art huddle

2010-09-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Art Huddle is no longer an active site.

We are currently developing an exciting new blog which will work alongside our new website.

Thank you for your interest, please visit www.johnjones.co.uk for more information.

Photography Work Experience Opportunity (Voluntary Position)

2010-07-14T01:55:00.000-07:00

An exciting opportunity for a talented Photographer wanting to gain professional work experience.

John Jones is collaborating with artist/designer Stuart Haygarth to produce a large scale installation at the V&A as part of the London Design Festival 2010.

Based around Stuart’s ethos of creating artwork using found materials, the piece will be composed of mouldings from John Jones frames, in a variety of colours, textures and finishes which will cascade down the staircase at the entrance of the V&A.

We need to source a talented photographer who would be interested in documenting the various stages of the project. This is a great way to build up your portfolio, whilst working alongside some of the key cultural institutions in London. Once complete there is also a possibility that a small publication may be made including the photographic work.

If you are interested in becoming involved please email marketing@johnjones.co.uk with a maximum of 5 examples of your work and your CV.
Please note that this project is already underway and will continue until mid September. Key dates for photographic work will be communicated, however, we are looking for a photographer who is able to offer a certain amount of flexibility with their availability.

The deadline for submitting your interest is Wednesday 21st July.
Please note: only shortlisted photographers will be contacted

For more information check out:
www.stuarthaygarth.com
www.johnjones.co.uk

John Jones Create Bespoke Leather Frame

2010-06-28T01:43:00.000-07:00

Leather designer Bill Amberg has created bespoke pieces for some of the world’s most prestigious institutions from Asprey and Claridges in London to Burberry in Milan and lightweight, fireproof leather for Lufthansa Technic’s specialist planes.
As part of the London Festival of Architecture John Jones have worked with Bill Amberg to produce a beautiful bespoke leather frame. The frame will house one of a series of photographs customised with art and design by some of the country’s leading talents, displaying under-used parts of our urban landscape as areas of great potential. The project, a collaboration between charity Shelter and building design consultancy Urban Infill, seeks to encourage the viewer to look at London’s disused spaces in a different light and can also create their own ideas for the spaces on a public interactive wall.
The framed piece, along with the other works, will be for sale via silent auction, with all proceeds going to Shelter.

The exhibition closes and bidding ends at 6pm on Sunday 4 July.
For more information, click here.

Recommend A Friend Scheme

2010-06-23T09:34:00.001-07:00

We are excited to announce the brand new initiative.

Want a 10% discount on your next order with John Jones Artist Surfaces? Recommend a Friend to us. Click here to find out more

New Workshops for June

2010-06-22T04:45:00.000-07:00

As part of the first Islington Exhibits art festival, we will be holding two workshops in June including our brand new Stretching Workshop which allows attendees to stretch their own canvas with the help of our technicians and take it home with them.

Artist Surfaces Stretching Workshop
Venue: John Jones, 4 Morris Place, London, N4 3JG
Date: Friday 2nd July
Time: 3–5pm
Cost: £30 (discounted rate)

John Jones only has 10 places on this course. In support of Islington Exhibits they are running this workshop at a discounted rate of £30 which includes a canvas worth £15 (normal cost of the workshop is £40). The fee includes supervised use of equipment, hand tools and all materials needed for making the stretcher.

To learn more or book a place click here.

SALON ART PRIZE – Call for entries

2010-06-14T01:25:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to sponsoring the Salon Art Prize this year. Since 2007, Matt Roberts Arts has produced the annual Salon Art Prize, exhibiting 244 artists and photographers and receiving over 2800 visitors.

They are currently seeking applications for the fourth annual Salon Art Prize,
in which we will support artists working in Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Collage, Sculpture and Installation (including sound).

The selection panel will consist of:
Peter Bonnell (Curator, ArtSway)
Kate MacGarry (Director, Kate MacGarry gallery)
Richard Birkett (Curator, ICA)

Up to 100 works will be on display at the 1000sq ft gallery in Vyner Street.
One artist will be awarded The Selectors' Prize supported by John Jones, which consists of £1000 and a solo show at the gallery space in 2011.

The deadline for applications is 5pm, Saturday 7th August, 2010.

For further information please visit the website.

John Jones Jumble Sale

2010-05-25T01:33:00.000-07:00

June 5th-6th 10am-4pm
Frames, Stretcher Bars, Canvas, Art and more...

As part of the first stages of our building expansion, we are selling our store of acquired bespoke frames in a huge variety of styles, sizes and finishes all at discount prices. The sale will also include artist canvases, stretchers and artwork perfect for a corporate environment. Funds generated will be dedicated to the future development of our new, not for profit Project Space.

Limited additional dates are available by appointment.
Please contact:

sales.assistant@johnjones.co.uk
Transport Links: 1 minute from Finsbury Park Underground, Overground and Bus Station (Wells Terrace Exit)

Certified cheque or cash only
Ample Parking space for cars, vans and lorries making collections
Our Jumble Sale runs alongside the Art Car Boot Fair, so once you find a bargain at the car boot head over to John Jones to find a bargain deal on a frame!

The Sunday Painter

2010-05-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

We were intrigued to hear about this exciting new project from The Sunday Painter an artist led, non-profit organisation which seeks to promote the work of contemporary artists.

14th May sees the opening of their new gallery and inaugural show in the space Daytona Ray, an exhibition of new works from Stuart Middleton.

‘Daytona Ray’ presents an assembly of sculptural objects in conversation. A combination of reclaimed and hand crafted elements converge to produce structures of confused familiarity. Through laboured processes of treatment and manipulation, paint, wood and metal combine to reference a seemingly conflicting set of cultural attitudes, material histories and modes of production.

Private View: 13th May
6:00 - 9:00 PM

Exhibition open : 14th May - 30th May
Hours : Thursday - Sunday, 12-6 PM

If you attend - let us know what you think!

Feedback from Artist Mark Shields

2010-05-07T09:30:00.001-07:00

When all the elements of a painting lock together, when everything seems to have found its rightful place, the painter is as close as he can ever be to claiming the picture is finished. But if the work is to be framed then the painting is in a sense still being continued. Thoughtless framing has the power to undermine the delicate balance of forms and colours so assiduously constructed by the artist.

As a result many painters prefer to leave their works unframed, others make and colour the frames themselves. A great deal of trust is required to leave one's pictures in the hands of a framer. It's not always understood that a painter doesn't merely want a frame which suits his work- which in my view is one which does not draw attention to itself, does not weaken the essential functions of the painting yet at the same time satisfactorily contains the image, concentrating the viewer's gaze- but also one which is compatible with the actual ideas or mood communicated in the work. This is why a framer willing to work closely with the artist is important but rare.

With Matt Jones and his framing team one is immediately reassured of not merely willingness but an eagerness to have this involvement where possible. There is at once the confidence that this is an experienced team at both framing and at listening to artist's ideas. Only when a frame finally surrounds a painting is the extent of its effect fully visible. Few of us have the time or money to have a selection of frames made to aid our decision so again it is essential to feel confident in the framer's judgment and once again even when decisions have to be made speedily I feel reassured that, should something unforeseen occur, the John Jones team would have the discernment to alter accordingly or seek the artists opinion again.

