VOTE

Don't veto your voice today. Whoever you vote for, whatever your alliance, JUST VOTE. Politics is nothing without its populous - follow the British 2010 General Election here.

May Day In Manchester

I headed Northbound for the long weekend with Ana and Renée from The Ladies of the Press* to see the sights and sounds of Manchester. I wanted to see the exhibition, Walls Are Talking, at The Whitworth Art Gallery and the Ladies were making an appearance at the art and music festival, Sounds From The Other City, so we decided to take Manchester face on together. Being the international trio that we were, we didn't exactly land on the right foot when asked by our taxi driver where we were from because we all "... sound foreign". In a desperate attempt to cool a potentially political outburst - and to secure we'd be driven to our destination - I declared my British citizenship only to be shot down with "... well I'm English mate". Defining our taxi ride as 'awkward' may be an understatement - being told we were 'in the North now' was on the verge of threatening: were we ever to be accepted by Manchester? The answer. Yes. An outstanding yes as a matter of fact. This northern metropolis was a refreshing change from our Southern ways and we discovered a more genuine personality, which was reflected in the fresh and energised art scene and was in stark contrast to the tired Shoreditch chameleons we are used to.

Walls Are Talking is a rare offering of wallpaper as a legitimate medium within a contemporary art context. The Whitworth did well at referencing traditional samples with contemporary translations - artists such as Andy Warhol, Allen Jones, Damien Hirst and Francesco Simeti were represented, as well as designers such as Timorous Beasties and commercial papers from the twentieth century that reinforced cultural and gender stereotypes. It was a shame that there were more samples on display than confident curatorial decisions for absolute wallpaper immersion, but the gallery excelled in its large-scale installation of Thomas Demand's ivy wallpaper that filled the bright gallery space that looked out onto the neighbouring public park. With the gallery's origins heavily in the textile industry, anyone interested in design and pattern should make their way to The Whitworth Art Gallery and explore the fine collection of works on paper and textiles that will no doubt see a returning visit from me in the near future.

On Bank holiday Sunday, Salford - a few miles northwest of Manchester - was the location of Sounds From The Other City. Orbiting around the amazing Islington Mill, the festival performed at several locations around the neighbourhood. If I had to describe Salford in one word, eclectic would have to be it. Being a bit slow to realise it's connotations as 'the other city', Salford's creative scene at Islington Mill is all too aware of urban Mancunia's hesitance to wander to deep and dark Salford. But there is no need for any recognition from the city across the canal, for Islington Mill has something really special going for it and judging by the turn out on Sunday, people know this and will escape from their comfort zones and venture into the unique vibe that even I experienced with gusto out of my own comfort zone of oh-so-southern Berkshire!

Helping The Ladies of the Press* produce another of the moment publication, Live Press! and I went mobile and our journey took us from the former cotton spinning mill that houses both art and music studios with a fantastic community garden in its courtyard...

... to one of Salford's pride and joys. The Kings Arms on Bloom Street is an eccentric British - I mean, English pub that acts as watering hole for local creatives and hosts music and theatre events in its upstairs performing space. With weather clearly not being a deterrent in these parts, the pub also had it's own very own courtyard, packed with eccentric paraphernalia; from old signage, mirrors and frames, to everything you could think of that just never sells in a charity shop, the space made a perfect setting for Tone Float and his musical mobile milk float that rocked out on the cold and cloudy day that no one seemed to care about. It was in the name of art and having a good time and importantly, being genuine and as you can now see, eclectic just doesn't do Salford justice.

Competition of Salford's creative title comes from Manchester's Northen Quarter. A regeneration project of the last few years has seen this area, only a few blocks north of where we were staying near Piccadilly Station, turn into a hub of creative activity with art, fashion and design agencies setting up shop and with enough vintage stores and cool, yet humble, coffee joints and bars to make any cosmopolitan feel at home.

With an interesting mix of old and new architecture with sprawling street art around every corner, this creative quarter was somewhere we found ourselves going back to over and over again and for good reason. Thomas Streets cut across the quarter and 57 Thomas Street is a must for any beer aficionado. Brought to you from Manchester's Marble Beers this new establishment was only a few days old. Picture an intimate wine bar that only serves beer is what you get here - the knowledgeable and friendly staff are what creates the atmosphere here, with tastings and a story behind every beer pretty much guaranteed. The one long table also guarantees you meet people, creating the perfect formula of beer and banter without a reason to be intoxicated. For cocktails and music, check out Common on Edge Street (photo second from bottom) that played host to our last night in Manchester as well as the purveyor of great mojitos and an awesome atmosphere. Wash down all your alcohol at Grindsmith on Hilton Street where coffee and art meets in unison, with temporary art exhibitions gracing the walls of the space and a front window that let's you see the sights and sounds of Manchester from a comfortable position, which I hope you will agree after reading this, will pleasantly surprise you...

