Wednesday 5th April: JOSEF FRANK Patterns / Furniture / Painting at FTM

If it was possible for polka-dot artist Yayoi Kusama to have a an estranged sibling, I think I've found him circa 40 years earlier in Scandinavia.  The Austrian born Architect and Designer moved to Sweden to establish his multicolour modernist style and in turn define the country's own aesthetic.  This exhibition explores his delicate original watercolours and inspirations which became the famous colour-block patterns.  It also shows his unknown and unseen personal paintings which span Provence landscape to his own imaginary house designs realised in paint.  Its a glorious show and collection of life-work by someone who clearly loved churning out art purely for his own enjoyment:  "painting made him happy".  It's infectious and a must-see.   

Thursday 5th May: "MISSONI Art Colour" at Fashion and Textile Museum

Party people at the private view and dinner of "MISSONI Art Colour" inc. artist Andrew Logan, designer Bethan Wood who was guest posting on Missoni's Snapchat and photogprapher Rankin who was doing the Instagram take-over for the night's preview.  Here is Kitty Joseph wearing her own new pixelated pattern collection and just one snap of the mini ice-creams we were treated to alongside pots of tirimisu, plates of rhubarb cheese cake....... after saffron & tarragon rissotto and asparagus & broad bean salad......... all of which I have no photos because I inhaled each and every one too quick!

Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF

6 May – 4 September 2016 

Thursday 5th May: "MISSONI Art Colour" at Fashion and Textile Museum, Part 2....... Roots

When you enter "MISSONI Art Colour" at the Fashion and Textile Museum, you first encounter a gallery of the family's inspiration in the form of Futurist & Constructivist paintings.  I was not expecting this from a textile show so I was immediately amazed from the very first step in.  The walls are hung with original 1930's avant-garde canvases including one by my absolute favourite artist Sonia Delaunay.  If you buy the book that accompany's the display there are pages and pages of other key works from their vaults including Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Josef Albers etc. ..... as the text explains "the rhythmic composition of shapes and colours used with purity, a language that the Missoni's translate and rework in the central motifs of their creative process".......

(Top to bottom: Fortunato Depero's Composizione, Date unkown,  Atanasio Soldati's Ambiguta Composizione, 1951.  Nino Di Salvatore's Struttura Spaziale In Tensione, 1952. Emilio Vedova's L'urto, 1949-50, Gianni Monnet's Costruzione, 1946)

Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF

6 May – 4 September 2016 

Thursday 5th May: "MISSONI Art Colour" at Fashion and Textile Museum, Part 4

 The final instalment of art history context comes as a display called "Conversations".  Here are pieces contemporary with Ottavio & Rosita Missoni's own work from the 1950's to the 1980's.  The cosmic mix of paintings, 3D reliefs and sculptures compare their own paintings to examples of Italian abstract art from the post Second World War period such as Dorazio and Accardi, to the MAC of Munari and Dorfles.  At this point of the show, up on the 2nd floor mezzanine I actually wanted to cry.  Every single piece is so exquisite and incredible.  As a visitor, you just feel so lucky to be able to see all these references up close and get a complete picture (literally) of how the MISSSONI's visual language formulated and came to be the iconic pattern coveted today.

 (top to bottom:  Ottavio Missoni:  Senza Titolo, 1971 and another from 1971 and 1970.  Luigi Veronesi:  Costruzione Movimento N.3, 1990.  Regina:  Struttura Multicolore Cerchi E Fili, 1968.  Luigi Veronesi, Costruzione, 1992.  Davide Boriani, Pantachrome n.5, 1967-76. Ottavio Missoni:  Senza Titolo, 1970. Unknown green sculpture)

 Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF