Amelia’s Magazine | Pick Me Up Contemporary Graphic Art Fair 2012: Review

Pick Me Up 2012 -puck collective
Following on from my review of the newcomers in Pick Me Up Selects section it’s time to take a look at the rest of the exhibitors at this year’s fair. It was seriously busy at the Pick Me Up private view, so I no doubt missed out on a huge chunk of talent in the market place, but what I did find was a fabulous preponderance of screenprints and risograph images: the popularity of these mediums shows no sign of abating, presumably as a counterpoint to these digitally obsessed times.

Pick Me Up 2012 -people of print
People of Print was established in 2008 to sell the work of emerging artists across the globe. Their display stuck to a magenta and turquoise colour scheme that created an eye-catching effect.

Pick Me Up 2012 -ship of fools
Ship of Fools caught my eye with their beautifully curated stand Trapped in Suburbia – check out that explosion – and it was nice to see a collective that isn’t based in the east end of London. Not that I’ve got anything against it mind, it’s where I live after all… but there is art being curated elsewhere in the universe too.

Pick Me Up 2012 -landfill editions
I was pleased to see that output from Landfill Editions has grown greatly recently: their stand features a plethora of beautiful plates, glassware, ceramics and more, commissioned from artists and inspired by the work of Eduardo Paolozzi.

Pick Me Up 2012 -landfill editions
Pick Me Up 2012 -landfill editions
Are Landfill responsible for the Florist stand? It’s adhoc primary coloured artworks are a joy to behold.

Pick Me Up 2012 -liv Bargman
Liv Bargman.

Pick Me Up 2012 -jack teagle
Jack Teagle.

Puck Studio are showing artwork by creative talents working in the South West – which includes two of my fave artists: Liv Bargman (a contributor to my first book, Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration) and Jack Teagle.

Pick Me Up 2012 -Peepshow Collective
Upstairs the Peepshow Collective take the large central space to show a Pitt Rivers inspired Museum of Objects and Origins. It will be a changing display over the course of the exhibition as visitors add to the content.

Pick Me Up 2012 -Print Club London
Pick Me Up 2012 -esther mcmanus
Esther McManus.

Pick Me Up 2012 -Margaux Carpentier
Margaux Carpentier.

Print Club London‘s space was a hive of activity when I visited – not surprising since they have transplanted a fully functioning studio into Somerset House. My favourites on display are by Esther McManus and Margaux Carpentier, who will be on hand to demonstrate their print techniques during the fair.

Pick Me Up 2012 -Nelly Duff
Pick Me Up 2012 -'Bunny Blossom' by American artists Kozyndan.
Bunny Blossom by Kozyndan.

Nelly Duff are based in Columbia Road, where they are known for selling an eclectic selection of paintings and prints from a diverse range of artists.

Pick Me Up 2012 -Soma Gallery
I am so pleased that Soma Gallery is showing at Pick Me Up this year. Fiona has curated a carefully edited selection of work from her stable of regular artists: Peskimo, Gemma Correll, Andy Smith, Crispin Finn and Tom Frost. Look out especially for bargain prints by Peskimo and some great wall slogan artworks from Andy Smith. Loads of bargains to be had!

Pick Me Up 2012 -karolin schnoor
Karolin Schnoor.

Pick Me Up 2012 - sister arrow
Sister Arrow.

Many Hands is a new online shop that sells the work of a variety of artists, including Stone and Spear, Sister Arrow, Thereza Rowe (find her work in my first book!) and many others.

Pick Me Up 2012 -Marcus Oakley Nieves Books
Marcus Oakley for Nieves Books.

Pick Me Up 2012 -Lubok

Beach London have carved out quite a name for themselves in a very short space of time – and this year they join Pick Me Up for the first time with a shop space in prime position before the official exit. They have chosen to showcase the publications of five indie publishers known for their illustrative output, so you can take a peek at new work from Nobrow Press, Nieves Books, Lubok and more. They are also selling copies of both my books, featuring some names you will recognise from the exhibition: Yoko Furusho, Karolin Schnoor, Thereza Rowe and Liv Bargman. Make sure you take a peek when you go through! And check in with my listings to make sure you don’t miss one of the many workshops and talks that are taking place over the next week. Pick Me Up London is one event that graphic artists, illustrators and lovers of either or both should not miss!