A big thank you to The Ladies of the Press* for their company and comedy last weekend - be sure to follow them on twitter as they press on in Leipzig this week at Art Zines - güte reise Ladies!

Bigger Better Weekend

I had an immense Bank holiday weekend in Manchester which I will be sharing with you all tomorrow but first I thought I'd post my surprise at finding my work, Bigger Better (2010) had been chosen by new viral art initiative, Billbored. Projected onto the façade of the Shoreditch Overground Station during the weekend, my repeat pattern was broadcast on a large-scale with other billboard creations as part of Project #1 inspired by several artist's visions of change in response to the UK General Elections this week. Visit Billbored to see my design and for further information about events that will take place throughout the week across London.

Photograph by Joseph Steele

Word On The Street

Art institutions have had competition in the last few years and it's come from right outside their doorsteps. Street Art has firmly established itself as an integral part of the art world with the likes of Tate Modern and Sotheby's acknowledging its rise from subculture to high culture; public popularity has lead to its interest being discussed in art world bibles to the broadsheets of newspapers around the world, making this urban art movement as accessible on print as it is on the walls of our public spaces. The publication, Beyond the Street, offers a comprehensive insight into the unknown with interviews from one hundred key street artists with an interesting perspective from the commercial outlets, such as The Wooster Collective, that have supported the development of urban art as well as from international collectors. Artist illustrations and photographs document the assurgent movement that provides a rare glimpse into this usually undercover practice. 'Beyond the Street' is available from this week through publishing agency, Gestalten.

Deitch Projects, which features in the book, has played an important role as a canvas for artists such as Keith Haring and Os Gêmeos with their public art work. This weekend sees the opening of Shepard Fairey's May Day exhibition that will feature an installation on the Deitch wall on Bowery and Houston Street. The exhibition continues in the gallery space on Wooster Street that plays on the definitions that 'May Day' has evolved to represent, commenting on current economic and political climates. Check out Fairey's thoughts on the installation and his practice (if currently probational) thanks to New York Magazine.

May Day opens May 1st - May 29th 2010 at Deitch Projects,

18 Wooster Street, New York City.

HARU NO TORAI

There's a lot going on in London this week and it gives me great pleasure to introduce another friend and photogrpaher, Eiko Soga, whose beautiful and delicate works are on show at The Garbstore in London's Notting Hill. HARU NO TORAI (the arrival of Spring) celebrates the beauty of Spring - normally a risky premise for a show in weather-prone England - but the Japanese take their seasons seriously and with the upmost respect. Coinciding with the boutique's new arrival of collections from Japan, themes of Spring and the beginning of Sakura (cherry blossom) mirror the fresh and light photographic works by Soga. Intricate painted gestures by hand on the photographs add an intimate element to the works that explore ideas of nature, memory and fantasy. Enjoy the Spring air and don't miss the exhibition closing this Saturday.

January 2007 05, 2009

HARU NO TORAI 19th April - 1st May 2010 10am - 5.30pm

The Garbstore

188 Kensington Park Road

Portobello, London W11 2ES

Fortune Teller X EYE-KEA

Big love to Karolina Johansson for these photos of Fortune Teller screened at the International Video Art event, The EYE-KEA Project at Basement Project Space in Cork, Ireland - more info here.

The Blue Obelisk

The Blue Obelisk is the first production from contemporary art platform LIANGWEST. Inspired by the works of Yves Klein, such as Epoque Pneumatique and use of his very own IKB (International Klein Blue), the exhibition covers issues central to Klein's practice with a selection of works by ten London-based artists.

TOP RIGHT Untitled (Quartz and Gold), 2009 by Joseph Frazer

BOTTOM RIGHT Ice Shelf, 2010 by Faith Edwards

Possibly the most Klein-esque work on display is by artist and writer, Nicola McCartney whose work is first to welcome you into the space. Directly quoting from Klein's 'The Chelsea Hotel Manifesto', McCartney's A Flock (After Klein) references Klein's famous proposal produced for his first solo show in New York City in 1961. The work floats on the wall as do the words that softly float on the printed card in a flock formation.

