Ludo's first solo show in Paris

Nice piece by Ludo in Paris to coincide with his first Parisian solo show, at the Galerie Itinerrance (www.itinerrance.fr). Unfortunately we were there last month, so missed out. Next time. Have featured his work here before, so if you're interested in his style search through the archive.

MetalMilitia skull - Ludo

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David Walker at Rook & Raven Gallery

Went to the opening of the first solo show by David Walker - Brides on fire -  at the end of last month. Some stunning paintings at the show, and a great turn out. We would have loved to buy one of the large works, but a bit outside our budget (and our flat is too small to do it the justice it deserves. We ended up buying a print of one of the paintings instead, which we love, and got a couple of hand painted masks from David too.

This wall piece was awesome - not for sale though 

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This is the piece we bought a print of - Bride 1 

Love this wall - sorry about the focus 

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Detail  (click on image to enlarge)

Detail  (click on image to enlarge) 

This piece was slightly grotesque 

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The installation in the foyer made from dead cans 

shadow from the installation

shadow from the installation 

 Art buyers at the opening

Looking down to the lower (print) level 

 Art buyers/punters at the opening - full house! 

Art buyers at the opening 

Art buyers at the opening 

Art buyers at the opening

The only B&W in the room full of colour - stunning 

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Moniker Art Fair pt2

More great bits from Moniker...

Bold (click in image to enlarge) 

Loved this one on board (click in image to enlarge) 

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Mmmmmm... (click in image to enlarge) 

Sunday avo (click in image to enlarge) 

Love the vase of spray can flowers (click in image to enlarge) 

Stik up high (click in image to enlarge) 

Gold leaf and glow in the dark trainers (click in image to enlarge) 

ROA reveal (click in image to enlarge) 

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London Police and Word to Mother (click in image to enlarge)

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The works of John Isaacs may make you vomit a little (or a lot for that matter!)

Matrix of amnesia (click to enlarge image)

Everyone's talking about Jesus (click to enlarge image)

I can't help the way I feel (click to enlarge image)

Julie wasp (click to enlarge image)

Dubbed the 'Mixed Media Madman', and I can see why - there's nothing subtle about the artworks of John Isaacs. While some artists would like to make pretty pictures and beautify the world with their expression, John's work comments critically on how screwed up the world has become and demands attention. Every piece is a morally critical statement on the way we choose to live our lives as a species in this modern world. His hideously confronting executions can't help but make you think and riddle you with guilt on what we have become... It's like being bludgeoned about the head with our fast food guzzling, consumer driven, resource eating, air polluting, Prozac popping ways. Yep.

Not married to one medium in particular, John Isaacs will use anything at his disposal to convey his message and does so with technical precision. Check some examples from vist vast catalogue of work to the right of this post and for more examples visit:

http://isaacs.aeroplastics.net/index.php
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LAB's Bazaart in Bethnal Green

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Forgot to mention an exhibition I went to in March...

LAB (Little Art Book) with Randomcuts presented BAZARRT, a grand handpicked collection of original paintings, stencils, photography, pasting and installations from some of the most prolific and in demand urban and street artists around.

Housed in a massive, 5000 square foot venue in The Yard, Three Colts Lane - the heart of Bethnal Green, the exhibition began on the Thursday night, with bands, djs and live art, and ran through to Sunday evening. Unfortunately, I didn't find out about it until the Friday, so missed the opening.

Featured artists included Adam Mallett, AKINA, AlPs, AsboLuv, Ben Slow, BG Booniece, Blam, BonBon, Busk, Dan Kitchener, Dscreet, Eelus, Elfin, Eve Mulholland, Eyesaw, Fake (print release), Fark FK, Focus (print release), FORS, Gabriel Moreno, Gemma Ward, Grafter, Harry Yeff, Henry Reeve, Hutch, Ika Ooska, Inkfetish, Jilko, Jux, K-Guy, Lady Sew & Sew, Laura Ward, Lucy Tate, Luke Da Duke, Marco Marzocchi, Milo, Mishfit, Oh Death, Oliver Winconek, OTP, Pho, Pure Evil, Random Cuts, Rourke Van Dal (print release), Rugman, Snub, SPQR, Tek 13, The Krah, Vilchez (print release), VST.

A top exhibition, which included very competitively priced artwork compared to what I've been seeing around recently, combined with the opportunity to meet with some of the artist (and if you were really lucky and there at the right time even watch the artist create the work in front of your very eyes).

Looks like it's now set to be an annual event, so keep your eyes peeled around mid March 2010.

More pics from Banksy for 1p at Carnaby Street

My pupils are too dilated to finish my painting, but i'll talk to youuuu....!

Genius stroke - this dude is 19 years old!

DJ Onthenight

Reeps One (Secret Wars artist) beatboxing

Hellboy

Helboy loves sparkles - so does his girl!

Ok, further to my previous post about the fantastic night put on by Artichoke Ltd in Carnaby Street (yes, that's right - the night where we didn't win a framed, signed Banksy for 1p, but Yorick came close and Huw came even closer - no cigars but plenty of free Brahmas, yes, that's the one).

Anyway, here's some more pics from the night - sorry, they're only phone pics so the crowd shots were rubish ...

Banksy print for just 1p

Banksy - Trolleys

No. 57 - the big winner on the night

Yorick: No. 53 - close, but no cigar

Huw: No. 55 - close as a close thing

No. 174 - not close, but I got to chat to Reeps One

Yorick & I registered with a PR and Promotions company called Artichoke Ltd during March to be in with a chance to grab a signed Banksy ‘trolleys’ print for just 1p.

Throw into the mix the fact that there was free beer all night (courtesy of Brahma - showcasing a very tasty lager from Brazil), djs, a special performance by beatboxer Reeps One (of Secret Wars fame), and artists painting live in a secret location, and we're sold.

Easy online registration reserved us an invite, but we had to be there to be in the running to win the prize (and obviously to drink the beer). The first 400 were assured of entry, and anyone after that missed out. We were running late, but by the time we arrived they hadn't let in too many peeps (about 60 by my calculations), so we joined the back of the queue. I guestimated there were probably about 200 people in front of us, so, unless a whole bunch of invites or queue jumpers hoped in in front of us, we were in.

Took a while (a long while) but we made it through the front door and got ticked off the list, given a registration number and a beer. Every one who got in got a number. The winner would be picked out of a lotto type spinny thing, and could claim their signed, framed Banksy upon validation of their number and redemption of 1p.

We walked around the two and a half story art space chatting with punters and watching artists paint live for about an hour, being lubricated by free Brahma the whole time. Brilliant! That's my kind of Friday.

Duly the winner was announced by Pete from Artichoke. Number 57. Quite a wait and no. 57 came down the stairs to claim his prize. He was, as you can imagine, well chuffed. Less chuffed but well lubed was Yorick with number 53, and our new friend from the queue, Huw, who had no. 55. That was well close, but didn't bother me as I was well out of the running with 174. Ha!

All in all a top night. Thanks and respect to Artichoke Ltd, Brahma, Reeps One and all the artists involved.