What's about English Girls?

My boyfriend, knowing my obsession for English Style, gifted me with an amazing book: Luella's Giude to English Style, which is all but a mere guide. It's some kind of inspirational breviary. More of an anthropological study than a style guide...The book is very funny and informative. Bartley dissects how in England style is inevitably tribal and inextricably linked to class. The upper classes believe that to look posh, nothing should look new (Sloane style) while the lower classes believe that to look posh everything should be new and shiny (Wags). Luella (who, for those who didn't know is a wonderful fashion designer) provides a combines chapters full of information about British style tribes and typically English clothes with more humorous shorter chapters.

Inspired by this book, here is my top ten English Birds (as she calls her English muses):

Isabella Blow

Vita Sackville-West

Virginia Woolf

Justine Frischmann

Florence Welch

Annabella Lwin

Vivienne Westwood

Kate Bush

Kate Moss

Helena Bonham Carter

SU BLACKWELL

Su Blackwell is an english artist from Sheffield, who turns second-hand books into amazing artworks.

In 2010 The Brontë Parsonage Museum has commissioned Su Blackwell to create new work in response to the Brontës and the museum collection.

”I often work within the realm of fairy-tales and folk-lore. I began making a series of book-sculpture, cutting-out images from old books to create three-dimensional diorama’s, and displaying them inside wooden boxes”.

"For the cut-out illustrations, I tend to lean towards young-girl characters, placing them in haunting, fragile settings, expressing the vulnerability of childhood, while also conveying a sense of childhood anxiety and wonder. There is a quiet melancholy in the work, depicted in the material used, and choice of subtle colour.”

"Paper has been used for communication since its invention; either between humans or in an attempt to communicate with the spirit world. I employ this delicate, accessible medium and use irreversible, destructive processes to reflect on the precariousness of the world we inhabit and the fragility of our life, dreams and ambitions."

Scott Campbell's Eggshells

Scott Campbell is an heavy talented artist (and tatoo artist) from NYC.

I first saw his work at The Flat - Massimo Carasi in Milan, for the exhibition The Occult Show in 2008.

About his new body of works on eggshells he says: " The eggs came about pretty naturally. The first one I made was for a gift. I spent hours drawing on the inside of an egg shell and then glued the pieces back together, smoothing over all the cracks. The result was a perfect egg with a painstakingly detailed drawing hidden inside. I really liked the idea of someone breaking it to see the drawing inside. There was an amazing tension in realizing that by breaking the egg, they've shattered something that I had obviously labored over for hours. I guess it gives a nod to the notion that sometimes our enjoyment of a thing inevitably destroys it."

If you're so lucky to be in LA you can feed your eyes with his solo show Noblesse Oblige at Oh Wow til 22nd of April...Enjoy...

Scott Campbell
2011 Graphite on ostrich eggshell
© Scott Campbell

I want to be a child again, just to grow up in one of her paintings...

Kris Chau’s lines are elegant and clearly feminine. Graceful girls, whose clothes seem to move delicately in the wind, contrast with portraits full of irony about female life after the so-called emancipation. The intricate details and lines recollect some younger works by Andy Warhol...

Kris Chau was born on the Hawaiian Island of O’ahu and now currently resides in the city of Philadelphia. She dreams and draws girls all day long and often mistakes her paint water for her coffee. She will continue to draw till she can’t draw no more.

Selected exhibitions:

"Not For Nothing", Group show with Ben Woodward and AJ Fosik, Galleria Patricia Armocida, Milan September 15th-November 6th 2010

“Work to Work” Solo show of new works Urban Outfitters Gallery 543, Philadelphia June 9th - July 10th 2010

“Draw Show” Traveling group show Fuse Gallery, New York Museo De La Cuidad Mexico, Mexico

“PuppyFace: New Work from my Brain” Topstitch Gallery Boutique, Philadelphia Feb 9th - March 28th 2010

“Game Over” Group Show Giant Robot SF, March 2010

“Ma Vie En Rose” Group Show Kris Chau, Kime Buzelli, Derek Ihnat, Jess Schnabel Ambrella Sugary Sweet Gallery, Philadelphia, 2009;

“Talk Story” Solo show of new works, Rowan Morrison Gallery, Oakland 2008

“Plaits and Fringe” Project Room Solo show of new works Thinkspace Gallery, Los Angeles 2008.

