Shadowing a Social Media guru

Last Saturday I followed social media guru Simon Wilson of Grape Digital around London Fashion Weekend, while he updated and took photos for FRAE yogurt company. While the job my seem fun and perfect for anyone young, it remains a very competitive industry, where professionalism is key. One only needs to look in the news most days to see that some footballer has made a silly comment on Facebook or twitter that has got them into trouble. 

My angle on this is the growing presence of art in the world of social media. One only has to see that Pepsi pulled their annual $25m advertising campaign at the Superbowl to instead plug Facebook to its importance. Artists use twitter and Facebook as an alternative to the almost standard use of a blog now. sites LinkedIn also a valuable service in the expansion of businesses, and the art world can only benefit from the networking that is involved in this. Of course one can never replace seeing a work in person; however, social media allows works and themes to get out there to give people an idea and to wet the appetites. 

In all it can be seen that social media is no longer the future of marketing and advertising, it is the now!

Joseph Phillips

Phillips creates these beautiful pictures that resemble segments of idillic scenes. They remind me of movie sets with their supports and backgrounds. I start to think about the way we construct our environments, how we mold nature to our specific needs. 

The work with titles such as The Cosmopolitan Package there seems to be a real underlying comment on our consumerist society, this becoming almost an IKEA flat pack life kit, full of all the perfect ingredients for a perfect world.

Some of his work is currently featured on the Saatchi site's favorite art of the moment, and this is a testament to the fantastic work here. 

Obsessionistas

Obsessionistas is a site that celebrates collectors and their various collections. These collections range from Cliff Muskiet's air hostess uniforms to Tim Parsons' coat hanger collection. Each of the collections have a back story and an extensive gallery of pictures. 

There are also interesting articles surrounding the theme of the collection. There obviously a lot documented about the archive and taxonomy; however, there is something very fascinating about a private collection, be it something simple and almost ordinary about stamps or a certain genre of painting etc, as it is a personal thing, motivated by more than an interest, as this website says, an Obsession. 

Minimal Home

I stumbled upon this great site through twitter, and i have been scrolling through it ever since. Not only is it a trendy furniture shop but it also promotes keen young model Hong Chhim and it also provides the full decorating experience, taking one through the various designers and furnishes that give it unique works of art.

Thier model Hong Chhim seems to be a real push and publicity edge for them. "HONG CHHIM is a transsexual teenage model from Cambodia" and then describing him with "How many teenage boys give most girls a run for the money when it comes to looking fabulous!!!". All in all definitely worth checking out if you want a stylish new way of living and you have a few extra £s to spend, or if you like us love their fresh imagery. http://www.minimalhome.com/

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? - Art about a What if? alternate reality

The kind of art I am talking about is the sort of art whereby a gallery is a little stuck for a theme or cohesive block of artists/works for a show, so they decide that the show is about some sort of mysterious alternate reality where all the works are very open to this idea of e.g. what if we all had a penis for a forearm?. I feel that there is a real shallowness to exhibitions of this nature, this is not to say that there aren't a number a great works produced from these shows, as many of the works are of a high standard, its more the way they are presented to us and a fantasy world. 

I myself enjoy the ideas around fantasy and reality and where the line is drawn; however, i feel that there are cases where it has been over done and the freshness is lost and the value in such works becomes a little suspect.

Shows that have been effective have been ones such as Little White Lies at the Aubin gallery, and Storyteller at La Scatola, which we covered a few weeks back; however, it feels as though it is just too easy to use fantasy as a glue for things that don't quite go together.

Phyllida Barlow - Rig

Hauser and Wirth's Piccadilly branch is currently houseing a wonderful show by Phyllida Barlow. The initial work as you enter from Piccadilly at first makes you stoop as you feel as though there are tones of concrete suspended above you on flimsy wooden poles, and then a sudden relief comes as one discovers that is in fact polystyrene painted like concrete that is floating above your head. 

The show continues downstairs in the very bowls of the building where further sculptures are reminiscent of incomplete forgotten objects subject to aging, but also others where by they have grouped together to form almost packs of art. There is also an interesting juxtaposition set by the grand wooden rooms and the poorly painted forgotten works within. 

There is a lot of fantastic works here that create an interesting visual setting with their surroundings, especially the one in the roof space, untitled pompoms 2011.

Cryptic - Crypt Gallery

The show Cryptic seemed to to highlight an aspect of the art world at the moment which seems too readily available for it really to capture the imagination, and that is, as the Crypt gallery describes "Nothing is what it seems. Each artist's work seeks to reveal surprising perspectives on the extraordinary and the mundane", or what i call trying to bend reality slightly to create an interesting piece. Now don't get me wrong there was some beautiful well measured work; however, i feel that this mysterious playful nature is something that has been covered time and time again.  

 That said there were several works that really caught the eye such as Margaret Duston's Shift and the space that the show is presented in is unique and mysterious in itself, especially when one considers the spaces initial use, and the materialistic use it has now. In all it is a fantastic space with some nice work, after looking at some of the artists websites and previous works, the work here seems to be a little below what many of artists could achieve, but worth a look all the same.

American Apparel get what they deserve

Nancy Upton has chosen to mock and humiliate the company's owners by entering some rather controversial pictures for it's new campaign. The new campaign is a competition to find the face for its new plus-size range. the photos such as the ones below are "a dig at American Apparel's current and past policy", the company is renowned for using stick thin models in headlights against a white backgrounds, rather than the rather provocative ones that Upton has entered.