I, in co-operation with my gallery, Grosvenor Gallery, have been using John Jones for framing on and off since 1997 and with the work ranging from sharply defined realist Heads and still life’s through to dark, low contrast landscapes and a couple of official portrait commissions thrown in along the way the team have had plenty to challenge them. No 'one frame suits all' here. 'John Jones' is one of three different framers who have helped with this latest body of work, "Here and Elsewhere".

The paintings that Paul Tame and his colleagues have been working on are mostly 5ft by 4ft with one 6ft by 5ft and have a very matt, chalky surface giving the impression they could be sections removed from ancient tomb paintings or chapel frescoes. Since this surface is bound up with the technique and ultimately the meaning of the works they needed to remain unglazed. It seemed best that the selected moulding should not sit out too far from the picture plane and not be too elaborate or glossy. The subjects have a pared-down and primitive quality so the frames needed to be quite austere and yet have a recognisable stamp of quality to their finish. Not too grand or Drawing-Room-like. Within quite tight time constraints Paul and his team produced very pleasing results.

Keeping the same profile for all the works, the frames were given a subtly scored and speckled distressed appearance, the colouring of each unobtrusively matched to each individual painting echoing their earthy tones and surfaces sensitively.

The width of frame suited the scale of the works well and the deep sides gave the pictures the substantial weightiness required to accentuate the appearance of an almost carved and chiseled shallow relief suggested in the technique. All of this enhanced the monumental quality I was hoping to achieve in the works. My congratulations and thanks again to all at John Jones for their hard work, advice and support (the team also very kindly showed up at the preview- which is beyond the call of duty when they have so many shows to frame for).

New Installation by Sarah Kate Wilson

2010-05-04T02:38:00.000-07:00

We were excited to hear that our former Artist in Residence Sarah Kate Wilson is currently displaying TESTBED a new large scale public installation in Elcho Street, Battersea.

Installed across two garage doors, Is it Christmas Already? measures 18m in length and will run until 23rd May.

Alongside this, Sarah Kate Wilson will be presenting her degree show in June, as she graduates from the Slade School of Art. Her work embodies the delight and rebellion of contemporary painting and challenge expectations of what painting should be about.

For more information on Sarah Kate Wilson please click here.

Dawnbreakers

2010-04-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

At John Jones, a shared love of art is apparent in everything we do. This can also be seen through the wide range of talented artists that work throughout the company.

We were excited to learn that our Photography Consultant Kevin Smith’s work is being shown as part of Dawnbreakers, an exhibition exploring the impact of the new millennium. Although the topic of the millennium has been addressed many times before, Dawnbreakers presents a fresh approach, focussing upon themes surrounding the transition into the Information Age and in doing so subtly mirroring the artistic trends that surrounded the turn of the nineteenth century.

Bringing together contemporary artists from a range of disciplines including photography, print making and painting, the exhibition will run display at the John Hansard Gallery in Southampton until 19th June 2010. Admission is free. For more information click here.

Image courtesy of John Hansard Gallery

Full Throttle - Frames by John Jones

2010-04-23T03:19:00.000-07:00

Last night a private view was held for Full Throttle the second part of a retrospective showcasing the work of legendary photography Bob Carlos Clarke. The Little Black Gallery in Chelsea is hosting the exhibition, framed by John Jones, which features a selection of pictures from Bob’s 30 year career.

Bob Carlos Clarke’s work has attracted much controversy over the years and this exhibition is no exception. Within days of it going on display the police received anonymous complaints about the images on display, particularly Whip Girl (shown above, at the Luciano Restaurant, London) and Tite Street.

After a visit from the police the gallery to move this piece, so it could not been seen from the street. Although the police officer was careful to state that this was not the place to have a debate about “art versus pornography”, the topic has been picked up on by the press who are asking the inevitable questions about this kind of censorship, in a society where sexual imagery is increasingly prevalent.

With many theatres now offering film style advisory ratings for their plays, is there a pressure on art galleries to follow suit? Of course, these debates are nothing new, art has always caused controversy and controversy will always spark interest. Bob Carlos Clarke’s work has become highly collectable and this is reflected in the sales of the pieces currently on display.

With the dispute continuing, the gallery has so far made the decision not to move Tite Street and has seen greatly increased numbers of attendees at the exhibition.

Full Throttle will run until 5th June, entry is free.
For more information click here.

John Jones Artist in Residence Mariana Heilmann

2010-04-12T04:44:00.000-07:00

Thankfully to Kate and Lizzie, I had a second month as resident artist at John Jones. The residency has now finished, and I moved out of the studio last Monday.

For two months I worked at the very core of the workshops at John Jones. Walking to and from my studio I had the privilege of witnessing the entire process of frame making; from where the raw wood arrives to where the frames are glazed, sealed and wrapped for delivery and everything in-between.

The myriad of sounds, smells and sights was an inspiration and a lesson each day; the planing, blade cutting, the forming, the sanding, the cutting, the joining, the spraying, the sanding again, the gessoing, the painting, the gilding, the polishing, the soldering, the fixing, the sticking, the bonding, the mounting, the stretching and so on.

Because of the very busy frame making schedule I did not dare to disturb and ask too many questions, but there were wonderful people who, at coffee breaks visited me, brought me materials, and told me about their particular expertise. The interaction with them was fundamental to the work I was able to carry out, for without them, I would have not had the materials that they brought to my attention and keenly collected for me, nor the wonderful coffee break chats.

What a wealth of great and talented people, all highly skilled both in their specialty, and some as artists as well! Tabs' beautiful painted insects and Finoula's stunning drawings are fresh in my mind.

The extra month allowed me to, not only complete 3 commissions, but also gave me the opportunity to investigate the possibilities of the many materials that members of the team at JJ brought to my attention. At first I made small "sketches" with each material. I had, polishing wheels, blades, sanding wheels, acrylic and aluminum cut offs, sand paper, cutting mats, crinoline paper, welding rods and more. All these materials had either been used, or were a bi product of making another. Some of the investigations have remained just sketches for now and others I concluded and framed myself in Perspex boxes.

Though I did the mounting myself, I think that just being surrounded by the world of framing, opened in me an awareness of placement within a given space. Much of the time spent on each piece was spent making the decisions on proportion and layout to enable the work to read the way I intended it.

For anyone interested in seeing what I did during some of my residency, a collection of 9 finished pieces are hanging in the Collection Space for the month of April. I see these as first steps in my investigations, and have plans to make larger scale versions of a few of those displayed.
In conjunction with what is exhibited, I also produced 12 small pieces that are spring boards for potential future ideas. Unfortunately I was not able to exhibit these studio works as one was made of blades and too dangerous!

It has been a great residency. Apart from the abundance of interesting materials to explore and having a great space in which to work, I think I have probably learned more than I realise. The accumulated exposure to the goings on at the workshops and the interaction with everyone at John Jones will, I am sure, contribute in big and small ways to the next steps I will take.

For anyone interested in keeping abreast of what I am doing, please feel free to email me; mariana@marianaheilmann.com.

Art Plus Music Party

2010-04-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Whitechapel Gallery will hold its annual Art Plus Music Party on 22nd April. As part of its ongoing collaboration with the gallery, John Jones have been involved, framing the works for the charity auction, which will feature artists such as Varda Caivano, Bridget Riley and Thomas Ruff.

Alongside the auction, the evening will include a wide range of music, art and installation, to raise money for the gallery’s Education and Community Programme. Music will be supplied by The Broken Hearts, Jefferson Hack, Dan Lywood, Justin Robertson, Matthew Stone, The Voguettes, Wild Cat Will and Nathan Gregory Wilkins.

