Truman Brewery Drive-In

Yes, yes, yes - get me to the drive-in to live out those teenage Grease-inspired fantasies. 20 Volvos with the audio piped through the radio and a mega outdoor screen up front, will be in residence outside the Truman Brewery for 3 nights from 2nd July. I'm in :)

Found via Stylist.

In conversation with Ryan Gander, Lisson Gallery

Last Friday I headed over to a talk by artist Ryan Gander about his latest solo exhibition 'You walk into a space, any space'.  What a dude!  Really funny, dry & down-to-earth. I enjoyed that he set out to create a solo exhibition that felt like a group show. He likes stuff that doesn't look like art. In his mind to be a good artist is to be light of foot and not hell-bent on reproducing something familiar or continually focused on one theme.

Like any brilliant communication today, there's the surface layer of playfulness and then, for the 'geeks' (as Ryan puts it), there are multiple narratives that interlink and allude to possible worlds. This wormhole into the artists' mind was great fun - and what a cheeky & fun place it is.

PS The chocolate biscuits were amazing :)

Social media home truths

This slide from a recent Coca-Cola blogger outreach meeting in China sets out the drinks giant's core social media principles. Clearly, they're bang on. During the presentation, Coke detailed their online guidelines along with the do's & don'ts for staff and non-staff spokespeople online.

Found via PSFK

A new race of radically altered beings

Opening night at White Cube's latest Marc Quinn exhibition 'Allanah, Buck, Catman, Chelsea, Michael, Pamela and Thomas' was a circus with people everywhere and a who's looking at who vibe. Possibly the perfect backdrop for a fully fledged celebration of narcissism.

Centred round the public's obsession with the body, the exhibition shows the extremities to which people are willing to go to transform themselves. There's Pammy with her mega-watt bust, the pregnant man, the man who tattoed his face to look like a cat, male & female porn stars with sexual organs of the opposite sex - basically a whole new breed of altered people. A reminder that today you don't just have to play with the cards nature dealt you.

Whilst beautiful, I felt very detached from the virtuous sculptures and repelled and disinterested in the work to a degree, unable to make a connection. In hindsight, this is probably exactly how the artist wants you to feel as Quinn makes addictive viewing of the ongoing disconnect between body & soul.

PS I've just realised I chopped all the naughty bits out of my photos. Sorry about that :)

Louis Vuitton journeys

Gone (I hope) are the days of crass celebrity endorsement and a flashy show of fame for shallow commercial gain. In its place we're seeing more sophisticated partnerships matched with more intelligent story-telling. The dawn of a new era. 

I've already written about the rise of fashion film...and the latest Louis Vuitton journey shows just how good it can get. The online film experience is so engaging, I was on the site for about 20mins.

There are 3 journeys - the footballing legends (Pele, Madonna & Zidane), the astronauts & Annie Leibovitz with dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. It's a cross-generational sharing of stories and experience with a 'round the campfire' intimacy and friendliness.

Robin Hood Tax

I saw this on Curtain Road in Shoreditch last week on election night - I love drd (see previous post). I wonder what he's working on now the coalition dream team are in? Ha ha

Pick Me Up

The UK's first graphic art fair at Somerset House was a great day out and fantastic value for £5. Dalston's print club were in residence alongside the uber talented paper-cutter extraordinaire Rob Ryan who had recreated his studio and camped out there all week.  His space was full of personal effects and work, you could photograph anything and everything - it felt really inviting, honest and fun. I think galleries could take some learnings from this immersive and informal experience. I'd love to see more events like this, it's inspiring!

The Promised Land

This enigmatic and sensitively produced film stars Lois Winstone (Ray's daughter) and was directed by RSA's Michael Driscoll. The trailer brings to life 3 key works from artist Mitch Griffiths' stunning 'The Promised Land' exhibition.

Griffiths' 25 tantalisingly realistic paintings, on show at Halcyon Gallery, parody the ills of modern day Britain. Themes such as consumption, self-obssesion, national identity and vanity take centre stage. His style is both reminiscent of the old masters (for its composition, methodology and art historical references) and modern day advertising (in its immediacy and polish) which may explain his burgeoning following.

Get down to Halcyon Gallery (Mayfair) and check it out - only 2 weeks to go!

Delicate touch

Susie Cowie's embroidery is divine...

Paint

Paint is an exhibition at Rollo Contemporary showcasing the work of 4 painters who have graduated from UK art schools in the last 3 years. In particular, I enjoyed Matthew Atkinson's work (above) for its fantasy appeal, fascinating techniques and ambitious compositions. And Rhea O'Neill's shimmering landscapes (below) for their gentle power and artistic freedom.

In love with Lisson Gallery

I am totally in love with Lisson Gallery.  I've yet to visit but their exhibitions are imbued with a sense of mischievousness which never fails to tickle or delight me. Plus, they're completely on the money in terms of how they communicate. I'm itching to see this Ryan Gander exhibition. See you there.

Bill Montana - River Sounding

Woven into the fabric of Somerset's House's sunken walkways lie Montana's hypnotic sound and video installations. Away from the grandeur of the open courtyard, the working nooks and crannies of this immense building wait patiently. And it is here, tucked away from the open thoroughfare, that you can enjoy snippets of the soundtrack of our glorious River Thames.  It is a rare treat to be transported to peace & solitude, to a bygone era, to really revel in the simple, haunting sounds of our most-famed waterway. Very special.