It was in responce to the company's statement in 2010 “That's not our demographic.”, this infact is the title of her blog surrounding the subject. You can also follow her on twitter with @nancyupton.

Neil Buchanan- Hope Street

"Come and enjoy the ride of your life with Neil Buchanan’s HOPE STREET art collection", this quote is splashed across the home page of Buchanan's website, along with a countdown until his live appearance at the gallery to coincide with its launch. Hope street is to be a series of limited edition prints by the artist. Unfortunately the project is doomed from the off as the two words which are a kindled to his rise to fame are mentioned 4 times on the small homepage alone, those being Art Attack. 

Art attack was in itself a fantastic idea that became very successful during its 15 years on tv; however, i don't feel that it is the correct image for Buchanan to be taking, perhaps something a little more mature might be more appropriate with only a passing mention of his success with the show. 

The story behind Art Attack is quite interesting actually becuase it was Buchanan's idea to create the show, he just had to sell it to ITV. Before that he had been working as a illustrator on a Saturday morning show called No.73. on the sale of the rights of Art Attack to Disney he made £14million.

The Storyteller - Soheila Sokhanvari

Soheila Sokhanvari's show at La Scatola Gallery portrays a intertwining of the everyday and the magical. Several of the pieces require research in order to "decode" the pieces, which can make them a little inaccessible, but their intriguing state in the physical world leads to much interest and a genuine want to look further into what one is seeing. This can be noted with the piece Moje Sabz 2009, which has this statement next to it ont he press release, 

N.B. In order to decode this work the full title needs to be searched on google and choosing the first few hits on the search engine.

This piece has become the flagship piece for this show, it seems to follow some line surrounding a disgust that people often find surrounding taxidermy and a level of cruelty about the trophy state that is generated. While when pt into a gallery  and modified it becomes something more, perhaps in a similar remit, than a trophy, certainly taking a more mystical route. 

Much of the rest of the work takes very political route, Sokhanvari's Iranian roots taking center stage. This is especially true with the piece Talking to Myself a performance first performed in March 2010, and then again last night in La Scatola, where there is alot of questions surrounding the conformity of culture and the adaptation of one when moving to a new environment.

Scott Fife

Fife creates these wonderful sculptures from paper, cardboard, glue, screws and nails. The sculptures themselves seem rather fragile and delicate, much like a memory or a dream. Memory being waht many of the pictures seem to be, as they are old portraits of celebrities, the fragility of the materials play into this nature of the work. The dashes of colour present weave this fading memory state of the busts. The work is of quite a sizable nature becoming imposing upon the viewer, this is added to by the almost cybernetic style with the bolts and screws pasting together panels, robot counterparts of the originals there to replace them, turns these from nostalgic works into something a little threatening. 

Cassius Clay, aka Muhammad Ali is one of these huge busts, taking a great likeness to the original. There despite the possible threatening nature that could arise from such things, there is a definite playful element to this, taking one back to being a child, making things out of cardboard and plastic etc to play with, creating things so you could become your favorite character or figure. The Picture of Elvis below makes one think of all the cardboard microphones and guitars that people would have made as children to be like their idol.

You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? - First Thursdays

Friday's post about the First Thursdays raised a point in it's first line surrounding the nature of the  event in the east end. It is designed to be a cultural event where by all can enjoy art and socialise with others in the circle, which is a great idea seeing as many find it hard to find the time in the week to see such things. Time out describes it as, 

"On the first Thursday of every month the galleries and museums of east London open their doors late for a chance to see amazing art, culture and events after hours. With over 100 galleries and museums open until 9pm on First Thursdays there will always be something free and exciting to see"

;however, it could be called, Thirst Thursdays as it is merely a drinky affair with loads of people turning up for the free booze and not really taking in the art on show, which is a shame as there really is a lot to see and the galleries have to offer the public on such events. 

Although i complain, i'm sure that i will invariably end up there again next month as i do enjoy being able to see so much art in one night which is more social; however, it would be great to see less alcohol driven incentives to visit the galleries and more visitors from the art lovers side of things.

Little White Lies- Aubin Gallery

"First Thursdays" which should possibly be renamed "Thirst Thursdays", was as usual a terribly drinky affair, where artwork is one of the lowest priorities on most lists; however, possibly the best gallery on the Redchurch Street stretch was, as it usually is, the Aubin Gallery. Not only because it isn't filled with drunks, but also because it is far more measured and considerate in its curating. Little White Lies is a show which aims to recognize artists that twist and turn reality, re appropriating media to some kind of whimsical magical reality. These white lies subverse the viewer into something a little less comfortable as their mind is opened up to the possibilities of these changes. 

Angus Sanders-Dunnachie's work was in my opinion the highlight of a very good show in the galleries sometimes overlooked location above the Aubin shop and cinema. 

I think that there is a real intentional confusion with this work, that creates a doubt around what is going on, what we are seeing, and about the reality that we face here. There is a comforting knowledge that we know these images are not possible in terms of their physicality in our world; however, their is doubt and mystery even if it is at first glance and only for a moment. 

In there was some promising work at the exhibition and it is definitely a show worth seeing, it is on until September 11th 64-66 Redchurch Street, E2 7DP.