Saint Valentine’s Day should be about sweet-nothings whispered in the ears of doe-eyed lovers and a celebration of that crazy little thing called love but let’s face it; if you get more than a fistful of flowers, an extra ‘X’ on the end of your morning text and a Moonpig greetings card this year, you’ll [...]
On the surface, the area around Waterloo station might not seem like such a strange or dark place. However, upon looking hard enough, a bizarre current is noticeable, pulsating through the streets; the remnants of cardboard-city tucked away in the subways, free-runners prancing about the rooftops and, deep underground, a cavernous space dripping with history, [...]
David Shrigley’s crude, childlike renderings are humorous, memorable, and often unnerving. Famous for his stick figures set against satirical text, this year The Hayward Gallery is showcasing all of Shrigley’s diverse talents in this major London art show. The playful exhibition, Brain Activity, includes sculptures, animations, paintings and sounds from throughout the career of one [...]
Chen Man is one of the leading photographers of her generation. For a decade now she has led the way with some inspiring images for both magazines and leading international brands. Her striking and powerful photography has graced the pages of Elle, Cosmopolitan and Vogue. When we were asked if we would like to be [...]
Last year we were approached to be main media support for the RAWards arts awards which helps cultivate bright new creative talent across the USA. We were honoured to be asked and so accepted the invitation. RAW go above and beyond in their pursuit of the finest future artists to give them that helping hand [...]
Last year we were approached to be main media support for the RAWards creative industry awards which helps cultivate bright new creative talent across the USA. We were honoured to be asked and so accepted the invitation. RAW go above and beyond in their pursuit of the finest future artists to give them that helping [...]
The footage of the dramatic sinking of the Costa Concordia and the loss of life brings mental images flooding back of that almost mythic sinking of RMS Titanic back in 1912. The same pictures come to mind of party going passengers suddenly plunged into cold, dark, unforgiving waters. The Titanic story shook the world [...]
The growing internationalisation of art and the arts industry takes another stride forward with the opening of White Cube Hong Kong. This is a major move by the gallery brand adding to their existing three London gallery spaces (pictured): Hoxton Square in East London, Masons Yard in St. James’s and Bermondsey Street in South London. [...]
This latest London art show by the artist Toby Ziegler deals with memory. It is a striking and unnerving set of images and sculpture that conjure up emotions and nostalgia for memories, people and places that were never really ours in the first place. So they appear at once familiar yet unsettling. In an [...]
I cling to bare branches of trees as I clamber around the edge of the pond at the back of Victoria Miro Gallery. Following closely is artist Alex Hartley who instructs my footfall as we approach our colourful, yet tattered destination – a Geodesic dome floating on a raft which Alex and his chickens have [...]
BP Portrait Award Winner Stuart Pearson Wright unveils his intriguing new collection, which explores the use of the smile as an icon and signifier of a successful life, and how it is prominently used this way in advertising, culture and the mass media. At the heart of this collection is Keira Knightly – who [...]
His work permeating shock and sex, Joe Machine salivates life through painting. Primarily focused on death and forced lust, the work of this British artist draws us in, but leaves us wincing. Turning his childhood exposure to pornography and violence into his trademark pictures of sailors and bloodshed, there is a raw truth in the [...]
Villa Tokyo Arts Festival – Polish meditations in the land of the rising sun – November 11-18 2011 Eight months after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan in March, the Villa Tokyo arts event, an innovative hybrid lying somewhere between art fair and festival, brought the tonic of contemporary European culture to the [...]
London is well known as a hot bed for international photography talent. The city features regular shows from some of the world’s most groundbreaking photographers and the latest London photography exhibition by Christian Tagliavini definitely falls into this category. The Alice in Wonderland-like pictures invite us on a flight into the surreal world of cardboard [...]
As well as a powerful cultural force, art is an increasingly global currency. The days when the West held sway when it came to Contemporary Art are fading fast. Rising superpowers are producing artists of international stature and there are new international art fairs emerging that reflect this new world. Art Fairs such as the [...]
Freedom from Torture : The Art Auction is a great idea that we fully support. It uses artwork from some of the UK’s most respected artists including Anthony Gormley, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Cornelia Parker, Gavin Turk, Stuart Semple, Julian Opie, and Michael Craig Martin to raise money and awareness for survivors of torture. Claire [...]
