Lesley Flower Photography

Lesley Flower took a degree in photography at Southampton Solent University and bases her work around themes of passing time and contemplation. Just like the infamous landscape photography of Richard Long, Lesley is also interested by the objects people own and the traces they leave behind. Her large scale travel photography captures quiet yet dramatic scenes, void of human life, but full of nature's nuanced colours, rough textures, and gentle light. Click here to see more of her works.

Street Art Sketch Book- Tristan Manco

Just like this very happy lady above, I too got my hands on a copy of Tristan Manco's 'Sreet Art Sketchbook: The Journey' yesterday in Nottinghill. The book is really well put together combining plenty of sketches, visuals and interesting text from the secret world of artist's sketchbooks. This particular publication explores and captures practically every piece of graffiti art in South America.

Tristan Manco is an author and designer based in the UK specialising in art direction, curation and publishing.You can see more images inside the book here.

Look What I found

On a night out in Camden's Lock Lounge, I spotted this colourful parrot painting, spread between two canvases and the wall itself. The birds sit, play and fly off what appears to be a washing or power line, creating movement and an striking focus to the room. What a great way to fill a placid wall space. (Shame about the disco lights..!)

The 7/7 Memorial

I've been really suprised to see how much art is buried in Hyde Park, hidden in leafy corners or secret gardens. Aside from all the Anish Kapoor hype, (his sculptures are drawing crowds of tourists and security guards patrol around them) I've found some pretty amazing, and in this case touching, pieces that deserve just as much recognition.

One of the most profound I've seen was the 7/7 memorial, that consists of a number of tall, concrete poles, each emblazoned with the name of a victim and the location at which they died. On this particular day, the sun was shining and eerie shadows were cast on the floor, making the human-like sculptures seem like they were standing tall from the ground.

The way this sculpture is built allows you to weave in and out of it like a maze, and despite seeming simple in design, there was something compelling about it's symmetricality.

Thinking back to the calamity of that day, this memorial cleverly embodies the calm after the storm.

Kit Merritt's 'To Do List'

Art Licks is the latest website on the block to establish itself into a magazine, and had it's exclusive launch party last week at the Sasoon Gallery. Artist Kit Merritt, one of the many involved with the launch, asked attendees to write on to her To Do list as part of her interactive work.

Each written task had to be something that genuinly needed to be done by whoever was writing it and throughout the following week, Kit set about completing all the tasks herself. Her blog, called 'Things We Both Need To Do' shows evidence of this and includes the receipt from buying a train ticket to Brighton, a print out of car tax renewal and a map of Bethnal Green drawn from memory.

Kit focuses her works on archival practices and a 'compulsion to document autobiographical actions' which is evident in her seemingly obsessive preoccupation with lists. Another of her blogs called 'To Do' was started in 2008 after Kit continuously found herself writing list after list of things she had done and things she had to do.

Selfridges Shoe Hall

This September, Selfridges launched a mega 35,000 square feet shoe hall, displaying 4,000 shoes from over 150 brands. As I flip-flopped my way through the maze of suede boots, leather pumps and shiny stilettos, my attention was actually drawn to this colourful cascade of paper trainers and heels, which is hung in between the escalators, right from the tip of the ceiling down to the yellow tables below.

The shoes are intertwined using wire, along with banners that read 'what's your shoe story?' I was unable to find out who created the work, but I did notice that it ties in with Selfridge's online competition. The latter invites you to share the story of your favorite pair of shoes to potentially win a year's supply of them.

James Mylne at Canvas Gallery

Last night I headed off to Canvas Gallery in Wimbledon village to see James Mylne's solo show. To give you some background to this talented and very obliging artist, Mylne is renowned for his detailed ballpoint biro drawings that appear wholly photo-realistic in quality; so much so that visitors were having to take a very long second look.

I was intrigued to see his works up close and they definitely didn't disappoint- if anything I would have loved to see them on a larger scale, simply because of the clever craftwork involved. His subjects range from portraits, to horses, to buildings to abstract graphics and Mylne combines his love of Japanese print with portraiture; the former often livening up the backgrounds with subdued coloured patterens. Mylne kindly talked me through the laborious process of each piece claiming with a sense of tired satisfaction that his horse works take up to 40 hours to complete.

