Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Yangtze The Long River Nadav Kander at Flowers



By chance picking up my photographs from Print Space in Kingsland road ( who are worth looking at if you need photographic printing, link here. )

I spotted this exhibition in Flowers Gallery which is just a few door up.

Really evocative photographs by Nadav Kander of views along the Yangtze river in China. Almost painful some of them, the contrast between the rapid industrialization and the remnants of more traditional ways of life. The sheer scale of some of the bridges and industrial areas is incredible and here Nadav Kander shows that human activity stills carries on alongside such places, washing hanging on makeshift lines, and swimmers amongst the pollution.


Definitely worth going to see. Flowers website here more about Nadav Kander here

Lord Mayor;s Show and David Hockney in Paris



I was off taking photos of the Lord Mayor's Show on Saturday, continuing with my documenting of the traditions in London. I hadn't been to the show before (quite often because the weather was bad and/or it's the season for colds and virus.)

I was surprised to find that it was such an old tradition, apparently it was the 795th show, which is quite incredible and there was at least one man dressed as a Knight representing the Knights of the Knightengild who were given land for loyalty to King Edgar in the 10th century. They protected London training in East Spitalfield. Knightengild is now the ward of Portsoken link to the history here


I was also surprised to see how many modern Livery Companies were part of the parade. I hadn't quite realised that modern businesses would like the idea of being part of a pageant, but I suppose tradition is a powerful thing.

I enjoyed being around before the start of the procession and at the end as people returned to the Cheapside area. The Lord Mayor's gold coach is amazing, it was a bit difficult to get a good photo as it came past though.


Spotted a news item about a new David Hockney Exhibition in Paris. Called Fresh Flowers it is Hockney using new mobile phone technology to make drawings and send them through to the gallery. I have always loved Hockney's response to new technology how he has embraced it and really enjoyed finding new ways to express himself.
Link to the gallery here

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Autumn Patchwork New work at the Hornbeam


I've put up a collection of photographs in the Hornbeam environmental centre and cafe, they are part of my Four Seasons theme where I hope to follow the Autumn season with the other 3 later as they happen in nature.
The first part is called Autumn patchwork and is a collection of 8 photographs, punched with eyelets and tied together with raffia. These include the brilliant red of Acer leaves and gold of Lime trees, pumpkins, apples and toadstools.



The second part is a series of 5 photographs celebrating customs around autumn and include the conker championship on Hampstead Heath and the October Plenty Festival. I had these photographs printed by Print Space in Kingsland road on Kodak Metallic paper and really love the results. They have gone upstairs in the Hornbeam in their chill out room. Hornbeam's website opening hours etc. here

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Hermetickal Exhibition Katherine Tulloh


I spotted an exhibition in Art Licks list Their link here if you want to hear about art openings in London.

The exhibition was Hermetickals by Katherine Tulloh her website here. and was in Transition Gallery gallery website here.
It was Katherine's interest in Swedenborg, his alchemical work and his dream diaries that drew me to her work.. On display a series of vibrant watercolours, which included, moons and suns, figures, symbolic animals and forms and the body. A large drawing in red of the human capillary system was drawn on the walls and was included in a number of the paintings.


Interestingly the paintings were displayed as torn out sketchbook pages and unframed. There was also a film with layers of paintings and a soundtrack that included excepts from Swedenborg's writings, which was quite hypnotic in parts and worked well with the dream like imagery.

Transition Gallery also produced a small book of Katherine's work and had other artists books for sale. It was good to find another small gallery in the east end.