This month, Proud Chelsea is presenting a photography exhibition by David McCabe, that gives us an insider view into Andy Warhol’s The Factory in all its gory glory. Wouldn’t it be great to be a fly on the wall so you could go back in time and visit Andy Warhol’s The Factory in its heyday? [...]
George Condo – Bankers, Brokers, Butlers and Queens He has been responsible for some of the art world’s most provocative work over the past 30 years, including paintings of Queen Elizabeth II as you’ve never seen her before, and that Kanye West album cover. This week sees the opening of a major retrospective of George [...]
The Household Box aims for a broad and ubiquitous demographic. The lifestyle companion is geared for those burgeoning into ‘adult’ life, facing a long climb to career peaks and nestled between two states. One foot quivers excitedly on the edge of the nest, whilst the other stamps defiantly, afflicted with Peter Pan syndrome. Independence is [...]
Fresh from LA, this new exhibition full of myths and monsters brings together two art legends; Rankin and Damien Hirst. The iconic artists have long been friends, and this collaboration allows for the duo to blend both their respective creative mediums and shared fascination with ancient mythology. ‘Myths, Monsters and Legends’ presents a series of [...]
When confronted with the term ‘street art’, it’s perhaps easy to envisage the deviant murals that pepper our cities, the hooded figures that swiftly spray-paint their tags onto concrete, the art with swagger that’s on view for all to see in the most public of galleries. But there is a quieter, more secretive haven for [...]
European Cultural Congress, Wroclaw, Poland As EU finance ministers exchanged pleasantries at the weekend over the fate of the Euro, national economies and the plight of Greece, the thought of their compatriots coming together only a week before to celebrate the continent’s cultural wealth may stir thoughts of Nero strumming his lyre while Rome burned. [...]
How do you describe the indescribable? Entering Gallery 1 at FACT in Liverpool, the only nugget of information I could recall from the guidebook was “hold on to the rope”. Moments later this instruction would suddenly make a lot of sense. The moment our guide opened the door and set our group of 12 loose [...]
Romanian Art from Marius Bercea, Stefan Constantinescu and Adrian Ghenie Over the last 20 years sine the fall of communism in eastern Europe, the region’s contemporary art scenes have developed with a quiet confidence. At home, young and international cultural cliques have forged nascent scenes, while abroad a clutch of artists have seen their profiles [...]
A giant silver-backed gorilla stands sentry inside the lobby of the V&A museum, temporary home to the recently announced Power of Making exhibition. On closer examination, the fur of the chest-beating gorilla is made entirely of steel coat-hangers, a second in a series of metal primates by Scottish sculptor David Mach. The exhibition exposes the [...]
Photographer, Zed Nelson, in his own words on his photographic joural, ‘Love Me’: I began Love Me when I was in my mid thirties. I’m sure that was no coincidence. Like many of my long-term fascinations, I don’t know exactly when the idea seeded itself. Perhaps it began quite simply, one day, when I looked [...]
Ian Curtis was in his early twenties when he chose to end his life way back in 1980. We never got to see him grow old and or maybe record a bad album nor get to hear about him moving his money to a tax haven as we have with other ageing pop stars. This [...]
Leaving Serpentine Gallery I faced a bewildering encounter with Kensington Gardens; my face resisted against the dusky breeze, lungs opened hospitably to the air and I was self-assured the green expanse continued beyond the horizon. I had re-entered a space of certainty and familiarity, a departure from the constricted navigation and deceptively benign buttress of [...]
Discarded photographs. Unwanted and jettisoned or dropped unknowingly by their former owners in a hurried moment. Curator Karen Downey presents ‘Versions and Diversions’, an experimental exhibition showcasing the works of three contemporary artists, Maurizio Anzeri, Ruth Claxton and Mariana Mauricio. Bringing together a selection of works, ‘Versions and Diversions’ intervenes with forgotten images that have [...]
Mo Coppoletta is a London tattoo artist, a Verona born true master of the tattoo craft. He’s now in such demand that you could wait up to a year to get him to do work on your body – the wait, I can testify, is worth it. After time served obsessing about tattoos, and then [...]
