PAD London 2016

Last week we visited PAD London Art and Design fair in Berkeley Square. PAD specialises in 20th century art and design with a spectacular array of modern art, photography, design and decorative pieces on display. Their exhibitors come to London from across Europe, America and Asia which promised an eclectic selection for sale.

Here are our favourite displays from the this year’s PAD London ...

- ADRIAN SASSOON -

As always Adrian Sassoon had a fabulous display of ceramics and glass. Sassoon's background in the arts, having previously worked at J. Paul Getty Museum, makes him an expert in collecting creative and innovative pieces. Sassoon specialises in two categories; Sevres Porcelain and contemporary Decorative Arts.

There was a lovely piece by Felicity Aylieff (pictured below) who is known for her exploration of surface detail, in particular stylised flowers and plants. As Head of Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art, she is also recognised for her research into large-scale ceramics.

The vessel by Danish glassblower Tobias Mohl (pictured below) was another beautiful piece, made from blown glass and canework - canework is a technique used to add intricate detail through blowing rod-like streams of colour through the glass. Mohl uses traditional Venetian techniques but incorporates a Scandinavian aesthetic to create a contemporary take.

- PETER PETROU -

Peter Petrou’s stand comprised unique and dynamic pieces including this truly striking piece of furniture, the console table by Irish designer Joseph Walsh made from olive ash and glass. The piece is beautifully hand crafted in his studio in Cork and comes from his famous 'Enignum' series. He is inspired by his wild coastal surroundings in Ireland, the landscape he grew up with. He manipulates and bends the wood as far as he can, allowing its natural curves to come through to create undulating and sinuous forms that flow through each other. A console table like this would be a spectacular centre piece in a sitting room, especially in a country or coastal home where it could reflect its natural surroundings.

- PINTO PARIS -

Pinto Paris create bespoke pieces of furniture, tableware and accessories. Every piece is designed and crafted by hand, often incorporating rare and luxurious materials. We were inspired by their devotion to French traditions; the company always collaborates with French craftsmen from cabinetmakers to lacquerers and upholsterers to bronzers, stonemasons, parchment makers, and lapidaries who all work using traditional French methods. The Logos Sleeper chair (pictured below left) and Heracles seat (pictured below right) were both reminiscent of Art Deco style with a contemporary elegance.

Zaha Hadid's UltraStellar Collection

This month Zaha Hadid’s final furniture collection went on display at David Gill Gallery, a space she had a long-running relationship with. We attended the opening last week which celebrated both the show and the life of the late architect.

For her UltraStellar series, Hadid moved away from the acrylic material she’s known for, instead turning to traditional materials; wood, glass, silver and leather. The table pictured below left is walnut with a lenticular glass eye in the centre. She astounds us yet again with the beauty in the fluidity of her forms, their organic movements heightened by natural materials.

Every piece is bespoke and highlights her unwavering vision for contemporary, almost futuristic, design. The collection includes the Lisse Chandelier, show below, a colossal and dazzling chandelier in glass and aluminium. The exhibition comprises just eight works in total, each is arresting and inspiring.

Three of the pieces were created for her Liquid Glacial collection - most recognisably the Liquid Glacial table made entirely in glass, shown below. The design sees a flat tabletop transformed through refracted light as ripples below the surface of the glass create a subtle wave effect. The overall effect is a stunning impression of water frozen in time. Zaha Hadid’s design visionary will undeniably live on in these beautiful pieces.

We also loved the two versions of the group sofa, pictured below. Both variations allow groups of three to four people to sit together in a more united and conversational pose than regular sofas. 

“[Zaha] manipulated materials, she pushed our beliefs in shape, throwing away traditional ideas of form and function and made us all catch our breath whenever we saw her work. We will miss not only Zaha’s unique voice in terms of design and manufacture but we will most importantly miss a very dear friend.”

- David Gill -

The show is on until 29th October 2016.

Marc Camille Chaimowicz at The Serpentine Gallery

The Serpentine Gallery’s 2016 exhibitions have been equally dynamic, innovative and inspiring and this season’s show by Marc Camille Chaimowicz is no exception. Chaimowicz established himself in the 1970s with his print-crazy installations and party performances. His work often blends popular culture with art historical references and includes painting, sculpture, design and immersive site-specific installations.

