up the Picasso painting of his lover, Marie-Thérèse, in 1997 for a reported $48.4 million. Then he decided to sell the painting to hedge-fund honcho Steven Cohen. They agreed on a price, apparently, an incredible $139 million, and a sale was imminent; so close that Cohen practically had the work hanging in his bedroom. His people had checked 'Le Reve' out, declared it perfect, and all that was to be done was an exchange of cash and canvas. It was a match made in heaven, least it was until Wynn somehow managed to elbow the work leaving a hole the size of a ‘silver dollar’ slap bang in the middle of Marie-Thérèse’s forearm. Dear. Dear. Give him his due, Wynn has an eye problem, something called retinitis pigmentosa, which frankly sounds pretty nasty and in Wynn’s case, rather expensive. Still, given the work took Picasso a couple of hours to paint, it kind of puts the whole (no pun intended) thing into perspective...

Still. It must have been a pretty shitty week, or year, for Wynn. ‘Le Reve’ is now said to be worth around $85 million and Wynn has since lost his claim for $54 million, which he's submitted to Lloyd’s. Now the Vegas mogul is said to be planning to sue his insurer. So, I say it’s a some story, but really it’s so far from over.

Back in the Day - Style Wars and Tracy 168 - NY

2007-01-11T12:59:00.000+01:00

Showing - Final Exhibition at 4 Clifford St - Alison Jacques Gallery - London

2007-01-09T16:24:00.000+01:00

Showing - Phillip Lai 'Free to Meet for Coffee Sometime' @ Stuart Shave - London

2007-01-09T14:02:00.000+01:00

Showing – John Sonsini @ Cheim & Read – New York

2007-01-07T15:37:00.000+01:00

John Sonsini is showing at New York’s Cheim & Read this month, and that’s great, because Sonisi’s work is really rather great. His chunky brushwork, his cool, calm, use of colour, his simple content; pull them together and what have you got? You’ve got a superb piece, or collection, which is hangable, sellable and just wickedly easy on the eye. Of course, that suggests that Sonsini’s paintings are average. But they’re quite the opposite. To be honest, I can’t say why they’re wonderful. Though, I suspect that it has a lot to do with the sheer honesty and intimacy of his work. His paintings are frank, without being intrusive or objective. They are individual, figurative and arresting yet serene. They're about the sitter and artist. Sonsini’s talks with, and to, his subjects whilst painting. He gets to know them. And when he’s through, he simply entitles the given painting with the name of the man or men involved (above; 'Gabriel, Louie, Jorge', 2004). It’s the kind of care that transcribes onto canvases.

Sonsini first broke through into the artistic limelight during the ’80s, exhibiting generally homoerotic works at LA’s Newspace Gallery. While he's gone through various guises since, his intrest continues to lie with the masculine form or character. The works showing at Cheim & Read take Latino labourers as subjects - which is hardly surprising as Sonsini lives in a predominantly Latin area of LA. As his first show with the gallery, it marks a onwards and upward move for this artist, and again that's, well, great.

John Sonsini is showing at Cheim & Read, 547 West 25 Street, New York, from 10th January – 10th February.

Showing - Modern Art vs Rock 'n' Roll - US

2007-01-05T18:20:00.000+01:00

Showing - Total Kunst Gallery - Edinburgh

2007-01-04T19:53:00.000+01:00

News - Nuff to Make Ya Scream; Munch's 'Scream' - Oslo

2006-12-31T13:42:00.000+01:00

Talk about a bad year for keeping artworks intact. What, with Steve Wynn elbowing Picasso's 'Le Reve' (Insured? Oh yes, I think so), and now Munch’s ‘Scream’ getting absolutely, totally destroyed (well, practically). Yes, agreed, 2004’s hatchback bandits, Bjoern Hoen, Petter Tharaldsen and Petter Rosenvinge, were caught and sent down, and indeed, the painting was later found along with its friend, 'The Madonna'. And that’s great. It's fantastic. But, hey, remember, these works had spent a little hideout time in a bus. A bus? I ask you. The trio may have been able to leg it with a couple of million dollar masterpieces in broad daylight (above), but hell, let’s be honest here, they knew sweet FA about upkeep and care. A bus? Seriously?

How exactly do you get rid off a stolen, damaged beyond repair, instantly recognisable masterpiece? Probably a good idea not to ask Hoen, Tharaldsen and Rosenvinge about that one. Probably best to stay clear of the Oslo police too; their report on the damage done was a whacking great 200 pages. What did they write, I wonder? Whatever, they certainly had a whole lot to say. The detail in the report must have been extreme. Must have excruciating (for both reader and writer). Detail is all good and well, but when the conclusion is nothing short of; it’s buggered, there’s no hope for renovation or repair, we’re screwed, it all seems a little, shall we say, frustrating. Still, you got to hand it to those investigating the theft; they did find the works and caught the thieving rascals. It couldn’t have been a stress free or easy job. It must have been nightmare, especially when the outcome turned out to be so hopeless.