“I do believe that my work is essentially 100% British, the way I describe it, is like listening to a Cure album or The Smiths. I relate my work to grey but happy Britain, with me in the middle I guess.” Richie Culver is becoming something of an outsider-art-world phenomena. With no formal artistic background, [...]
We like this blog, Silent Cities. We like seeing images of some of the most noisy and crowded places in the world momentarily bathed in silence. There is something both serene and eerie about these scenes. The images below are from London, Sydney and Detroit. Born out of a drunken debate about how it [...]
In the treacherous heat of Helmand Province, a civilian photographer stumbles upon a chilling piece of graffiti, emblazoned across the wall of a captured building acting as a HQ for ISAF troops. The blood red scrawl is a stark contrast to the dirt and dust that surrounds. It reads: ‘THE BEST VIEW OF HEAVEN IS [...]
The urban spaces of cosmopolitan cities throughout the world bear a degree of uniformity, aspiring to a horizon of shining glass and steel towers as symbolsof their modernity and to varying degrees littered with billboards bearing signs of commodities. In Tehran where an increasingly youthful population has access to almost everything that can be found [...]
“The concept of Queen was to be regal and majestic. Glamour was part of us, and we wanted to be dandy,” vowed Freddie Mercury. The singer, an art school graduate, has a truly multi varied history, re-styling clothes, painting, dancing – and using his eye to manage the stage presence of his band. “It was [...]
Late Night Chameleon Café – or LN-CC – is proud to present ‘Too Dark One Light’; a solo exhibition of new work by artist Richie Culver. The London based concept store will launch their gallery space with a show by Richie Culver - a series of new paintings, collages and mixed-media installations that sees Culver continue to [...]
London is currently enjoying a wave of Parisian culture; we lived in Breton tops, dined solely on macaroons, and re-watched Breathless, but the latest French import comes in a slightly more riske form. This week marks the launch of Paris’ infamous Le Crazy Horse night. Situated in the secretive Supper Club in Notting Hill, the [...]
Items once loved now cast-off and forlorn in the strangest of resting places. We’ve all seen this strange phenomena from time to time. Products deemed rubbish and discarded by the roadside, the forest glen, some of the most unlikely places. A pair of underpants abandoned in a park. A pair of high heels on a [...]
Whisper is a new art gallery in central London aimed at expanding the definition and relevance of contemporary printmaking. According to Whisper gallery director Jamie Wood ‘there are a vast amount of techniques within the practice of printing, and we aim to explore them with our artists and give people the chance to see prints [...]
The Festival of Britain took place in 1951 as we attempted to cast of the shadow of 2 world wars and look once again towards the future. Robert Leeming looks back with fondness and despair at a utopian vision that was quickly assigned to the dustbin of history. Harlow. 1961. Pram town. Rent a house [...]
A celebration of the renowned illustrator René Gruau (1909-2004), who created some of the most iconic fashion and beauty images of the 20th century, this exhibition will showcase groundbreaking artworks including over forty original illustrations for Christian Dior Parfums, exquisite vintage perfume bottles, sketches, magazines and poster adverts. The show will also feature a selection [...]
Richard Philips latest exhibition of large-scale glossy portraits sees the artist turn his gaze on contemporary pop culture. No longer restrained to the pictorial style of the fifties and early sixties, the artist has produced a series of ten portraits to delve into the world of the superficial worship of teen celebrities. The exhibition from [...]
Kelly Reichardt’s latest feature film, Meek’s Cutoff is a beguiling period piece drenched in atmosphere and quiet dramatic moments which, slowly but surely, unfurl into profound developments and realisations. Meek’s Cutoff takes place on the famous Oregon Trail in 1845 and concerns a wagon train of settlers led by self-aggrandising charlatan Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood) [...]
“I’ve really had the career I wanted initially, you know. I wanted to be part of a film movement – I didn’t know how we were going to have it, but in film school I’d read about the French New Wave, the New German cinema, and I was like, well I want to be part [...]
What do you see as the future of art? “Cathie Pilkington and Jay Cloth”. The artists behind Misericord. The butchered, tortured, unconscious creature returns your gaze, the discarded remnants of consumerist culture is reborn, reworked, and returned to greet the society which once deemed it debris. Misericord, the seminal new exhibition by curators Jo David [...]
