‘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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How do you solve a problem like ‘Utopia’? Follow the Arts Trail!

September was a SCORCHER of a creative month!

First up, was London’s inaugural Design Biennale, held in a Somerset House, replete with a host of 37 global delegations, problem-solving the notion of ‘Utopia’, through pure, clear Creativity… Yes, friends, I repeat, Creativity, with a definitive, capital ‘C‘!

Something about the socio-political mood revealed the V and A weathervane, in the courtyard, with new eyes. Surrounded by a singular weather-system, within the cobbled square… the perfect, windswept movement of a majestic installation called to mind the damage that the ever-developing power of such wind would and could do, in parts of the world which I could not see.

Ensconced within the wings, both East and West, resided ingenuity and innovation borne beyond blue-sky thinking… such as Sweden’s curated ‘We-topia’, which encapsulated the impact of serendipitous community collaboration, to form a collective of artisans, articulating the diversity of devastatingly desirable, stylish and, moreover, sustainable, homeware… via ‘Level’, Austria’s paean to light and balance, reflecting the pointed delicacy of the global butterfly effect… to Spain’s neon-laced, VR Reality vision of the future, accessed through a mirrored time-tunnel, reminiscent of the final, technicoloured vortex to the full-circle life-span, in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’… From navigating the modernisation of irrigation systems, in order to enhance the growth and yield of vegetation, in addition to stimulating ecosystems, proposed by the U.A.E, to Greece’s audio-visual honouring of the migratory patterns of peoples and their bespoke utilisations of a unique composition of marble…the entire London Design Biennale experience did more than represent the United Nations of Innovation… Underneath, and often, starkly, beautifully evident, was the best of expertise in fabrication, function and flair, infused with joyous wit and extensive wisdom. It has been, and will remain, one of the most engaging, thought-provoking private viewings which I have ever attended… where offerings (some of which were tantalisingly unfinished the day before the launch) of the power of dreams, were made pragmatically, believably real… It was a undeniable triumph and I am already declaring, alto voce, ‘Roll on 2018’!

If that were not enough, up popped the first, ever, Catford Arts Trail! This free, open-house event (including workshops and activities), spread over two consecutive weekends, was based in-and-around 31 venues, enthusiastically celebrating the creative energy and spirit of entrepreneurialism flowing throughout the area (much like the River Ford used to do!).

Event experience corroborated that I was up at the crack of dawn, set up with a super-hearty breakfast, my trusty map and an empty bag… ready to be filled upon my Arts Trail adventure… and what a brisk few hours of flying-visits it was! In fact, I’m sure that my, somewhat, ‘Phileas Fogg excursion’ at the London Biennale, had prepared me for my artistic treasure hunt…

Every house was handsomely bedecked in a clutch of brightly-hued balloons, a signpost, standing proud and true, emblazoned with the ‘Catford Arts Trail’ logo and quite often, the added bonus of a handwritten welcome, second only to the glorious souls inviting us in!

I first paid a visit to see the wondrous world of intricately-woven 3D structures created by Stella Harding… some which resembled robust, warrior masks, others, no less impressive,  fashioned with measuring tape! I was delighted to ascertain that there were two places remaining upon her contemporary basketry course, at Morley College (although I somehow doubted that would be the case by the day’s end, so great were the pieces). Work by accomplished ceramicist, Robert Cooper, was also on show… this time, woven around narratives linked to the Japanese tea rituals and foraging at the River Thames for broken fragments of old crockery, from which to devise new stories, through re-purposed pieces. I believe I overheard him regaling a tale of his Aunty, to a fellow visitor as I left!

With a cool breeze for company,  directing me onward, I wound around the corner, to take in the home textiles of ‘Sophie Home’ and locally-themed prints of ‘Place In Print’. Once again, the array of wares was first-rate! Although demonstrating differing elements of the design spectrum, both sets of products screamed ‘modern classics’. From tea towels to cushions, I was particularly taken by the bold use of minimal, neutral colourways, spiced up with slices of citric tones, in the soft furnishings, as well as the quirky and most charming individuality to the playful prints.

Now, you won’t believe this…but, what with all of the fun and creative fact-finding, time veritably flew by…but I had one last stop to make before winging my way back to the homestead… Quite frankly, amidst all of this awesomeness, I needed my fill of fantastic fashion… I found it, and then some, at House 24, upon the trail… which is where I also remembered to pick up my ‘Catford Arts Trail Card’, which, when stamped 9 times, at 9 different venues, would automatically enter me into the draw to win £100 worth of goodies from my chosen Catford Artist!

