This summer, You can buy original Banksy artwork at Bloomsbury Art fair in London.
This is the first Bloomsbury Art fair and you can view and purchase artwork by Banksy, as well as big guns Nick Walker, Damien Hirst and Takashi Murakami.
New and emerging artists including Lisa Gunn, Lana Locke and Keith Jansz will also be presenting their work.
It’s only right that London’s literary and cultural district holds such an important Art exhibition.
Opening with a flypast and music performed by the Parachute Regiment Band, the three-day charitable event provides the opportunity for collectors and first time buyers to acquire some exceptional works of art as well as support and highlight the achievements of people who have had catastrophic injuries.
Organized in conjunction with the Helium Foundation all proceeds from the Bloomsbury Art Fair and profits from a selection of art will be donated to a group of charities: Motivation, the Parachute Regiment Charity, the Southern Spinal Injuries Trust and the Spinal Injuries Association.
Some of the pieces offered for sale highlight the talent and determination of artists who have been affected by life changing injuries. Much feted disabled artist Lisa Gunn uses her art to express and celebrate humans’ innate resilience and strength to overcome the most traumatic events. Included in the fair is an 11ft representation of her broken spine.
Keith Jansz, who suffered a broken neck in a 1995 car accident and was left paralysed from the shoulders down, was persuaded to try painting by holding a brush in his mouth. His oil paintings are now much sought after.
The inaugural Bloomsbury Art Fair takes place between 14-16 July 2011 in the stunning Mecklenburgh Square.
For more information, click HERE.
The12th Annual Folk Art Exhibition featuring a collection of engagingly individual and curious pieces takes place from Thursday 12th until Saturday 21st May.
Folk Art is a generic term coined to describe both two and three dimensional pieces created by ‘untrained’ artists.
Generally these pieces were made to serve a function, with examples such as hand carved and painted decoy birds, figurative weathervanes and trade and tavern signs.
Unlike ‘traditional’ antiques, these pieces are not generally restored or renovated, but are cherished and sought after for their raw, weathered, richly patinated, well handled and ‘used’ qualities.
Handsome Full bodied Butcher’s Trade sign in the form of a Herefordshire Bull,
Hand Carved and Painted Wood and Gesso with Metal Details, English, c.1880,
Fine examples in the exhibition include a life size Wool Merchant’s Trade Sign in the form of a Ram, with stylised carved fleece, a full bodied Butcher’s Trade Sign in the form of a Herefordshire Bull (image above), and a delightfully naive Sailor’s Work Panel depicting Two Ships at Sea, made from driftwood carved and applied to a recycled packing case panel.
Robert Young explains: “Most examples of Folk Art were made to pass the test of time in order to dutifully serve their function, and whilst their creators rarely had artistic pretentions or aspirations, they were frequently competent artisans or craftsmen.”
For me, these are more important than anything that has been restored and perhaps lost its charm. The weathered antiques on show at the Folk art exhibition are all for sale. You can find out more at the Robert Young website.
The Opera Gallery London is hosting a very unique exhibition: artist Lita Cabellut’s personal tribute to the great Frida Kahlo.
You can catch this homage to the great Mexican painter right now, through to 21st april. Lita Cabellut pays her tribute to the Mexican lady on monumental canvases and a powerful and striking colour-palette.
Frida Kahlo’s long admired work has been described as “surrealist”, and during 1938, one surrealist described Kahlo as a “ribbon around a bomb”. An examination of Kahlo’s life makes this description quite apt.
La Perla Negra is Cabellut’s tribute to Kahlo and it is quite something. The paintings are huge, both in size and colour. Bold would be an understatement.
Lita Cabellut was born in 1961 in Barcelona, where she grew up in a poor Gypsy-environment. Her work is closely intertwined with the memories of the old area of Barcelona, El Raval, with closeness to the docks, La Bocquerai market, Las Ramblas and Sant Antonie market, replete with pickpockets, street performers and of course, prostitutes.
She studied at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam between 1982 and 1984.
Nowadays, Lita Cabellut is regarded as a painter with a unique pictorial language. Her ‘humanfaced’ paintings are exposed all around the globe, in New York, Dubai, Miami, Singapore, Hong Kong, Barcelona, London, Paris, Venice, Monaco, Seoul and many more cities.
The Opera Gallery are getting good at this, another important and exciting exhibition.
Not to be missed.
The first day of spring saw Champagne House Perrier-Jouët celebrate its bicentenary in Paris with the unveiling of Bi-Centenaire—the very first Living Legacy champagne designed to be passed on to future generations. A Champagne designed to be handed down from generation to generation.
An exclusive guest list gathered for the unveiling of a new kind of Champagne experience by the house, renowned globally for its Belle Époque Cuvée. Guests were also treated to the unveiling of a new work of art commissioned from American artist Daniel Arsham, designed to embody the spirit of Bi-Centenaire—A true invitation to celebrate life.
A sumptuous champagne-paired celebratory dinner followed, orchestrated by notorious French Chefs Jean-Louis Nomicos** and his mentor Alain Ducasse, themselves gastronomic symbols of legacy, who reinterpreted superbly the 1911 Perrier-Jouët Centenary menu paired with Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Cuvées, including the exceptional Cuvée Belle Epoque 1998 in magnum.
Speaking on the night, Chairman & CEO of Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët Lionel Breton: ““We are very proud celebrate tonight the Bicentenary of Perrier-Jouët with this unique champagne experience as a real tribute to the house’s remarkable craftsmanship and passion for passing on a sense of French art de vivre to future generations”.
Perrier-Jouët Bi-Centenaire is available in very limited quantities (100 pieces only) at the Champagne House’s Boutique in Epernay and by appointment only including a privileged hospitality experience. It is also available through the exclusive Pernod Ricard network for an average RSP of 10 000 euros.
The Opera Gallery gives us another excellent take on the Royal wedding.
Following on from the success of artist Zoobs Kate Middleton portrait with a Sex Pistols twist, comes “the new Banksy” Rich Simmons and his cheeky image of Queen Elizabeth the graffiti artist!
This was the first time for live street art to take place on New Bond Street to celebrate the collaboration between Rich Simmons and The Opera Gallery. Artist Rich Simmons produced his dynamic art on the external walls of the Opera Gallery using spray cans and stencils.
“I have met the Queen, she’s really nice. I’m not sure she would like my work, but I definitely think Wills would. I have huge respect for the Royals and for the upcoming wedding, I think they are great role models and I have done this picture as a gift after all the help I received from the Princes Trust when I was a struggling artist. This is my way of giving back, do come and see my art which is now for sale at The Opera Gallery!”
Jean-David Malat, Director of Opera Gallery London, was delighted by the art piece and all of the media attention it has brought the collaboration between Rich Simmons and The Opera Gallery. Rich Simmon’s pieces including this live piece of art will be available to view and purchase from The Opera Gallery right now. “It was important for us to start this new street art collaboration on the street. I strongly believe in Rich Simmons, he could very well be the next Banksy of our generation”.
I totally agree, Simmons clearly has the same sense of humour as Banksy, as well as the required skill. I would love this to be shown to the Queen, I bet she would give us a chuckle!
The Opera Gallery London has a collection of high-end contemporary and modern paintings and sculptures, displaying a permanent collection of the most renowned international artists, and special exhibitions every two months.
