“Add first-class Crafts Council exhibition to your 2018 #Collect-ion!”

“Don’t look at it.”

“Do not look at it.”

“Do. Not. Do. It!”

… I hear my inner self repeat, with increasing urgency…

It, being the gorgeous bumper edition of gallerists and artisans represented in the exhibition programme, for the Craft Council’s 2018 edition of “Collect”.

Had I so done, I should have missed my raw and undercooked responses to the copious amounts of brilliance, staged within the haven of the ever-immersive, ever-metamorphic, Saatchi Gallery.

Had I succumbed, I should never have wandered, gawping and wide-eyed, with childlike wonderment, at the genius on show.

Thus, I resisted, and the urge fled, swiftly replaced by internal utterances, released upon sighs of creative satisfaction, at the indescribable, maker-to-viewer, virtuous circle.

It’s as if I didn’t know I needed to eat, until I was eating…. and I’m ingesting a one-time-only, Ossobucco-risotto-of-artistry, garnished with lightly-grilled garlic and flitting flakes of taste-bud-tingling, bites of bacon… Followed by dark, decadent, cherry-chocolate Eton Mess with a flourish of glistening sauce and a scintilla of snow-iced sugar!!

Yes! We’re talking, transcendence of levels!

The restless wresting of pre-determined vocation and preternatural aptitude, with optically chiasmic outcomes that shatter mythological starting or finishing points… Instead, impelling you simply follow that which is vanishing.. because, therein dwells the actual point where true art begins…

Sow “SEE-DS” at the turnstile of this mixed-media manifestation, where concrete and polystyrene form alliances with resin and styrofoam…Witness the wonder of woodwork-tradition holding hands with its technological progeny, under the watchful eye of Sarah Myerscough and see it transformed, in all of its spine-bending glory, at the “Designer Bookbinders” locale, where delicate iterations abound and a deluge of the literary, literally seeps beyond the covers, throwing down the gauntlet, as you dare walk past! No sooner do you grasp, than are your fingertips glazing luxuriant ivory leather, eye-line entranced by piercing palladium and leaves of glittering gilt. At the hands of Annette Friedrich, Virginia Woolf howls orders that you re-direct your discerning glance, in appreciation of a seven-year expedition to visually express her stellar text. Willingly observe, for here you will find a pass-the-parcel of encasement, elevating the elegance of prospective presentation into an exhileration of reception!

“The Bishopsland Educational Trust” invites you to continue their quarter-century celebration, with the gift of silver. Exquisite interpretations of argentum adorn the space with a dazzling display of decorative designs, balancing the conceptual and the practical with distinct ease. Search diligently “Among The Trees” to find a fine “Fractal Wrap Bowl”, the faithful incarnation of a “Silver Leaf Pen Tray” and an “Undercliff Walk Dish, Looking out to Sea”… All, of which, are, in the estimation of one, justifiably-impressed attendee, “entirely Insta-worthy”! Take time to daydream there… you will soon be in concurrence!

“MadeInBritaly” Gallery makes a mighty ‘stand’ for outlandish ostentation, with a gregarious presentation of the works of Shakespeare! The height of ‘peacocking pottery’, it is an adaptation of extreme abandon…The height of embellishment, its contemporary portrayal of the “Bard”, in ceramicist Sunday Best, with all of the trimmings, is akin to an anarchist fashionista, beholding herself in the mirror, whom, rather than removing her last string of pearls, will add another ten, plus a clutch of brooches, for even greater measure of lasting looks!

The chorale of complementary ceramic appeal on offer in the domain of acclaimed gallerist, Cynthia Corbett, is undeniable. Riotous in regurgitated Royal Doulton, fair, smashed to smithereens by creator, Sandra Shasou, about-face and come face-to-face with a bewildering rendering of glaze-dripping desserts, which, subliminally induce the childhood feelings of having over-eaten, when the innocent tin of chocolates has been left ajar and becomes a Pandora’s box of tempting treats! Equally, in real-time adulthood, be prepared that you might wish to leave but, like the best of delectable delights, will somehow, be unable to tear yourself away…

…and yet, extricate yourself, you must, for the prospect of deeper emotional alignment awaits…

…in the constellation of the “London Glassblowing Gallery”…

which is mind-blowing!

Never… I repeat, NEVER, have I experienced such perceptibly perplexing prismatic soul-stirring… It’s impossible maths, made plausible!