Marc Camille Chaimowicz: An Autumn Lexicon; Installation View, Serpentine Gallery (29 September – 20 November 2016); Photo © Hugo Glendinning

His current show ‘An Autumn Lexicon’ at the Serpentine spans his career from the 70s to the present day. It draws on ideas of memory and place while responding directly to the environment and Serpentine Gallery building. It combines wallpaper, furniture, paintings, rugs, household items and news article clippings - of course we were excited to see this connection between art and interiors. He's even designed curtains for the gallery windows and coloured the window glass with pink and green acetate, creating an immersive exhibition experience.

We couldn't help but notice the Bloomsbury aesthetic throughout the show which featured the same muted and pastel colours seen in Vanessa Bell’s work. It reminded us of our project in Ireland which was based around a Bloomsbury palette. Read more about this project here.

There are also lovely details of the building and gardens throughout the show. Chaimowicz has created backdrops with repeated patterns of the Serpentine pavilion using various block printing and painting methods. There is an art deco style to much of the furniture which reflects the original tea room which preceded the gallery in the 1930s. Among the news clippings are pages from interiors magazines showing the interior design elements of his work including his South London home which blended styles from the 30s, 50s and 70s. Interior design enabled Chaimowicz to merge his talents in painting, pattern, design and installation.

It’s a beautiful show which is both reflective of historical design and original in its own way.

The show is open until November 2nd - catch it while you can.

 

“We should resist the tyranny of linear time for one which is much more

elusive, labyrinthian, gracious and once understood, perhaps even kindly.

Once we recognise that it can fold in on itself – wherein, for example, recent

events can seem distant and more distant ones seem closer – we then have a

greater fluidity of means.” – Marc Camille Chaimowicz

Decorex 2016

Take a look at our ‘top 5’ highlights and designers from the fair ...

1/ PINCH

Since 2004 the Clapham-based husband and wife duo behind PINCH have been creating beautiful designs which have simplicity and purity at the heart of their form. They believe design can be poetic and being surrounded by beautiful things can be inspirational. It’s no surprise to hear their work has been nominated and won numerous design awards. We were excited to see their new collection, which launched at Decorex this week. The drinks cabinet and dresser particularly stood out. 

2/ Kew Home by Ivo Prints

If you’ve been keeping up to date with our latest blog posts, you’ll notice that we’ve been very inspired by botanical designs recently, particularly the displays at Kew Gardens. We were delighted to see Ivo Designs showcasing their Kew Textile range. Every design and pattern is based on original references from the library and archives at the Botanical Gardens in Kew. Each design is hand silk screen printed using traditional processes - a labour intensive process they admit! Their emphasis on craft and process ties in perfectly with Decorex’s theme this year.

3/ Lumitrix

Our next addition is an unusual choice for Decorex; Lumitrix aren't designers but instead curators of photographic works. They represent a gallery of images from over 20 photographers from around the world. What we love about their ethos is their dedication to represent young talent alongside established names. Every photograph is available in four different sizing options and varying hand-painted frames, so your print can be tailored to your interior and space. We source works of art for clients and appreciate the attention given to each carefully selected image. Lumitrix is a great company to use if you’re looking to add some character and edge to your home but find the selection process challenging. A highlight for us is their range by Astrid Harrisson who photographed wild horses at dawn in the South of France (pictured above).

4/ William Holland

William Holland specialise in copper baths and basins - their dedication has paid off as they're considered the world's leading specialist manufacturer in their trade. A free standing baths would look wonderfully elegant in a country bathroom or add some warmth and luxury to a city space. The factory is based in a 17th-century Tithe barn in the Dorset countryside and we're sure this peaceful location is embedded within their product's experience. We also loved their display of miniatures to show examples of every finish. 

5/ Susie Watson Designs

Our favourite moments at Decorex are when we discover a new designer and Susie Watson's work really caught our eye. Her passion for colour and design shines through and we love her soft blends of colour. Her pastel pinks and blues would look lovely in a country cottage, particularly for a child's bedroom if you want a soft, subtle and calming atmosphere.