If this wasn’t enough, The Whitechapel Gallery has also set up a series of specially commissioned performances involving collaboration between well known musicians and artists. The lineup will feature names such as Bishi and Oscar Sol, Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie, Barrie Cadogan and Darrin Mooney with The Kills' Jamie Hince and Katy England with Julie Verhoeven; Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Ari Benjamin Meyers and Jack Peñate.

If you’d like to find out more, book tickets, or take part in the auction please click here.

John Jones Cameo in New Art Film

2010-04-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

Boogie Woogie is a comedy set in the contemporary London art world. Director Duncan Ward presents an all start cast including Christopher Lee, Amanda Seyfried, Gillian Anderson, Danny Huston, Heather Graham, Alan Cumming, and Joanna Lumley. Based on Danny Moynihan’s novel of the same name, Boogie Woogie casts a wickedly satirical eye over the darker side of the London art scene.

Exploring themes of debauchery and morality, the story centres around the discovery of a priceless work of art and the extreme lengths to which some of the contemporary art world’s major players will go to, to get their hands on it. Look out for a cameo from John Jones Ltd. Let us know if you spot us!

Boogie Woogie is due for general release on 16th April.

Call for Entries

2010-04-01T03:45:00.000-07:00

Converse/Dazed 2010 Emerging Artist Award

In collaboration with Converse, Dazed Digital has opened the entry process for its 2010 Emerging Artist Award.

All UK based or British artists under 35 are eligible, the only conditions being that you are not involved in study (university or art school) and are not represented by a gallery. Entrants can submit up to five images of their artwork and any type of art is accepted from painting and sculpture to video, performance and sound entries.
Five artists will be shortlisted and the winner will receive a £6,000 cash prize. All shortlisted artists will be awarded £1,000 and have the opportunity to display their work the Stephen Friedman Gallery, alongside the winner, throughout July and August of 2010.
The judging panel which consists of art insiders such as Sadie Coles, Francesca Gavin and Tim Marlow will select the shortlist based on what they consider to be the best, most innovative, interesting, well produced and strongest work.
The deadline for submissions is 1st May 2010, for full details click here.

John Jones Welcomes The House of Fairytales

2010-03-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

John Jones are excited to welcome the House of Fairytales print portfolio to their Projection space. The collection showcases 23 international artists who have produced a series of images inspired by folklore, fairytales and mythology. John Jones has collaborated with The House of Fairy Tales to create a series of beautiful frames that respond to each individual print within the series.

This unique collection was launched at The Original Print Fair at the Royal Academy in April 2008. Over two thirds of the edition is now housed in permanent collections all over the world including The Tate Collection, The National Museum of Wales, The New Art Gallery Walsall, The Government Art Collection and The British Airways Collection.

Established by the artists Deborah Curtis and Gavin Turk, The House Of Fairy Tales is a child-centred artist led project which draws on an extensive team of artists, performers, writers, educationalists, designers, musicians, film makers, dreamers and philosophers to create magical, parallel worlds where learning is play and play is directed learning.

Modern Moral Matters - Exhibition by Richard Hamilton

2010-03-23T04:09:00.000-07:00

The Serpentine Gallery in London are currently displaying Modern Moral Matters; a series of artworks by British artist, Richard Hamilton.

The exhibition will feature installations, prints and paintings all based around the subjects of international politics, riots, terrorist acts and war. By displaying the political works of Hamilton in a fresh light, the exhibition seeks to examine the impact that changing media has had upon the way conflicts are reported.

Modern Moral Matters, also explores how Hamilton uses and reuses found materials, particularly photographs. A key example of this, Swingeing London, is housed in the John Jones Contemporary Art Collection.

The piece is part of a series of 10 different incarnations of the same press image, that of Mick Jagger and Hamilton’s then art dealer Robert Fraser’s arrest for drug possession. Reproduced as an oil painting, screenprint, etching, pencil, pastel and watercolour these will be in display beside the other works until 25th April 2010.

For more information on the John Jones Art Collection click here.

The Shoebox Art Auction

2010-03-19T02:30:00.000-07:00

Last night The Kids Charity held an auction at the Haunch of Venison in Mayfair, selling over 40 works designed by some of the world’s leading contemporary artists. Damian Hirst, David Bailey, Marc Quinn and many others were asked to recreate their childhood bedrooms in a shoe box, mirroring a previous exhibition in which 125 children created their own shoebox rooms. The results ranged from true to life recreations (Daisy de Villeneuve) to “the room I wanted” (David Bailey) as well as more abstract interpretations (Zaha Hadid). A full list of works can be found on the Shoebox Auction website.

John Jones were delighted to be involved with the event, designing a unique way to display and protect the works of art, some of which sold for over £20,000. Our framing consultants created an elegant Perspex box which has a low reflective surface, protective glazing and sits on a smooth white tulip wood base. All proceeds from the Shoebox Art auction will go to supporting at risk children. For more information on our framing click here.

John Jones Artist in Residence Mariana Heilmann

2010-03-03T01:42:00.000-08:00

Entry 3

Week 2 at JJ was mostly about working on my commission, Wave of Peace II...
At first I felt that it would be like crossing a never ending desert when I saw that huge area to cover.....no matter how many hours I put in, it seemed like I was not progressing AT ALL. As the week went on, I started to see that indeed I was covering ground, and the beauty of the way the light plays on the surface began to show.

Physically Wave of Peace is a tiring piece to make and a few times I was forced to change activity in order to not exacerbate pinched nerves and an achy back. The muscles in my hands also were pushed hard...

I took a visit to the Metalwork department where they make beautifully polished Aluminium and Brass frames. Paul, who himself is an artist and makes the most amazing robots and lamps out of discarded machine parts, (when not at John Jones) was very generous in his help and enthusiasm about what I am doing during his breaks. (Look at his website www.mechanical-alchemist.com ) At the end of one day, Paul and his two colleagues came like the ‘Three Kings’ to my studio bearing marvellous gifts of bits of soldering rods, metal filings, old polishing wheels and metal frame off cuts.

Today a photographer came from REX and took photos of my Blade Studies for some possible press....

Everyone at John Jones is extremely helpful and friendly. Italo, who is a HUOMO UNIVERSALE has put great lighting in the studio, set up shelves for me and set me up with two great working tables.

John Jones Prepare Canvas for Nasser Azam's Antarctica Project

2010-02-25T05:20:00.000-08:00

As part of his Performance Painting project, artist Nasser Azam will be travelling to Antarctica where he will create a series of nine paintings in the coldest place on Earth.

John Jones has worked with Azam to produce specially designed canvases that will withstand the -30C conditions. Azam is hoping to take inspiration from the harsh landscape, 24 hour sunlight and extreme physical conditions when composing his work on the 3m x 3m canvases which he will lay on the ice.

"I have prepared the canvases in the core colours - a red, a blue, a yellow - I am keeping the palette to a very simple colour scheme. I want to see how I can visualise everything against the starkness of everything being white."

Azam, whose previous works include painting in zero gravity, has been preparing for the sub zero conditions by spending time in the freezers of Billingsgate market. The trip marks a new phase in his long term Performance Painting series, designed to challenge the limits of his creativity in extreme circumstances. Once completed, Azam's nine works will be displayed on an international tour.

For more information click here.
Photograph courtesy of Nasser Azam.

