The one thing that we didn’t think would be working in time was the wonderful coffee machine, so when on Saturday morning the Co-LAB shop slowly filled with the aroma of ground coffee beans everybody breathed a sigh of relief and smiles filled faces.
The shop was busy all day and filled with great tunes as the DJ line up took turns at the decks.
A huge thanks to everybody who mucked in to make this happen (and happen on schedule), to all those that made the effort to put your head through the doors yesterday (and hopefully in the days, weeks, and months to come), to the artists who made those extra special touches, to the DJ’s for banging out da tunes, to all those who helped get Co-LAB out there re-blogging, sharing and re-tweeting and of course to Ujima Radio’s Mistri, although if you weren’t listening I can’t tell you why! (98FM)
Co-LAB is now open everyday at 2-4 Fairfax Street, Bristol, BS1 3DB – Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm and Sundays 11am – 5pm.
The amazing coffee machine has arrived, Max Gregor has been busy adorning the walls with some beautiful spray art and the first pieces of art work have been hang on the Art-el wall.
A great DJ set is currently being put together for the opening on Saturday, which includes Dee Jay Dino, Bash Money, Luminous Mary and John Nation.
Join us 11am to 11pm, we’re sooo excited and can’t wait to welcome you all.
This week Dreweatts hold their annual Urban & Contemporary Art Auction, they have also added a charity collection for Temwa to their catalogue.
The collection is currently on view at Dreweatts, 24 Maddox Street, London, W1S 1PP. There will be a launch party on Monday 10th December, 6pm-8pm, if you are in London you will be very welcome to come to the event which is sponsored by Staropramen & Averys Wine Merchants.
If you are interested in any of the art work, yet unable to attend the actual auction which will be held on Tuesday 11th December at 4pm, we can arrange phone bidding, online bidding or reserve bids.
This year’s ‘Art for Africa’ for Temwa collection is one of their strongest yet, boasting exceptional pieces from artists, including Mr Jago, andy Council, Jim Starr, Dicy, K-Guy and Adam Koukoudakis.
Each piece has been uniquely created and donated to the event which means that all the money raised goes directly to Temwa.
Temwa has strong links with the urban art scene and as been supported by a wealth of talented artist’s since the charity’s conception in 2003, with the Art for Africa auctions being held annually in Bristol and London. Temwa’s project’s in Malawi have expanded and are now helping to dramatically change the lives of thousands of people.
A full catalogue of the work for sale can be downloaded, please click here.
For further information please contact jo@temwa.org.uk or phone 07855 967 864.
Win a limited edition print!
And if you can’t make it to the auction in London, you can still get involved by purchasing a raffle ticket online (just go the website, and scroll down to the raffle link). Tickets cost just £5, and you will be in with the chance of winning one of these fabulous prizes…
First Prize: A Will Barras limited edition dry point etching: ‘Storm’. Artist proof. 5 of 10. Second Prize: A Rowdy print: ‘Neon Nightlife’. Digital screen print. 50cm x 70cm. Third Prize: A limited edition Paris design Temwa t-shirt. Created by Paris especially for Temwa.
The raffle will be drawn at the launch party, and online tickets must be bought before 4.00pm, Monday 10 December. 100% proceeds are going to support Temwa’s projects in Malawi.
Art-el Gallery is delighted to announce the first solo London exhibition from one of Bristol’s most exciting young visual artists to have emerged from the street art scene, Acerone (Luke Palmer).
Entitled ‘Where is Iron John?‘, Palmer’s new body of work depicts images from his exploration of masculinity and the transition into manhood, inspired, informed and twisted from the iconic Grimm Brothers ‘Der Eisenhans’ fairy tale and it’s unique review through folklore and mythology by Robert Bly.
From innovative photo-shoots Palmer reveals some of London’s most classical statues and sculptures that evoke personal representations of the fragility, serenity and the complexity of modern masculinity and its links to the male of yesteryear. Blended with images depicting the pace and expectation of inner-city modernity, double exposure images are replayed in paint and print creating works that are anchored in history whilst emphasising the pressure on the modern male.
“Art-el Gallery is proud to represent Luke’s work in his principal London exhibition. His shows in Bristol have attracted a diverse range of admirers and collectors and we are delighted to have the pleasure to bring this work to the capital”.
ARTIST STATEMENT
The Scottish writer and activist Alistair McIntosh once told me ‘It’s tough to be a young man in this world’ and he was right.
Images of adult manhood given to us by popular culture and mass media appear worn out. The right man, the tough man, the true man, all of which have been force fed to us since birth and are neither accurate nor relevant to the real life of a modern male.