A Flock (After Klein), 2010

The Blue Obelisk runs daily until May 2nd at 97-99 Clerkenwell, London EC1R 5BX - for more information about the show and the participating artists visit LIANGWEST here.

A Lot Of Possibilities #2

It's been a little over a year now since I moved to New York for a few months and at that time I had no idea I would still have such an affinity with not only the city, but the Community Garden on West 104th Street. I haven't posted anything about the installation project for a few months but that's not to say nothing has happened between that time, in fact the situation is quite the opposite. The project has moved leaps and bounds - from my original water colour drawings, to meeting the Committee of Gardeners to approve of my installation and design, to revisiting New York late last year and to the series of e-mails and updates that have bounced back and forth across the Atlantic from WinterSpace founder, Anna Lise Jensen. The fruition of A Lot Of Possibilities has always been in our minds and we are literally steps away from seeing the proposals transform Manhattan's communal gardens: making our 'possibility' into a reality.

Flamingo Parade (2009-2010)

Thanks to Anna Lise's continuous dedication to the project, we were awarded funding from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund and we have received generous support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Autumn was in the air during my last visit to 104th Street Garden in the Manhattan Valley and the experience could not have been more different from my first encounter with the snow-covered lot only a couple of months earlier. Everything to me was different - the mood, the colours, the space - so I decided to redesign my original drawing so as to create a stronger image using new colorways (see above) that would work in all seasons and remain specific as well as being more a part of the organic structure of the garden, rather than simply an art installation.

So in short, as they say, this is the story so far. WinterSpace launches an exhibition today at the West 103rd Street site to display some of the proposals intended for the gardens, including my new repeated pattern Flamingo Parade (2009-2010). For those of you in New York check out all the works today from 2-6pm at 15 West 103rd Street # 4D - the exhibtion will continue thereafter by appointment only - click here for more information. As for the rest of us on this side of the Atlantic and elsewhere, the wheels are finally beginning to move so keep checking up on the blog for further posts and updates including photos of today's exhibition coming soon.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Tea With Cindy

Museum gift shop aficionados will have noted that in the past couple of years postcards, pencils and key rings have not been all that is on offer to invite us to prise money out of our wallets made from recylced tyres or waxed newspaper. Purchasing a slice of art from the artists whose works one has only just seen hung on the crisp white gallery walls has its place in secured vitrines on the shop floor with a 'please ask for assistance' sign subtly placed in a corner. 

Cindy Sherman's Madame de Pompadour (née Poisson) may be familiar to culture vultures - I for one have spotted this 21-piece porcelain tea service in The Victoria & Albert Museum, London and Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum, New York. Through art retailer Other Criteria, Sherman has reissued the commemorative service - named after Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV of France - and continues her chameleon practice using her own face on the Limoges produced wares. 

Available in four colourways as an edition of 75 in each colour, it makes a perfect addition to tea on the terrace looking out onto the parterre... non? Manor house not included. Shoreditch penthouse preferable.

Park Life

This is how you do stripes on a large scale... if only the planes were flying, we could all appreciate this from the air! This natural perfection was brought to you by Windsor Great Park and you're just going to have to trust me on how good freshly cut grass smells right now. Mmmmmm...

LIANGWEST Launches

Bigger Better, 2010 - Illustration, repeat pattern

Avid readers of this blog will have noticed I have collaborated on a number of projects with curatorial platform INTRODUCING. Theresa Liang and William West are the duo behind the on-line publication and today they have launched LIANGWEST to showcase a number of emerging artists and their works, of which I am one. Check out the new website and their upcoming exhibition, The Blue Obelisk, that opens next week or contact london@liangwest.com for further information.

See The Light

Milan Design Week launches today and I wanted to share the exciting event, Foscarini Inside, brought to you by the design studio Foscarini. In association with Superstudio Più, the Italian design house has collaborated with designer, Vicente Garcia Jimenez to create a light tunnel that features a mesmeric video installation by Massimo Gardone and Fabio Bressan, aided by a soundtrack from Francesco Morosini. I could watch this video all day and only imagine the sort of interactive experience visitors would encounter, while wondering how and where all the projectors are placed to produce such a fantastic installation. Bridging art with design through absolute creativity is what Milan Design Week is all about, bringing a little bit of Heaven on Earth to us mere mortals: if there's light actually in the tunnel, then I want to know what's at the end of it...