National Open Art Competition

2010-02-23T02:53:00.000-08:00

John Jones is excited to announce the National Open Art Competition is now in its 14th year.

The annual competition is open to entrants from across the UK and welcomes all artists; from emerging to the established.

The 2010 judges will include young British artist Gavin Turk, former Director of the Whitechapel Gallery Catherine Lambert and 2009 winner Lisa Wright.

Register online to submit your original paintings, drawings, prints and now art photogrpahy until 31st August 2010.

For more information click here.

Islington Exhibits

2010-02-15T09:24:00.000-08:00

Unlocking Venues
Exhibiting Art

John Jones was excited to hear about this local project which unlocks hidden venues in the Islington to give artists and craft persons a space to display their work.

Islington Exhibits are inviting applications for four artist-in-residence projects, each worth at least £1,000. The residencies are:

• Archway Herbal Clinic
• Islington Council Town Hall
• St. Luke's Centre
• St. Martin of Tours Housing Association

Application deadline: 21 February 2010

Islington Exhibits will run from 24 June until 4 July 2010. As well as offering the residencies, the scheme encourages artists to seek out their own local venues and mount their own exhibition or alternatively apply to exhibit in the Summer Salon at Islington Arts Factory.

In addition they would love to hear from any venues who would like to be approached by artists. Interested venues can post their details onto the website.

Islington Exhibits will be holding a public meeting to enable people to find out more. This will take place on Tuesday 16 March, 6pm till 7:45pm, at North Library, Manor Gardens, London N7.

For further details or to register as a venue looking for an artist, click here.

John Jones Artist in Residence Mariana Heilmann

2010-02-15T01:38:00.000-08:00

Entry 2

BLADES
PARCHMENT PAPER
GREAT STUDIO
UNINTERRUPTED TIME
SPACE
EXPOSURE TO JJ WORKSHOPS AND POTENTIAL MATERIALS
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND EXPERT TEAM ALL AROUND
BEGINNING NEW COMMISSION

All the above are topics I could write about at length, but for now I will just keep them as they are…headings of all the important aspects of this week.
A dream come true, I only fear that one month is just not going to be long enough to explore all the possibilities that are around me at John Jones.
In this light I have decided to make small sketches with as many of the materials available to me as possible, so that at a later date I may go back and expand on them both in scale and in form.

Parallel to the work I will be doing with materials gathered at JJ, I have also started a commission measuring 215 x 133cm. (Wave of Peace II) The process to make this piece is extremely slow and meticulous; there are around 14000 pieces which I will pin to a support specially designed and made for me at John Jones. The pieces are made from plastic milk bottles which my local community and friends in Barnes have collected for me. This commission comes as a result of a recent collection of work which I showed late last year.

The reception to the work was very enthusiastic, and I have a line of large commissions to complete as a consequence. I will have one of these hanging at John Jones during Feb. (Water II)

On Thursday I moved from the display area into what will be my studio whilst I am resident artist. It is quite far removed from the main area but it is perfectly situated in terms of being within arms reach of the workshops; my suppliers of materials!

Ignacio Iasparra Solo Show on View at John Jones through 15 March

2010-02-10T02:58:00.000-08:00

Presented by Lodeveans Collection and John Jones, Argentine photographer Ignacio Iasparra's debut show in the UK opened with great success last Friday. This remarkable series of images made between 2003 and 2008 depict what Isparra describes as various ‘moments of light and colour,’ shot in different settings throughout Argentina, including the forests and woodlands of the Tigré and Paraná Deltas.

The series offers the viewer a speculative experience, revealing subtle and endless variations of light, colour and shadow. Each image effectively becomes dislocated from any specific sense of place, as Iasparra‘s photographs present ambiguous and only partially defined environments. A fragmented subjectivity, achieved through the act of framing, creates an impression of disruption and estrangement, as well as a sense of immersion and immediacy.

I realized that on each occasion the place mattered less. I was not looking for images of a certain place, but for sensations. My intention was to confront clear images with vague sensations. I thought it was important that the elements of the image were recognizable, that it didn’t turn into pure abstraction. After all, they are photographs…My search was for an almost abstract estrangement and sense of wonder.
Ignacio Iasparra, 2010.

Born in 1973 in a rural town near Buenos Aires, Iasparra continues to work in Argentina. He graduated from the Escuela Argentina de Fotografia, where he studied under Ricardo Torosian and Fabiana Barreda. He has had a number of solo exhibitions in Buenos Aires, and his work has been part of various seminal group shows.

In 2005, Iasparra was elected Photographer of the Year by the Argentine Association of Art Critics. He has works in the Museum of Modern Art in Buenos Aires and MALBA’s Colección Costantini. He continues to explore the array of photographic possibilities of Argentina and beyond, through the ongoing development of his artistic practice.

Special thanks to John Jones, the Lodeveans Collection, the Argentine Embassy in the United Kingdom, Sarah Toplis (Curator) and Yinan Zhang (Exhibition Assistant).

For more information please visit John Jones and Lodeveans Collection.

John Jones Artist In Residence Mariana Heilmann

2010-01-27T03:05:00.000-08:00

Artist Residency at John Jones February 2010

Mariana Heilmann transforms mundane objects into works of intense lyrical beauty. Taking disposable objects she creates sculptural two-dimensional pieces that have an extraordinary clarity and resonance

As part of documenting her month long residency at John Jones, Mariana will be posting several blog updates to discuss the progress of her work and her experience of working at John Jones.

Entry 1

I will be starting an artist’s residency at John Jones next Tuesday for the month of February. Having already spent many hours and days there completing several commissions, I know from experience how things work at JJ….“Professionally” would be an understatement. Everything runs like clockwork; quietly, efficiently, precisely…all the while, works of art of all shapes, sizes, styles and mediums arrive and leave in beautiful, perfectly crafted and pristine frames.
It is an inspiration just to be there.

The byproducts of such an extensive establishment are manifold. Many materials are handled and utilized, and in the process a myriad of waste products are generated. In my current work I explore the potential of abandoned and discarded products of our contemporary life….it is in objects such as plastic milk bottles for example, that I see endless possibilities to explore the qualities of this otherwise unappreciated material. I cast a light on the materials of discarded objects revealing and enhancing the unapparent beauty.

Whilst at John Jones my intention is to create a small body of work using the waste products that I will gather from the workshops. I have some ideas of where to begin, but it is in the handling that the possibilities will show themselves. I will also be working on a large commission made entirely with the plastic from about 200 milk bottles. (Wave of PeaceII)

Rosalind Davis A-N Winner for Blog of the Year 2009

2010-01-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

Andrew Bryant announces the A-N Magazine 2009 blogger prizes,

' One of the three winning blogs of 2009 is Rosalind Davis' Projection Space for its honest self-critique and insight into both making work and developing a career. '

You can also read Rosalind's blog here:
http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/533863
as well as the new blog ' I am Part of Something'

Or read it/ sign up to follow it on another site here
http://rosalinddavis.blogspot.com/

Create for Tate

2010-01-07T01:59:00.000-08:00

Bob and Roberta Smith Blocks

Culture Label have just launched the 2010 edition of RELEASE, a design competition to hunt out innovative new product designs for museum and gallery shops and to put the word out to the creative community.

