Irish artist Gerard Byrne opens 2013 at The Whitechapel Gallery with a large selection of video and photography works. Questioning our understanding of the present by revisiting the past, Byrne’s work have covered a range of topics, including politics, sex and sexuality, the history of minimalism, and even the Loch Ness Monster.

Many of his video works reinterpret past conversations with the use of actors and directed performances.

Premiering in the UK is A man and a woman make love (2012).This multi-screen installation reinterprets discussions about sexuality and eroticism held in the 1920s by the Surrealist group of artists and writers, including André Breton, Jacques Prévert and Yves Tanguy.

This large scale installation forces the audience to move around the dividing walls, making it impossible to view all of the projections at once and at points, Byrne has shown behind the scenes footage of the making of the piece. Both of these points could suggest Byrne wants the audience to be aware of it’s staging, therefore not only questioning time but also reliability and relevance.

Regardless, Byrne’s video work is a pleasure to watch, and in a field of art which can come across as haphazard and careless, his films are thoughtful and polished.

Gerard Byrne: A state of neutral pleasure
17th January – 8th March 2013
The Whitechapel Gallery
77-82 Whitechapel High Street
London
E1 7QX

Ann Veronica Janssens • Rose

Housed in one of our favourite spaces in London, LIGHT SHOW is a brilliant start to the 2013 London art calendar. Curated by Dr. Cliff Lauson, LIGHT SHOW brings together works from 25 artist, ranging from highly technical systematic installations, to a single light-bulb, each of which invite us to question our relationship to our surroundings and our responsiveness to light.

We’ve picked our favourite three from the 25 pieces on show… What will yours be? Be sure to let us know!

CERITH WYN EVANS • S=U=P=E=R=S=T=R=U=C=T=U=R=E (2010)

Though the Hayward installation is only showing three columns, Cerith Wyn Evans’ characterisation of ‘breathing’ is still forcefully conveyed. Left standing in a trance between these columns, a sense of relaxation and levitation takes over, especially if you’re close enough to feel the heat generated by the incandescent strip lights.

 FISCHLI & WEISS • SON ET LUMIÈRE (LE RAYON VERT) (1990)

Among a gallery of highly technical installations and interventions, the artist duo Fischli and Weiss offer us Son et Lumière, a sculptural pieces made of found objects in the home. This simplistic collection of unrelated objects results in a poetically polite piece of art, standing its ground next to its more substantial counterparts.

THE BIG SHOWSTOPPER for us though was definitely …

OLAFUR ELIASSON • A MODEL FOR A TIMELESS GARDEN (2011)

There are no words to describe this piece…you really do just have to go and see it (DONT BE LAZY, ITS WORTH IT)

Like always, supporting the exhibition, The Hayward Gallery have a vast array of talks, discussions and events happening. Click the link below to find out more.

LIGHT SHOW
30th January-28th April 2013 

The Hayward Gallery
Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London
SE1 8XX

It’s that time of year when the shops fill their stores with short shorts and summer tee’s, leaving us filled with hopes for the summer. To launch the release of their SS13 collection, 1ina100 have partnered with Beach to exhibit the work of the artists featured in their collection.

Works by  Jacob Perlmutter, Sophie Alda, Nina Lilliebjerg and Tamsyn Mystkowski are all on display at Beach, the shop come gallery just off of Brick Lane.

The show finishes this Sunday so do your best to see it! If not, make sure to pick up one of their latest tee’s!

17th January -3rd February

Beach London Gallery
20 Cheshire Street
London
E2 6EH

Specially commisioned by 3939, Ashley Joiner tells the story of rebirth in his new film, “A Portrait of Strength”. Trapped in a dark place for no known reason, the film details the journey a young boy who finds an inner and outer strength through the act of pole dancing. Placing a positive spin on an activity which has for years has been seen derogatively, the boy explores his sexuality and strength on the pole, a place where he is able to escape and be himself all at once.

A Portrait of Strength from Ashley Joiner on Vimeo.

Newly launched Mercy & Wild is the brain child of British model and brand director Isaac Carew. Wanting to help others who suffered from dyslexia,  just as he did. Carew teamed up with his friend and marketing expert Ty Akingbola and the Mercy & Wild was born…

Each season, five illustrators are commissioned to design themed artwork in aid of a different charitable cause. For Collection 01, Mercy & Wild have partnered with Dyslexia Action and created a collection of five unique T-­‐shirts, 25% of the profits of which will be donated to the charity. 

Everything about Mercy & Wild, from the t-­‐shirts themselves to labels, swing tags and business cards and swing tags is 100% ethical and eco-­‐friendly. The T-­‐ shirts are made from 100% organic cotton at a small solar-­‐powered factory in India which meets the Fair Wear Foundation standards regarding worker’s hours and pay. The garments are then shipped to the UK by boat to keep the overall Carbon footprint as low as possible. 

It’s clear this new and exciting brand has a lot to come, we speak to Ty Akingbola to find out more…

This season’s charity is Dyslexia Action. Is there a collaborative process between the two?