Shapes and undulations are, initially, recognisable… cuboids and spheres, for instance… until a plenitude of pyramids come into view, seeming to subdue the perfect storm of internal, ice-blue vortices. Not over. Etch-encrusted forms appear and, that which you cognitively know to be glass, beguiles you, enough to override synapses and believe, definitively, otherwise! Still not over. Empowered by the ethereal, Sabrina Cant certainly can and does mystify, with dichroic treatments. Think, solidified lustre-dust, contracting the Saatchi surrounds and transmuting them into the pitch-black counterpoint of a hand-held kaleidoscope. The Gallery becomes a galaxy, the longer you stare.

Not over, still, for the pages of their studios are as open books, to visitors wishing to become immersed within the library of pursuit of such high creativity.

I register reverberation around my inner ear… “Is it all too beautiful, too rare?” I recognise the refrain as, altogether, fallacy. In rebuke, I answer. “It is undeniably necessary, to be present amidst oeuvres which overwhelm the senses, nay, fundamental in re-igniting the inherent comprehension of the infinitesimal ends to which these master-artisans will reach, in order to give existence to the extraordinary.” Mic dropped…reverb silenced!

“Collect” is intrinsically thus.

The Crafts Council has enclothed the Saatchi Gallery with an unswervingly spirited assemblage of objets d’art, as much conversant with each other, as with the active onlooker. Their resonant, idiosyncratic idioms tuck and taper into the concave chambers of the heart, until, out of the many, emerges one, universal level, that being, the harmony of Human Connection.

On this, the final day, I encourage you to add the unique beauty of your voice to this indelible creative experience and realise, first-hand, the fortifying dynamics of its uncompromisingly unifying, Universal soul-song.

 

 

©A_F_R_O_W2018-2019. All Rights Reserved.

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“Collect”, The International Art Fair For Contemporary Objects, presented by The Crafts Council, which ends today (25 February 2018)!

Social Media:-

CRAFTS COUNCIL

Twitter: @CraftsCouncilUK ~ Instagram: @craftscouncil ~ Facebook: @CraftsCouncilUK ~ Website: www.craftscouncil.org.uk

SAATCHI GALLERY

Twitter: @saatchigallery ~ Instagram: @saatchi_gallery ~ Facebook: @saatchigalleryofficial ~ Website: www.saatchigallery.com

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Profound @A_F_R_O_W-Appreciation to Jill and Maria from the Crafts Council, for organising my incredible visit to the one-of-a-kind experience of “Collect”!

 

 

 

 

 

‘Just Kids’ Ekows youth, with g-Ilori-ous designs on life!

‘EX.TRA.ORD.INARY!’

I said.

‘Here?!… Errr, are you sure?!’

He said.

’44 Great Russell Street! Yes! This. Is. It!’ I exclaimed, eyeing-up my destination with unadulterated glee, whilst my, ex-policeman, driver suspiciously cased the joint, with entirely less enthusiasm… Pupils darting from dash-to-doorway, he confirmed the number and wished me a, no less quizzical, ‘Have a nice day?!’, as I sent a sunshine smile his way… Nothing was going to rain on this parade… Neither an unconvinced driver, nor the inference of imminent precipitation from the indecisive clouds above!

One man’s doubt was my wonderment!

To me, this crumbling Georgian townhouse in the centre of London, was the architectural embodiment of a stroppy teen. Unkempt, undone…. As if it had just rolled out of bed, to be faced by early-visiting relatives… whilst utterly overshadowed by its beyond-presentable, elder sibling opposite, in the guise of The British Museum! In this case, considering myself the ‘cool Aunt’, who sees beyond the skin-deep, I sought to get to know the narrative behind the edgy, yet dishevelled styling of this work-in-progress…

No sooner thought, than materialised Maria, Gaby (and later, Emily), of Plinth UK, part of the four-strong collaboration (including ‘Photo London’, ‘Sedition’ and ‘Thames and Hudson’), presenting this on-edge edifice for its imminent launch, that evening, as ‘The Magnum Home’…. a boldly inventive, site-specific, multi-media presentation of ‘Magnum Photography’ and interior design installation, as curated by Cultural Polymath, Ekow Eshun and Artist extraordinaire, Yinka Ilori, respectively.

As I was to learn, there would be a lot to celebrate… What with Magnum celebrating its 70th anniversary, a range of complementary, unique merchandise and a Thames and Hudson publication to fête…there would, in addition, be the sheer triumph in overcoming the feat of transforming this shell and nurturing the angst-ridden, adolescent assembly into an absolute must-see, Magnum Home-of-a-house-party!

This was my idea of pre-private-view perfection!