Categories ,2012, ,Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration, ,Andy Smith, ,Beach London, ,Bunny Blossom, ,Collectives, ,Columbia Road, ,Crispin Finn, ,Eduardo Paolozzi, ,Esther McManus, ,Gemma Correll, ,Jack Teagle, ,Karolin Schnoor, ,Kozyndan, ,Landfill Editions, ,Liv Bargman, ,Lubok, ,Many Hands, ,Margaux Carpentier, ,Museum of Objects and Origins, ,Nelly Duff, ,Nieves Books, ,Nobrow Press, ,People of Print, ,Peskimo, ,Pick Me Up London, ,Pitt Rivers, ,Print Club London, ,Private view, ,Puck Studio, ,review, ,Risograph, ,Ship of Fools, ,Sister Arrow, ,Soma Gallery, ,Stone and Spear, ,Thereza Rowe, ,Tom Frost, ,Trapped in Suburbia, ,Yoko Furusho

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Art Fair 2010

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Thomas Allen, view Unreachable, viagra 100mg 2009, adiposity Chromogenic Print, 20 x 24 inches, Courtesy of Foley Gallery

I always get rather excited about large art fairs or exhibitions as you have hours of perusing and inspiration ahead of you and the hum of conversation in the air adds to the buzz.  The annual London Art Fair features over 100 galleries promoting 20th Century British art and focuses predominantly on painting while also featuring photography, drawing, installations, video art and print editions.

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Photograph courtesy of Lil Wizz

Formally the Royal Agricultural Hall, The Business Design Centre was saved from demolition in 1981 and re-invented as an exhibition, trade and conference centre and is certainly a spectacular cavernous venue for a large gathering of galleries and art dealers.

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Isabel Rock, Lord Foster, 2009, Pen ink and collage on print, Courtesy of Bearspace

One theme did catch my eye as being on-trend – paper-cut illustration.  It has taken the art world by storm.  You are probably familiar with Rob Ryans illustrations, currently being featured in every commercial format from magazines to packaging.  Well, it appears that the fine art world have a penchant for paper-cut art as well.

IMG_3330Photograph courtesy of Zanny Mellor

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Wild Waters 2009, courtesy of Georgia Russell, Cut 19th-century engraving in acrylic case, 28 x 30.75 x 2.5 inches

England & Co were showcasing the artists’ books of Georgia Russell, who has taken her scalpel for a walk in the library!  She transforms books, music scores, maps, newspapers and photographs, giving each a new lease of life.  Her three-dimensional book works are created by hand-shredding every page in a book and distilling them in bell jars or perspex boxes, allowing the viewer to take a different meaning from the original title. Evolution and Natural Selection reacts well to this method of presentation, dithering somewhere between museum artefact and artwork. Choosing such an eminent title obviously ensures collect-ability but Russell’s deconstruction of Charles Darwin’s famous publication is quite a find, seeming to have animal fur spilling it out of it.

IMG_3289Photograph courtesy of Zanny Mellor

The Sims Reed Gallery was exhibiting some exquisite screenprints by Eduardo Paolozzi, which had me dissecting and digesting their infinite layers, geometric patterns and cacophony of colours for some time.  His surrealist mish-mash of subject matter creates very interesting compositions that sometimes resemble plan views of cities or a diagram of the inner workings of machines.  So layered and complex are his prints that you could not get bored of having one of those on your wall.

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John Piper, Sea Buildings, 1938, Oil, pencil & ripolin on canvas laid on panel, 12 x 16 inches, Courtesy of Richard Green

Diagrams and maps are perhaps the perfect marriage of fact and interpretation, science and art.  As artists, we visually document the world around us and map-making appears to be one of those visual forms which encompasses our desire to find the truth but also to create with our hands.  Jason Wallis-Johnson, also represented by England & Co tirelessly produces mesmerisingly detailed maps based on a number of cities around the world.

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Jason Wallis-Johnson, Imaginary Cities 2002, Pencil and ink on paper

His drawings are not direct but transferred from carbon paper, giving them a soft elegance untouched by hand.  The 3-dimensional pieces are even more captivating.  They are created by pin-pricking black carbon paper and setting them on lightboxes, giving the drawings a glow that more than realistically depicts night-time aerial photographs of the cities which he obsesses over.  Such detailed work has led to him being collected by The British Musueum and the V&A to name a few.  It seems that his work, like Georgia Russell’s can’t make it’s mind up as to whether it is art or artefact, 2 or 3 dimensional.

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Photograph courtesy of Lil Wizz

Categories ,Art dealers, ,contemporary art, ,drawing, ,Eduardo Paolozzi, ,Exhibition Review, ,galleries, ,Georgia Russell, ,Highbury Islington, ,illustration, ,installations, ,Isabel Rock, ,Jason Wallis-Johnson, ,John Piper, ,london, ,London Art Fair, ,photography, ,rob ryan, ,The british Museum, ,The Business Design Centre, ,The Sims Reed Gallery, ,Thomas Allen, ,video art and print editions.

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