Anax Imperator (Argent)

I was recently commissioned to create this new piece by a client who saw one of my dragonfly pieces, and then gave me free rein to create something with silver-leafed dragonflies. Anax Imperator (Argent) was the result. I really enjoyed creating this piece, and like the way in the finished piece that certain dragonfly wings catch and reflect the light. The piece when viewed as a whole, reminds me of a large silver Alium flower when it is viewed from a distance. I might just have to create a version in gold.

If you would also like to commission a bespoke work then contact me and we can discuss the details.

More Butterfly Couture

More butterflies floating down the catwalk courtesy of the S/S 2013 collection of the Korean fashion designer Lie Sang Bong. Liking the quirky Tiger Swallowtail butterfly glasses.

This dress below is interesting, a trellis-like framework covered with plastic cut-out butterflies. The centre-piece of the collection.

Some really nice colourful butterfly printed textiles which translate well onto fabric.

Byaku: Nahoko Kojima

Whilst we're on the subject of artists who work with paper, one of the great things about events like the recent Urban Art fair is that you get to meet people who like, (as well as those that don't like), your work. It's even better when you meet someone who turns you on to artists or exhibitions that had passed under your radar. One such artist recommended to me by a visitor was Nahoko Kojima who practices the art of kiri-e, (Japanese paper-cutting), and is currently showing at Jerwood Space, Union Street. The piece on display is titled: Byaku and is a papercut sculpture created from a very large sheet of Washi paper. It represents a life-size polar bear diving into the ocean, and took 7 months to create with Kojima apparently having to change the blade of her scalpel every 3 minutes. 

It is a really beautiful, ethereal piece, and is a totally convincing evocation of a polar bear, suspended in space. Thank you Eileen C. for the heads up on this artist, it was a pleasure to meet, (and be photographed), with you and your friends at Urban Art.

Paper: Saatchi Gallery

The Summer show at Cambridge Contemporary Art opened yesterday, and I was interested in seeing this show at the Saatchi Gallery about other artists who also work with paper, so jumped on my bike and cycled over to the King's Road. The Saatchi Gallery is a really nice exhibition space and the show, was I think, a mixed bag with some pieces which were really weak, or had a tenuous link with the paper theme, and others that really inspired me. I feel the curator could have created a stronger show by including internationally known paper artists like Peter Callesen, perhaps. Amongst my favourites in the show however were:-

Eric Manigaud who creates these amazing drawings from old photographs which are enlarged to larger than life scale. Manigaud shows masterly control in his use of shade, tone, and concentration when working on such a huge scale.

Jodie Carey takes copies of the Daily Mail and recycles them to make these fantastic flower arrangements below, which she then stains with tea, coffee and blood etc. to create something sculptural and stunning, but also slightly sinister.

Jose Lerma & Hector Madera made an impact with this massive bust of the former boxer Emmanuel Augustus which I thought was playful and fun. It looks as if he has gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson with the crumpled finish of the paper and those wonky lips.

Marcelo Jacome created what was probably my favourite piece in the exhibition shown below. Planos-pipas is an assemblage of paper kites which adds a flight of fancy, and some colour to the show. It uses the gallery space really well, and reminds me of a dragon or serpent snaking its way through the gallery. I would like to see it animated or given movement in some way.

Paper at The Saatchi Gallery continues until September 29th.

Summer Show Cambridge Contemporary Art

I am delighted to have been invited to exhibit once again at the Summer show of Cambridge Contemporary Art gallery. I made the trip up to Cambridge earlier last week to deliver the artwork, and there are a couple of new pieces that they will be exhibiting for me for the duration of the exhibition. The Summer Show runs from next Monday 29th July until 1st September 2013.

