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POP 869 Friday 23 March 2012

THEPOP.COM — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:40:43 +0000

Today's POP is Stephanie, still on abstraction, moving onto the Italians.

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Sacking and Red, 1954.

Continuing our discourse on the Arte Povera school that seems so chic at the moment – see Tate Modern's current Boetti expo and our recent Milanese tour – we had to check out London's best kept secret for modern Italian art: the charming Estorick Collection.

The quaint space just off Islington's Canonbury Road currently cases an exhibition of Alberto Burri, the painter and sculptor best known for his abstract encounters with burlap, pumice, fire and tar.

I sat down with the Estorick's Gallery Director Roberta Cremoncini for some insight on the collection and to ask her thoughts on the current Italian explosion.

Can you tell me a bit about how you got involved with the Estorick? What is your specialisation?

I’ve been working at the Estorick since ‘97, just prior to the museum's opening. I started as Assistant Curator and have been here ever since. I became Director in 2001. It’s been very much my program and what we try to do is put into context our permanent collection, which is a personal choice of the collectors, so it’s very particular to them. So we have a lot of sculpture, etc, trying to fill the gaps of the collection so we can explore Italian and European art. Our collection is also completely figurative, which is a very prominent element for us. Our gallery is small, so our impact quite tiny, but we just try to promote the artists that we think are good.

Smaller galleries like the Estorick seem to be taking greater risks in terms of their display producing shows with less 'commercial' artists, if you will, than some of the bigger institutions. Why do you think that is?

For us, none of our artists are very commercial. 20^th century Italian art is not very commercial – with a few exceptions that include Morandi, Modigliani and de Chirico. But everyone else is basically unknown or had been unknown ten years ago when we first started. So we don’t have many choices; it’s really just about finding a balance between showing what we think is important and of course what will also attract people. We try to show less known artists or rather artists less known in this country.

I think the bigger institutions have more constraints. Italian art is not shown in many other museums and usually when it is shown, it tends to be restricted to modern art or works connected with Arte Povera.

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Sack, 1954.

The Italians seem to have been secluded on the market and now Arte Povera is really in surge – currently the Tate is showing Boetti as well – Why do you think there is this sudden interest?

I think the auctions have a lot to do with it – Italian auctions in London which started in 1999 – and slowly the interest has increased. 20^th century Italian art has really been undervalued. It’s been very affordable in comparison to the Americans, etc. so hopefully the value will now go up. I mean there are still so many artists to cover in a sense. I was very surprised when we started organising the Burri exhibition, and obviously Burri is very much associated with Fontana who has been very popular in London, so it was easy to find Fontana’s here and I presumed it would be the same when sourcing Burri. But outside of the piece [Sacking and Red, 1954] from the Tate collection, I haven’t been able to track any Burri’s in London at all.

Untitled, early 1990's.

Where do the pieces come from?

They all come from Italy, both museums and private collections; they had all been sold abroad. So as far as I know, I don’t see anyone who is collecting Burri in the U.K., at all. It’s really interesting to see that Burri has never been shown in London in any way – he had disappeared from the market. He had a major sale at an auction last October and one of the Burri’s went for 2 million pounds, and that’s when we started to talk about Burri in the U.K.

You've kept a lot of the works’ original framing for the exhibition. Do you find it distracting at all? Did you consider re-framing the works?

Yes, that is the way they arrived. We would have liked to change some things but you can only advise, you cannot alter anything that belongs to someone else. And even if we wanted to, we don’t really have the resources nor are we in a position to start re-framing the works. But I actually don’t mind the fact that these masterpieces are something that you can see quite clearly live in people’s homes. So they get knocks and bangs; they’re not so holy. I think it’s interesting to imagine Burri’s work in that context.

Do you have a favourite?

The Tate’s [Sacking and Red, pictured above] piece is beautiful. And I love the tiny little mold.

Where would you like to take the gallery?

I definitely want to stay within the historical, 20^th century period. I don’t really want to show contemporary art because I think if the art is any good, it doesn't need to be shown in an Italian setting, it can be shown in commercial galleries and they would obviously be better off with more resources. So I would like to keep the Estorick historical in theme and also continue to position work and put things into context: comparing artists and periods within our shows or comparing the Italians with other aspects of European art. Maybe going backwards a bit more and experimenting with even older work.

