News - Chapman Brothers to Judge John Moore - UK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Showing - Constraction @ Deitch Projects - NYC

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

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

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

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

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

Showing - Guy Tillim @ Haunch of Venison - Zurich

Hot Work from Ellen Harvey @ 2008 Whitney Biennial - NYC

Offering - Prints in Shoreditch - London

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

Showing - New Directors/New Films - NYC

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

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

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.

Undercover @ Whitney Biennial 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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