Mylne has grown quite a reputation of late. Having finished his MA in 2006, he exhibited last year in The Maverik Showroom in Shoreditch and The Coningsby Gallery in 2008. He says he finds his process calming: "because you can't make a mistake, it forces a certain kind of focus of mind that feels like meditation". I'm looking forward to what James will produce next.....who needs yoga when you've got a biro?

http://www.jamesmylne.co.uk/

Emotions in Motion

I'll admit I love people watching, so chance had it that a small photography book, 'Emotions in Motion' arrived on my desk this morning helping me indulge in this passive pleasure without having to leave the office. The book features work by self-taught photographer Toufic Beyhum, who positioned himself on the U-Bahn in Berlin and captured photographs of passengers unaware of his lens.

Throughout the 50 pages, we're presented with a series of touching, real-life snapshots of families, lovers, lost souls, punks, travellers and the elderly; some very emotive, while others simply interesting portraits. There's a real fascination about the vulnerability that stems from an un-posed shot- something that Behum clearly heroes. "Portraits are far more interesting when a subject isn't posing' he says, "that's when you capture their essence, the real truth behind their eyes'.

Beyhum has moved back to London after a stint in Berlin where he set-up and ran the FEN Gallery specialising in Middle Eastern Artists. His work (above) has also been featured in The National Geographic magazine.

The Human Printer

Louise Naughton Morgan, aka The Human Printer, takes on the role of the digital printer by breaking down images into their basic CMYK halftones, then spending up to 12-15 hours laboriously re-constructing them using felt tip pens, one layer after the next. Morgan's recent solo show at Shoreditch's KK Gallery was a great success and amidst all the hype and-dot-after-dot-after dot...I managed to tear her away for a quick interview.

Me: You said in a recent interview that our society has got too scattered with machinery and we've lost the essence of 'hand crafting'- can you explain this further?

I don't really want to dwell too much on this particular subject as I think there's been a lot said and written about it already. Its a subject people are very aware of. As a generalisation, my work reflects how our society is changing in to a more solitary and sterile place to live due to the reliance and use of technology. Though it has enhanced our communication opportunities and speed to complete tasks, it has removed the essence of the human touch.


Artists have often explored the idea of the 'reproduced'. Is this a continual theme we're going to see in your works? What else interests you?

I think the idea of the reproduced is a good communication tool. It is not something I wish to focus on or have as a continual theme, but mo something I utilise where I think necessary. My work is focused upon occurrences of every day life, through the creation of systems and processes, focusing on comparisons, analytical studies and humour.


Do you think artists rely too much on technology to help produce their work?

I wouldn't say so. Unlike traditional art which was concerned with skill and craft, contemporary art relies more often upon the concept. If the use of technology makes sense within your concept - helping to convey your message and aiding the development of an art work- I see no reason why it should not be used.


How long does an average print work take you?

Most of the prints that I do are around A4/A3 size. In general these take me about 12-15 hours, though the time alters due to the darkness and complexity of the image. Technology is an integral aspect of modern day life, so much so, that without it we may not be able to function.

You're style is similar to Pointillism, was this an influence?

No not at all. The process I developed was based upon the digital printing process and was developed as a reaction to the over production and over reliance on technological output. It just happens that the output is very similar in nature to pointillism.


You've just exhibited your work at the KK Gallery- was this your first solo show?

It is indeed, although its exhibiting as 'The Human Printer' rather than Louise Naunton Morgan. The project is not about me but rather a team of people providing a service.


What's next on the agenda?

Flags, symbols, degeneration, construction, production, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition.........

You can read more about Louise and The Human Printer at any of the following links:

http://www.louisenauntonmorgan.com/
www.hatopress.net
www.thehumanprinter.org

Kisses From Australia

Kisses From Australia is a month long celebration of Sydney's creative spirit that brings art, performance and music to colour the streets of the capital. This year's theme is the city itself, and artists will explore and question what it means to live in the bustling, busy environment, famous for succulent sushi, the opulent opera house and a shed load of sunshine.

The festival's Creative Director, Gillian Minervini says:

"You will see our diversity, strength, wit, ingenuity, quirkiness, vulnerability and most of all humanity, through the eyes of our talented artists, curators and creative communities. Vastly experienced voices have worked alongside more recent ones, and they have all brought an exciting and distinctive flavour to this event."

http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/ArtAndAbout/About/

The Paintings of Andrew Salgado

Canadian artist Andrew Salgado focuses his tactile paintings on themes of identity, sexuality and human nature, exhibiting them worldwide from Africa to New York. In Salgado's words, "my paintings present a perspective of a brutalized male body in heightened, melodramatic states. I am interested in depicting banal subjects as elevated and allegorical'.

Banal should certainly not be a term placed anywhere near these works- they appear to breathe with life through each swirl of every brush stroke. Next year, Salgado is set to exhibit at 10 Vyner Street Gallery, London, I will certainly be there.