CLEO MUSSI // Saatchi Gallery

Last weekend I was assisting my friend and mentor Cleo Mussi at her stand in Collect at Saatchi Gallery. She, along with a small number of other artists, was awarded a large stand in the Saatchi Project Space gallery and she asked me to go along and assist - very exciting. Although my schedule was fit to busting point, I couldn't refuse helping out a friend and getting to see what it was all about.

Collect is an annual show curated by Crafts Council and takes over the entire Saatchi Gallery for a long weekend, and there is so many strange and wonderful things to see; the unexpected, the ostentatious, the aspirational. Of course I am biased when it comes to Mussi's work but there was something so very refreshing about the Project Space. It felt like it has its feet on the ground, but was still engaging and challenging. Apart from unusual mosaics there was also some fantastic screen printed ceramics, dynamic furniture and a textiles artist, and textiles are currently thin on the ground so that was great to see.

Mussi selected only her main pieces from her latest body of work All Consuming for this particular show, however this wasn't a full representation of her entire practice, as I was earnestly telling any clients who would listen. She works on a wide scale - from small insects, to guard dogs, to astronauts and these characters all play a part in her narrative. The large mosaics shown here were assembled in a long line and were like some hieroglyphic from the future instead of the past, addressing ecological concerns. Here were some of my favourite bits from the show.....

If you didn't get to visit Collect then the next chance to see Mussi's work is at The Museum in The Park in Stroud from 19th July - 27th August, to see the full collection of All Consuming. She will also be at Bovey Tracey from 6th - 8th June. Alternatively you can always contact the artist in person. Visit her website here to get the full picture....

SITE FEST : Polyrhythmic Snarl

Introducing Ed Lawrenson and Sam Marsh, the highly skilled duo behind Polyrhythmic Snarl who are returning to Stroud's Site Festival this year. Exploring collaboration and process, these paintings use geometric shapes, line and form to trick the eye and manipulate the sense of space.

When viewing this Magic Eye visual trickery on kite shaped canvases I get the distinct impression that I am somehow being drawn in and hoodwinked by these master painters. Attempting to locate the start and the end of these intertwining colourful forms is near impossible but that doesnt stop the viewers eye from trying to make sense of it all. In the end you can take from it what you will - I enjoy the abundance of immaculate colourways and the feeling that I cannot look away.....

This is a teaser of a show, only running from 9th - 11th May on Kings Street in the center of town, so get this one in your diary. Visit the Site Festival website for all the details. Highly recommended!

Light Reading : Slow Down Arthur

Look what dropped on my doormat yesterday! Harland Miller's novel Slow Down Arthur, Stick To Thirty.

Harland mentioned this publication during his talk at the RA last week, and I immediately ordered it.

I'm only on page 5 and its already VERY funny. I try to experience books and films without any previous knowledge of it, so all I know about this is that it is set in the 80's and that our main character is Arthur who hangs out with a David Bowie impersonator. BUY IT. 

Hot News - Angie Lewin Does Ceramics!

Angie Lewin - printmaker, painter, surface designer - a modern day Ravillious who can turn her hand to anything. She has just released a range of ceramics - two designs of porcelain plates to be exact - with John Julian Design. A match made in heaven. Available individually or in sets of 6, two colourways to choose from. Check them out immediately here.

Exhibition : What Do I Do Now?

...The time is fast approaching, when folk from far and wide flock to lesser known Stroud in Gloucestershire for the two main events of the summer - the Textile Festival and Site Festival.
Both are fantastic events, and as Stroud is bursting with both emerging and established artists there is always something great to see.

Last year I participated in the amazing Art Flea event at the Brunel Goods Shed, which was a brilliant show. This year I am back at the Goods Shed for a second time and will be part of What Do I Do Now?  as part of Site. An exhibition hosted and curated by Anna Jacob, alias Clementine Holmes - a newbie fresh out of art college with some big ideas. This years Site Fest is all about art and writing colliding so I will be contributing some new woven textile pieces which I'm really excited about.

Dates are 17th and 18th of May, with live music on the Saturday evening from 8pm.
Find the show at Studio One. Right next to Stroud Station, its easy to find if you fancy a visit.
Find all event info here.

Homage : Stephanie Cole

No, not that Stephanie Cole! No, I'm talking about Stephanie Cole, textiles designer and illustrator extraordinaire!

Take one look at Stephanie's work and you can tell that she has lived in some naturally beautiful places, and these inspirations have seeped in to her work. Lush green places with flora and fauna,  alongside sparse coastal characters depicting everyday activities are what you will find in these surface designs and illustrations.

Wooden Hare Necklace

I first met Stephanie a few years back while at a small but excellent arty crafty type event in deepest Gloucestershire - and then promptly wondered why I didn't already know about her work, it seemed so established and professional. At the time I was managing a craft gallery that was in desperate need of newer, fresher, younger work - just like this - so I instantly set about trying to convince Stephanie to become a stockist.Years have passed and her brand has continued to grow, she has relocated to Finland and has even been voted by Channel 4 as one to watch.

Farmers Market Tea Towel

Stephanie's range is broad but everything has her signature aesthetic to them - screen printed textile wares, paper goods - my current favorite is the wooden hare necklace. I'm always interested to see what Stephanie has been up to, and where she'll go next as there is always something exciting up her sleeve. Keep up to date with new products and events on Stephanie's blog.

I shall leave you with some of my favorite postcard paintings from her Postcard A Day series....

Homage: Harland Miller

After coordinating the launch event Tea with Harland for a new limited edition print with Harland Miller and Other Criteria a few weeks ago, the team and I then scooted down to the Royal Academy last night for a talk with Harland about his work. Sadly the lighting wasn't good enough to get any decent shots of the night - other than the ceiling - and Harland assured the audience that he had put the slideshow together amidst a fever, so there were some low res images, and some fantastically hand scrawled bulletin pages.

Harland is a writer and artist and the two are often inextricably linked and inform one another. 

He grew up surrounded by books and worked with them in a variety of ways for years before he rediscovered the Penguin Classics again as an adult and then began using the designs and layout, inserting his own text, with his name placed on the piece as the author of the book. 

Although I was already familiar with Harland's work, it was great to learn more about his practice.

Some of his words are quotes from his personal life, dreams, events or things he reads or hears which have some resonance with him, and it was great to hear a personal account of how he had arrived at some of my favourite lines. I also didn't realise that Penguin colour code these books to indicate subject matter; brown, green, orange, cerise, which Harland then used to indicate the subject matter of the piece, in relation to the text and intention of the piece.

Sadly Harland's Overcoming Optimism exhibition has now ended at the Ingleby Gallery but you can still visit Other Criteria on Hinde Street to see his new print The Me I Never Knew and watch a short film screening about the creation of this edition, which should be showing until the end of the month.

I definitely recommend seeing some of these works in person - they really are fantastic. But if you can't get to town there are a couple of books about the artist which are also well worth a look. 

Images from Ingleby Gallery