The idea for the brand first came about because Isaac wanted to work with a Dyslexia Action to create a charity t-shirt, but when he asked for my help to implement it, my first impression is that generally charity t-shirts are quite ‘gimmicky’ or people wear them for a day and then put them in their pyjama box for wearing around the house.  Similarly, I didn’t feel that a charity would have quite the right type of audience for what he wanted to achieve.  With Mercy & Wild, we really wanted to 100% own the creative process so the whole brand look and feel and all the artwork, the tone of voice etc. comes from within the brand.  Once we were nearly ready to launch, we got in touch with Dyslexia Action and explained what we were about and asked if they would support us through their own channels but really the whole campaign is run by us and then we give them a donation at the end of a 6 month period.

“We are extremely grateful for the support of Mercy and Wild and are excited to

be working together over the coming months. The passion and enthusiasm that

they have for dyslexia is reflected in their wonderful designs and we are

delighted to be receiving 25% from each T-­‐shirt sold. All the funds raised will

help us to make a real difference to the lives of people with dyslexia”

Clare Appleby, Corporate Account Manager, Dyslexia Action.

What is the fashion world as a whole doing for charity so far? Do you think there is more the fashion world can do? If so, what?

I think there is always more that anyone can do.  I recently read the founder of TOMS book ‘Start Something That Matters’ and I found it really inspiring to learn of how many brands there are out there who are actively doing everything they can to make a difference rather than just the bare minimum – 10p per pair of jeans sold or something like that.  Fashion in general tends to only look to support charity at one-off occasions or with one-off collections but very rarely is there an ongoing ethos to give back to those who have less.  With Mercy & Wild, our humanitarian ethos isn’t just a secondary thought, it’s at the centre of everything we do!  Everything about our t-shirts, the printing process, even our business cards are all 100% eco-friendly, organic and Fair Trade.  When you begin to see how easy it is to start a business that is committed to growing on sound ethical values, you wonder why so many people are still using less ethical methods that exploit other human beings or that are harmful to the planet.

What is the criteria for the illustrators you choose? Do they have strict guidelines?

There are no strict guidelines – it’s more about the illustrative style.  For dyslexia, it’s obviously more typography-based illustrations and the art can be a bit more tongue-in-cheek but our next collection will supporting a bi-polar charity which is obviously a much more serious topic which means the illustrations will take on a completely different tone and so we will need to look for different qualities of illustration in the artists we choose

What’s next for Mercy and Wild? Are there any events coming up?

Onwards and upwards hopefully!  We’ve had some great press after our launch party this week and sales have been coming in from all over the world – New York, Japan, even Australia – which is obviously massively encouraging.  At the moment we don’t have any events planned but we are hoping to get in touch with some famous dyslexics to see if we can get them in our ‘I Put The Sexy in Dyslexia’ t-shirt to help support the cause! http://mercyandwild.com/shop/tshirt-2/

All Mercy & Wild Products are available at  www.mercyandwild.com  And remember that each selected charity receives 25% from each sale!! What could be better…you get an awesome limited edition T-shirt and the charity receives extra funding to carry on with their honourable cause.

Our favourites of the four are Pieter Hugo and John Stezaker.

Pieter Hugo (b. 1976, South Africa)

Nominated for his publication Permanent Error, the work centers on the vast dumping grounds of technological waste on the outskirts of Ghana’s capital city Accra. A supporting interview reveals how it is cheaper for developed western countries to export their technological waste to areas such as this rather than deposit it safely themselves.

Hugo documents the young people who are discarding the waste, a deadly task which their survival depends on. The contrast between having the subjects pose, a defined staging, against the horrifying wasteland behind allows for an entire story to be read through the eyes of the subjects. The sad bleakness in their eyes is only emphasised by their surroundings.

The most haunting of the collection is one of four boys, one who is posed in the foreground and three others who continue to work. Does life carry on regardless of that person being there? Are they that insignificant?

John Stezaker (b. 1949, UK)

John Stezaker has been working with found material since the late 1960′s, but it is only in recent years that his work has truly gained the recognition it deserves. Stezaker’s use of film stills, postcards and magazine cuttings had led him to be a firm favourite with the public and art critics alike. By adopting these ‘readymades’, he is able to manipulate the meaning of these images as much as the image itself to create a new and poignant message.

In an interview, Stezaker reveals his feeling for photography and why he decided to move into the realm of found imagery. He says “Photography denise the imagination”. I think it’s safe to say, his collages and clippings most certainly don’t.

The exhibition is on until the 9th September at The Photographers Gallery, London. Go check it out and let us know whether you agree with us… Who will win the coveted £30,000 prize?

Filmed on Rhode Island, the love story tells of two outcast children, a boy, an orphan, and a girl, from a misfit family, who, over the corse of a year, correspond through letters and plan to elope. Their deadpan, unemotional delivery of the script mimics the simple but effective cinematography that brings children’s thinking to the foreground of the film and leaves us questioning how much we actually have to learn from those younger than us.

There aren’t any faults with this film. I suggest everyone goes and sees it. Its the perfect balance of hollywood and art house that satisfies your every need and is certain to put a smile on your face!

