The month of May

Having been in something of a cultural void of late, due to all things running related (to find out more, take a look at my other blog, here) I have missed exhibitions and art a-plenty. But now I'm back on it, and have been making up for lost time by touring the city's galleries.

Here are a few of my favourite exhibitions...

Matthew Day Jackson. Everything Leads to Another, at Hauser and Wirth, Savile Row

I've been seeing a lot of coloured skulls in installations recently...

I really like these wooden leg casts too

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Piccadilly

The Summer Exhibition is a real tradition for me. As a child, I visited every year with my Dad - it was one of the few things we did together, and I enjoy it as much for the memories as for the exhibitions.

What I love most is the mish-mash sense of it all - clashing images crowded on walls. It's refreshing to see art in abundance, rather than scaled down for concept's sake.
I've always loved pattern

I love the idea of an architectural maquette in painted green ceramic

An animated dog raiding the bins

Other shows I've enjoyed have been photographer Shaniqwa Jarvis' This Handsome Man exhibition, similarly her These Things exhibition atExposure

Hit+Run, Windows Phone 7 & Rough Trade present Kutmah: The New Error V. 2 launch party

If you're in London this week and you want to hear music by one of LA's most exciting creative exports, then head down to Rough Trade records where Kutmah is hosting the first in a series of summer events.

After a poignant exhibition, Two Soups and a Honey Bun showing evocative drawings made whilst being detained in US Customs, Kutmah follows up by releasing his second mix (a sample from which you can listen to here) and he's throwing a party with some friends to celebrate it. Also playing on the night is Om-Unit, Tapes, Blue Daisy, Cherry Stones and Patchwork Pirates, as well as live screen printing from The Hit and Run crew.

For more information on the event, head here

Wednesday 11th May, 6.30-9.30 pm
Rough Trade East
Dray Walk
Old Truman Brewery
91 Brick Lane
London E1 6QL

Love from Darkroom

Tonight I went to see the Love from Darkroom valentines exhibition. Several 'createurs' from Carolyn Massey and Philip Treacy to Barnaby Roper and Bill Woodrow were commissioned to create an 'heart work' to be sold at the shop for a set fee of £150.

Proceeds of all sales are donated to Camila Batmanghelidjh's Kids Company charity. Benevolent chic anyone?!

Love from Darkroom runs until February 14th.
Darkroom
52 Lamb's Conduit Street
London
WC1N 3LL

Wretch 32 featuring L - Traktor

I tried resisting this song, but the pull was too strong. It's a tune!

Loving the styling by my great friend Georgia Broaders.

Designer Sale!

Dynasty

Whilst in Paris recently, I checked out great exhibition called Dynasty. Held between the Palais de Tokyo and the neighbouring Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the exhibition features the work of 40 emerging French artists-with each artist exhibiting one work in each location. There were some spectacular works on show - ranging from traditional painting, to sculpture and video.

A few of the works that particularly struck me were Vincent Ganivet’s freestanding concrete cinderblock arch, which is bound by nylon ropes and structured with small wooden plinths. (Looking dwarfed by the giant arch in this picture, is my Bo Bo companion Harry. Check out his blog, which documents bizarre titbits, musings and mumbles in Paris and beyond, at www.isitisitisit.blogspot.com

Fabien Giraud and Raphaël Siboni’s high definition video of a sunset, filmed without the use of lens or filter demonstrates the artists’ vision of the world as a fluid landscape.

Gaëlle Boucand’s geometric shaped sculptures covered in butterfly wings were absolutely beautiful. The contrast of the sculptures’ man-made hard lines against the natural beauty and colour of the butterfly wings was really mesmerising.  

Florian Pugnaine and David Raffini exhibited a high shine crushed and contorted metal sculpture. Accompanying this was a video demonstrating the process of creating it, using high pressure air streams.

Another favourite was Nicolas Milhé’s taxidermy hyena with gold tooth. What’s not to love?!

It’s a great exhibition and definitely worth visiting before it finishes on September 5^th. The sporadic references to the namesake 1980s cult t.v. programme are somewhat random, but once you embrace this - it’s all good! 

Palais de Tokyo

www.palaisdetokyo.com  

Musee d'Art moderne de la ville de Paris/ARC

www.mam.paris.fr

Darkroom

Today I'm working in Darkroom, a beautiful fashion and interiors concept store on Lamb's Conduit Street, London.

The shop hosts bi-monthly art exhibitions and seasonal themes; the summer theme entitled 'Into Africa' shows an array of African inspired pieces, from Darkroom's own African textile cushions to antique terracotta necklaces from Mali, both shown below.

The brand listing is one to be revered; leather bags from Fleet Ilya, chunky jewellery from Macha, sunglasses by Alexander Wang - they've got it all!

If you haven't already been, I urge you to pop down and take a look. Or visit their new online store, where all products are available to buy.

For more information visit www.darkroomlondon.com