We do some photography as well which I think is another aspect and again, the Italian photographers have not been shown very widely in the U.K. We’ve also just started to put on single-artist shows because in the past I’ve found that as these artists are not so well known, it’s hard to attract visitors to a solo show – unless you have the ability to cover the city with posters – so we always try to do shows which are more general like “Abstraction” or “Still-Life”, etc. So Burri was an experiment and we’re still testing the waters. We love to show a single artist at a time but it’s always a risk.

Drips, 1950.

And how has the response been?

Burri has had an incredibly good response; we’ve been really pleased. It has been very difficult and also very expensive for us so it’s one of those gambles that has paid off. So yes, it’s been great, I’m delighted.

Alberto Burri: Form and Matter on at the Estorick until 7 April 2012.
estorickcollection.com

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POP 768 Friday 2 December 2011

THEPOP.COM — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 06:04:17 +0000

Today’s POP is Rachel. Running memories of the Rugby Tweed Run.

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When Rugby Ralph Lauren decided to participate in the already-established annual Tweed Run takeover in the cobbled streets of London’s Covent Garden, who else was there to invite but the cast of Made In Chelsea?

Occupying the city with civilized style of course, the cast joined hundreds of others in a harem poised on Pashleys, donned in tweed from head to toe complete with flat caps and the occasional pipe for good measure.

Following the success of the first Rugby Tweed Run which took place this October in NYC, Rugby Ralph Lauren decided to inject their classic American heritage into the London event beginning with the 12-mile leisurely ride at the site of their first store in Covent Garden.

With a chance to nab titles such as ‘best vintage bicycle’ and ‘most dapper chap’, and that decidedly British institution, the raffle (but with a much better prize on offer including a Pashley bicycle), the event this past Saturday 26^th November saw guests such as Erin O’Connor, Bip Ling as well as the ultimate blogger couple Style Salvage and Style Bubble also in attendance.

Off on a route dotting from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace and onto Chelsea, with plenty of tea breaks on the way… Amber Atherton from Made in Chelsea took the time to recount her ride and marvel on the transforming effect of men in tweed for us.

Tweed is a fabric that is twee, classic and functional at once. How do you integrate such an old material into your current wardrobe?

I think a full tweed get-up looks marvelous on men. However as a woman, I personally like to add subtle elements of the material into an everyday look. Whether that's a Rugby Ralph Lauren blazer or waistcoat, it adds a classic British touch to any modern wardrobe.

In it's first year, the Tweed Run ride began at the Rugby store in Covent Garden. Where in London did the ride lead you to? And did you encounter any mishaps along the way?

The cobblestones at Covent Garden proved the start of our path as bumpy but this soon lead through to smooth tarmac and we were off through Trafalgar Square and onto Buckingham Palace where we mixed up the anticipated changing of the guard – much to the tourist’s delight! Mishaps were few and far between due to the phenomenal guidance of the marshals who shut off roads and sort of held our hand along the way.

What did you decide to wear for the Rugby tweed run?

I decided to nod to Ralph Lauren's American heritage and teamed a pine green baseball jacket with a chunky cream cable knit and gold lace brocade shorts and woolly tights – bringing my tweed element in through a most delightful pair of Rugby Ralph Lauren ear muffs.

Fashion and cycling; does practicality rule or is it more a matter of getting that perfect match with your Pashley?

Pashley's practically demand demure, heritage inspired attire which RL is perfect for. In the pursuit of a leisurely cycle rather than destination specific, the practicality rule is rubbed off the chalk board.

The Tweed Race and the Rugby brand both embrace heritage with a contemporary metropolitan twist. Where in would your dream ride take you?

My dream bike ride would start on the wall of China and lead me up to Tibet down to India a short boat ride over to Indonesia and down to the vast plains of Australia. Well actually, a perfectly pleasant dream bike ride takes me up to Hampstead Heath – whilst out of breath, the view is your reward!

This year the Rugby Tweed Run raised funds to benefit the World Bicycle Relief. Through their Bicycles for Educational Empowerment Program, the organisation provides 50,000 bicycles to improve rural Zambian children's access to education.

Rugby Ralph Lauren, 43 King Street, Covent Garden WC2E 8JY
http://www.rugby.com/uk

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POP 704 Friday 23 September 2011

THEPOP.COM — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:47:13 +0000

Today's POP is Alejandro & Beatie; Seattle Style.

