Tessa Farmer has been on my mind for a while now. I first saw her work in the flesh through the Danielle Arnaud Gallery. Her miniaturised dramas are grotesquely fascinating; not only do the scenes depict situations loaded with suppressed or actual violence, the execution and level of detail are staggering. These still-lives are to be studied over […]
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.
Junya Ishigami at The Barbican, London
Architecture as Air is the title of this installation by Junya Ishigami in The Curve at The Barbican. All one can see is a minimal arrangement of white threadlike columns and beams suspended against the white gallery walls. Look more closely however (much much more) and you detect the transparent filaments supporting the structure. I […]
Madame Grès exhibition at the Musée Bourdelle in Paris
This opened at the end of March and ended on the 24th July. I expect that most of you wouldn’t have been able to visit so here are a few snapshots of a fascinating show. It was an inspired decision to hold the show at the Musée Bourdelle, found down a quiet back street in the 15th […]
New Designers: One Year On
It’s always interesting to see what graduates get up to after the excitement of their degree shows. A couple who caught my eye last year were now showing at the One Year On exhibition. Lyn Snow, whose website is currently in development produced bold splashy prints reminiscent of The Cloth from the 80’s but graffiti-like […]
A really good idea at New Designers
It isn’t that often that I’m stopped in my tracks but this is a case in point. It is particularly apt given the latest news of mass human suffering: the Horn of Africa famine. This stove, shown by Emily Ditton , has been designed specifically for production and use in refugee camps. The materials are cheap and […]
Royal College of Art Graduate Shows Part 3
I’m so sorry about the delay – I’ve been offline for 10 days so lots of catching up to do! This will have to be the last one although there were plenty more students producing memorable work. I’m looking at glass and jewellery here. Louis Thompson‘s glass containers have echoes of Steffen Damm. Louis’ elements are […]
Royal College of Art Graduate Shows Part 2
You know when you’re waiting for something or someone and can’t concentrate on anything? Eva Malschaert has created soft enclosures, ideal for occupying those times. Magnets mean that you can create your own composition from the coloured strips of elastic. Ideal for hotel lobbies and waiting rooms. Alicia Tam has researched the effects of modern […]
Royal College of Art Graduate Shows Part 1
This is a bit delayed due to travelling and some IT problems so my apologies. This years’ show had more room as the Fine Art students are now all exhibiting in Battersea. It was still very packed and is a challenge for the graduates to represent 2 years of work in a tiny space. As […]
London’s Festival of Britain- the Lion and the Unicorn at the South Bank
Wandering along London’s South Bank I came upon this emotionally moving piece. The Lion & the Unicorn is an installation created by designer Gitta Gschwendtner with young people from refugee groups in London. The original Lion and the Unicorn pavilion, at the 1951 Festival of Britain, housed a flight of ceramic birds symbolising freedom. This idea has […]
Presence Absence Art Show
This group show brought together four recent graduates: Zachary Eastwood-Bloom, Alida Sayer, James Irwin and Brendan Olley. I first met Zachary at his degree show last year and he’s since featured in several exhibitions including the Craft Council’s Design Lab touring show. His main new piece here is another table, a repro piece, given the […]