Foscarini Inside is at Superstudio Più, 27 via Tortona, Milan from the

14th - 19th April 2010

The EYE-KEA Project

Fortune Teller, 2007 - 8'00'' Video

I have been selected to exhibit in the International Video Art screening, The EYE-KEA Project at Basement Project Space in Cork, Ireland. The event opens next Friday and will screen my work, Fortune Teller, as well as video art by the 34 selected artists from around the world, with a discussion about the impact of popular culture and technology on visual culture and its effects on society on the 20th April. I hope to get some more images of the space once the show launches - until then click here to read a write up of the event from Cork Independent News.

The EYE-KEA Project runs from the 16th - 25th April 2010 at Camden Place, Camden Quay, Cork City.

The Future Is Bright

Without jinxing it, the weather in England has been surprisingly Spring like recently, and being the weather-obsessed nation that we are, let's face it, we're already talking about what the Summer has in store for us. But if our island is struck with another sun-free summer, then we can be assured that across La Manche the French have it sorted, and thanks to the delivery of Le Monde D'Hermès Printemps - Été 2010 catalogue I received today, the future is definitely looking orange. The House of Hermès does not disappoint with their seasonal issues, inviting us to play in a series of effortless illustrations for spring and summer. The cover features a pêle-mêle cavalry of horses and riders created by French author and illustrator Philippe Dumas who has had a long working relationship with the House.

Philippe Dumas, 2010

The issue also allows us to enter the much guarded world of the House's Design Director, Leïla Menchari, famed for her magical masterpieces for the window displays at 24 Faubourg Saint-Honore and around the globe. Hermès has always allowed a carte-blanche policy when it comes to Menchari's couture visions, which have seen collaborations with some of France's most skilled craftsmen as well as international artists. Menchari's work can be seen in the windows at all Hermès boutiques and you can pay a visit to Le Monde D'Hermès here - and I guarantee you, there won't be a lobster-toned body in sight! Bon voyage mes amis...

100th Post!

This is my 100th post! I have received so much support since I set up jonathanvelardi.blogspot.com and I want to thank everybody who has contacted me with good vibes as well as interest in my work and in what I have to say. I celebrated today in the blog's honour at Cliveden in Buckinghamshire and the abstract commemorative 1-0-0 collage above is inspired by the Palladian style that decorates this sprawling 375 acre estate - here's to another 100 views, news and images from the worlds of art, culture, design and beyond!

Big Bucks: A home to an Earl, Dukes and at one stage Prince Frederick of Wales, it was American billionaire William Waldorf Astor who made Cliveden what it is today. Claiming the title of richest man in America in the late nineteenth-century didn't mean a great deal to Lord Astor - for to be an English gentleman with all its trappings was what appealed to him the most, famously saying, "... you can make your wealth in America, but move to England if you want to become a gentleman". 
Lord Astor took his own advice, owning almost half of Manhattan with the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel to tribute, and acting out every part the country gentleman when he migrated to England. It is therefore no surprise that the Astor charm is still alive at Cliveden - now owned by the National Trust - and run as a five-star hotel that is on par with the family's landmark residence across the atlantic.

Hirst's Haven

The French Principality of Monaco is world renowned as the tax haven of choice for the super rich, so it comes as no surprise that multi million pound art creator, Damien Hirst should exhibit in such a place. Looking at where he will be exhibiting begs the question, is this the most magnificent location for an art institution in the world? Le Musée Océonographique de Monaco sits 279 feet above the cliffs of Monte Carlo's coastline looking out towards the French Riviera and celebrates its centenary this year. But however much I could go into the art vs. gallery architecture debate (it brings out the insecurities of many artists in my opinion) there is a far more interesting tangent to follow and an appropriate matter for both subjects in question: money. Reports emerged towards the end of last year about Hirst's intentions for a major show in the principality - lest we forget his self-invitation upon The Wallace Collection - and on the surface, the museum's collection of sea species and ocean science marries well with the artist's pickled sharks as well as the other sixty works on display. But timing and location opens up an interesting enquiry in a year that will see Great Britain face a general election next month and the looming tax hikes, planned to be at 50 per cent, that are destined to hit British high earners. We've seen migration from pockets of the City of London to Switzerland, but this is the first physical art-related move as a result of Labour's threatening tax grip. Hirst has challenged the art markets before and I have no doubt he will do so again as Europe and the rest of the world surpasses recession-heavy Britain, but this move is a signifier that will ripple through all levels of arts in a broken Britain if change does not happen. Is the title of the exhibition a message to Gordon Brown; a symbol that abundance and prosperity can and will be found elsewhere?

CORNUCOPIA opens today and runs until September 2010 - click here for more information.