Culture Label are delighted to announce that this year they are collaborating with Tate to find two innovative new product designs to be produced and sold in Tate’s shops, at Tate Online and on CultureLabel.com. There is also a £500 cash prize plus a revenue share from sales of the product. For further information, to see a detailed design brief, or to enter the competition, take a look at www.CultureLabel.com/release

The Salon Video Art Prize

2010-01-04T02:24:00.000-08:00

Due to a lack of support for Video artists Matt Roberts Arts has spent the last 8 months developing a new art prize concentrating on showcasing new media work.

The Salon Video Art Prize is the 4th open submission exhibition organised by Matt Roberts Arts since 2007, as part of a long term commitment to increasing opportunities and exposure for early – mid career artists. The Video Art Prize will be selected by Mike Sperlinger (Assistant Director - Lux), and Zineb Sedira (artist working in Photography, and Video) and will include 40 - 50 artists working in video, video installation, animation and experimental film.

The exhibition will take place at Matt Robert Arts Project Space, on Vyner Street, in East London, opening on Thursday 4th March, 2010. There is a selectors' prize of £800(GBP) for a chosen exhibitor, and the exhibition is likely to receive over 1000 visitors including national and international critics, curators and collectors.

The deadline for DVD submissions is 5pm, Saturday 23rd January, 2010. If you would like to know more please visit www.salonartprize.com or email salon10@mattroberts.org.uk

How to put on a show at a pop up space

2009-12-23T02:12:00.000-08:00

How to put on a show at a pop up space

I’ve just taken down a 3 man exhibition I organized at a pop up space – The Framery, a disused office just off Hoxton Square. The show featured myself and 2 fellow painters that and was open for two weeks in the lead up to Christmas. The show, ULTRAMEGAOK came about after an invite from my girlfriend’s landlord to a private view in a small office on the ground floor of one of his properties. From the moment I walked in I was captured by the space which felt more like a New York loft space than an office, with white wooden floor boards, white brick work and retro chandeliers. Thankfully the owner has been very kind and let artists use the space at no cost which is fantastic especially when many people are willing to spend around £1000 a week to rent a gallery. In the current financial climate landlords may be willing to just cover business rates and bills as they can save money by not paying empty property rates – there is some good advice for approaching landlords on the Art Quest website. The government and local councils now have funds which can be applied for to use against the cost of rates and general show cost to inject life into Britain’s high streets, so with the right approach and backing there are deals to be done.

The disadvantage of using a pop up space is that you have to be very proactive to get people to visit and can’t rely on a galleries PR, the art going public wouldn’t be used to seeing exhibitions in these spaces. While we had a great location, just off a busy road, we still found it tough to get passers by coming in. A-boards and flyering certainly helps but nothing beats a window space onto a high street. We printed flyers, which if they hadn’t been delayed by a week, would have been put in all the small galleries, bars and cafés in the surrounding area, because of the delay most of our PR was electronic. We did mail outs to our contacts and listed the show on many art listing sites (such as Art Rabbit) and art blogs. One of the sites I approached, Murmur Art sent a reviewer down who gave us a great write up which helped get us more people through the door and will also look good on the CV.

The private view was very busy and we had a good flow of people throughout the run even with poor weather conditions outside and setbacks, all the feedback was very positive and the hang looked great. Since the landlord started letting artists use the space he’s now found new tenants to move in to the office in the New Year.

If there could be more people like this, not only would more artists take advantage of these empty spaces but also landlords would probably let their spaces far quicker, after all who wants to take over a dark dirty windowed space (except the artists of course!)

Some recent examples of pop up shows, both independent and commercial -

Shop at 34 – Covent Garden

http://shopat34.blogspot.com/

Decima – West end show

http://www.murmurart.com/news/what-happens-after-the-ball

Phaidon Piccadilly shop -

http://www.run-riot.com/PopUpPhaidon

Andy Wicks
Andy Wicks is a John Jones Artist Surfaces consultant and a practicing artist.
http://www.andywicks.co.uk

http://www.andywickspaints.wordpress.com

Open submission - Drink and Dial

2009-12-11T05:48:00.000-08:00

WW Gallery recently announced an open call to artists for their big spring 2010 exhibition 'Drink & Dial'. Here, curators Debra Wilson and Chiara Williams tell us about how the idea came about and what they are looking for from artists.

"I personally don't know anyone who hasn't done it, and many of the failed preventative measures are hilarious in themselves" says Debra Wilson, who after listening to yet another cringe-making Drink & Dial episode from one of her friends, decided to look into the social phenomenon more closely.

Drink & Dial is the universal tendency of making regrettable phone calls while intoxicated. Fuelled by the need to express random thoughts and horny gibberish, calls are inevitably directed towards a romantic interest, although bosses, exes and parents are also known to bear the brunt. Phone companies and service providers have responded to the phenomenon by providing blocks on certain numbers and there are even applications that will lock you out until you're sober again...providing you remember to activate it before your first drink!

A staggering 95% of us have drunk & dialled at least once in our lives according to a recent survey. WW invites artists to respond to the concept in any way they choose and all media will be considered. "Drink & Dial is open to interpretation, explains Chiara Williams, we are not necessarily looking for literal responses; we are happy to consider narrative or figurative works, but also works that may not formally relate to the title of the show, that may have personal resonance for the artist and relate to the theme through abstract or conceptual language, through drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, video and performance."

"Spilling out of Drink & Dial are notions of obsession, desperation, repetition, loneliness, longing, self control, inhibition, regret, flashbacks, blackouts, hangovers, embarrassment...and no doubt many associations and experiences we won't have considered at all."

As with their successful 'Travelling Light' exhibition which was part of the 53rd Venice Biennale, WW is expecting to be surprised by artists' responses and hoping to discover some new talent. While on the surface, Drink & Dial is a very specific social phenomenon, relating perhaps less to the world of art and theory and more to the realm of weekend binge culture, it is this that so interests its curators. The gallery website states that "WW looks outward by staging shows centred around wider social and cultural themes. The result is often dark, frequently humorous and at once democratic and challenging." Drink & Dial would seem to embody this completely.

20 artists will be selected for the 6 week show, which runs 26 March - 6 May. The Deadline for applications is 31st January 2010. For more information and to apply, please visit http://www.wilsonwilliamsgallery.com/dial.htm

Dead man found in John Jones Project Space....

2009-12-09T02:49:00.001-08:00

As you may know, our Project Space is a stand alone building from the rest of the company, so when the alarms went off at 10pm our key holding company came in to investigate – they saw a deathly white figure slumped in the corner of our project space in the dark, panicked and called the police.

We had a call to say a dead body had been found in the project space.... shocking news which sent us in to a panic too.... but were then called back shortly after by the police saying that they had been in and discovered the figure was not in fact a real man.

At which point it dawned on us that what they had seen was in fact a life size piece of art in our current show ‘Manderley’ – the work is called ‘Hug’ by artist Adam James....