When I recently became a father, my preconceptions of what it meant to be a man were flipped upside down. I found that the irreversible transition between boyhood and manhood had begun and with guidance from a long forgotten fairy tale, my most recent work explores key moments from what is perhaps the most challenging and turbulent time in any man’s life.
The collection of work comprises paintings that juxtapose imagery of London streets and statues of immortalised heroes, double exposure photography and installations that use images of light and death as an allegory for change. ‘Where is Iron John?’ is a visual representation of a young man dissecting masculinity whilst negotiating the complexities of modern life in the inner city.
BIOGRAPHY
Acerone’s (Luke Palmer) paintings have been exhibited in a number of group and solo shows in his hometown of Bristol, as well as on streets and abandoned buildings in the UK and beyond since the mid 90’s. His recent gallery works are an accumulation of 17 years’ operating as a graffiti artist with the internationally recognised TCF Crew, whilst working as a freelance photographer and lecturer at the City of Bristol College. Blending together experimental photographic techniques, bursts of light and paint, Palmer’s innovative paintings capture the energy and vibrancy of his street based murals directly onto canvas.
Palmer’s mural work can be seen adorning walls in and around the streets of Bristol as well as in many esteemed public institutions and private collections such as the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery, the Tobacco Factory Theatre and the new M-Shed Museum in the regenerated docks area of Bristol.
He has exhibited in two solo shows; ‘Call to Adventure’ at the Colston Hall, Bristol (2010) and ‘Photographiti’ at Friend & Co Gallery (2009) as well as numerous group shows including ‘See no Evil’ the ‘Weapon of Choice’ pop-up gallery (2011), ‘Crimes of Passion’ at the Royal West of England Academy (2009), and he also co-curated ‘Distance Travelled’ & ‘Triple Drop’ at the Centrespace Gallery in 2010 and 2009 respectively.
In 2009 Palmer was the recipient of the first prize award in the ‘Bristol: A Second Look’ photography competition for his unique take on portraying the atmosphere of the city in a single image.
Palmer’s 2011 joint commission with illustrator Andy Council, for the City of Bristol’s flagship ‘People’s Museum’ M-Shed, was critically acclaimed by James Lachno in the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, who commented:
‘If a centerpiece exists then it is ‘Window on Bristol’, a huge graffiti-esque picture of Bristol’s buildings as a looming, luminous dinosaur arching over the M-Shed itself, by artists Andy Council and Luke Palmer.’
With thanks to Bristol Beer Factory who will be providing the opening night refreshments.
Art-el Gallery is delighted to announce‘Everything Begins With An E’, a new body of work from the Graffiti writer and illustrator Erms. UK born but now based in Paris, he continues to be active in the Parisian graffiti scene.
Taking diverse influence from classical New York and European graffiti, renaissance art through to pop art, traditional graphic design and illustration, the 80s Hip Hop movement and beyond. Erms takes us on a unique aesthetic exploration of the alphabet, of complex patterns, grids and graphic style.
The title for the show is inspired by the famous rave track of the same name. It also plays with the first letter of the artists moniker as well as having intrinsic links to the rave scene.
Last Night on Earth
The theme highlights the dangers of both of these pursuits that become all consuming, and when taken to the extreme, the darker elements begin to appear…
BRISTOL BIENNIAL @ THE COLLEGE PROJECT
Happening alongside this, in conjunction with The College Project will be the opening off the Bristol Biennial with an explosive multi-media event showcasing an array of visual art by the college creative’s, including an art and sculpture trial, live music and refreshments throughout the evening. You will be blown away by the transformation of the old City of Bristol College, now a thriving artistic community in the midst of beautiful gardens.
See below for what we have in store for you.
The theme for this year’s Bristol Biennial is Storytelling, inviting participants to interpret the theme through visual arts, film and theatre. Storytelling exists in all facets of life: we tell stories and anecdotes to engage others and break down isolating barriers between individuals or groups. Storytelling can enrich our lives, it can be cathartic, it can impart wisdom or illustrate values and customs.
Photographer Matthew Smith (Mattko) has been invited to showcase his vast body of work.Mattko has spent the last 20 years documenting social movements in the UK.
Read an interview with Mattko and a review of his last exhibition in Crack Magazine.
Alongside the exhibitions, there will be an outdoor art and sculpture trail from the College Project artist studio and workshop residents.
Keep an eye out for the Immersive video, sound & sculptural installation By workshop resident Kathy Hinde & Matthew Fairclough called ‘A Thousand Birds’. This work has been partly created by the wider community, who have been creating origami cranes for it. You can still participate if you follow the instructions on this video.
The installation will be open for viewing at the at the same time as the gallery. Other work will be available to view throughout the duration of the Bristol Biennial, 1st to 16th June.