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We first heard of Beatie Wolfe this summer when a friend invited us to her gig at the North London Tavern. She performed an intimate emotion-filled acoustic set.

Beatie’s style is highly individual and includes a wide range of influences from Otis Reading to William Blake. She enjoys writing songs anywhere and everywhere: London, New York, Portugal or Italy, and sees herself performing one day at the Royal Albert Hall.

After the release of her first EP Burst in 2010, the north London artist has had a busy summer working on her upcoming release while also playing gigs at SGP, Ronnie Scotts and Rocca di Campiglia to name a few. She recently paid us a visit in Hampstead for a cuppa and opened up to POP about her beginnings, music, inspirations and her all time favourite album.

Beatie Wolfe, you have been into music for quite sometime now, right?

B: As long as I can remember. I actually wrote my first song when I was seven! I used to write and sing a lot as a kid and I was in a band as a teenager. I started playing gigs as Beatie Wolfe about four years ago.

When and where was your debut as an artist?

B: I would say it was at the iconic Marquee club in Soho. I was twenty, and it was a gig that opened many doors for me. I met significant people in the music industry such as jazz/beat poet and musician David Amram. He loved my music so much that he invited me to perform with him in New York. He’s become and great friend and I still love performing with him.

What are you mainly influenced by?

B: I draw my influences from all sorts of genres and styles. Rock, Soul, Motown, Folk… For me I can feel in a second if a song touches me or not. I am really drawn to male singers: Elvis, Otis Redding, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Freddy Mercury. Lately I have been listening a lot to Solomon Burke.

What about your writing? Where do you get your inspiration?

B: The inspiration can come from anywhere really but Love is at the heart of my songs. I also find people and their relationships endlessly fascinating. The way I write lyrics is similar to writing poetry. There is a natural connection between my music and poetry: musical poetry as I like to call it.

Where do you see Beatie Wolfe in two years time?

B: Having loads of fun doing what I love most – writing songs, playing music and touring the world! I also dream of working on my album with a gifted producer like Rick Rubin, who made Blood Sugar Sex Magic the killer record that it is.

Beatie Wolfe will be performing the 29^th of this month at the always classy Ronnie Scotts in Soho.

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POP 697 Saturday 17 September 2011

THEPOP.COM — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 06:00:28 +0000

Todays POP is Alice; It's getting hot in here…

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As the weather cools down we're heating things up – the third issue of Hot & Cool Magazine hits shelves today! Featuring shoots by Roberta Ridolfi, Letty Schmiterlow and Theo Sion; interviews with Maya Villager and Staci Green and 8 pages curated by artist Piotr Lakomy. Cool!

Pick up a copy from Wardour News, Bstore, Charlotte Street News or online at

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hotandcool.biz, more stockists to come!

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POP 695 Thursday 15 September 2011

THEPOP.COM — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:00:43 +0000

Today's POP is Stephanie. Getting ready for London Fashion Week!

Marios Schwab & the W Hotel have teamed up to celebrate young London-based design talent including some of our favs, Craig Lawrence, Jordan Aksill and Fleet Ilya. We love London.

Check out the vid -

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POP 061/ Friday, 31 July 2009

THEPOP.COM — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:30:38 +0000

Today’s Pop is Hannah. She’s really happy these days. She just got her saxophone delivered to London… Baker Street!!!

Toby L is the 24 year old founder of

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Transgressive Records who has some stories to tell.

There was the time when the singer of the Foals climbed up the outside wall of his Camden flat and in through a window, waking up passed out flatmates with a terrifying tirade of “IF I WAS A BURGLAR, YOU’D ALL BE FUCKED!”. Or the house parties with bands playing in the living room which had so many people crammed into the tiny flat that the floor is now visibly concave. Or the time when Graham Coxon’s guitar was left lying around in the living room…

Toby started his career in music at the tender age of fifteen when he launched a website called

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Rockfeedback. At the time when heavyweight music corporations dominated the music scene, Rockfeedback became the first independent online music magazine in the UK to give a voice to the up and coming bands. Specialising in interviews and reviews from writers around the world, not to mention the MTV2 documentary Rockfeedback TV, the name is now one of the most highly thought of talent-sources in the industry.

