Tuesday 25 August 2009

DIY London Seen Exhibition opening night

The opening of the DIY London Seen exhibition was last Thursday and there has been a fair amount of press coverage this week including an article in the Evening Standard and a video short here with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it close up of my Epic Octopus piece. The night was fun although somewhat marred by the wilful destruction of one of my original paintings* and also 'cos Magners is strictly for the posh kids. And tattooed ladies apparently.

Along with juggling several other projects I am in the process of screen-printing the 'My Home is the Sea' series in black and white for a limited run to commemorate the inclusion of the original three paintings in the exhibition. I appreciate that may rub some people up the wrong way given the initial run was a limited to 30 but in my defense these are one colour and a different size. Plus they'll still be hand printed by me, mad silly stoopid limited and damn cheap. Besides I done forgot to save any of the last lot for my mum and she has final say on everything.

* It fell off the wall - damn you gravity!





Monday 24 August 2009

Birthday Card!

It was my birthday last month and Ruth a fellow drawing club regular made this card for me - proper aces and with fully detachable moustache! In homage to my obsession with all things hairy and possibly my short lived somewhat ill judged (and sadly missed) moustache back in July. The creative mastermind behind this card and many more super inventive creations has a blog but it's a secret blog that only she is allowed to look at. Obviously. There are some brilliant pictures from the night with muchos moustache action but Annie done stole them into the US never to be seen again. Boo.

Friday 21 August 2009

New Jim O'Rourke lp!

With the singing and the geetars and such and no endless fucking drones or anything!

This is the most fantastic news I have received all day. Although it is still the morning. And it makes my blog simply because he's responsible for three of my favourite lps ever. Despite Annie calling him old man rock. What does she know anyway? The Gaslight Anthem couldn't be anymore generic and dad rock if they tried. Springsteen-lite hernia vocals going on about women, whiskey, denim and hometowns. Clarkson inspired dad rock squared.

I digress.

More info here.

Interview here.

Friday 14 August 2009

Beautiful Winner!

In a bizarre turn of events a piece of my artwork has been selected for the 'Beautiful Losers' affiliated exhibition DIY London Seen off the back of a Myspace competition of all things. Weird seeing as I only really use Myspace for keeping up with bands and tours these days but I'm stoked all the same.

"DIY LONDON SEEN will include work by Ivory Serra and Cheryl Dunn, who photographed the origins and rise of the Alleged Gallery and its Artists in the US, alongside a group of emerging Artists living and working in London, who are currently creating work with a similar freedom of spirit. Harmony Korine, Ed Templeton, Mark Gonzales, Barry McGee, Shepard Fairey, Jo Jackson, Thomas Campbell, Deanna Templeton, Stephen Powers, Chris Johanson, Mike Mills and the late Margaret Kilgallen were part of a seminal artistic movement in 1990’s American suburbia, creating their own artistic subculture and a unique form of ‘outsider’ art that laid a foundation for many young artists working all over the world today. Their doodles and artistic experiments began on the streets of their individual hometowns as a sideline to the skate and drug culture that was part of their teenage years, often in the form of graffiti, signs or tags on trains. Having been brought together by Aaron Rose in his now legendary ‘Alleged Gallery’ in New York, their powerful artworks were soon making their mark not only in the US but across the globe; becoming an inspiration for a new generation of Artists working all over the world today."

For more information click here - the exhibition starts next Thursday. In the meantime I will be accepting applications for a lucky individual to accompany me on the night seeing as my girlfriend has deserted me for sunny California!

Sunday 9 August 2009

Beautiful Losers

With a sunny day in London to kill Annie suggested we go and see 'Beautiful Losers' at the ICA or 'Year One' at the Prince Charles - I plumped for 'Beautiful Losers' with no prior knowledge of it other than that Annie had seen the original art show in San Francisco.

The documentary follows a group of artists who are drawn together through skateboarding, graffiti, punk rock and making art. The flyer tends to overstate the skateboarding element - it's not a skate film and it's all the better for it - it's a film about creative people. I knew I was in for a treat when the first name on the opening credits was Thomas Campbell an artist I've been into for a while now but the names just kept coming - Mike Mills, Barry McGee Ed Templeton and Sheperd Fairey. In fact given the people involved I'm a bit shame-faced I'd never heard of it before yesterday...

The film is insightful, touching, inspiring and very funny too - and I guess the greatest compliment I can give it is it made me desperately want to paint and make stuff.

Thursday 6 August 2009

The Cloud Photographers

I must confess the concept behind 'The Cloud Photographers' made me do a little sick in my mouth - some whimsical bed-wetting nonce playing make believe that he wrote a Wes Anderson film and compiled the soundtrack. Silly arse.

But I gave it a bit of a go being a big fan of Wes Anderson soundtracks and the bed-wetting nonce in question who just happens to be responsible for some of the greatest comic strip funnies ever thrown-up on the internet - The Perry Bible Fellowship - and so I have decided to give it my blessing. He does play it a bit too safe if anything given a good few of the bands have been used in Wes Anderson films before but not everyone can be as anal and willfully obscure as me innit. Oh and no Mark Mothersbaugh is also a fail but I'm nit-picking and it's always good to hear those heavy Mickie Most drums on a Donovan song that isn't 'Get Thy Bearings' getting an airing. Anyway you can stream it here. The tracklisting is as follows;

1. Cumulus
2. Donovan - Hi It’s Been a Long Time
3. Andrew’s Waltz
4. The Kinks - So Long
5. Les Boréades - Piggies
6. Paul Simon - The Obvious Child
7. Artur Rubenstein - Rhapsody On A Theme of Paganini - Var. #7
8. Belle and Sebastian - Fox in the Snow
9. With a Chance of Rain
10. Mike Berry and The Outlaws - Don’t You Think it’s Time
11. Hindi Beatles medley
12. The London Double Bass Sound - Moses Fantasy (paganini)
13. Ion Laceanu - Briu
14. The Rolling Stones - Mother’s Little Helper
15. The Flight of the Bumblebee* (Sinfonia Lahti Cello and Bass Ensemble) (Rimsky-Korsakov)
16. The Zombies - Beechwood Park
17. John Cale - Paris 1919
18. The Who - Can’t Explain
19. English Chamber Orchestra - Water Music Suite No. 2 in D
20. Sparks - Whipping and Apologies
21. Itzhak Perlman - Caprice #2 in B Minor by Paganini
22. The Damned - Jet Boy Jet Girl
23. The String Quartet - Sunday Morning (Velvet Underground)
24. Sigur Ros - Olsen Olsen

Nice imaginary Wes Anderson soundtrack gay-wad!


Sunday 2 August 2009

Lollywood aceness!

I'm back! Apologies for the lack of blogging - my brother's wedding in Scotland meant no interweb for a week. In that week I managed to damage my liver horribly and see Samandtheplants in Leeds and London. Werd.

Anyway I have no idea where this Lollywood video footage is from but it's helping me through an intense birthday hangover - click on the picture to watch it. If you like it I recommend you buy the brilliant 'Sound of Wonder' lp on Finders Keepers Records.