Banksy in Palestine - BBC Footage - UK

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

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

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

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

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

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

Showing – John Sonsini @ Cheim & Read – New York

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

Showing - Total Kunst Gallery - Edinburgh

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

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

Showing - Raymond Pettibon @ Sadie Coles HQ- London

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!)

From - Graffiti Instincts (Jay and Nilko)

Graff - Dans La Bronx Avec La French Connection

Escape - Graff on Graff - USA

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

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

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.

Showing - Wood for the Trees and Falling Leaves - Gimpel Fils - London

Public Address - LA

Turner Prize 2006 - Tate Britain - London

For the first time since 1998, a woman has managed to bag the Turner Prize. A painter no less – something practically unheard with the Turner. Still, you got to hand it to Tomma Abts, her paintings are something else. They’re a bit like Marmite; you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Me, I’m not so keen. However, hands up, I know they’re special. I know this because they mess with my head. They’re so small, so modest, so quietly clever. They are, like nothing you ever saw before. From the off, Abts was tipped as the favourite to win the £40,000 (sponsors Gordon's Gin helped up the £25,000 on offer) prize. She was the out and out winner, surpassing those other shortlisted talents of Phil Collins, Mark Titchner and Rebecca Warren. So, really, it was no big surprise when Yoko Ono opened the envelope and called out her name.

Towering like a giant beside the diminutive Ono, Abts was calm as can be, thanking her galleries and the likes. She was serene and composed and unassuming. Kind of impressive, I think. I imagine she’s a bit like her paintings, quiet on the outside with a whole lot going on underneath. Because, these works, they look simple but are quite the opposite. They're created over months, with layers and layers of paint, applicated with precision and grace. Now, that's not to say that I like them. I don't. Hell, I don't even get them (and yes, maybe that's the point... I don't know). But, like I said before, I know they're good. I know they're something serious.

Turner Prize 2006 is showing at Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1, from 3rd October to 14th January 2007.

Museum 52 - Nada Art Fair - Miami

Deith Projects - Art Basel - Miami

Alien Nation @ The ICA - London

Featuring the likes of Laylah Ali, Hamad Butt, Yinka Shonibare, Eric Wesley and Mario Ybarra Jr, Alien Nation is a funky little mash up currently on show at the ICA. Curated by John Gil, Jens Hoffmann and Gilane Tawadros, and co-produced by the ICA and the Institute of International Visual Arts, the exhibition ties together sci-fi, race and art. Swinging back in time in a kitsch but cultured manner, it includes a collection of original old school film posters from the ‘50s, archive films, and works by twelve contemporary artists (including those mentioned above), presenting interpretations of ‘otherness’ by way of sculpture, film, photography and multi-media.

Alien Nation is showing at the ICA, The Mall, SW1, from 17 Nov 2006 - 14 Jan 2007. Telephone: +44 (0)20 7930 0493

Blek Le Rat in Action

Showing - Nick Waplington 'Wax and Wane' @ Museum 52 - London

The Hackney Artists Birthday Exhibition - London

Private View - Hans Holbein ‘Holbein in England’ @ Tate Britain – London

Those old masters – the Dutch ones – I was never that much of a fan. They were always too fussy, too precise, too, too much of everything that’s over the top and outrageous. Nope. The Dutch masters never really did it for me – until last night, that is. Holbein, a name that generally sends me straight to sleep, turned out something of a stunner at Tate Britain’s 'Holbein in England'. Hands down, I was sucked in with the rest of them, pulled around roundabout style, surrounded by all those sketches, prints and oils hanging on the walls of Tate Britain.

Now, the gallery, admittedly, isn’t quite a saucy as its fellow Tates. However, it plays a cool host to the exhibition with a smooth run through Holbein’s various guises. As an artist, his catalogue is astounding. It’s like a waltz through history – the kind of lesson that makes you feel small and antlike, and all too aware that there world has spun round for years before your arrival. Indeed, back in the 1500s, it was all happening in the UK. It was a bit of a gory scene, extra opulent with a lot of nastiness going on underneath that gold-gilt surface. Course, Holbein caught the extravagant, elegant side of things. As the court painter, he covered the main players; Anne Boylen, Jane Seymour, Erasmus, and the big man himself, Henry VIII.

There’s no doubt that Holbein was a prolific artist. His woodcuts are ridiculously intricate, while his designs for fireplaces and clock-salts (whatever they are…), broaches and seals, are something else – so over the top and ornate – they’re outrageous – a touch Liberace, with lot more style. They are, like the show, full of elaborate detail and coveted information. Bottom line, and big surprise, this is the kind of stuff that exhausts and excites me. It’s quietly extreme, seemingly sophisticated, leaving you feeling like you’ve been hit by some sort of culture truck. And that’s great – because that’s exactly the way it should be with art.

Holbein in England at Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1, 28 September 2006 – 7 January 2007

News – Munch’s Scream Found – Europe

Oh my. And you thought it was lost forever. Well it’s been found. Yes it has. ‘The Scream’, that scary Munch masterpiece, has been rediscovered. The work was retrieved alongside the more amicable ‘Madonna’, while police are staying schtum about their find. Meanwhile, the lads who scarped with the works in 2004 were jailed earlier this year. As if that wasn’t hard enough, they’ve also been hit with a bill for $122 million in damages. How they’ll pay that off working in a prison laundry room, who knows.