Culture Trip: Barcelona

Travel remains a leading source of inspiration for Devas Designs and we are always excited to explore and discover cultural hotspots across the world. Recently one of our team visited Barcelona, a city bursting with colour and culture.

Here's a guide to our must-visit cultural sights in Barcelona:

1/ Museu Picasso

The Picasso Museum houses one of the most extensive collection’s of Picasso’s work with over 4,000 exhibited pieces. Comprising five medieval stone mansions, the museum is itself a beauty to behold with beautiful courtyards and winding staircases. Much of the collection focuses on Picasso’s formative years and the masterpieces he painted during his early teens - while not his most iconic works, they set him up as an artist of immense character and skill and it’s interesting to see his continual stylistic changes. A particular highlight was the room dedicated to his famous Blue period as well as a collection of Cubist paintings. A staggering collection in a stunning setting, one of our must-see Barcelona sights.

2/ Gaudi in Barcelona: Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and Casa Batllo

Sagrada Familia - It would be impossible not to mention Antoni Gaudi’s architectural masterpieces, his most distinctive creations are in Barcelona. The city’s shining glory is the Sagrada Familia, the giant basilica famously known for its continued construction which commenced in 1882. It’s a wild combination of Gothic and Art Nouveau forms and once inside, the stained glass windows cast a myriad of rainbow colours across the space.

 

Park Guell - Perhaps our favourite of Gaudi’s creations due to its natural outdoor elements. It sits on Carmel Hill with views across the city, and provides a beautiful interplay of natural forms and mosaic decorated structures. The main section is ticketed, but the beautiful gardens remain to free to visit, their tall trees provide calm and shade above the bustling hot city in the distance.

Casa Batllo - A smaller but no less impressive construction by Gaudi in the centre of Barcelona. It encapsulates Gaudi’s unique take on Art Nouveau design with its elaborate facade covered in broken mosaic tiles. The skeletal-like balcony details and curved patterned roof again call on organic forms and fluidity. Inside the tiled room and stained glass windows are just as beautiful and arresting as its exterior.

3/ Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA)

For those looking for a more contemporary experience, Barcelona’s Museum of Contemporary Art, aka MACBA, is the place to go. MACBA’s collection dates from mid-20th Century to the present day and is known for its hard-hitting modern displays - when we visited there was a riotous exhibition about the influence of Punk on modern art.

Inspired by Kew Gardens

Exotic flora has inspired artists and designers for centuries and It’s no secret that one of our favourite interior trends is floral patterns. In amongst our city dwellings, we are always on the lookout for natural beauty to excite and inspire us so we headed to Kew Garden’s exhibition ‘Brazil: A powerhouse of plants’.

The exhibition celebrates the exotic flora of Brazil and the artists who have been inspired by it, paying particular attention to Margaret Mee. British botanical artist Mee specialised in Brazilian plants, having spent much of life teaching art in Sao Paolo. She frequently explored the Amazon, bringing back hundreds of exotic and valuable plants with her, nine of which were previously unknown species.

"I saw this amphora-shaped plant silhouetted against the sky, on a rotting branch at the top of a large tree. Undaunted by the height and danger of falling branches, the Tushaua’s (chief’s) son volunteered to get the plant, and despite my protests, climbed up with my bushknife between his teeth….It was named as a new species, Aechmea polyantha.”

1/ Wallpapers

These beautiful wallpapers are made by Cole & Son, who often delve into their archive which dates from 1875 for inspiration. The wallpaper below left is a stunning display of rhododendron’s in full bloom. It was inspired by seventeenth century gardens of Chateau de la Bourlie in France. The wallpaper below right also draws on a French designs from the Jardin de Tivoli in Paris and feature trails of flowers with hummingbirds and butterflies.

2/ Tableware

Ceramics and tableware are the easiest ways on introducing floral designs temporarily into your home. As well as dressing a dinner table, they be displayed and used for decoration around your kitchen and dining area. These beautiful pieces below come from Anthropologie and are designed by painter Jen Garrido. She draws inspiration from the natural forms around her San Francisco home, these designs are based on wildflowers she came across when walking.