Release Party - Sket One - 'The Further Adventures of Kidrobot' - New York

2006-12-29T14:26:00.000+01:00

Showing - Raymond Pettibon @ Sadie Coles HQ- London

2006-12-28T13:29:00.000+01:00

Raymond Pettibon lives somewhere around Venice Beach in California. That’s probably why he has a sense of humour – humour from the ironic, caustic, anti-authoritarian school of thought. In sunny LA, he’s a long way from Arizona, the place of his birth, but hey, who wants to live in the desert when you can be by the beach? He’s always maintained his edge – his brother Greg Ginn played guitar for Black Flag and, apparently, Pettibon was the one who came up with the group's name and four bar logo. Later, he was involved with Sonic Youth’s 'Goo' (above), the Foo Fighter’s 'One by One' cover, as well as producing his own music and a couple of books, besides bagging the Bucksbaum Award at the Whitney Biennial. No small feat, I’d imagine…

On to his current work, and Pettibon is a bit of a cultish cartoon master. In that, he’s exhibited at a whole bunch of places including the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, Haags Gemeentemuseum in the Netherlands, and the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery. So much for anti-authoritarian; these place are pretty highbrow. Whatever, and who cares, 'cos that’s a whole other debate. Now he’s showing at Sadie Coles HQ in London. This is his third exhibition at the gallery and, while the release didn’t say a much about what would be showing, it’s pretty safe to say, this is an exhibition worth checking out.

Raymond Pettibon is showing at Sadie Coles HQ, 35 Heddon Street, London W1, from 12th January – 17th February.

Mark Ronson - Just Cover - London (genius!)

2006-12-28T12:33:00.000+01:00

From - Graffiti Instincts (Jay and Nilko)

2006-12-27T22:02:00.000+01:00

Graff - Dans La Bronx Avec La French Connection

2006-12-27T21:49:00.000+01:00

Escape - Graff on Graff - USA

2006-12-27T21:35:00.000+01:00

Opening – Sam Dargan’s ‘A Bad Year for People’ @ Rokeby – London

2006-12-15T18:18:00.000+01:00

London's Rokeby has a knack of picking up young, up and coming, almost established talent, so it’s unsurprising they’ve roped Sam Dargen into their stable, with an exhibition entitled ‘A Bad Year for People’ opening in January 2007. Dargen graduated from the Royal College in 2002, and has since exhibited across Europe at galleries including Copenhagen’s Mogadhni. His works are a little disturbing – which isn’t altogether a bad thing – after all ‘alienation’ is his favoured subject. Almost all his characters are suit and tie boys, caught up in nasty situations, like say, the rear end of a tornado. So it’s safe to say, Dargen isn’t exactly after a warm fuzzy vibe.

Showing – Philip-Lorca diCorcia’s Family and Friends @ Galerie Sprüth Magers – Munich

2006-12-14T17:38:00.000+01:00

Philip-Lorca diCorcia is one damn fine photographer. I’m a big fan. A big old mad fan. What can I say? His work just does it for me. These photos, they’re static but stirring; stirring in so many different ways. They leave you with an afterthought; a notion that something’s about to happen, has happened, will happen. They’re almost menacing, but because the subject matter is so average, they’re also warm and fuzzy and, kind of welcoming. Bottom line, they’re an oxymoron and that, to me, is perfect.

Back in the ‘70s, when diCorcia established himself as a name to be reckoned with, he got working on a collection of photographs called ‘Family and Friends’, which are currently showing at Galerie Sprüth Magers in Munich. Now, unsurprisingly, this set of images does pretty much what you’d expect – well, what you’d expect up unto a point. Set around incredibly banal situations, they’re heavily staged – a boy in the kitchen (above; 'Brian', 1988), a moustached man cycling down a tunnel, a bloke talking on the telephone – fixed and frozen. But, like a freeze frame of an old Technicolor movie, you feel that if you were to hit some secret button, they would kick back into action again. Course, that’s sounds mad and probably is. However, this madness, or rather, magic, is precisely what makes diCorcia’s work brilliant.

Philip-Lorca diCorcia’s Family and Friends is showing at Galerie Sprüth Magers, Schellingstrasse 48, D-80799 München, until 27th January 2007.