My diehard loyalty to experiencing the behind-the-scenes process, in search of the sneak-peek pieces of the progress-report were, as ever, fuelling my creative engines… Such anecdotes as the microscopic attention-to-detail with which Ilori approached his responses to the photography, which co-curator, Eshun, had ‘trawled’* through, were captivating. From conceptualising the ‘Venice Beach Room’ in lengths of lofted, multi-coloured Dalston drapery and matching beach umbrellas, to upcycled deckchairs with bespoke Aburi fabric, designed by Eva Sonaike, the primary relationship between hues, not only juxtaposed the stark black-and-white series by David Hurn, but further, seemed to pull the emotional richness and spirit from each image, rendering the substance alive within the space. Having drawn the eye up through soft-furnishing treatments, the skylight reconnected me to the sun (not rain!), and as swathes of rays came flooding in, I was immersed further into the West-Coast world of ‘Perfect 10’, bikini-clad babes and bicep-curling bodies, some on-the-cusp of ‘Muscle Beach’ glory… others not! Yukka plants further guided my eyes down to a floor which had not been ignored….quite literally inscribed with a single series of lines, as to invoke the boardwalk and roads, which, to me, mirrored the plethora of teen human traffic, waiting to flirt their afternoons away, before finishing or, moreover, starting their homework! The youthful need to be centre-of-attention, was represented by a bold block of blue, upon the courtyard wall. Definitely flashy… almost gaudy, it is accompanied by a bench, in-turn, supported by sherbet-lemon yellow barrels, embellished in pen-and-ink, utilising Ilori’s idiosyncratic flourish….the prime position for a selfie-centred shot!

The Plinth ethos of integrating art and design in an authentic and multi-accessible way would spiral upwards through the house, which, with every step of my expertly-guided tour, was transforming into an ever-increasingly, thought-provoking, home. Eshun’s awareness of the ‘danger of romanticising youth culture’** was compressed into a finely-assorted array of photographs, acutely dissecting its rollercoaster-like dichotomies…. From the chilling portrayal of political ambition of the next-gen UKIP candidates, being displayed, disconcertingly prom-style, ascending the staircase… and the extreme anger captured through the monochromatic lens of Ian Berry, in the stiflingly small ‘Skinhead Room’, to the feisty ode to West Midlands glamour on a gregarious night out and the high-octane Harrow Boys, flanked by disapproving parental looks, which formed Martin Parr’s collection, the visceral intensity of the ‘pack tendency’ was, at once, hard-hitting and eye-opening.

Chris Steele-Perkins, meanwhile, packed a punch with a room that visually soliloquises the group aesthetic, through the viewfinder of the Black diaspora… Encapsulating the joy of the dancehall days, through ‘Disco’, the larger-than-life print, mirroring the flamboyant females who’ve taken-to-the-floor… holding court up-high, whilst mid-twist and bowing down-low, in almost reverential catharsis! Not to be outdone, a portrait sits above the mantelpiece… pride-of-place, as if to suggest the ‘number one son’… Staring, quietly confident, through a crown of cascading dreadlocks, the unframed persona showcases effortless style and profound substance. This palpable freedom threw me back to Parr’s Harrovians, whose hyperactivity, although captured in a full-bleed palette, is being contained by the use of solid frames…which, to me, spoke to the hovering constraint of tradition.

In the ‘East-Coast Room’, such tacit messages would continue to register via the compelling works of Ferdinando Scianna and Eve Arnold. Surrounded by images in New York subway trains, you are with the people…. watched over by ‘The Guardian Angels’ at one end and an extreme close-up of a fellow male passenger at the other… hanging off the ceiling handles and leaning into the lens, as if he were about to kiss you on the cheek! The sense of belonging, as witnessed in one group, is beautifully contrasted by the sensibility of developing flirtatious assertiveness…

By the time you reach ‘Cuba’ (a.k.a ‘The Isle of Youth’) on the top floor, creaking floorboards and dust-clouds give way to full-blown ‘amor’! Entering through a heavily-beaded, rust-hued curtain, an amalgamation of its dynamism and passion are symbolised texturally, through woven textiles, tonally, through clashing fabric patterns and sonically, (during the evening viewing), with booming Cuban-heel-tapping basslines! A visually vociferous canon of calorific attraction by Michael Christopher Brown, are pinned-up, like teen idol posters, devouring the den walls… The hours poured into Instagram research into the country, conducted by Ilori, have certainly paid off!

Absorbing the greatness on offer left me full-to-bursting… and returning to the start of my journey I was carried, three-sixty, from the hot Tropics, back to the ‘Club Tropicana’-vibe of Venice Beach… More enthused than ever, I was also left anticipating the night ahead… which promised much and, due to teamwork-making-the-dream-work, completely over-delivered, in every way imaginable!

