Category: Art

Look closely, can you spot the gnomes having coffee and cake? Or the mermaid, mountain trolls and the huldra – a beautiful woman with a cow’s tail? Can you see the clusters of mushrooms and flowers and birds? It’s all there.

The whole of Fika will be transformed to an urban forest where you can go Hidden Folk spotting. Illustrations by Emma Farrarons will be dotted around all the walls with captivating detail. For those who are not well versed in Scandinavian geography, a playful map will help you find your bearings. It would come as no surprise that even the Scandi gnomes have style! You are invited to peer inside the home of a Scandinavian gnome – The cross-section view of the tree trunk apartment is obviously furnished with iconic and minimalist Nordic designs.

Here’s a sneaky peek of the illustrator at work. She's also a contributor to Amelia's Magazine, aren't we lucky?!

Fika has been inspired by Emma’s work and thus the menu for Hidden Folk has been designed to ‘trick and tease’ the mind. You will have the chance to try black truffle potatoes, purple carrots, elk burgers and magical cocktails with dill and smoke. A visit to Fika this summer will be a sensory explosion, so why not drop in next time you are in Brick Lane?

Opening times: 12.00-23.00 (Mon-Thursday), 12 – 00 (Friday), 10 – 00 (Saturday), 10 – 23 (Sunday)

Twitter: @EmmaFarrarons @Fika_london #Hiddenfolk

Category: Art

Hungarian artist Mari Mahr combines photographs and drawings with assemblages of familial objects to construct visual narratives or evoke the atmosphere of a particular time or place. From images of communist Hungary and imagined scenes of 1920s America, to her most recent body of work which explores her relationship with her late husband, Mahr’s highly original work addresses universal concerns providing viewers with insights into the personal and cultural influences in her life.

This exhibition at The Photographers' Gallery will bring together six of the artists series including the new series Inventory of Ourselves (2013).

Category: Art

German artist Silke Otto-Knapp’s new exhibition, Monday or Tuesday at the Camden Arts Centre, takes its name from a short story by Virgina Woolf, published in 1921. Her translucent paintings are inspired by literature, dance, landscape and cultural history, evoked in gouache and watercolour that are washed away in layers to reveal forms beneath. Fugitive figures emerge to engage the active participation of the viewer in these atmospheric and ambiguous artworks. Silke Otto-Knapp’s exhibition is accompanied by a season of dance events, learn more at this link.

About Silke Otto-Knapp
Silke Otto-Knapp was born in Osnabrück, Germany in 1970. She trained at the University of Hildesheim and at Chelsea College of Art and Design, London. Otto-Knapp moved to London in 1995 and had a solo exhibition in Art Now, Tate Britain in 2005 and at Modern Art Oxford in 2009.

Opening times:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10am-6pm
Wednesdays late: 10am–9pm
Closed Mondays

Category: Art

David Hockney – A Bigger Splash – 1967

Want to find out more about fine art? Art History UK's April Art Shot's modern and contemporary art expert, Georgia Ciancimino, will lead you step by step through the fabulous collection of Pop Art at Tate Britain. Georgia will introduce you to key themes such as the impact of World War II, the swinging 60s and the real meaning of ‘conceptual’. She will show you works by some of Britain's greatest artists, including Frank Auerbach, David Hockney, Anthony Caro and Bridget Riley. As with all Art Shots the evening will start with post work drinks from 6pm, and the tour starts at 6.45pm, finishing at 8pm.

Frank Auerbach – Primrose Hill – 1967 – 68

Brigit Riley – Hesitate – 1964

Anthony Caro- Early One Morning – 1962

Tickets cost £25 each, or buy 3 for £65 and 6 for £130. Find out more and buy your tickets here. Art History UK is a boutique London art tours company that runs evening Art Shots events twice a month and well as a series of scheduled day tours. Join the Art History UK facebook page here to find out more.

Your tour guide: Georgia Ciancimino.

Category: Art

Julija Svetlova is a prolific freelance photographer based in East London. Her love of photography began when she started experimenting with analogue cameras as a teenager in St Petersburg. In 2003 she joined the Hermitage Museum's photographic laboratory before moving to London to study Digital Lens-based Image Making at London College of Communication. Her work has been exhibited and published internationally. In 2011 she became a runner-up in the prestigious Fitzrovia Photography prize. In 2012 she contributed to Photography: The New Basics published by Thames & Hudson. Julija Svetlova explains the inspiration behind her solo exhibition:

'London is being photographed by thousands people every day. There are many iconic buildings and views here but for me the question is, how to avoid descending into cliché? For a truly devoted Londoner such as myself, famous sightseeing spots are just one more way to check my photographic credibility. How can I photograph Big Ben and not repeat the millions of postcard and T-shirt images we have seen already? It's actually easy when you keep your eyes wide open and let your imagination float. Working with the double exposure technique and a variety of film cameras I create my dream-like photographs that show London’s familiar landmarks in a new way.'