Once I got my stamp, I got to know the uber-cool sculptural jewellery of Katie New. Colourbursts, like the richest of cabochons, radiated through her collection of handmade articles. Standouts combined the strength of precious metals with the embossed textures of fragile leaves and were a perfect foil to the stunning designs of Jasmine Carey a.k.a ‘Deco 22’. Having followed Jasmine’s continual rise as an exceptional style artisan, I am an absolute aficionado of the clean-lined aesthetic of apparel that she produces, with the quality of her precision-cutting and the overall outstanding execution of assembly, giving masterly substance to highly-covetable and wearable works of art. Highlights? The entire collection!…If pressed, then, my star-buy would have to be the nod-to-40’s-glamour, expressed as a belted black-and-white overcoat, with a fit-and-flare silhouette to live for, invisible pockets that are so invisible, you’d think they were trompe l’oeil, and a steal at £65, (due to it being a sample)! As for accessories (yes, she designs and makes those too!), I adored all of the leather goods.. from wallets/ card-holders, to folios… and the cutest gift bags, containing a pin cushion and pins, perfect for new and experienced crafting types, which were simply darling!

With that… I was creatively spent!

… I returned to Afrow-H.Q, a fully-fledged member of the Catford Arts Trailblazers (as I like to call us!)… with the enduring memory of, not only the warmth of welcome at each and every home, the willingness of each designer-maker to share their inspiring stories, but most of all, the camaraderie of fellow Arts Followers, cheerily directing one another along the way…

The sincerest of congratulations to all involved in continuing to spread the word about the strength-in-depth of creative endeavour, both borough-wide and globally….

In an ever-changing world, moving from relative strangers to creative neighbours is, surely, the greatest treasure of all!

©A_F_R_O_W2016-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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London Design Biennale 2016 ~ Somerset House

Catford Arts ~ Stella Harding ~ Robert Cooper ~ Sophie Home ~ Katie New ~ Deco22

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Twitter Testimonial from London Design Biennale!

“LDN Design Biennale Retweeted Afrow:

“Problem-solving the notion of ‘Utopia’, through pure, clear Creativity” – thanks to @A_F_R_O_W for a great review of @londonbiennale 2016”

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Twitter Testimonial from Sophie McNiven, Catford Arts Trail Organiser and Founder/Designer of ‘Sophie Home’

“Sophie Home ‏@shopsophiehome Oct 30

@A_F_R_O_W thanks so much for this write up! As one of the organisers of @catfordarts too, I’m particularly delighted to read of your joy!”

BFI Black Star Season: ‘Malcolm X’.

Paul Beatty has just won the Man Booker Prize for his novel ‘Sell Out’…

The title throws me back to ‘No Sell Out’, a seminal piece of hip hop history by Keith LeBlanc, which sampled an excerpt from Malcolm X’s legendary speech… a work on wax, which I used to hear when growing up… when summers were consistently sweltering … when Public Enemy and Big Daddy Kane were declaring, with pointed urgency, not to ‘believe the hype’ and that there could be, categorically, ‘no half-steppin’ to be taken amidst any naysaying voices trying to dissuade you from believing in and/ or expressing your innate greatness …

…which, in turn, sent me hurtling forward to the present day… quite some days post ‘Malcolm X’ screening at BFI Southbank. As part of the current ‘Black Star’ schedule, it was my first, ever viewing of the unfolding dichotomy of life-amidst-lynchings, projecting and protecting a ‘rep’ and the entirety of multi-faceted drama arising inbetween. Director/Actor, Spike Lee, boldly takes the helm of this labour of love (the first option, of which, dates back to heralded writer, James Baldwin’s first scripted version, in the late 1960’s), with an accomplished and gritty deftness… availing himself of an unflinching approach to expressing such an arc, which grabs you by the shoulders and pins you to your seat, from the get-go.

Lee captures the macrocosm of a seething America, trapped within the turmoil of violence and racism, in microscopic detail. Through a whirlwind of sound, vision and movement, the expanse of screen bursts vigorous story-telling, from hi-visibility power struggles of the streets, to the high-colour dress and dancehall days of Harlem. Of course, none of this can be achieved without the tour de force ensemble cast of players, whom, to a man and woman, summon up the absolute definition of authenticity and truth.