Create 2012 have commissioned three film makers to create pieces revolving around their personal journey through the London 2012 Olympic hosting boroughs. Michael Smith, Eva Weber and collaborators Paul Kelly and Saint Etienne each embarked on an investigative study of the surrounding area of the the olympic park, raising questions about the legacy of the olympics, change in the identity of the city and our relationship to our surroundings.

Each taking very different approaches, the three films were all at once personal to the artists and yet relatable for the audience. A Q&A session after the screenings allowed for healthy debate between the panel of directors and the audience over the identity of our city, and our relationship with it, as londoners and visitors. With a constantly changing landscape, does London have its own identity? Does our relationship with the city change because of this or is it a combination of change within ourselves?

Sadly there is no footage available to post online. But they’re is a second screening on the 19th July at Sugarhouse Studios….we highly recommend. You can book tickets and find out more information here!

Freelance architectural illustrator, Victor Enrich, travels the world documenting urban landscapes before transforming them into these surreal, photo-realistic images. Challenging his viewers to question the honesty of the images, we are left pondering how much funner the world would be if they were real. We caught up with the man behind the images to find out more…

Before focusing on photography, you mention working professionally, what were you doing?

I was a 3D architectural illustrator, some other people call it 3D artist or Computer Graphics Designer. However, I prefer to use the first definition as I think it fits better to the actual tasks that I performed.

I studied architecture in the university, but due to the fact of a strong attachment to computers, beginning at my childhood years, I got enough experience in 3D techniques to gain a reputation in the University already at the early years, helping me to gain customers among some teachers that also managed their own architecture studios.

Little by little I abandoned the idea of being an architect and I become a professional 3d illustrator, occupation that has lasted 13 years most of the time under the freelancing formula.

How has this had an impact in your work?

Definitely it had an important impact because my photography gets actually manipulated with all sort of 3D computer graphics techniques that I have learnt throughout my freelancing years. However, at a certain point I realized that there was an important aspect of myself that was not being developed by being a simple 3D illustrator, which was my creativity. Creativity associated to my infinite inner world and imagination.

I had to let myself bring it out as soon as possible instead of trying to live my life inside of it forever.

So, already knowing the necessary 3D techniques to represent almost everything I want in the architectural field and with this new, fresh desire of getting in contact with the outer world, the audience, it was just a matter of starting working on it.

You’re quite specific in saying your work is photography and not architecture. But using the same techniques, surely there are similarities in your work?

Architecture is a profession that deals only with reality. It means that their problems or obstacles to overcome are related to real life situations, such as bureaucracy, urban norms, clients’ requests etc.

It is also clear that Architecture, nowadays, uses computerization to ease some certain design processes or structure calculations, or to obtain pictures of a building that has not yet been built. All this has let architecture reach levels of perfection and optimization never dreamt before.

My work, even though it shares with architecture some of these computerized processes, by no chance expects to deal with reality as it is a product of my imagination.

I call my Artwork photography, besides the fact that I shoot pictures with my camera, because my product is a hard copy of a digital image printed on paper. So it’s not a painting, a collage, a sculpture or a movie. It’s photography.

By challenging the public conscious, do you have a point you want the audience to arrive at, or are you simply wanting to unsettle the accepted norm?

After a couple of years doing art professionally, taking in consideration that I was never educated to be an artist, I have reached the conclusion that Art is only useful if it serves to elevate the consciousness of those who look at, listen to or touch that piece of art.

It reaches the souls of the people through the senses, enabling thigs such as emotions or rational conclusions show up, leading them to the next level. And each form of art, or channel, performs this elevation process in its own way.

Every picture of mine is just a unique conglomerate of thoughts, ideas, dreams, flashes or moments that I’ve gone through in my life and as a human being I am, other people might have gone through the same or similar. Probably, in combination with different circumstances, people, places and times.

But all in all, we are the same. That is why, as far as I know, my pictures evoke or rescue different aspects to each different person, helping them, in some way, to make a trip inwards, as there’s something from their lives represented in my picture.

How do you decide on a cityscape to alter? And once you have, how long are you in the environment for?

I have understood that ideas come when they come, so the only thing I do is to enable them to come. For doing so, I just try to spend the way of life that fits better with this enabling process, then, it’s a matter of time. But of course I pay a price for it.

In consequence, I don’t decide on which cityscape. I just get to it, by chance, or by mistake, or after a special moment, or just because I pass in front of it day after day.

In the other hand, the ideas I have are just like obsessions or redundancies in my mind that need to be applied onto a cityscape. Sometimes a certain idea fits with all cityscapes I have previously shot, sometimes the opposite. Sometimes and idea can only be applied to a specific cityscape. Everything is quite free.

Are you making comments about the specific area or are all of your pieces connected?

Obviously all my pieces are connected, because the engine that makes them become real is always the same. But as mentioned before, as there’s no premeditation in choosing a certain cityscape or another, there’s no intention at all, at least consciously, to talk about any specific matter that refers to the reality of the place. So, there’s no politics behind. It’s just a simple externalization of my inner being in an attempt to get in communication with the outer world.

www.victorenrich.com