Opening times: Monday to Saturday 10 am to 7 pm.
Private View: 10th of April, 2014 from 6.30 to 9.30 pm

Category: Art

Romany artist Delaine LeBas exposes the hidden history of UK Gypsies, in a new exhibition at the Phoenix Brighton gallery. With a reputation across Europe for work that confronts stereotypes and addresses issues around the outsider in society, it is fitting that Delaine LeBas’ first major solo UK show draws our attention to the little known treatment of Gypsies closer to home.

In the first half of the 20th century the British Government built makeshift compounds in the New Forest to contain Gypsy families. At Phoenix Arts in Brighton Delaine LeBas will recreate and occupy her own version of these compounds in an immersive installation made up of her own hand printed and embroidered textiles and costumes alongside photography, film and archival material. Two glass and metal lanterns from the collection of Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford serve as the central metaphor and catalyst for this new body of work. Resembling similar lamps from India, these ones were made in the New Forest and remind the artist of the ‘magic lantern’ shows her grandmother and great uncles recounted from their childhood in Hampshire. These artefacts will be brought back to life through Delaine’s stories, performances and activities.

Delaine LeBas is a UK based artist from a Romany background. Although only beginning to become known in Britain she has shown in France, Baltimore USA, at the 2005 and 2007 Prague Biennales. Her work featured prominently in the first Roma pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2007 and in Korea’s Gwangju Biennale. Her work has recently been seen at Galerie Giti Nourbaksch, Berlin and at Galleria Sonia Rosso, Turin. Unusually for an artist considered to be an ‘Outsider’ she is a graduate of Central Saint Martins and West Sussex College of Art and Design.

By it's very nature Delaine LeBas’ work is both intensely personal and deeply political, informed by her gypsy background and dealing with issues of exclusion, untold stories and stereotypes that are ingrained into the human consciousness. Delaine explains ‘As a Romany, my viewpoint has always been that of the outsider and this position of the 'other' is reflected in the materials and messages within my work. We live in a culture of mixed values and garbled messages. My works are crafted from the disregarded and disparate objects of the car boot sale and the charity shop. A bricollage of materials. Employing the materials of everyday, all formed together in a manner that allows them to be precious yet reclaimed.’

Opening times: Wed – Sun, 11am – 5pm, Late openings: Fri 16th & Sat 17th May until 9 pm
Find out more about her upcoming exhibition at this link.

Category: Art

A Marvellous Spread is a pop-up feasting event hosted by the ceramic sculptor Lindsey Mendick at the Sheffield based gallery, S1 Artspace. Mendick’s practice is greatly inspired by the garishly saturated and overzealous 1970s cookbooks of her childhood. Her ceramic work amalgamates a love of popular culture with a deep respect for the nostalgic, exploring themes ranging from the ostentatious decorative recipes of Mary Berry to outlandish 1980s textile design.

Zig a zig ah 2013, Lindsey Mendick.

Still life of lobster 2014, Lindsey Mendick.

For this one off event, Lindsey Mendick will be hosting a truly grandiose banquet, cooking (with the help of her mother) the most extravagant and gaudy recipes from 1970’s cookbooks. Guests will be welcomed on arrival with a Pina Colada reception and sent into the night with a DIY disco. Join the facebook event here.

Heaven's Mouth 2014, Lindsey Mendick.

Todd 2014, Lindsey Mendick.

Category: Art

Must see arts festival Pick Me Up returns for the fifth year running, featuring more late nights and an even wider range of illustration and design, from fashion and architectural drawing to comic books and album covers. Here's a brief taster of what will be happening:

Rastamouse creators Michael de Souza and Genevieve Webster will be leading children’s drawing workshops.

Judith Kerr (creator of the Mog series and The Tiger Who Came To Tea) will be hosting an ‘in conversation’ event with her art director Ian Craig.

Fabulous and much loved cartoonist Gemma Correll will be running a day inspired by her inimitable portrayals of animals.

Skylark, Matt Lyon at Colour Box.

Hot Dog, Steven Wilson at Unlimited.

Woolly Bear, Julia Pott.

Fashion is finally in focus this year! Hurrah!

Meet art director and animator Jo Ratcliffe, who drew and directed the animation in Lady Gaga’s ‘Applause’ video.

Fashion illustrator Daisy de Villeneuve (she of the ubiquitous funky felt-tip illustrations), will be leading a day of drop-in fashion focused fun.

Fashion artist and author Jason Brooks will be running a day of workshops.

Aso Oke, Kitty McCall at Unlimited.

Melons On My Mind, Lynnie Zulu.

New for 2014 is Pick Me Up Radio presented by Comms Bureau, which will stream live from Somerset House. With specially invited DJs, interviews and take-over days, festivalgoers will be able to see the radio broadcasts being put together live and listen online remotely. Furthermore for the first time, Pick Me Up is collaborating with signature skate brand DC Shoes to commission t-shirts from ten artists to be exclusively launched and sold at the festival. The dazzling designers involved include former Pick Me Up Select and professional doodler Hattie Stewart (read our interview here) and Andy Rementer (who we have also interviewed here), whose colourful and vibrant work has been featured through a variety of platforms including MTV, Urban Outfitters and Warner Brothers.

