Jin-Young Yu at Union Gallery.
This year I received invites to the London Art Fair in January thanks to the nice folks at the Catlin Art Prize, but sadly I did not make it along myself because Snarfle was ill. Instead I sent his dad Tim along, with a mission to snap the stuff he liked. I hope you enjoy a round up of the work that caught his eye.
Ophelia Finke’s Explorer has an eery quality to it – why is there a red anorak abandoned on the floor? Did the child wander off into the virtual jungle behind? Where are they now? A closer inspection reveals that the raincoat is delicately crafted from a combination of resin, plastic and paint, it’s immovability rendering it even more strange. Ophelia is one of the finalists who is featured in the Art Catlin Guide for 2014.
Michael O’Reilly is another artist chosen by Art Catlin, specialising in frantically daubed, bright and often surreal paintings. Greetings, above, suggests a melting animal face, but could the title hint at more?
The copious squiggles, firm lines and joyful colours used by Charlotte Roseberry call to mind the best of 1980s graphic art – a style that will always find appeal with me, and one that continues to be popular in its modern incarnation. She is our final pick from the Catlin Art Prize selection.
Moving on, these enigmatic sheep heads are by Dido Crosby at Jagged Art, who combines a training in both zoology and sculpture. Apparently One Goat and Eight Sheep is made out of unglazed china and taxidermy with glass eyes. I’m a little freaked out, where are the actual goat heads in these? Buried beneath clay? Certainly eye-catching, though I’m not sure I’d want it on my wall.
The Fairies Series by multi-disciplinary duo Davy & Kristin McGuire features tiny videos projected onto kilner jars.
Found objects are assembled into a face by Florida based Zac Freeman at Woolff Gallery, artwork that is best viewed at a distance.
This photo comes without any description but I had to include it because it is just so weird. What on earth are those women doing in a bath tub?
Sarah Ball’s painting has an intensity that normally only comes from a photograph, with styling that hints at both the modern (that petulant face) and the traditional (the earrings, the hair).
Robert Bradford at Envie D’Art has glued all sorts of strange objects onto wood to construct this pooch, which takes on a particularly cool quality when viewed from the front.
Alexander Korzer-Robinson makes intricate collages from cut out books.
Bugs remain a popular decorative theme, as used in this Beetle Orb by Nick Jeffrey at Panter and Hall.
I saw some photos on instagram as this was being printed at Jealous Gallery, so how apt that Tim should pick out Magda Archer‘s My Life Is Crap, which features a prancing lamb sprinkled with diamond dust.
A blue English Heritage style plaque bearing the immortal words ‘The Woman Who Sleeps With Your Husband lives here’ comes as a screen print by the brilliant Dave Anderson, also known as Blood Sausage.
Tom Butler at Charlie Smith London makes scary monsters by painting delicate gouache on top of old photographs.
Girls with floating appendages by Jin-Young Yu at Union Gallery look even weirder on closer inspection, with tears of blood, surgical bandages, a bullet wound.
A digitally printed council flat urn by ceramicist Alice Mara combines tradition and modernity incredibly well. I love this piece.
Katharine Morling recreates the debris of everyday life in carefully painted porcelain, arranging them to make curious vignettes.
I am not sure who made Frida Kahlo out of old tiles but she’s fun.
A small note bearing the words Back in 5 Minutes by Valerie Kolakis was on sale for £1000, but I am not sure that a push pin cast in 14 carat gold justifies the price tag.
Finally, this collection of joyful African prints made a big impression. Thankyou Tim Adey, I think it’s safe to say we have pretty similar tastes. Just as well eh?!
Categories ,African Prints, ,Alexander Korzer-Robinson, ,Alice Mara, ,Art Catlin Guide, ,Back in 5 Minutes, ,Beetle Orb, ,Blood Sausage, ,Business Design Centre, ,Catlin Art Prize, ,Charlie Smith London, ,Charlotte Roseberry, ,Dave Anderson, ,Davy & Kristin McGuire, ,Dido Crosby, ,English Heritage, ,Envie D’Art, ,Explorer, ,Frida Kahlo, ,Greetings, ,Islington, ,Jagged Art, ,Jealous Gallery, ,Jin-Young Yu, ,Katharine Morling, ,London Art Fair, ,Magda Archer, ,Michael O’Reilly, ,My Life Is Crap, ,Nick Jeffrey, ,One Goat and Eight Sheep, ,Ophelia Finke, ,Panter and Hall, ,Robert Bradford, ,Sarah Ball, ,Snarfle, ,The Fairies Series, ,The Woman Who Sleeps With Your Husband lives here, ,Tim Adey, ,Tom Butler, ,Union Gallery, ,Valerie Kolakis, ,woolff gallery, ,Zac Freeman
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