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Tag Archives: London

Showing: Tom French – “Transcend” @ Unit London

Opening this weekend at Unit London, Transcend is a retrospective of Tom French’s work following his tragic passing. Featuring two of the locally-based artist’s bodies of work – the Duality & Parallax and paintings – the exhibition is a tantalizing and bittersweet look at how far the talented creative had come and a hint at the direction he was heading. French’s calligraphy-like compositions oftentimes had an illusory component, perhaps the most famous of which were his skulls in the Duality series that were composed of images within images. […]

Showing: Mr Jago – ‘Rewild’ @ Unit London

Mr Jago’s third solo show at Unit London, entitled Rewild, draws to a close this weekend following a four week run at the Mayfair gallery. The exhibition’s title references the practice of reintroducing keystone species and replanting a landscape’s flora as a mechanism for restoring an ecosystem’s resilience and helping to address more globalized environmental problems. To be properly understood, the exhibition has to be read both as part of the lineal development of the Bristol-based artist’s practice and also within the much wider context of […]

Streets: Shepard Fairey – “Shadowplay” (London)

While in town for his show at StolenSpace, Shepard Fairey (interviewed) painted several murals around London. His third and final piece was entitled Shadowplay (one of the many versions of his Andre the Giant motif) and was painted outside of the Truman Brewery. Playing with halftone and gradient, the wall featured new technical territory for the American artist – looks like it turned out great tho! Photo credit: @zagnutz, @wherethereswalls, @jona231089, and @jonathanfurlong. Discuss Shepard Fairey here.

Showing: Sterling Ruby – “ACTS + TABLE” @ Gagosian (London)

Currently on view at Gagosian’s Britannia Street location in London, ACTS + TABLE features sculptural works from versatile artist Sterling Ruby. For his first showing with the gallery in the UK, the American artist has two series of works on display: ACTS or Absolute Contempt for Total Serenity – urethane blocks with trapped dyes in mid descent placed on top of laminate pedestals that show signs of vandalism (such as scratches, scuff marks, inscriptions, and traces of spray paint) and TABLE – salvaged welding tables affixed with metal pipes, faucets, and frying pans, a sort memorial […]

Showing: Banksy – ‘Gross Domestic Product’ (Greater London)

Unless required for work or family reasons, many Londoners balk at the prospect of journeying to the other side of their city. Localism or laziness are often at play. So if you ever wish to check the status of your relationship with a Londoner, there’s a simple test we believe is about 50% reliable: In case that person is based in West London, suggest meeting up for drinks in East London (or vice versa). And if they live north of the River Thames, invite them […]

Showing: KAWS – ‘Blackout’ @ Skarstedt (London)

Earlier this week, KAWS opened his first solo UK exhibition at Skarstedt Gallery in London. The show entitled Blackout presents two new bronzes and 10 new paintings that combine elements of his readily identifiable iconography with an increasing level of abstraction. Throughout his career, KAWS has embraced mass media culture as a valid and vital form of communication. Globalization has made cartoons like Spongebob and The Simpsons universally known and imbued them with the ability to transcend economic, cultural and linguistic borders in a way […]

Interviews: Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey (interviewed) officially became a household name in 2008 when he created the Obama Hope poster. But even years before that, the South Carolina-born artist already had a notorious reputation for his André the Giant Has a Posse sticker that transformed into the now legendary OBEY GIANT art campaign. Through his career, Fairey has addressed critical topics such as climate change, the Me Too movement, world politics, while basically reinventing the way people see art and the urban landscape. On October 5th, his series of shows around […]

Moniker UK ’19 / Previews: Andrew Hem @ Thinkspace Gallery

Later this week, the Moniker Art Fair in London will be the venue for Andrew Hem’s (interviewed) latest solo showing. Presented by Thinkspace Gallery, the new acrylic paintings from the American artist continues his use of a vivid palette while painting imagery inspired by his heritage, travels, and street culture. This new body of work also sees Hem further explore his recent fascination with the meta “painting within a painting” motif which you can see above as well in other pieces below. Discuss Andrew Hem here.

First Look: Banksy – “Gross Domestic Product” (Greater London)

An unusual new housewares “store” called Gross Domestic Product opened overnight in the south London town of Croyd0n. Turns out Banksy has now confirmed that the elaborate art installation is his, an attempt to hold off a greeting card company from seizing legal custody of his name by creating his own range of merchandise. The showroom on view for two weeks and featuring its own security guards will never open its doors, with all eventual sales being conducted online. No word yet on exactly what, when, or how […]

Moniker UK ’19 / Previews: Josh Keyes @ Thinkspace Gallery

With this year’s Moniker Art Fair in the UK opening soon, it’s time to look at some of the art soon to be on display. First up is a mini solo show from Josh Keyes (interviewed) showing with Thinkspace Gallery featuring his acrylic and panel pieces that deal the effects of humanity on our environment. Reoccurring themes and motifs abound in the new work including his renderings of statues, the natural world, underwater scenes, as well as juxtaposing graffiti in usual locations. Take a look at more preview images below… […]