‘The Magnum Home’ is a thunderous meteor amidst the ‘Photo London’ firmament… ‘Just Kids’, a free, all-encompassing, once-in-a-lifetime rendition of the thrills and spills of youth lifestyle… Its masterful curation distils the ‘white cube’ experience, by expanding it into an, unintimidating, tangible environment with which we can endlessly relate, namely, ‘home’. ‘Barbie Dream-Home’ it is not, but its raw and undercooked state segues seamlessly into the very nature of the young, rough-diamond within us all and with interactive events and tours set to run through Sunday, who knows what unearthed potential you might discover?!

~

©A_F_R_O_W2017-2019. All Rights Reserved.

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Click-through for:-

Events at ‘The Magnum Home’

Limited Edition Merchandise for ‘The Magnum Home’

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Quotation Credits:-

*Ekow Eshun: @EkowEshun (Twitter: 16/05/2017) ~ **Ekow Eshun: P.V Q & A (‘The Magnum Home’ 16/05/2017)

Congratulations and warmest Afrow-appreciation to ‘Team Plinth’ for such an amazing time…with special mention to Maria, Gaby and Emily for being the most illuminating tour-guides…and Team VERNISSAGE__ for the Blogger recommendation!

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‘DOTTY FOR MATT FORSTER’S UBERART!’

So here’s what you’ll do…

When your soul cries out for sustenance of the extrasensory kind, follow my lead, to the ‘Royal Opera Arcade Gallery’, London, and begin a most fulfilling journey of delicious ‘Über Art’! Created and developed with relentless fervour by the man, whom I like to call ‘Watercolour Wizard’, but whom is better known by the moniker of Matt Forster, this latest exposition is a vibrant testament to all of his dedicated efforts…and being of the ‘über’ variety, there’s more than enough to go around!

Noticeable is the space which houses the majestic collection…

A split-level gallery, flooded by luminescent white-light, akin to that of Skywalker’s sabre…Poised, yet utterly yielding to the array of immersive, wrap-around watercolour works!

Flowing from figurative to abstract, landscape to dreamscape, multicolour to monochromatic, über to klein, each piece immediately resonates with a clarity of purpose and distinctive technical execution, which speaks volumes to the subconscious. Forster is fearless in experimentation… collaging, cutting-out, scraping-back, slicing angles… Each, a willing foil for expressing his vision. In one mesmerising series, he seems to ‘liberate’ paint-spots and yet, contain the liquid movement, so as to become controlled ‘dot-formations’, of ever-increasing tonal and visual depth. In fact, with such gusto for graphics and colour collaborations, you would be forgiven for thinking him a designer of a couture collection for Spring-Summer 2015!

The opportunity to sojourn in the selection of global destinations is wonderful… In a hushed millisecond, collective languages can almost be deciphered exchanging tales of their pictorial formation! ‘Dos Pinturas’, ‘High Noon’ and ‘The Band San Cristobal de las Cases’, masterfully regale of reflective days in sunsoaked climes, whereas ‘Über Autumn’ and ‘Über Pennines’ celebrate the richness to be found amidst the more muted hues of our glorious British Isles. The latter, particularly capturing the masculinity of terrain, with the femininity of undulating hills or rippling waves… Pure, authentic, beautiful and boldly interpreted.

However, I would entreat you not to overeat the enticing wall-mounted fayre, for this is a week of artistic delights which offers even more! Indeed, this selection coincides with the launch of ‘The Art of MJ Forster’, his first, limited edition, retrospective book, the production of which, was made possible by a hugely successful crowd-funding campaign. What you will see displayed is accompanied by what you will get in the stunning publication, produced by ‘The Town and Country Gallery’…so you can snack on further morsels, at leisure!

What I would encourage you most definitely do, is partake of the ‘Über Art’ experience, firsthand… Meet Matt himself. He’s a highly personable and witty character, with an underlying intensity and creative sensibility, in perfect complement to the idiosyncratic medium of watercolour. Assuage that artistic appetite…go on….but be prepared to want, at least, a second helping from such a prolific menu!

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‘The Art of MJ Forster’: A Retrospective Exhibition (and Book Launch) is on now until Saturday 11th October at The Royal Opera Arcade Gallery, 5B Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 4UY.

Books are available for purchase during the exhibition, from ‘The Town and Country Gallery’ and via Matt’s newly revamped website!

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Afrow-Appreciation to:-

Simon de Pinna and the ROA GAllery for hosting a fabulous P.V and…

… HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Matt Forster….

…‘Über Artist’ extraordinaire and, hopefully, future fashion/fabric designer!

©AFROW2014-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED