Seven Dials Club is opposite the Donmar Warehouse – you can’t get much more central than that in London. The artists who met at The Other Art Fair have formed an informal group and this, their first London show together in association with online gallery Balthazart, has taken the concept of a conversation. One person sent an image to another […]
One-minute blog of interesting things
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As a working contemporary artist I visit many exhibitions and shows, but sometimes it is the things I see that are part of daily life that capture my interest. My one-minute blog of interesting things reflects the fact that although we are increasingly time-poor, there is creativity all around us. Email me at info@carolinebanks.co.uk with your name and email to receive a weekly post that only takes 1 minute to read.
Circles at The Chelsea Flower Show
Always tuned into this shape, here are a few examples I spotted at the show. Fuminari Todaka used them above for his Home garden whilst you could look through the circle of Howard Miller Design’s Dark Matter garden. Ishihara Kazuyuki was another designer using circles as a design motif in harmony with trademark moss balls […]
A little bit of Chatsworth at Chelsea Flower Show
I was so lucky to be offered a ticket to the Chelsea Flower Show this year but was only able to spend 1 1/2 hours there, enough though to get an overview. Dan Pearson’s garden inspired by the outer cultivated landscape of Chatsworth was quite remarkable – look at the moss and weeds on this rock below – it […]
Tate Modern’s Musée de le Danse
I was very keen to see this concept given my love of dancing: the whole of Tate Modern given over to contemporary dance for two days. We arrived on Saturday afternoon to see a solo performance of Levée des conflits before participating in the visitors’ version. Everyone in the Turbine Hall was invited to take […]
Very timely for the Chelsea Flower Show: Full Grown’s furniture cultivation and harvest
I found out about this project quite by chance from a newsletter and am amazed it hasn’t had more publicity. In another example of a simple and commonsensical idea being tweaked, Gavin Munro is farming furniture. Read the back story to his Full Grown project here. I’m intrigued by the fact that a traditional horticultural practice has […]
Yinka Shonibare at the William Morris Gallery
The William Morris Family Album continues Yinka Shonibare’s exploration of the Victorian era and the attendant imperialism of that time. His trademark fabrics, now regularly used in fashion by, amongst others, Samson Soboye, are made into clothing of that period and used in reconstructions with local Walthamstow residents of photographs from the Morris family album. The garments weren’t outright […]
Nothing Perishes at new art gallery Soho Revue
Well, Soho Revue is on Greek Street in Soho, London. Recently opened, it’s welcoming; gallerist Marine Tanguy talked us through the artists in their current show Nothing Perishes. I’ve pulled out four of them below. Tel Aviv based photographer Jennifer Abessira finds a connection between juxtaposed photographs mounted on lightboxes; Performer and artist Alison Bignon renders a life story […]
The Other Art Fair (2 of 2)
It was a real rush trying to get round the show as I didn’t give myself enough time to both look and talk, something to bear in mind for my next visit. Emma Davis showed more glorious coloured abstracts from a recent trip to India, both prints and originals Carla Moss, based in Leeds, showed […]
The Other Art Fair (1 of 2)
For me this is one of the best places to see and buy art direct from the artist. I had already met some previous exhibitors and it was interesting to see their new work. Rod McIntosh showed his latest silverpoint and ink pieces as well as circles, made using his own constructed brushes. Alison McKenna […]
Election manifesto from Bob & Roberta Smith: art against Michael Gove
The artist Bob & Roberta Smith is standing against Michael Gove in Surrey Heath this forthcoming election. I went to Handel Street Projects to listen to his election manifesto. He began by singing the piece above saying why he’ll be voting; I’m with him on that as with everything else. The cards on the mantelpiece are by […]