London Olympics 2012 Revisited

I was recently commissioned to create another version of Citius, Altius, Fortius, (see my earlier post below), by the Rowley Gallery. This piece commemorates London hosting the XXX Olympiad Games, and I was really happy to revisit the theme, having been completely swept up in the feelgood factor and wave of national euphoria  generated by both the Olympic and Paralympic Games over the summer.

Another artist who takes architecture as the central theme of her work, and has documented the development of the Olympic site and building of the various sports arenas in Stratford is the wood engraver and printmaker Anne Desmet.

I became familiar with her work previously, at the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, with her stunning series of huge architectural Babel Flowers prints, (above), that were on show there. These were hung next to a series of Piranesi's moody, interior etchings and there are quite clear parallels between the works of the two. Having been a lino cutter I loved the immediate graphic qualities of her work. They also remind me of the wartime woodcuts of Edward Wadsworth of the Dazzle Ships.

The transformation of the site in the east end, from demolition, clearing and development and subsequent construction of the Olympic Park site, is wonderfully documented through the beautiful graphic imagery of this series of wood engravings. These wood engravings provide a more useful document, and are stronger visually, (in my opinion), than the officially commissioned artwork by well known artists, chosen by the Olympic committee. I like the way in which she takes the art of wood engraving in a new direction by mounting the prints on unusual materials such as razor bill sea shells, slate and also mirror to stunning effect.

Affordable Art Fairs Battersea/Hampstead 2012

I will be exhibiting my screen-prints Kaleidoscope and Can't Buy Me Love, with Jealous Gallery at the Affordable Art Fairs in Battersea Park (25 - 28 Oct. 2012, and Hampstead (1 - 4 Nov. 2012). Contact Jealous if you would like complimentary tickets. 
Tel: 020 8347 7688 or info@jealousgallery.com

Maps of the Heart

I have been creating my 'Maps of the Heart' for a good few years now. These represent geographical areas that hold a place in a persons heart, and are special to whoever commissions them as they serve to symbolise a personal connection to a place. I recently came across these funny (and cynical), examples of maps which purport to be of both men's and women's hearts. These have been produced since the nineteenth century in America originally by D.W. Kellogg. They seem highly contentious judged by todays' standards, but quite amusing nonetheless. Fickle,vain and coquettish ladies? Dread of matrimony and lacking in good sense gents? Let the battle of the sexes commence! 

 

Lucian Freud Etchings

Visited the Courtauld, (one of my favourite galleries), to see the small but beautiful exhibition of Lucian Freud etchings which were recently gifted to the Courtauld by the artist Frank Auerbach, who was a great friend of Freud. They met in the 1950s and remained good friends until Freuds death. Many of the etchings are signed "With love to Frank" by Freud. It was refreshing to see such beautiful graphic, mark-making and of course Freuds' customary masterly draughtsmanship. The last of the images below is a portrait of Freud by Auerbach. Highly recommended.

 

 

Citius, Altius, Fortius: London Olympics 2012

The London Olympics 2012, (officially the games of the XXX Olympiad), begin in this beautiful city at the end of this week on the 27th July. I was asked to create a piece of artwork to commemorate this occasion but didn't feel particularly, inspired especially when I look at the official pieces created by well known artists that were commissioned by the Olympic committee.

I was at the Rowley Gallery last week however, and was given a copy of one of the limited edition Ordnance Survey maps of the Olympic Park over in Stratford and asked to see what I could come up with by Chris, one of the directors of the gallery. The map was created in conjunction with the Institute of Civil Engineers and as far as I understand only made available to the Institute of Civil Engineers and schools.The map charts the clean up and development of the area and construction of the various sports arenas from 2001 to the present day.

 

I love a good map especially the older ones where the paper quality is thicker and the graphics have a nicer quality than modern maps. I am usually loathe to cut into the vintage maps but didn't really have any such qualms about cutting into the 'Engineering the Olympic Park' map. Chris had previously supplied me with a beautiful old Michelin map and asked me to create one of my 'Map of the Heart' series which had a connection to the history of the Rowley Gallery (see Rowley Gallery blog).

My inspiration for Citius, Altius, Fortius (the official Olympic motto meaning Faster, Higher, Stronger), was the athletes arriving in London last week and also the grey skies and unusually heavy amount of rain we have been experiencing in the UK this summer. Most of the map is grey and a little drab which is an apt reflection of the wet weather we have endured. The piece is basically a metaphor for the arrival of the athletes bringing with them some much needed colour to a grey, wet, London. Like certain species of butterfly they descend on the capital (and UK), for a season, (two weeks in this case), delight us with their prescence, prowess, and beautiful bodies, before fluttering off and migrating back to their usual climes and habitats when the Games are over.

Creating Citius, Altius, Fortius, was a slight departure from my usual method of working as I drew and cut the butterflies with a scalpel rather than my usual scissors. I found this quite labour intensive, and hard on the fingers, but an enjoyable process nonetheless.

I'd like to thank Chris for providing the inspiration for the Citius, Altius, Fortius, and for allowing me to slice into his map. You can view it now along with other Olympic themed artworks at the Rowley Gallery 115 Kensington Church Street, London W8.  

Metamorphosis

This is a true story posted by Chris Hamer of the Rowley Gallery, on their 'Frames of Reference' blog.

One day a man from over the hills came into the shop to buy a greeting card. He was a graceless man of few words though he did say the card was for his sick mother, but the words seemed to stumble over his tongue as he spoke. He was a large, lumbering, oaf of a man yet he was very quick to choose a card, and he paid for it with a crisp, new £50 note.

The humble shopkeeper took the payment from his calloused hand and felt a shiver in her bones, but she completed the transaction and gave the man his change. When she later tried to deposit the note at her bank the cashier refused to accept it, saying it was a fake and not worth the paper it was printed on. The shopkeeper was outraged and determined to increase the value of her payment. She went to see the Scissor Wizard whose dexterous hands transformed the counterfeit note into a trio of perfect butterflies, increasing its value threefold. His quick fingers animated the creatures and they flew into the welcoming hands of the shopkeeper. She held them gently as she carried them home. Her friend the frame-maker offered to build them a protective shelter but she declined, preferring them to be unconfined and free to fly and flutter-by. She keeps them now by her bedside so that each night as she sleeps they circle and spin around her head tying knots in the air to protect her from nightmares.

She dreams peacefully of winning the National Lottery, EuroMillions and Thunderball, little knowing that these are the names of her butterflies and she is already rich beyond her dreams.

Urban Art

Look out for the man with the butterflies....