3/ Rugs

The Rug Company is our go-to for unique and unusual designs. The design below is by British fashion designer Paul Smith and was inspired by his experiences relaxing in English country gardens. Made from hand knotted Tibetan wool, this item would add a luxurious and delicate character to a sitting room.

Painterly Interiors

Following last week's blog about the inspirational work of Etel Adnan currently on display at London’s Serpentine Sackler Gallery and her painterly tapestries, we sought out some bright designers who are creating painterly furnishings and objects for the home. These items are perfect pieces to add artistic charm to your home and lovely additions to an art-lovers room! We'll often take inspiration from works of art for our interior design projects and love the idea of introducing painted ceramics, rug designs based on paintings and art-inspired furnishings.

First up … Aino-Maija Metsola is an illustrator and print designer from Finland. She works as an in-house designer for print powerhouse Marimekko, designing prints for clothing and interior textiles. Metsola also created the ‘Weather Diary’ prints for their plates, tea bowls and cups. We love this collection as it was inspired by natural elements; the Finnish weather and shoreline. Metsola drew the designs in watercolour and ink, focussing on rain, clouds and grass fields. These bowls and cups would look lovely set against crisp, white linen and fresh cut white flowers, to create an elegant and charming table.

The collection is available to buy from a number of UK stores including Heal’s.

Kelly Wearstler’s collection for The Rug Company is another beautiful collaboration. Her hand-painted designs have been crafted into a series of rugs, each handmade by skilful specialist weavers in the Kathmandu area. ‘Wake’ shown below left draws inspiration from the free and fluid movements of water, creating an elegant and subtle design which would look lovely in a contemporary setting with a subtle colour scheme. Wearstler’s ‘Graffito’ design on the right is inspired by her love of graffiti and street art. The combination of a painterly, raw brush stroke design and pale blue colouring create a beautiful balance.

Wearstler's design below, named 'Flaunt' also draws on the fluid movements of water and includes bursts of sheeny blue to enliven the rug's surface.

London based, Australian designer Amy Sia creates beautiful hand-painted designs for textiles and clothing. For Amy, accessories act as a canvas, and and each design is an artwork. Her passion for colour is evident in her bright textiles, their boldness is offset with her sensitively drawn designs - Sia's floral-like patterns particularly caught our eye. Like Metsola, Amy Sia’s designs are first drawn in watercolour and then transferred digitally onto handmade cushions, seen below.

Visit Amy Sia's website to see more.

Etel Adnan at The Serpentine Gallery

The Serpentine Gallery is exhibiting the UK’s first solo exhibition of Lebanese-American artist Etel Adnan. Entitled ‘The Weight of the World’ the show features drawings, paintings, poetry, film and tapestries. It spans the entire career of the 91 year old artist, a truly remarkable retrospective and is hung chronologically to allow us to walk through her personal artistic journey.

Etel Adnan was born in Beirut and spent time in studying in Paris at the Sorbonne and at Harvard - she now lives between Paris and California. In the 1950s she was offered a teaching post at the University of California to teach Philosophy, it was during this time that she began to paint. Adnan had already been writing poetry, and although untrained in fine art, began translating her poetic visions onto canvas as abstract works.

Adnan has always been interested in the beauty of colour and its immediacy which is what we love most about her work. Her early works were abstract and paint was applied directly from the tube. In the 70s she began creating works more suggestive of landscapes and moved to Mount Tamalpais in California which inspired her imagery and poetry.

“Adnan is one of the greatest artists of our time, and a great inspiration to many artists. For over 60 years – as a painter, poet, and the maker of exquisite tapestries – Etel’s work has been underpinned by an intense engagement with the world and with modern history.”

Alongside her painted work, the Serpentine has displayed and Arabic calligraphy and her poetry written on accordion-folded sketchbooks.   

One of our favourite aspects of her work are her tapestries, which she has been creating since the 60s. These are inspired by the colours of Persian rugs in the home she grew up in - something we are often also drawn to for inspiration.

The exhibition is on until 11th September 2016 and is a beautifully poetic and uplifting exhibition of a lesser-known female artist finally getting the attention her work deserves - a must see!