As the title role of Malcolm X, Denzel Washington delivers an acting 101. From the highs of becoming ‘the main man on the scene’, the denigrating lows of becoming ‘a number’ whilst incarcerated, to the turning point of his revelation of faith, Washington’s characterisation is as close to complete, as one can get. His on-screen opposite, the ever-engaging Angela Bassett,’co-chairs’ the piece, as Betty Shabazz, encapsulating sheer dignity and class, with deceptive simplicity. Having poured relentless tension out of the jar of biographical narrative, intermittent comic relief is served by Spike Lee, himself, who embodies overt humour, as Washington’s steadfastly devoted ally, ‘Shorty’. However, it is with Delroy Lindo that the epiphanies of Malcolm X’s journey are at their emotive best. Lindo, who plays ‘West Indian Archie’, is instantly unforgettable both, as, gangster in his ‘gambling-pomp’ (quite literally, making his affinity for numbers, pay) and ‘mentor’, taking Malcolm under his wing, as protégé. The quiet undercurrent of danger-in-designer suits, is a masterclass in menace, which serves to make the later, shared scene between a down-and-out, Archie, living in squalor and having suffered a stroke, and the post prison-release, reformed, X, beyond poignant, utterly heartbreaking, yet a wholeheartedly uplifting lesson in total love and forgiveness. Some time before the agonising ending, this was when I, absolutely, began to shed tears.

Faced with such extreme purity, I was absorbed by humility… embraced by a humanity, which transported me away from my plush, red seat. Out of my dramaturgical comfort zone, into a world, still ravaged by sorrow and injustice…and yet, one in which cinematic seasons can demonstrate how real stardom celebrates that the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart…. Where the gift of experiencing and sharing this with one another, makes us all stars.

©A_F_R_O_W2016-2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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The amazing ‘Black Star’ Season is on NOW, at BFI Southbank and nationwide! Click-through for more at:-

http://www.bfi.org.uk/black-star

@BFI  #BlackStar

Heartfelt @A_F_R_O_W-Appreciation to Ashley Clarke for the recommendation and Victoria Humphrys for the prize!

MATT GOSS: ‘GONE TOO LONG’…

There’s nothing like being in a recording studio.

Nothing like being faced with a mixing desk of many colours, ready and waiting to articulate the shades of life experience.

Whether decked out with lo-fi computer, turntables and a microphone, or the latest wall-of-sound set-up, being super-surrounded by a cocoon of creative possibility, anticipating the unique heart-mind-soul-technology reunion, emerging from that musical womb, is spine-tinglingly special.

I recently meandered down the lane of my sentimental studio-time recollections, whilst becoming reacquainted with the musical time-bank of Mr Matt Goss, who (seemingly a lifetime ago), courageously took the first, post-Bros step upon that proverbial thousand-mile journey, ending up across-the-pond.

As my solo listening-party took the scenic route from the pop-ode-to-ambition of ‘When Will I Be Famous?’ to the poignantly tender ‘Cat Amongst The Pigeons’, early indications were screamingly obvious as to the ever-increasingly creative potential and power to metaphorically encapsulate into 3-minute offerings, the dramatic vignettes of the everyday. Matt Goss’s continued metamorphosis from boy-to-man, a true grafter, navigating though joy and pain, has seen him honed into quite the multi-talented artisan, fulfilling all of his evident, early promise.

Traversing his life-path, both in real-time, and in multi-media formats, has seen the conception and delivery of projects via a myriad artistic outlets, including children’s author, autobiographer, poet and, of course, musician. In fact, his latest solo offering, has just come hot-off-the-presses, after his finishing at the crest of a 7½ year residency at Caesar’s Palace (with endless plaudits and ‘Icon Award’ in-hand), and seen him returning to our shores, to play a packed-out Wembley SSE Arena!

No less arresting than records from his extensive back catalogue, the intriguingly titled ‘Gone Too Long’ masterfully distils the loneliness of, simply, occupying the same space as the one you love and the insidious agony of acknowledging a certain coldness, where once was depth and warmth. Against a lulling backdrop of gentle piano, layers of atmospheric choral lines are awash with swathes of violins and stabbing pizzicato, plucking at the heartstrings, as the soulfully melancholic melody reiterates the refrain that ‘we should hold each other tonight…it’s not too late’.* As if peeling off a plaster from a wound that has yet to heal, the haunting echo of a spoken vocal, underpinned by a military drum-break, cuts through the false sense of emotional security, seamlessly overlaid by the ebbing and flowing of musical patterns, keeping the track entirely contemporary and tantalisingly Bond-like. Cue the monochromatic visual treatment (with the emotive performance akin to an indie film-short), also produced and directed by Goss, which compellingly mirrors the diminution of passion, into a world of stark desolation, through the modernity of clipped hip-hop choreography. Add to that some ultra-slick styling, spanning Hollywood glamour to present-day swagger, and you have a truly impressive production.