Cambridge Contemporary Art, 6 Trinity St, Cambridge CB2 1SU Tel: 01223 324 222
www.cambridgegallery.co.uk

Alice Kettle: Garden of England, The Queen's House, Greenwich

I first discovered the beautiful work of Alice Kettle in 1997, in an exhibition organised by Art Angels in the Neo-Natal department at King's College Hospital, Camberwell. At the time I had never seen anybody use fibre/textiles based crafts to create a body of work with fine art sensibilities like this before. She uses the humble sewing machine to actually paint and draw pictures of the human body. She was originally a fine art painter who then made the successful transition to thread and fibre art. Though small in size, the pieces displayed at King's really made an impact on me, and I never forgot them. Over the years I saw several larger pieces displayed at the Whitworth Art Gallery, on visits to Manchester, such as the Caryatids, which are a part of the Whitworth's permanent collection, and a beautiful Angel that she had created for a private collector, as well as other pieces on display at the CAA gallery in London. 

Alice is one of the foremost textile artists in this country and has an exhibition- Alice Kettle:The Garden of England,  currently running at the Queen's House, (next to the Royal Maritime Museum Greenwich),which is comprised of three new textile works. 

Above is Alice's portrait of Queen Henrietta Maria, based on existing paintings in the Queen's House collection. I really like the raised textures of the various embroidered stitches and fabrics collaged together in this portrait. It's also interesting how she has brought the thread out of the portrait and used it to wrap the the frame and run across the portrait to give it more depth. Below are textile flowers installed in the fireplace below the portrait.

The only thing that marred the viewing experience is the lighting levels which are really low to preserve the other artworks on show. This and the dark colours in the other galleries make it harder for the viewer to fully appreciate the subtleties of much of the stitch-work.

The two pictures above are of Flowerbed, a textile garden installation on the floor meant to evoke the Stuart and Tudor gardens which were a part of the grounds of the Queen's House and were also inspired by the embroidery of the period dress from the portraits of the monarchy on display in the Queen's House. It was made in collaboration with a series of makers and students.

The photos above are of Flower Helix, an installation in the stunning wrought-iron Tulip staircase of the Queen's House, which also reflect the lace dress of the courtiers and the flowers and plants found in the gardens of the Queen's house of the period. More of Alice's work can be found at her website here.

Alice Kettle: The Garden of England, continues at the Queen's House gallery, Greenwich until 18th August.

On Trend: Dragonfly Couture

It's Men's Fashion Week, and I seem to be bang on trend with one designer at least. Having earlier posted pictures of one of my new dragonfly pieces last month, I recently saw a picture of comic Graham Norton wearing a really nice black jacket embroidered with gold dragonflies. I did some detective work and managed to track it down. I found out that it is one of several pieces from Alexander McQueen's 2013 Spring/Summer collection also based on the lovely dragonfly.
I think Alexander McQueen was a fashion visionary, and I love what the McQueen team continue to produce, (see my previous post entitled Butterfly Couture here). This new collection is no exception, I really like their new dragonfly prints on bomber jackets, as well as the dragonfly embroideries on both the men's and women's formal wear. Glad to be on the same wavelength as this esteemed label albeit in a different medium.

I covet the embroidered jacket above, but at just under £5000,it is sadly way out of my league, as far as price is concerned. These prints below though, are equally gorgeous!

Nice attention to detail in the above print, and the cut of the jacket is sharp.

Glad to see rapper Meek Mill down with the dragonfly trend in another, brighter, colour variation of the more casual bomber jacket. I really like the way the designers have made something that could have been construed as essentially a feminine motif into an equally masculine print. Mind you there's also something for the ladies too in this blouse.

Embroidery detail is amazing as is the dress print detail below.

Want a pair of these men's loafers to go with the jacket!

As I said in an earlier post, dragonflies are my new obsession and I have been busy cutting and arranging more dragonflies also, to create a new piece entitled "Whisper", a snippet of which is seen below. It is an all-white piece that relies on light to cast shadows to highlight the dragonfly silhouettes. I am really pleased with how it turned out, as it was an experimental piece that I recently decided to frame. It will be flying out ready to make its gallery debut soon.