Georgia O'Keeffe

"Men put me down as the best woman painter…
…I think I’m one of the best painters."
Georgia O’Keeffe

Tate Modern’s highly anticipated Georgia O’Keeffe exhibition is now open. It comes just a few weeks after Tate Modern opened the new doors of its ‘Switch House’ development. We were amazed by the new building, designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron. It has increased the gallery space by 60% with an emphasis on live art, film works and contemporary installation art.

Tate's Georgia O’Keeffe exhibition is on until October 30th - it's one of our must-see shows this year and showcases over 100 paintings. Georgia O’Keeffe's work is synonymous with enlarged natural forms from flowers to foliage to skulls as well as the desert landscape she lived in. She is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated female artists of the twentieth-century and a major American art icon.

The work below right is the world's most expensive painting to be sold at auction by a woman painter - and is on display at Tate.

Her painted flowers have been subjected to constant sexualisation, frequently likened to forms from the female anatomy. The Tate’s exhibition aims to challenge this; they explain how the artist herself resisted these claims and how these have now become ‘gendered cliches’. Instead, visitors will be presented with the journey of a multi-faceted artist, an empowered woman painting the landscape she lived in.

In the 1920s O'Keeffe became widely recognised as one of the founding figures of American Modernism among a largely male art crowd. In 1946 she became the first woman to have a retrospective at MoMA in New York. In Tate's exhibition her passion and innovation shine through, a truly inspiring experience.

We were also interested to discover O’Keeffe’s striking home and studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is now a public museum. We are always curious to see inside the spaces where artists worked, and in Georgia O’Keeffe’s case the symbols and imagery from her work are embedded within her workspace. The same animal skulls that appear in her work, are placed on her walls. The museum has over 3,000 of her works as well as drawings, artefacts and archive material. To find out more about visiting her beautiful home and studio, visit: www.okeeffemuseum.org

Looking Back at Masterpiece 2016

Masterpiece is undoubtedly one of London's stand-out Art & Antiques fairs. There were over 150 exhibitors with items on display that span 5,000 years of art and design history at this year's fair. We are often asked for advice from first-time buyers hoping to start a collection, and on many occasions we point them in Masterpiece's direction. It isn't just the sheer quantity of exhibitors and items available, but their guaranteed quality. We also admire the enthusiasm and knowledge of the exhibitors. Another piece of advice we always give is that if you're unsure about what to buy or just unsure about what you're looking at; ask the exhibitors, their passion and expertise really is invaluable and they are always on hand to help.

Did you visit Masterpiece this year? Let us know what items caught your eye, and take a look at our favourite items as we look back at Masterpiece 2016.

Philip Mould & Co. had some exquisite paintings for sale. They focus on British art and the Old Masters, both of which are a real passion of ours. Their collection of painting by Ambrose McEvoy particularly caught our eye. McEvoy specialised in portraits and is known for his use of low tones. His most celebrated works depict society women, such as the portrait below of The Hon. Lois Sturt, painted in 1920. There is a beauty and romanticism about his colouring and texture which we loved.

Rose Uniacke’s display caught our eye with her elegant array of antique furniture and lighting. The pair of neo-classical sofas have frames decorated in stone-white and a beautiful simple blue line. We loved their simplicity and harmony, elegant items like this are often more versatile than we realise as they can look wonderful in either a classic or contemporary interior. The regency bronze hanging light has lovely details like the gilded anthemion and scrolls featured throughout.

As always Adrian Sassoon had a fabulous display of ceramics and glass. It is always useful to mark down a dealer's speciality, this will make it easier to find exactly what you are looking for and you can be assured that their expert advice will help you find the perfect piece. Among the glassware on display at Adrian Sassoon were some intriguing pieces by Tobias Møhl. Danish glassblower Møhl incorporates Venetian techniques with a Scandinavian aesthetic. His shapes are organic yet refined and incorporate refined details which are truly exquisite.

A Model House

If you have a copy of this month’s Christie’s Interiors magazine then you might have been amazed by Timothy Richards - we were! From his workshop in Bath, an old Victorian school house, Timothy creates incredibly intricate and dazzling realistic models of architectural wonders, all in miniature. Along with his team, he meticulously hand makes each item from gypsum plaster, first making styrene models then casting in silicone-rubber.