In Matt Goss, himself, you have an artist with the acute emotional literacy and attention-to-detail to access ‘the moment’, define it with clarity and intention, and deliver the epiphany of lessons learnt. Without becoming stuck or weighed down by the past, he boldly surrenders to the truth which is resident at the seat of the soul and openly encourages the listener to, not only, share in the experience, but re–create it in his/her own voice, whether of the internal, ‘thinking’, kind, or of the externally audible. In this way, his impact reaches far beyond the mere action of downloading or uploading.

I’ve found that to appreciate his present sound within the context of reprising the past, has been an expedient reminder that compassion, humility and civility run through Goss’s lifeblood. His entire body of work defies time and will continue to do so, simply because of the profoundly innate connection he has with that which emanates as his true treasure….music.

Whilst nothing happens before the time, I rather look forward to further examples of his unlimited giftings (an anthology of lyrics/ poetry would be wonderful!) because Matt Goss has certainly filled the outline of my heart with the purity of love of the craft residing within his and I have no doubt that ‘Gone Too Long’ will do the same for fellow heartfelt, hopeful romantics everywhere!

Enjoy!xxx

© @A_F_R_O_W2016-2019 All Rights Reserved

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The new single ‘GONE TOO LONG’ by Matt Goss is OUT NOW!

See the video and buy the amazing track at: www.mattgoss.la

*Lyrics ©MattGoss2016 All Rights Reserved

Twitter: @mattgoss ~ Facebook: iammattgoss ~ Soundcloud: Matt Goss Music

“Punctured Perspectives” by Kirstie Macleod: A Fine Point on Embroidery!

Sometimes, intention and outcome do not marry… and yet, opposites attract… so they often court for a time.

Such was my experience, as I, inadvertently, paid a visit to Rook and Raven Gallery, the day after a much-anticipated Private View of ‘Punctured Perspectives’, the first U.K solo show by British Artist, Kirstie Macleod.

Reaching my destination with an hour to spare, I absorbed the environs surrounding its Rathbone Place location, meandering through Stephen and Charlotte Streets, winding my way, bobbin-like, around Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street… visiting bookshops and renewing my familiar vista of this global capital city, with replenished hidden gems of the ‘boutique’ descriptions, from hotels, to high-fashion!

Finding it all-too-easy to get happily lost in newfound objets d’intérêts, I retraced my route to the gallery. Now, past time for the event to begin, an event filled with the promise of multi-disciplinary artistry, I stood quietly, in wonderment at the stillness. With fewer guests than I had expected…in fact, just yours truly… the perfectly-timed arrival of the ever-accommodating Rook and Raven gallerista, to open the door, cheered my heart!

“Excuse me? Has the P.V been cancelled?”

The kindly face gently answered, “The P.V was yesterday…but you’re more than welcome to come in and have a look around!”

I cannot tell you the exact entirety of my emotional excursion, however, I’d compare the spike from crestfallen to elation, to the milliseconds it takes Lewis Hamilton to reach the corner first, at the start of a high-octane F1 race!

I can tell you the sheer bliss of being the only visitor within a space, itself, adorned with mixed-media and textile art of the most gently arresting order. Peppered, at intervals, with lively exchanges as to the dynamism and richness of Kirstie Macleod’s wide-ranging works, I marvelled at the ambition wrapped within deceptively simple formats and materials. I am drawn to the keenly-observed flight formations expressed in matt black thread upon cotton. Displayed one after the other, they hypnotically echo in the mind, as the titles ‘Murmur I’ and ‘Murmur II’, suggest. Juxtaposed in both position and hue, is ‘Lacuna’. A contemporary celebration of colour, the vibrancy is emboldened by a succession of acute, embroidered angles which cut like the Shard against a cumulo nimbus sky. Move, if you will, to ‘Mu’, 132 x 162 cm of glossy red, tonically reading as MAC’s ‘Ruby Woo’ with lashings of clear ‘Lipglass’ hovering atop… The drilled holes only adding a glorious imperfection, similar to the gentle fade of lipstain, over a giddy evening of fine dining! The textural exploration continues into ‘Flow’, where stark matt white creates a backdrop upon which the drilled finish portrays a prickly-heat, insistent energy.

The momentum is topped and stopped by ‘Barocco’*.

It is the unique centrepiece of the collection….

A highly-decorated gown of deepest red, which is exhibited within a perspex cube….