There will also be live performance on the evening of the 1st from musicians Yaffle (Benita Johnson & Helen Gregory) and Insomniac Jack and a circus performance in ‘The House of Curious Engagements’.
Team recoat have today dropped artist Mark Lyken off at his this amazing lighthouse in Cromarty, which will serve as his new studio for the next three months as he embarks on his Sublime residency, working along side marine biologists with IOTA.
We love May, mainly because this is the month that Temwa hold their amazing Art for Africa auction.
It has grown year on year and continues to raise much needed funds for sustainable community development in the African Republic of Malawi.
You don’t have to collect art or even be a fan of it as the evening provides so much more, it really is a very entertaining evening.
So if you’ve not been before then why not just give it a go, and for those of you that have well you’ll know what a good night it is already so we’ll see you there!
Temwa Presents Art for Africa Auction
Temwa is proud to announce that our annual Art for Africa Auction is back! Come on down to the Attic Bar, Stokes Croft, on 12th of May for one of our biggest events of the year. Some of Bristol’s world-renowned street artists including; Xenz, Inkie, Paris and FLX (to name a few) will be contributing, as well as some amazing up-and-coming new talent. This year we’ll be branching out beyond street art into other contemporary mediums, it’s all lined up to be an exceptional exhibition. A full catalogue of the work will be available from our Art for Africa website from Monday the 7th of May.As well as the chance to bag yourselves some incredible art in the auction, there will be live painting from Mr. Jago. Greg Minto and FLX, with more still to be confirmed.And it doesn’t stop there… if all that wasn’t enough, we will have live music from the Disco Two and Bash Money as well as live beat boxers Minimus and S30.
Details
Saturday 12th May
Viewing from 6pm-Auction starts at 8pm
Attic Bar, Stokes Croft
Free Admission
100% of profits to Temwa
TESTIMONIAL
“Having worked with Temwa over the last few years I have seen the dedication & passion they have for their work in Malawi. We work on the annual Urban Art Auction in London every year and it’s been a joy to work with them.”-Inkie
As his new solo show ‘Pattern Interrupt’ opening approaches, our friends at Recoat Gallery visited Mark Lyken in his Glasgow studio to see how the preparations were going.
Here are some photos they took whilst they were there, you may spot some corners of the new works as you look through them.
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We are expecting the the new collection of work to arrive on Tuesday, closely followed by Mark himself, who will then be given complete control of the gallery, watch this space for more tit bits as things progress.
‘The painting is about being stuck, stagnated, in a state of frustrated un-change. Inasmuch as the world changes, it stays the same. Negative cycles of have and have nots, preservation and destruction, and progress and regress repeat upon themselves. Doldrums, in the sense of oceanic winds, can manifest in both calms and storms. The archaic meaning of the word refers to stupidity and tantrums. The painting strives to capture the futility and redundancy of economic, political, and social cycles of modern civilisation”. Mr Jago
Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, famously describes doldrums.
All in a hot and copper sky, The bloody Sun, at noon, Right up above the mast did stand, No bigger than the Moon. Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean.
So last weekend we spent all of Saturday taking down the gallery and re-hanging it with lots of new goodness for people to feast their eyes upon, including some outstanding new work by american artist RIPO, these will soon be up on the web-site too.
Here’s a little taster, but drop by and see us we’re open Thursday and Friday 11.30am to 5.30pm and Saturday 12.00pm to 4.30pm and we’ve got the coffee pot on.
New RIPO pieces.
Newly hung wall featuring the 1890's commissioned fireplace, painted by Paris
This will be the last re-shuffle now until our exciting exhibition schedule takes of in May.
First up Scottish artist, Lyken who has just finished making waves with a massively successful solo show in Glasgow, we’ve seen the pictures and if they’re anything to go by then you’ll want to be catching this show – opening night 4th May.
Next up is English writer Erms / Ermone who will be joing us from Paris (his current place of residence). He has some pretty exciting ideas for the space so you’re not going to wanting to miss this one either.
ERMS
The opening night for this show is the 1st June which co-incides with the start of the Bristol Biennial, so this won’t be any normal gallery opening as there will also be live music and entertainment, to include Kev the poet and the Triangulators (full details to follow).
Ladies love the summer and this summer we are loving the ladies. The 29th of June sees the opening of a joint show with Fran Williams and Leanne Ellis, two very different styles but both extremly beautiful.
Fran Williams, new work "Call To Mind". Available at the AAF, Battersea, London 15-18 March
Leanne Ellis new work "Intention"
Bringing Brighton to Bristol in August, Pinky opens his solo show on the 3rd. Psychedlic wonderment!
Pinky in Bristol @ See No Evil 2011
So peeps, get those dates in your diaries, it’s good times a head!