He says that one of his main inspirations is Bath, perhaps referring to the city’s wealth of Georgian architecture.

Take a look at the incredible images below to see some of Timothy’s work!

Inspired by Chelsea in Bloom!

Last week Chelsea was in full bloom! Alongside the RHS Chelsea Flower Show were the annual local displays of floral creations from Chelsea retailers who compete for a winning display.

We loved these displayed by Hackett and Links below. This year’s theme was ‘Carnival’ inspired by the Rio de Janeiro Carnival and Hackett embraced tropical flowers and colours, while Links opted to fly the British flag.

The White Company's window was our favourite, it's elephant creation was made by Larry Walshe.

Fancy a beautiful flower display without the hassle of watering? We also love these faux flowers from Oka which look remarkably realistic, they also mean you aren't guided by the season and can chose exotic displays all year round. Oka recommend starting each arrangement with three flowers, building up by three each time until your display looks full enough. For a more realistic display chose a variety of sizes and shapes; include full flowers with an abundance of petals as well as greenery and branches like the display below on the right.

We've said it before, but we stand by the simple fact that changing cushions, linen, throws and small accessories is the easiest way to quickly transform a room. If you're looking for some temporary colour and pattern we love these floral-inspired cushions from bluebellgray. We love their signature painterly style and each cushion is painted and sewn by hand in bluebellgray's Glasgow studio, making them truly unique.

Matisse: Drawing with Scissors

Today’s blog is inspired by the work of Matisse and the touring exhibition ‘Matisse: Drawing with Scissors’ which is currently on display at the London Print Studio until June 11th.

The exhibition lithographic showcases prints of Matisse’s famous cut-outs which he produced in the last years of his life. He produced these works in his eighties, using paper that had been hand-painted with gouache, cut out then laid back down in abstract or figurative patterns. Matisse said ‘the paper cut-out allows me to draw in the colour… Instead of drawing the outline and putting the colour inside it… I draw straight into the colour’.

We also loved these images of Matisse’s studio in Nice c. 1952 and have been inspired by his bright and bold colours.

The exhibition is well worth a visit and we were inspired by the colours we saw to source a few items inspired by Matisse. Take a look at our picks below to find out how you can introduce some colour into your home, subtly, for the Summer months.

We found this beautiful removable wallpaper on Etsy by Kate Zaremba Company. Designer Kate Zaremba works as an illustrator and surface designer in Washington, she’s inspired by her childhood career in film and theatre as well as her trips to art galleries. We love the sense of play and creative imagination in her designs that comes from these influences. Take a look at the wallpapers below which have been inspired by Matisse’s cut-outs. Her wallpapers are self-adhesive, so easy to apply and remove. This is great if you’re looking to add some Summer colour and brighten up a room temporarily! 

The cushion below comes from Coverture & The Garbstore, who have a lovely shop in Notting Hill. They chose not to stock big brands and instead focus on independent and unique labels. This cotton cushion with a Matisse inspired print is designer by Bobo Choses and would add instant creative colour to your sofa or bed. They’ve also designed this fun beach towel, shown bottom right, if you fancy taking something colourful on your travels this Summer!

London Art Picks

This week we bring you our selection of London's latest art exhibitions with shows from the Tate Britain, Timothy Taylor Gallery and the Lisson Gallery. We'd also love to hear about your go-to galleries, leave us a comment with your top art picks!

1/ Painting with Light

Tate Britain

11 May - 25 September 2016

Click here to visit the gallery's website

We’re lucky to have so many fabulous galleries close by … one of our favourites to pop into is the Tate Britain as we love their collection of beautiful Pre-Raphaelite paintings. This month ‘Painting with Light’ opened, it is the first major exhibition to address the connections between early photography and British art, focussing on Pre-Raphaelite, Aesthetic and British Impressionist works of art. The exhibition begins wonderfully with early photography and its impact on painters including J.M.W. Turner. We also discovered how Pre-Raphaelite painters took posed photographs of their muses to work from, see below for some examples from the exhibition.