…the embellishment, of which, has been hand-embroidered by 50 global contributors, thus far! With each artisan comes a stunning narrative of idiosyncratic stitches, symbolism and distinct prismatic combinations, to mesmerise the onlooker. It is a gown of concentrated cultural conversations, which has taken extreme concentration to express and just as Kirstie’s performance of sewing the dress, whilst she wears it, you almost find yourself dancing around the cube in order to trace the path of these most intricately-layered patterns! Being a 10 year-project, due to end in 2019, the final embellished design of the dress is yet unknown, however the aim is that, resultant of the extent of needlework, the soft fabric will eventually become a robust sculptural piece, strong enough to stand, unsupported.

Although tonight will see the finale presentation of ‘Barocco’, before the piece travels to its next destination, due to popular demand, the entire exposition has been extended and this stunning acclamation of embroidery can be seen at the Rook and Raven Gallery until April 11th 2015. As with the best design motifs, I wholeheartedly encourage repeat visits, but be prepared to want to move and to be moved…because this ‘rough or imperfect pearl’ is a diamond of a ‘stand-alone’ exhibition!

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The unmissable ‘Punctured Perspectives’ by Kirstie Macleod is on until 11/ 04/ 2015 at Rook and Raven Gallery, 7 Rathbone Place, London W1T 1HN!

Gallery Opening Hours: Tuesday ~ Friday: 11 a.m > 6.30 p.m; Saturday: 11 a.m > 6 p.m; Sunday: Closed; Monday: By Appointment Only

* Barocco: Ancient Portuguese for ‘rough of imperfect pearl’…

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©AFROW2015-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

“A FAIR TO REMEMBER!”

I’ll say this…

…for now, only once (with advance apologies for repetition to the affirmative, in future posts!), but, with regard to fairs of the Fine Art ilk, 2014 has, to my mind, been the strongest year, yet.

From ‘Works On Paper’ at the awe-inspiring Science Museum, ‘The Other Art Fair’, (or TOAF), with its ever-edgy takeovers, at The Old Truman Brewery and Ambika P3, through to ‘The Independent Artist Fair’, (or TIAF, not to be confused with TOAF!), only the pitch-of-a-stone from Brick Lane and encouragingly organic and lo-fi, the common denominator has been the ability to maintain creative integrity for all artists involved, whilst simultaneously harnessing the entrepreneurial energy, worthy of a well-loved and respected developing ‘cottage industry’ template.

Take, for example, the aforementioned, ‘TOAF’.

It stays cerebrally locked since, in one fell swoop, its Director, Ryan Stanier, has successfully orchestrated a move to combine the best of the Creative Arts and simultaneously do away with the stereotypes of a world, exclusively inhabited by those of a certain socioeconomic background. Having attended a healthy amount of Private Viewings, it is clear to see that, as per the inclusive nature of the creative energy, itself, all walks are, not only welcomed and encouraged, but, in fact, vital to the lifeblood of this event-model. Founded in a desire to expose the wide range and eclecticism of Art at its highest level and reflected by the practitioners selected, the experience is paramount… Thus, the propostion of meeting and greeting with inspirational emerging and established talent, seeing their work within buildings which mirror the dynamism of the artistic energy they will house and adding culinary and musical fayre to maximise ‘the vibe’ (and rival any top London nightspot), becomes immensely exciting and enticing!

Let me make it clear, that the zeal-for-zeitgeist is not to the detriment of an authentic desire to simply share and engage on a holistic level. Kinetic to kinaesthetic, Stanier employs the diversity of Arts and crafts them into an authentic dialogue between maker and potential buyer, whilst managing to dissipate any pressure to consume, through the lively rendering of the backdrop of London culture. It is intense as it is genius! As if to compound the vision for ‘all-access-Art’, TOAF was a brand-partner at the recent ‘Off The Rails’ menswear event. Held, once again, at The Old Truman Brewery, it served to blow the doors off the image of an ‘apparel man-cave’, rather, embodying a treasure-trove of classic and contemporary collections for the modern man…Naturally, this was an absolutely perfect fit, vis-a-vis promoting the cross-fertilisation of complementary accoutrements for such lifestyles. Attending the four-day event was a distinct pleasure, made all-the-more amazing, by the speed of site-turnaround, given that the venue had played host to TOAF, less than a fortnight prior!

It is this marriage of a sensibility to multi-platform creative expression and a supreme logistical skillset, underpinned by sharp media-savvy and the pure passion of their manifestion, which has resulted in the rise of bringing art to the masses. If the round-the-block queue at TOAF’s last event was anything to go by, the popularity is only set to increase…meaning greater exposure to even greater artistic talent…and that is fine by me!!

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The Other Art Fair

The Independent Artist Fair

Works On Paper Fair

Off The Rails

The Old Truman Brewery