Kate Jones

Covered in the Art Newspaper

http://www.theartnewspaper.com/

How to Paint like David Hockney

2009-11-27T06:38:00.000-08:00

For many years John Jones has been supplying high quality canvases to renowned artist David Hockney. David Hockney has recently donated his largest work to the Tate. “The Tate had been asking me for some time for a work of art,” Hockney said. “I felt a duty and as an Englishman I wanted to give something to Tate Britain.” The painting is a 40ft x 15ft work that consists of 50 separate John Jones canvases. David Hockney set up his easel en plein air to create Bigger Trees Near Warter (2007) which is a Yorkshire landscape. He works on relatively small canvases, producing three to four a day as studies for his larger works. “It’s only having seen a tree’s inner structure, with its branches laid bare in winter,” Hockney explains, that one “learns to experience, and then to render, that tree’s subsequent summer fullness—and then vice versa.” As Hockney paints plein air he had to conceive a way to overcome transportation and the Yorkshire elements of rain, wind and snow. His studies developed into a series of canvases measuring 108 x 144’’ which could be placed on an easel and then transported back to his studio. The John Jones canvases are designed to be manageable yet sturdy enough to take into the field. In this particular work Hockney’s assistants photographed the individual canvases assembling them in Photoshop so Hockney could see how the pieces were working together, ultimately making a large scale multicanvas work that now hangs in the Tate.

Click here for related article in the Guardian
Click here for related article in the Times

Hockney is now showing recent work at New York gallery Pace Wildenstein. Tim Blake one of our frame designers worked closely with Hockney to frame this exhibition.

Hockney also has a retrospective of his work from 1960 - 68 at Nottingham Contemporary which opened on November 14th.

Manderley Opens Next Thursday!

2009-11-19T05:56:00.001-08:00

Manderley

Please join us for a cocktail on the 26th November 6 -9pm

For more information click here...

James Unsworth Entertainment

Manderley on Dazed Digital

2009-11-09T03:57:00.000-08:00

Click here to read

Lindsay Sekulowicz 'Inventory'

2009-10-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

At John Jones we are exposed to art everyday. This access to seeing new work has led to the development of Projection, a space for solo exhibitions which aim to increase the exposure of mainly unseen artists who we believe have great potential. One of the key objectives for Projection is to support the exhibiting artist with one aspect of their professional development such as the presentation or communication of their work. Each selected artist has a striking quality towards making art which we anticipate will develop significantly in the future.

Lindsay Sekulowicz is our current artist in Projection.

"The idea of an Inventory through drawing has been in my mind since beginning work with Museo La Specola, The Museum of Natural History in Florence, in 2006.

I lived in Florence for six months in 2006 where I began working with the museum, and began an initial catalogue of the exhibits in the museum. In 2007 I was invited to travel with a group of entomologists from the museum to the Northern Hulu Perak and Kelantan regions of the Malaysian jungle as artist in residence, on an expedition to form a preliminary catalogue of the beetle species inhabiting the area. Earlier this year, we traveled to Ecuador, to cloud forests in the west of the country, to the Paramo region in the north, and to the Amazon.

Before this year’s expedition, I had been in contact with John Jones to discuss the project with them. While applying for funding I found their support and suggestions invaluable, and the personal enthusiasm of people there incredibly helpful. Before I left for Ecuador, I was invited to exhibit work from the expedition in the new Projection space, and I immediately accepted this opportunity as I already placed a lot of trust in the people I had met at John Jones, and greatly appreciated the flexibility they offered me in a show, and the implicit understanding of how I saw my work developing and a potential audience.

From the beginning in the museum, I consistently thought of the desire to catalogue, to contain, own, understand, and anthropomorphise our world. I drew in the cold rooms there, and noted lists of the exhibits, until the stuffed lizards and crocodiles seemed to shift in their glass cases. Once I thought I saw a monkey gently breathing.

In Malaysia, at night in my tent, I dreamt of the indistinct grey forms of elephants nearby. In Ecuador, the possibilities of snakes were much more significant and I imagined their mean little wooden heads swaying in the grass. Once I sat on a ledge in the jungle, lost, and contemplated my hat far below in the thick grass, wondering if my small knife could adequately cut me a clear path. Spider’s webs wrapped round my arms as I climbed down.

Every day, I would say to Giuseppe, and him to me; “The jungle is so beautiful!”
In the cloud forest, I sat in front of an Abutilon Darwinii tree, trying for hours to take a single photograph of the hummingbirds that surrounded it. The entomologists would bring back things from their walks for me to draw, and pointed out nearby tarantulas nests and the volcano visible in the morning from a certain position, before the clouds descended making everything cool and damp and dim for the rest of the day.

I found the pelvis of a small mammal, and the skin of a pit viper. We left cooked spaghetti nearby the camp to try and entice armadillos near to us. One day we found a headless effigy with blue trousers and a white shirt that had been forgotten in a house in the forest (the same house that bandits had attacked several months before).

For me, it seems that in the jungle the world separates into its most essential components. With the entomologists all these things relate to the world of insects and their pursuit. On our lists before we go into the jungle, it may say: honey, alcohol, knife, fruit, cloth, and generator. And then on a table in front of us there may be bottles of beetles, paper envelopes full of butterflies, stick insect’s eggs, a scorpion in a jar, and a huge lion ant captive inside a glass tank.

On return to London, objects from the jungle became souvenirs, incongruously surviving in the present, existing as a means to displace attention to the past. The objects began to dry out, shrink, occasionally hatch new small insects, and once, completely disappear (a huge leaf, partly destroyed by a fungus, which left only its skeleton and disappeared from inside a closed box).

The collection replaces history with classification. And so a return to the museum in Italy is necessary now. I am in the process of creating a series of workshops for young people to explore ideas of interdisciplinary exchange between art and science, and have spoken to John Jones regarding where and how I can present these workshops. Since returning, I had two months of preparing for the show in Projection, during which time I had numerous meetings with various people at John Jones to discuss publicising the show, ways in which to continue the work through video, publications and talks, and most importantly, the work itself, around which there was continually a dialogue that was surprising, supportive, and informed.

Museo La Specola: In the entomology department there with its familiar naphthalene scent, the precision and sincerity of the entomologists is demonstrated in the laborious and meticulous process of identifying, setting and cataloguing specimens. At lunchtime we would sit round a table just off the main department, and sometimes retired or visiting entomologists come to discuss familiar subjects. When Luca goes to the fridge to take out tomatoes, I see rows and rows of insect boxes in among the food. In the morning before most visitors arrive in the winter, sunlight enters between blue curtains in the bird room, landing on the faces of all the penguins as they look up in the same direction. In the afternoons sometimes I go to Giuseppe’s room in the attic of the museum, full of the rhynchophorus weevils in well-sealed tanks that he studies.

I have been invited back often for discussions at John Jones for the duration of the show, always feeling that I am learning more about the work when I do. This has undoubtedly been the most positive aspect of the exhibition, to feel such an ongoing engagement and collaboration between all aspects of work and the people based there.

The next thing, before I go back to the jungle again, is to consider the strangely failed magic present in all these displaced objects and animals. To document the cataloguing of the miniature after the event of the expedition and to revisit the memorized landscapes of the jungles I have already visited. I hope that through the experience of exhibiting at Projection I am able to do this with clarity and I greatly anticipate further stages of this project and future expeditions."

Lindsay Sekulowicz
www.lindsaysekulowicz.com

Mauricio Ortiz wins Shelter Competition

2009-10-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

A Darwin-inspired illustration of an insect by London-based artist Mauricio Ortiz won Shelter’s House of Cards design competition.

Mauricio's illustration hung alongside the works of top artists including Damien Hirst, Vivienne Westwood and David Bailey.

