I was really glad I caught this show in my frenzied gallery dash. I admired George Grosz's draughtsmanship as a student, and it was really good to engage with it again years later in the intimate setting of the Richard Nagy Gallery. It has been 20 years since there was an exhibition dedicated to Grosz's work in the UK so it is was a good, and timely choice by whoever chose to curate this show.
George Grosz had a contempt of bourgoise life in Germany and it was this dislike, and negative experiences as a soldier in the trenches of the First World War that fuelled his artistic vision and satirical view of the German establishment. Grosz is known for his association with the Dada movement, but it was with the sexual and violent images of prostitutes and their wealthy clients in decadent 1920's Berlin that he is best known. The biting, satirical nature of the artwork is tempered by the tenderness of his drawn line. He clearly loved drawing as a medium, both to express himself artistically, and also vent his frustrations at the authorities. I was reminded of the British satirical political cartoons of Gillray, Cruikshank and Hogarth, and also of the factory workers in the work of LS Lowry in the drawing below.
This is a real gem of an exhibition for those who are interested in drawing, or a glimpse into an artists view of decadent 1920's Berlin life. Another one to definately catch again before it finishes on November 2nd.
George Grosz Berlin: Prostitutes, Politicians and Profiteers
Until 2nd November 2013
Richard Nagy Ltd
22 Old Bond St
London W1
As a recent commission I was asked to create a Butterfly Ball to be hung against this fabulous Cole & Son Flamingo wallpaper.
I prepared a swatch for the client of colours I thought would be most appropriate from the palette of papers that I use, and then once these were client approved I started cutting.
I thought that as the dominant background colour of the Flamingo paper was a cool duck egg blue, then the Butterfly Ball needed to be made up of warmer reds, and pinks to highlight the pink of the birds, with accents of blue and grey. This was the resulting artwork. A very nice commission.
Here are some more blue birds, albeit on a smaller scale, and more humble setting than Katharina Fritsch's Hahn/Cock currently on display in Trafalgar Square. These wrought-iron gates can be found in East Dulwich an area I happen to frequent often. The birds and foliage always bring a smile to my face and remind me of my own bird pieces.
I was in Trafalgar Square the other day and was able to see the latest in the series of the long line of Fourth Plinth commissions, Hahn/Cock 2013, by Katharina Fritsch. The piece is 4.72 m high, and is her fibre-glass rendition of a domestic farmyard cockerel. Fritsch is one of Germany's leading contemporary artists and I have seen, and admired, her out-sized, monochromatic, animal sculptures before at Tate Modern.
I really like this piece. It is beautifully modelled and the colour is stunning, adding some much needed colour to the greyness of Trafalgar Square. I also love the scale, absurdity, and contrasting subject matter of this sculpture in comparison to the other formal military statues on display in Trafalgar Square.
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 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.
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.
