Thursday 14th June: Secret 7” 2018

The Secret 7”  exhibition has taken on a new epic location this year on The Jetty at Greenwich Peninsula.  Murals hand-painted by Survival Techniques guide you along the river, underneath the Emirates Airline to discover this fun space on stilts out in the water.  Urban Growth have planted beds of greenery to surround the displays of the seven hundred record sleeve artworks. Seven tracks from seven musicians have been pressed one hundred times to 7” vinyl. Creatives from around the world have selected their favourite track to interpret in their own style from artists such as Jeremy Deller and Sir Anish Kapoor to submissions from the general public. These seven hundred unique sleeves are currently on display at the Jetty before going on sale on June 24th.  The auction functions on a first come, first served basis priced at £50 each. The idea is that collectors have to guess who has created each sleeve and which song it’s for.  The secret isn't revealed until you have secured your purchase and unlocked its identity.  With each year of this project gaining notoriety the queue is becoming a dedicated operation.  It's advised to get in line in good time to get your paws on your favourite wax which could be the work of anyone from Sir Paul Smith to Polly Morgan.  You'll also find my cosmic colourful offering nestling in the mix alongside other NOW Gallery artists including Morag Myerscough, Hattie Stewart and Yinka Ilori.  This year all proceeds are going to Mind Charity.

(photos include a montage of my favourite artworks including two I suspect are for Jimi Hendrix "Castles Mad Of Sand" - see the lego mini Jimi and castles made of sand-paper!)

See my archive posts here, here,  here, here

Tuesday 5th December: "THE COME UP" by Charles Jeffrey at NOW Gallery

Charles Jeffrey's runway shows are always a work of art in themselves with theatrical set design and performance happening alongside the LOVER BOY muse models.  His clubnight which has self-financed his business has emerged from the basement of Vogue Fabrics and blossomed into a legitimate design house.  That is why I was so pleased to see Lyall Hakaria at the private view for Charles Jeffrey's debut solo show at NOW Gallery because it was Lyall who first told me about his talent.  Lyall not only supported Charles with his nightclub to host parties but also studio and skills for sewing the first collections.  Here he is in character as "Collector" at the opening night of this art show as part of the characters Charles has devised for the project, including himself as "The Artist".  For the private view he addressed the crowd behind a lectern of a myriad of fake microphones for a speech to thank everyone and himself for blessing us with this show!  The whole night was a riot with Theo Adams theatrics, turning the gallery into a pseudo Studio 54 with Josh Quinton spinning disco and confetti canons covering the sculptures in showers of colour.

The shapes that hang from the seven metre ceiling and take up the circular floor space are like Jack and the Beanstalk come alive.  It's Charles Jeffrey's own illustrations given a new perspective out of the sketch book and blown up to a magic, major scale.  He's not just leaving it at that though.  He's inviting visitors to add to the narrative by joining in and drawing directly onto the works.  Calico also hangs on the wall as a blank page for pattern from the hands of all the footfall which he'll later use as fabric in his collection.  This work of art will become a new work of art in the future!  The show "The Come Up" is installed for three months so be sure to check it out and leave your Sharpie shapes on the cooperative canvas!

See archive posts here.

Sunday 3rd December: #SAMPLEchristmas at Greenwich Peninsula

Cosmic & Colourful magpie finds at the Urban Village #SAMPLEchristmas artisan market supporting seventy emerging independent designers at Greenwich Peninsula curated by Hemingway Design.  A festive gateway of vintage neon was installed by God's Own Junkyard and music came courtesy of Ebony Steel Band and DJ's playing from a mirror-ball covered caravan!  A second glittery airstream was home to Blow LTD where I had a manicure to tidy up my mitts after a wreath-making workshop with Florunikon.  It was such a nice chance to meet the faces behind the Instagram accounts on a weekend when independent traders left their studios to show their wares and share their stories on #smallbusinesssaturday 

(My snaps here include top to bottom:  Camille Walala for GoodLife London, Giannina Capitani knitwear, Maya Njie Perfumes, Rissoto Risograph Prints, Type Tom letterpress, Little Imp jewellery, Rokus London jewellery, Tracey Neuls shoes, Pelican Story, The Botanical Workshop, Earl Of East London, Florunikon wreath workshop)