"Upon recovering from the news I had won the Shelter House of Cards competition, I had to lie down for an hour. Following the auspicious phone call I came to face the terrifying enigma of how to deliver a winning entry that was structurally perfect. The other exhibitors were mostly stars whose work is underpinned by assistants, budget, and facilitators so I thought about seeing John Jones and asking him if he would do it for free in recognition of my long-term custom and my winning entry...(sigh)...but, with no time to lose, I instantly allocated a potential crew for the production of my piece. This meant that whatever money I had set aside for my rent, would go towards framing and towards rent arrears, unfortunately. Deep down, however, what I really wanted was a sublime John Jones montage. (Artists cherish JJ display methods in the same way women obsess about Louboutin.) Still, I was delighted.

A Cinderello theme was developing: I was the author of the winning piece and yet I had no frame for it. Little did I know that, in fact, John Jones' contribution to Shelter would supply my piece with the required physicality. My enigma was solved. A call from Shelter confirmed that not only John Jones would mount it but also that expert Metro Imaging would print it. So I went to the ball in the best frame in town-and kept my flat. (I am a beneficiary of social housing, as a matter of fact.)

But let's go back to the Shelter phone call where the news was conveyed to me. The thing is, the phone call also turned into an impromptu interview. My candid comments would be then passed on to a journalist who would then contact me to settle details. However he didn't feel the need to do so, as he now knew that, at 47, I supplemented my income as a waiter, which perfectly served the tale he chose to portray, omitting, in the process, a 25-year career.

The article, which resulted in the headline "Waiting game finally pays off for Mauricio", METRO, Monday, September 9, 2009, was particularly touching to those who know me and also to those who believe things happen overnight, I suppose. Since then, a lovely new piece appeared in the METRO the day of my birthday "Stars show housing crisis on the Cards", METRO, Friday, September 25, 2009. This time my artistic DNA, clients and collaborators like Jamie Oliver, Robert Plant and Roman Abramovich were acknowledged with a classic balance of irony and humour. The piece in The Independent was great too. The video which appeared on a Korean website http://utube.fdlive.com, the 50,000 entries for the Shelter House of Cards campaign which turned up on Google, and the 60,000 mail-out from www.eyestorm.com to launch my 6 new print editions etc...You see I just wanted the sponsors to see that the random nature of a competition open to the general public could have a life-changing impact on someone with a specific long-term commitment to art and design."

Mauricio Ortiz
www.mauritium.com

Open Studio

2009-10-08T00:50:00.000-07:00

Back in May I wrote an entry about my experiences of finding and moving into a studio in east London, it’s been 6 months since I moved in and this weekend we had our first Open Studio event. Open Studios are a chance for the public to look round artists’ studios and discuss the work with them, unlike exhibition openings this is a more intimate way to engage with art and its creators without the ceremony of a white walled space. Studios such as mine, which is run by ACAVA, host yearly Open Studio events to publicise their activities and those of the artists renting from them, it’s also a vital part of their funding and charitable status to offer an education and outreach program.

For the artists themselves it’s a chance to assess their work midway through creation and discuss thoughts with the public, it can also act as a great networking opportunity in which people are willing to approach you in your work environment and you never know who may turn up, whether it’s a gallerist, collector or fellow artist looking for works to include in group shows.

Over the past 6 months I have managed to fill the space with no end of clutter, numerous canvases and considerable amount of dripped paint – on the floor, walls and even the ceiling! So it felt strange to go and tidy it all up (purely for public safety rather than any real curatorial thought!), and while the space still resembles a painter's studio I hung a few of my large new canvases along with some smaller works for all to see.

The artists I share with: Alex Daw, Begoña Morea Roy, Elizabeth Eamer, James Unsworth who all showed a selection of work. Our studio is on Vyner Street between Nettie Horn Gallery and The Victory Pub.

25B Vyner Street
Bethnal Green
E2 9DG

Andy Wicks
Andy Wicks is a John Jones Artist Surfaces consultant and a practicing artist.

http://www.andywicks.co.uk

Sarah Kate Wilson 'Lunar Rainbow' opens this Friday!

2009-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sarah Kate Wilson is an emerging British abstract painter who has been the John Jones artist in residence since August 2009. Throughout her residency she has created ‘Lunar Rainbow’, a nonsensical world where frivolity and flirtation are at play transforming the project space gallery into an interactive painted environment. Walkways guide the viewer into the space where swings replace conventional viewing and seating platforms and works are observed whilst wading through a ball pool.

To accompany this playful exhibition the Laurel Collective in association with Supine Studios will be performing, and the Two Blind Pigs will be making glittery, popping candy cocktails!

Private View 9th October 6 - 10pm
Exhibition 12th October - 13th November
Open Wednesday - Friday 10am - 5pm

Please RSVP to marketing@johnjones.co.uk

Amy Stephens Iceland Residency

2009-10-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

Amy Stephens, who was a showing artist in the John Jones Project Space with Meet Pamela, has just been awarded a month residency! The residency is in Iceland, with organisation SÍM. SÍM is The Association of Icelandic Visual Artists who run nearly 100 studios for local artists and offer 10 spaces for their International Artist´s Residency program.

To view current residents work click here

To find out more about this residency click here

Artist Gideon Rubin on how he paints - The Observer

2009-09-21T01:05:00.000-07:00

I'd like to think the figures in my paintings remind the viewer of certain people or evoke memories.
Click here to read

Sarah Kate Wilson answers FAD’s Questions

2009-08-25T00:48:00.000-07:00

Click here to read FAD's recent interview with Sarah Kate Wilson our current Artist in Residence.
www.fadwebsite.com/2009/08/24/sarah-kate-wilson-answers-fads-questions

'Meet Pamela' Evening Panel Discussion at the John Jones Project Space September 1st

2009-08-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

Image by Stephen White

'MEET PAMELA’ brings together four artists - Bronwen Buckeridge, Laura Buckley, Laura Morrison and Amy Stephens who have independently developed a perspective on the act of making, elevating it from a mode of production to assume a place within the subject matter of their work. The show is a space for reflection on the possibilities of art production within the dialogue of an individual practice, or in response to external systems and processes.

An evening panel discussion with Bronwen Buckeridge, Laura Buckley, Laura Morrison and Amy Stephens at the John Jones Project Space led by Sam Thorne Editor of Frieze.com will take place on 1st September from 7-9pm

The discussion will approach the ideas behind the show and its primary reference to Francois Truffaut's 'La Nuit Americaine,' 1973, which tells the story of the film 'Meet Pamela,' which shifts between a narrative of a film in production and the techniques of and processes of film making itself.

The evening discussion will also approach ideas on what it means to directly reflect the making of a work, the processes involved and what bringing these works together can achieve
RSVP to marketing@johnjones.co.uk For further information on the exhibition please visit www.johnjones.co.uk

John Jones Second Artist In Residence Sarah Kate Wilson

2009-08-24T05:33:00.000-07:00

We are delighted to announce Sarah Kate Wilson as our next Artist in Residence at John Jones.

Sarah will be working in the lower gallery of the Project Space. Her residency will result as a solo show in the Project Space in October 2009.

Throughout her residency Sarah will be documenting her experiences on arthudddle. Sarah will also be available to introduce her work to anyone who is interested in knowing more, as well as to clients and to her peers; we will also be planning artist’s talks and a panel discussion.

Please see below for Sarah's first entry to Art Huddle talking about what she has experienced in the first weeks of her residency with us.

Firstly I would like to take the opportunity to thank Lizzie and Sam at John Jones for inviting me to be the second artist in residence at John Jones Project Space.