2/ Dubuffet: late paintings

Timothy Taylor Gallery

20 May - 2 July 2016

Click here to visit the gallery's website

This week Timothy Taylor opened a Jean Dubuffet exhibition, displaying a collection of late works. Towards the end of his career Dubuffet had perfected his Art Brut style, inspiring a generation of artists. There are interesting examples in this examples including painting, sculpture and drawings from several series. One of these is the ‘Hourloupe’ series which is derived from semi-automatic doodles he made when talking on the phone. We enjoyed the sense of immediacy and the energy captured in these works.

3/ Stanley Whitney: Radical Times

Lisson Gallery

20 May – 2 July 2016

Click here to visit the gallery's website

We love the latest bold and bright exhibition from the Lisson Gallery on Bell Street. They are exhibiting a series of oil paintings and gouache on paper works from artist Stanley Whitney, at his first London exhibition. The works have all been made within the past few months as direct responses to global events, literature and music - with titles such as ‘Radical Times’ and ‘Deep Water’. Whitney loosely bases his compositions on grid forms together with abstract colour blocks and lines which have a beautiful harmony. 

René Bouët-Willaumez

Thanks to our friends at John Adams Fine Art we have been introduced to the illustration work of René Bouët-Willaumez which has beautiful skill and stylish elegance.

Count René Bouët-Willaumez worked for Vogue in several major cities at times of fashion revolution; in Paris in the 1920s, in London in the 30s and in New York during the Second World War. During these times he witnessed amazing changes in fashion and his work reflects this, acting as a record of the fashions of the time.

While fashion photography was on the rise, Bouët-Willaumez’s fluid drawings were very much still in demand. They showed the new season’s fashions with elegance and panache. 

Like what you see? Click here to visit John Adams' sales page for more sketches by René Bouët-Willaumez.

London's Best New Exhibitions

This week we wanted to bring you our pick of London's best new exhibitions ...

1/ Ivon Hitchens: Under the Greenwood

Jonathan Clark & Co

5 - 27 May 2016

Website

Ivon Hitchens has been a longtime favourite artist of ours, we are drawn by his interplay of bright and muted colours. Painter Hitchens flourished in the UK during the 1920s, working as part of the London Group alongside painters like Roger Fry.

The landscape in West Sussex where he had his home and studio served as his greatest inspiration, and he focused on the light, trees and water that surrounded him. This month Jonathan Clark & Co, the gallery which represents Hitchens’ estate, will be displaying works from the 1920s through to the early 1970s.

2/ John Finneran: A Figure Searching Day & Night

Arcade Gallery

4 May - 11 June 2016

Website

New York artist John Finnernan is exhibiting in London until June at the Arcade Gallery near Old Street. This exhibition presents a new body of work, more abstracted than his previous paintings. His typical faces and continuous bodies are absent, here he presents us instead with fragments and geometric shapes which hint at human forms. We love the way his shapes interlock, colours cross-over and together create the perfect tension.

3/ Abstracting From Nature

Connaught Brown

6 May - 3 July 2016

Website

From the devastation of post-war Europe rose a generation of artists facing a dilemma of how to represent contemporary life. In the face of conflict and disharmony they turned to the abstract and nature for inspiration, something pure and refreshing. Many artists settled in Paris and the city soon became an artistic centre for this new aesthetic of which merged the abstract and the natural. Connaught Brown are showcasing the works of these artistic pioneers including Jean Arp, Alexander, Calder, Anthony Caro, Barbra Hepworth and Henry Moore.

Time for Design

At the end of April, Phillips in London is holding an auction, ‘Time for Design’, to raise funds for the final stages of development of the new Design Museum.

The Design Museum is relocating to Holland Park in November this year. Having stood vacant for a decade, the West London building is being transformed into a 21st century museum by a team led by John Pawson - an architect known for his minimalist aesthetic.

The donations for the auction have come from design greats like the late Zaha Hadid, Thomas Heatherwick, Norman Foster and Antony Gormley. Talking about the auction, Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic explains "Friends of the museum ... have donated such outstanding pieces, often from their personal collections, to help us fulfil our ambition of creating one of London's most important new cultural sites."