They also happen to put on one of the best gig nights in London, more often than not taking place upstairs at

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The Lexington near Kings Cross. I went along on Tuesday evening and watched three folksy bands,

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First Aid Kit,

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Blue Roses and

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Kill It Kid. Swedish duo First Aid Kit headlined the evening, and were incredible. They completely mesmirised the crowd with their sweet intertwining vocal harmonies accompanied by acoustic guitar and piano. The crown demanded an encore by clapping and cheering until the two girls came back onstage and were clearly delighted when they announced that “we’ll play two more songs if that’s alright with you”.

With Rockfeedback, you don’t really know what you’re going to get until you arrive. On some occasions they have filled the room with candles, yet other nights can be unashamedly rock. Whatever happens, you can be sure that the bands playing will be some of the best emerging talent, handpicked by Toby, from around the world.

The next Rockfeedback is on 20th August with tickets on sale

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now.

UPDATE:
Amazingly, when Toby recently moved out of his Camden abode he received his full deposit back plus a gleaming reference from the little old landlady. Safe to say she hasn’t actually visited the flat in about two years, how little she knows, how little she knows….

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Pop 060/ Thursday, 30 July 2009

THEPOP.COM — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:30:33 +0000

Today’s POP is David, the other. He’s gone fishing. David’s fascination with fashion in politics has led him to write a letter to his constituency, demanding that any new representatives be given a crash course in Power Dressing. His best fashion advise for any buddying politician? ‘When in doubt, ask yourself: what would JFK have worn?’

East London has always been a hub of creative activity. Artists, designers, writers and musicians started turning towards the East end ages ago for cheap rent and a community of like-minded souls. Coolness followed and, not long after, a new clientele appeared with more money to pay the increasing rents. Inevitably this meant some people had to keep on moving in order to stay productive. Of late they have lived and worked in Hackney Wick, a mainly industrial area, perfect for its converted warehouses and big studio spaces.

Now, with the 2012 Olympics and its re-generation programs coming, it looks like these artists might be forced to move again. Either because their buildings are being knocked down in favour of cycling velodromes or because the location is now worth a hellova lot more money and the rents have gone up.

Some people, however, have made a decision to not let this disgraceful predicament go unnoticed. This weekend sees the second Hackney Wicked Festival take over the area. New and old art galleries show exciting artists, often from the area, and street parties are launched with bands, barbeques and painting competitions. A true feast for and by the people of Hackney Wick!

One of the exhibiting galleries is run by Nomadic Projects, an organisation consisting of three art-loving entrepreneurs. Emma Hammar, Louise O’Kelly and Pau Cato call their three-day pop up show the Museum Of Hackney Wick, as it documents the area and its inhabitants. Emma Hammar explains: “We encourage artists to create histories through documentation and collaboration in order to represent the different realities of an ever-changing urban landscape”.

The trio met through various art-related projects and mostly live and work in the Wick and surrounding areas. “The area seems to be on a creative high at the moment, with the Hackney Wicked festival, new galleries and bars and cafes popping up”, says Hammar, who together with O’Kelly and Cato has managed to get local photographer Stephen Gill to collaborate: “He’s a really lovely and approachable guy, very passionate about the area. We approached him and explained a bit about the project, and he just thought it was a great idea and was keen to help us out”.

Also worth mentioning is the duo James Fisher and Jonathan Glazier. Their contribution – The Changing Face Factory – is an interdisciplinary work featuring paintings, sculptures, drawings and a performance. A bit like Allan Kaprow and his famous Happenings in the 1960′s. Fisher and Glazier will take charge of a certain area in the gallery and create masks, with two mask-bearers simultaneously painting the other persons mask. This performance, or “spectacle of change”, as they call it, will also be documented and printed as a book. “The actual performance will encapsulate the struggle between the opposing forces of change, for and against. We believe that this activity highlights a process close to that in a factory”, Glazier explains.

There is no doubt that the Olympics won’t hinder Hackney Wick to flourish creatively. Go down to the festival, seek out The Nomadic Project and enjoy this smorgasbord of diverse talent – and keep an eye out for their next pop up!

Hackney Wicked 31 July – 2 August

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www.hackneywicked.com

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www.nomadicprojects.blogspot.com