I have been provided with a huge studio giving me the room to scale up the size of my paintings to 2 1/2m x 2m etc. The studio is the entrance way to the Project Space, thus meaning that the general public coming to see the Show 'Meet Pamela' walk through the studio on route to the show. This has created many interesting dialogues between other artists, the public and myself.

The opportunity to work alone in the studio but have on hand the professional skills of the staff force at JJ's has been incredible; ranging from the conservation department to the artists surfaces team. I plan to visit the gilding department over the coming weeks to watch them at work. As my work contains many mixed materials I am always looking for new processes and application of materials to incorporate into my work.

I am currently working on 5 paintings simultaneously, this is how I tend to work to keep the energy in the studio high I move from painting to painting throughout the day. I rotate the works constantly, 90,180 degrees, on the floor and keep working the paintings until they find their own completion.

The paintings I complete during the residency with be exhibited in the Project Space as part of a huge installation I will be creating with the team at John Jones. This will feature an adult sized ball pool (more on this to be blogged later!) I am currently contacting companies with the hope that they might sponsor the show by donating swings, slides and plastic balls for the ball pool installation.

If anyone reading this blog can help in sourcing these materials in the form of sponsorship I would love to hear from you.

Please do contact myself at info@sarahkatewilson.com I will be working in the studio until the first week of October, so please do feel free to visit the John Jones Project space and the studio, and see how the work is developing.

Shelter - House of Cards Competition

2009-08-14T06:05:00.000-07:00

Shelter has launched a competition offering budding artists and designers the chance to display their work alongside the biggest names in British art, including Damien Hirst, Alexander McQueen, and Vivienne Westwood

To enter click here

www.shelterhouseofcards.org.uk
www.leoburnett.com
www.england.shelter.org.uk

Assemblage

2009-08-12T00:59:00.000-07:00

Images by Carole Evans, Gareth Dutton and Laura Melcion
For more images click here

Spoonfed reviews Assemblage

2009-08-04T06:51:00.001-07:00

Click here to read Spoonfed review of Assemblage

Briony Anderson at Edinburgh Art Festival

2009-07-23T04:15:00.000-07:00

We’ve recently worked with Briony to present her beautiful oil on paper works for a show at Edinburgh Art Festival, ‘A Study for Raeburn’. Held at The Royal Society of Edinburgh from 5-7 August, the exhibition features a series of site specific paintings made in response to the portraiture of Sir Henry Raeburn (1756 – 1823). www.edinburghartfestival.com

Briony is also part of a current group show at Rollo Contemporary in London, ‘Old Masters Reinterpreted’. The show features five artists whose works ‘engage with the art of Old Masters in a contemporary fashion, re-envisaging key themes and images from the past with contemporary concerns’.www.rolloart.com

www.brionyanderson.com

Matt Roberts on Rosalind Davis

2009-07-14T01:49:00.000-07:00

8000 souls part II

A relative novice to the Blogosphere Rosalind Davis' Blog illustrates an artist tentatively using the medium as a tool for self-critique, laying out her feelings about her work as it develops. Beyond the life of this project her blog exists as a living portfolio, as we, the reader are offered a window into the ideas that lay behind each piece as she juggles the pressures of life, work, and artistic ambition.

Rosalind's posts become more frequent as the process becomes more natural to her, and we gain an insight into how her work has been shaped by the community around her, as well as learning of her 'aristocratic' legacy, and adept climbing skills. Overall we see a picture of a talented and committed artist, making difficult practice-based and career decisions, whilst trying to remain financially stable, and a functioning person.

A narrative I'm sure we can all empathise with.

http://www.mattroberts.org.uk/

http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/533863

2009-07-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

Assemblage promises to be the biggest event held at John Jones in 2009 showcasing work from invited contemporary designers, artists, bespoke makers, publishers, musicians, performers, food stalls and cocktail makers. Assemblage will be taking over the John Jones site which occupies 4 Warehouses in Finsbury Park housing our wood mill, printing studio, 4 exhibition spaces, and our live music Shutter Space. Assemblage brings together some of the most exciting talent in fine art, design and applied arts under one event.
RSVP samantha.watson-wood@johnjones.co.uk

Contemporary Photography – Bridget Coaker

2009-07-01T01:52:00.001-07:00

Troika Editions

I have for a long time fantasised about running a photography gallery. So sometime in the middle of last year, sitting around with my business partner chewing over some ideas we hit upon the idea of a gallery without walls – an online contemporary photography space where we could pursue our passion for photography; support up and coming artists and perhaps influence the way art lovers and collectors could access really good artwork. And so after many months of planning, selecting work and designing the website, we launched Troika Editions in the Spring of 2009.

After Reynolds by Victoria Hall
[link for image - http://www.troikaeditions.co.uk/photographs/reynolds-after-raphael

We had some key ideas about how the site should look and work. Firstly we wanted it to be proactive, constantly providing fresh material for people to come and look at and hopefully buy. So every week we issue a newsletter and post up new work, sometimes showcasing a series by just one artist and sometimes exhibiting a selection of artists.

Next we wanted to expand the collecting audience, reach people who like the idea of owning art but have never felt comfortable going into a gallery to buy work. The intention is to appeal to people who are both net savvy and would like to start collecting artworks. We thought it be would really important to get the pricing right and so we introduced the idea of having three print sizes in different edition runs with the very affordable starting price of £35.

Thirdly we thought it was really important to provide information about the artwork and the artists who had produced it. Using the facilities the web can offer, we introduced video interviews, where each artist chats about how they make their work. We also post up short reviews and biographies and a light hearted Q & A where the artists reveal which music they would like played at their funerals.

Combined Unity #3 by Jo Holland [Link for image http://www.troikaeditions.co.uk/photographs/combined-unity-3

So we are three months in, and we are looking forward to an exciting future for us, our artists and our new collectors.

For more information go to www.troikaeditions.co.uk

2009-06-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

Paperview Panel Discussion - Kate Jones

2009-06-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Last night we held a panel discussion for Paperview, exploring the subjects of work on paper and collecting art. Writer Martin Holman chaired the discussion, which as well as the curator of Paperview Danny Rolph, included Lizzie Neilson, Head of Collections at The Zabludowicz Collection, JD Evans, co founder of the Lodeveans Collection and myself on behalf of the John Jones Contemporary Collection.

Danny spoke about his ongoing fascination with paper as a material. He doesn't see it as a passive form waiting for instruction, but as more of a partner in the creative process. A self described 'cultural magpie', he highlighted some of the playful gestures incorporated into the installation of Paperview, such as the birds by Chris Ofili and Hurvin Anderson , both perched on one of the lines that run around the space, watched keenly by Paul Houseley's Cat, Velazquez, which is placed above Pauline Kraneis' watercolour of a net curtain.

I found it fascinating to hear more about The Zabludowicz and Lodeveans Collections - their reasons for existing, how the collections support artists, the acquisitions strategies in place and so on. The Zabludowicz Collection is particularly impressive - as well as the collection itself, they have a separate set up to focus specifically on commissioning artists.

The three collections have been founded for very different reasons and operate in very different ways, but are clearly linked by a passion for art and artists.

At the end of the discussion, Martin asked each of us to select a work from the exhibition that had caught our eye. Interestingly myself and JD both chose a small abstract work by a young artist that Danny had invited to exhibit work - Flo Pullin (she'd also caught Martin's eye). Lizzie chose a wonderful minimalist diptych by Anna Barriball from the Lodeveans Collection.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening with a great turnout of over 40 people.