There are some incredible pieces for sale like this 'D-Sofa' by Ron Arad. Born in Tel Aviv, Arad now lives and works in London, with a studio in Chalk Farm. He is known for pushing heavy materials like metals to their limits and creating objects that go against the grain - this sofa is a great example of his rejection of traditional soft furniture. 

We were obviously devastated to hear about Zaha Hadid's recent passing, her creative brilliance was a major asset to British creativity, architecture and design and she truly left a mark on the cities her creations still stand in. Philips is auctioning this collection of her 'Bianco Covelano' low tables from the 'Mercuric' collection.

We were also intrigued by this large chandelier by Tord Boontje, made from enamelled steel, clear crystal and crystal AB coating. He is widely known for his famous Garland light that was a sell-out Habitat high street piece. Tord wants to stress that modernism doesn’t always mean minimalism. His work blends traditional methods and design with contemporary technology to create sensory pieces. 

Weaving in a New Direction

Since we work with textiles, we’re always excited to see how artists push textiles to new limits and create contemporary artworks from textile traditions.

Ptolemy Mann creates colourful and painterly work. Her handwoven wall pieces are all made using hand-dyed thread, she builds chromatic bands which buzz and blend beautifully. 

Mann is passionate about colour theory which she says underpins her work - she says "Recently I've got bolder and more experimental with colour, allowing something unconsciously emotional to take place. I'm a fan of abstract expressionism. Mark Rothko is my favourite artist".

Mann says she also has a Bauhaus philosophy of product and art making; an idea of uniting creativity and manufacture which the Bauhaus movement hoped would rejuvenate design for everyday life. As well as her large scale pieces, Mann produces commercial furnishings including a range of fabrics, rugs, bed linen and cushions and we love that her work remains functional in this way.

We were also intrigued by Cecilie Bendixen's 'Draped Nimbostratus' which represents a hybrid form of design - blending textiles, sculpture and architecture. It is made from wool and polyester and designed to absorb sound so that it disappears, creating a beautifully poetic, cloud-like piece.

Watch this space - Abstract Expressionism at the RA

The Royal Academy of Art has amassed an immense collection of American works from galleries and private collections (over 100 lenders in total) which include works by artists such as Clyfford Still, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Janet Sobel to name just a few.

Abstract Expressionism is widely known as a ground-breaking moment in the formation of modern art. Artists no longer wanted to recreate scenes from life but wanted their spectators to experience paintings physically - for us to 'feel' their emotion through the medium of paint, sculpture and so on. Their often aggressive gestural marks also filled the entirety of the canvas, dispensing with the traditional ideas of composition and geometry. Artists like Jackson Pollock poured, dripped and spilt paint, pushing materials to become free and almost overtake the artist's hand. What was also revolutionary about this way of working was that by desiring physical feelings from their viewer, the Abstract Expressionists weren't creating work just for academics or theorists, but art for all.

There will be some amazing works on display - icons from the movement by the likes of Pollock and Rothko. There's also an assurance that the gender imbalance will be rectified by the inclusion of significant female painters including Janet Sobel and Lee Krasner.

The exhibition will open in September this year.

Botticelli Reimagined

For this week’s art fix we visited the V&A’s hotly anticipated ‘Botticelli Reimagined’ exhibition.

The V&A reminds us that his Botticelli’s work was largely forgotten for 300 years before audiences rediscovered it in the 19th Century. Since then he has informed the work and imagery of artists to come.

What makes this exhibition so remarkable initially, is its sheer quantity of work, from painting to fashion to film and photography to sculpture and tapestry - it’s got it all! There are some truly breathtaking works like Rosetti's La Ghirlandata, pictured below left. Rosetti even owned work by Botticelli, one of which is featured in this exhibition, a true testament of his love of the Renaissance master.

While we loved seeing the traditional works on display, one of the highlights for us was seeing the contemporary piece and how Botticelli’s Venus has been subverted in contemporary art. The photograph in the centre below uses pieces of trash and junk, remoulding it into Botticelli's iconic composition. The beauty of the images lies in Botticelli's Venus icon to survive amongst its mishmashed context - an interesting metaphor for its endurance in contemporary culture.