London June 2008

Three very different exhibitions I visited that show something about my influences and passions.



Exhibition Super Contemporary “fifteen commissions from some of London’s most dynamic creative’s" alongside Brit Insurance Designs of the Year .
Cabbage Chair was commissioned by Issey Myake to reuse the paper used in pleating his fabric and comes in a compact roll that you then peel .
From shaved sheepskin aprons to plastic electric chairs to rabbit rubbish bins designed by Paul Smith

Also at the Design Museum I found this great book “New London Style” by Chloe Grimshaw on eclectic interior design.( Thames and Hudson 2008 )Excellent pictures of the private dwellings of the most exciting current young creative’s in London.
A new way of creating interiors is about the creation of something original it takes years of looking dreaming and collecting before a house finally becomes a home.




Tracey Emin “Those Who Suffer Love” at White Cube, Masons yard (near the Royal Academy) from 29th May to 4th of July.
I love her drawings and this exhibition has been put on to celebrate and coincide with the launch of her new book “One Thousand Drawings” a collection of her drawings and monoprints. Another book to buy. Some of the larger figurative pieces are stitch onto blanket with beautiful line qualities and expressive mark making that evokes an honesty of vulnerability and emotion .She is a superb draughtswoman and as she says “there is a simplicity and modesty about this show tat has made me feel very happy and complete, like I have gone full circle and I’m back to what I really know.”

Richard Long Tate Britain 3rd June to 6th September
“Heaven and Earth “
I only went to this exhibition because my work is about drawing on the exploratory walks I do around Cornwall and his is about recording his walks. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as I have seen bits of his stuff before and not been very impressed but this one is fantastic.
He walks amazing distances both in England and abroad (eg 603 miles in 19 days)being in and observing nature and sometimes making an ephemeral mark on the landscape and recording it before moving on or recording lists of sights and sounds to then display as a piece on his return. I have been discussing some form of written material to accompany my designs and now understand the power of this as an art form in itself.
For example:


RAILWAY LINE
A PAIR OF BUZZARDS
THISTLES
IRISHMANS WALL
WHITEHORSE HILL
STATTS HOUSE
WINNEYS DOWN
EAST DARTS RIVER
SANDY HOLE PASS
A DEAD SHEEP
BROAD DOWN
SHEP BONES
COTTON GRASS
CLAPPER BRIDGE
MIDDAY
GORSE
GRANITE BOULDERS
SECOND FOX
SMALL WOOD
WEST DART RIVER
NAKERS HILL
OLD CHINA CLAY WORKS
RED LAKE
PONIES
FIRST SUN
CAIRN
BRACKEN
STONE ROW

“A Straight line northward walk across Dartmoor ENGLAND 1997

In the middle large gallery he had assembled installations of large stones from a variety of sources, which contrasted dramatically with, the interior space and were the most amazing colours.
STONE LINE 1980 slate
NORFOLK FLINT CIRCLE 1990 Flint
RED SLATE CIRCLE 1988 slate
ALPINE CIRCLE 1990 basalt
BLACK WHITE BLUE PURPLE CIRCLE 1998 Swiss stones
BASALT ECLPISE 2000 basalt