Nowadays you can get an I-Phone App for almost anything you might need. Many of them are selling you stuff though and that so-modern-of-conditions techno-nausea kicks in as you contemplate the thousands of icons all shouting at you just how important they will be to your life. Thankfully Limbo is a website and iPhone App [...]
In his first UK Solo show, Mark Leckey uses the Serpentine Gallery to explore the themes of humanity and transformation. After winning the Turner Prize in 2008, he has had exhibitions across the continent, showcasing his multimedia expressions of British subcultures. Leckey is most noted for his video installation, ‘Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore’, in [...]
Paying homage to the hairdresser who shaped the 60s, Vidal Sassoon The Movie documents the life of the man who changed the world with a pair of scissors. Most famous for his geometric shaped haircuts, this film portrays Sassoon as a rags-to-riches story, defining the hairdresser as one of the founders of the 1960s British [...]
An Airport Novel on Speed…..Or an interview with Chicks on Speed? “BTW, we say… Don’t do it yourself, do it with everybody else.” As hyperactive, multi-talented, multi-discipline collectives go, you can’t get much more super-charged than Chicks on Speed. The all female art group, electro-punk band and fashion designers, currently comprise of six members spread [...]
White Cube Hong Kong launches with Gilbert and George: The growing internationalisation of art and the arts industry takes another stride forward with the ... 
David Lynch Coffee or Mr Scruff Brew anyone?: It seems that rock ‘n’ roll and hot beverages do unlikely bedfellows make. A bizarre proliferati... 
Swift dark dead: What happens when you mix a bit of old school goth with some slick new wave? Here are some great pi... 
'New York - New Year's Eve - 1967' Short Fiction By Robert Leeming: A photograph captures a mere moment in time. What are the secrets behind a feigned smile or a flirt... 
Art Rocks: Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition, London: Art Rocks: Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition features some of the finest and most inventive jeweller... Vault - London Arts Festival of Theatre, Film and Music: On the surface, the area around Waterloo station might not seem like such a strange or dark place. H... 
Unsigned Only - International Music Competition: If you’re a singer, artist or band starting out and you’re looking for that helping hand to lift... Le Crazy Horse - London Burlesque Supper Club: London is currently enjoying a wave of Parisian culture; we lived in Breton tops, dined solely on ma... 
Get In-Sync with Durex & Win Tickets to VIP Launch: Are you and your partner in-sync? You’ll have to be careful how you put this to your loved one but... RAWards – Lawren Alice ‘Visual Artist of the Year’ Arts Awards: Last year we were approached to be main media support for the RAWards arts awards which helps cultiv... 
Our favourite new sneakers from fashion to sportsfield!
Vault - London Arts Festival of Theatre, Film and Music: On the surface, the area around Waterloo station might not seem like such a strange or dark place. H... 
The English Drape Suit - Fashion Article: Quiet perfection and sealed lips has been the guiding mantra of Anderson and Sheppard, the Savile Ro... 'New York - New Year's Eve - 1967' Short Fiction By Robert Leeming: A photograph captures a mere moment in time. What are the secrets behind a feigned smile or a flirt... Get In-Sync with Durex & Win Tickets to VIP Launch: Are you and your partner in-sync? You’ll have to be careful how you put this to your loved one but... A Fetish for Failure – David Shrigley - London Art Show: David Shrigley’s crude, childlike renderings are humorous, memorable, and often unnerving. Famous ... White Cube Hong Kong launches with Gilbert and George: The growing internationalisation of art and the arts industry takes another stride forward with the ... 
Why doesn’t Tyra & Béyonce call me back? Fashion Shoot: Waiting for that telephone to ring. All glammed up with no place to go. Got myself all sexy and sass... 
Something for the Fans:
They say you should never meet your idols. Well how about singing with them instead? MasterCard ... 
Shrag 'Tendons in the Night' Underground Music Video: This energy ball of a song from the band Shrag spits and snarls and flares its nostrils as it heads ... Art Rocks: Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition, London: Art Rocks: Contemporary Jewellery Exhibition features some of the finest and most inventive jeweller...