Rabbits all around...

Just runned in these beautiful rabbits by Beau Buck that were in a show at URBN 543 Gallery in Philly.

Since it's the year of the Rabbit, i just wanted to celerate it with some art!

Price range is from 348$ to 548$, they still have some at the gallery, just write to Lauren Addis and ask for them.

GIFTS FROM PHILLY...

This morning the postman rang my bell while i was sleeping, i woke up a bit annoyed, but then he left me a box from Philly. Inside i found little things that put the biggest smile on my face. It was like a tiny treasure box. Thank you Anni and Matt, you made my day!

TAUBA AUERBACH

Tauba Auerbach, born in 1981 in Frisco.

She's so elegant, and methodical in her optical trickery. I love her works.

Auerbach has a background in typography and an interest in scientific books. Her work can be described as an exploration of semiotics, with a playful hint.

Like a scientist, she dissects language as a code of symbols and a conduit for ideas.

She's (like me and Lewis Carrol, etc.) so into anagram (a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of another), which historically has been utilized to carry secret messages or hidden meanings and by great writers such Carroll and most of all, Nabokov.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2010 Quarry, Whitney Museum Construction Site Installation, New York

2010 New Year, Western Bridge, Seattle

2009 Here and Now/And Nowhere, Deitch Projects, New York

2008 Passengers, Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art, San Francisco, California

2008 The Uncertainly Principle, Standard (Oslo), Oslo, Norway

2007 The Answer/Wasn’t Here, Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco, California

2006 Yes and Not Yes, Deitch Projects, New York

2005 All Time, All the Time, San Francisco Art Commission, San Francisco, California

2005 How to Spell the Alphabet, New Image Art Gallery, Los Angeles, California

A lovely week

I've spent the most happy week with one of the most brilliant contemporary young artists, Matt Leines, and his adorable girlfriend, Anni Altshuler, also an artist who makes beautiful prints with lovely girls, both members of the fabulous Space 1026.

The left this morning for Philly and i'm so sad; hope i could go to Philly in the summer, though!

Matt was here in Milan for his first solo show at Galleria Patricia Armocida, Time Before Time.

You totally have to see the show: is one of the best shows of this year!

Here some links...

The Gallery website

Anni's Flickr

Space 1026

Matt&Anni working at the gallery installation:

Some days I think this:

Courtesy of Steve Powers

As Nico said, i don't do too much talking these days.

This Steve Powers' artwork seems to be pretty appropriate.

IAN CURTIS R.I.P.

Jessica Grindstaff & Erik Sanko

I've found on the Selby's, this amazing photos of Jessica Grindstaff and Erik Sanko's place.

It is my dream home, in every shade, every detail. I simply love it.

Actually, Jessica Grindstaff is a talented artist, you can see her dioramas here:

www.jessicagrindstaff.com

Jessica also creates weird prizes broches.

Erik Sanko makes wonderful marionettes and he's also a musician, in the band Skeleton Key.

all photos © todd selby 2010, all rights reserved.

One of the preizes made by Jessica...I definitely want one of them.

conjoined twins always enchanted me.

Mary Chulkhurst and Elisa Chulkhurst (1100–1134) (also known as the Biddenden Maids) are one of the earliest known set of conjoined twins. According to local tradition, the Biddenden twins were born in Biddenden, Kent, England in the year 1100. The twins were joined at the hip, although illustrations also depict them joined at the shoulder. They reportedly lived until 1134, when Mary died from illness. Eliza was asked if she wanted to be separated from her twin, and she answered, "As we came together we will also go together". She died about six hours later. The two left their estate of about 20 acres (8.1 ha) to the churchwardens of Biddenden. The rent from this property was to be used to provide a dole of bread and cheese (and later beer and tea) to the poor of the village on each Easter Monday. There are various documents referring to this tradition dating to the 1500s. The first mention of the twins in print was in the late 18th century, and there is considerable doubt about whether they existed or are simply a tradition that developed around the Chulkhurst Charity. Even if they existed, the period they lived may have been as late as the 16th century.