Clogs, Hvass & Hannibal at Outline Artists.

Sundance, Jessica Das at Outline Artists.

Moondance, Jessica Das at Outline Artists.

This, and much much more, including work by Outline Artists illustrators, who will present a jungle-themed showcase of prints, original artwork and wall murals created especially for the fair, including magical forest landscapes by Hvass&Hannibal, psychedelic jungle scenes by Pick Me Up Select Edward Carvalho-Monaghan plus extravagant jungle flora and fauna 3D collages by Kristjana S Williams. All work will be available to buy from just £40.

Lear 10, Kristjana S Williams at Outline Artists.

Kids, Ed Monaghan at Outline Artists.

Opening times: 10.00 – 18.00, late night Thursdays and Fridays until 22.00, Day tickets £10, concessions £8, Festival Pass £17.50. Buy your tickets here. Find out more about the event here.

Read my reviews of the 2013 Pick Me Up here and here to whet your appetite.

Category: Art

The Gentle Author has recently published local photographer Phil Maxwell's thirty year study of ordinary life in the East end's legendary Brick Lane, taking us through social and cultural shifts with intimate shots of the local population at work and at play. The photos are currently on display at the Rich Mix Cultural Centre situated at the top of Brick Lane.

Biography:
Phil was born in 1953 in Coventry, West Midlands. From an early age he was inspired by the people around him and had his first dalliance with photography at the tender age of eleven. He moved to East London and was quickly seduced by its vibrancy and influences from far flung countries. Over the span of 30 years he incessantly photographed and hence documented the lives of those in his own proximity, saying that 'During my life in Whitechapel I have been introduced to a wide variety of cultures and friends, which in turn have inspired me to travel. I have photographed in Bangladesh and other parts of Asia many times, although the centre of gravity in my work has always been the East End of London. My home is a tower block in Whitechapel. Over the years, from my flat on the eleventh floor, I have watched as the skyline of the city resonated with growth and demolition. In the early eighties, Canary Wharf emerged in the East as a solitary foot soldier for Capitalism and then the City of London itself began to expand. Yet whilst the corporate development gathered speed, the lives of people on my side of Brick Lane carried on as usual.'

Phil Maxwell will be giving a talk on Brick Lane at the Bishopsgate Institute on 10th April at 7:30pm and Waterstones Piccadilly on 14th May at 7pm. Both events are free. Find out more here.

Category: Music

It's no great secret that Wood Festival is one of my very favourite festivals… and even more so now that I have a child. WOOD is powered completely on renewable energy and is a great place to take little kids, winning a Silver Award from Festival Kidz last year.. I can't wait to take my toddler along to the 2014 edition. The main stage is hand-crafted out of oak and has a cheery thatch of flowers growing on its roof. Camping is super simple and small scale, perfect for frequent trips back to the tent with little ones. Even better, children aged 12 & under go free when accompanied by an adult. It's barely more than an hour outside of London and located in a beautiful field in the grounds of the wonderful Braziers Park (an alternative community).

This year has been heralded the YEAR OF THE BADGER, so guests are invited to indulge in some black and white striped attire! Each year it is hoped the festival will focus on a different wild animal from our fair isles. Naturally the festival will be highlighting the plight of badgers and sharing all things wonderful about badgers and their very important role in the countryside. 

I have always discovered amazing new music at Wood Festival, as well as enjoying old favourites in an incredibly laid back setting. This year Luke Sital-Singh will headline the Friday night, chosen as one of the BBC’s Sound of 2014 artists. Born in New Malden and the youngest of three brothers, Luke Sital-Singh was encouraged to embrace music from a young age. He cites his influences as Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, but this takes nothing away from Luke's originality: The Guardian described him as “breathing life into a tired form.” With a hefty trio of EPs already released, Luke’s much anticipated debut album is expected in late Spring.

Also joining the line up: My Sad Captains, who have just released their 3rd album, Best of Times, on the excellent Bella Union label. And expect the sweet Welsh sounds of Valleyers, quality songwriting from Oxford’s My Crooked Teeth, Tape Club recording artist Sephine Lo, Brighton harpist and singer Ellie Ford, and jazzy world grooves from Natureboy. All of these will be joining an ever growing roster of already announced artists: Sweet Baboo, The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, Alessi’s Ark, Jackie Oates, Oliver Wilde, O’Hooley & Tidow, Dancing Years, Nick Cope, Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou, The Dreaming Spires, Vikesh Kapoor, Rachael Dadd, Trent Miller, Jack Day, Co-Pilgrim, Edd Keene, Nick Jonah Davis, Jali Fily Cissokho, Paul McClure, Count Drachma, Knights of Mentis, Julia Meijer, Art Theefe, Jordan O’Shea, Macamu, and the Oxford Ukuleles!

Weekend and day tickets have been frozen at last year’s prices (£75 for an adult weekend ticket, including camping) and are available now from the Wood Festival website and Truck Store, Oxford.  Music starts at 6pm on the Friday, gates open at 3pm. Keep a watch on the website for a full list of workshops, activities and talks. You can read my review of last year's festival here.