ARTIST WATCH: TOBIAS BUCKEL

 

The German artist Tobias Buckel (*1978), currently based in London and Nürnberg, is one of most interesting emerging painters that I have met in London. His relatively small, yet strong paintings are complex and thoughtful; and his use of forms and colour seems self-confident but also curious to me. Fascinating constructions meet an open heart - never disgusting, but always a bit disturbing - I could look at these paintings for hours! For more information on Tobias' work look at his website www.tobias-buckel.de or visit his upcoming group show "Wanderlust" in London, which is supported by DAAD and runs from the 1st to the 6th of October. Additionally you can also see his work at the "Jerwood Drawing Prize" exhibition in London, which runs until the 30th of October.

       

ON RICHARD HAMILTON

JUST WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES TODAY’S HOMES SO DIFFERENT, SO APPEALING? 1956

  

SWINGEING LONDON 67, 1967-68

The British artist Richard Hamilton, who died last week aged 89, was destined to go down in the annals of art history as the “father of Pop Art.” It was an epithet that he wore lightly, once claiming in an interview that: “I don't think I'm particularly proud of it but I am willing to accept that I do feel some responsibility” for this revolutionary aesthetic shift towards the popular, transient, expendable, mass produced, young, witty, sexy, gimmicky, glamorous and big business.

His most famous image - Just What Is It that Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing? - was produced in 1956, as post-war Britain entered a boom era of mass production and consumption on a scale previously unseen. It is a dense and urgent homage to consumerism, sex, modern aspirations and classic glamour, which does not so much blend high and low, new and old cultural forms, as pile them on top of one-another, slap-dash, to effect a jarring, iconoclastic disintegration of cultural hierarchies. Hamilton, like his long-time friend and mentor Duchamp, was concerned with asking the big questions about art (sometimes seriously, reflexively; at other times sardonically, with an irreverent wink). What is it? Where is it? Who is the artist? Who decides? All are questions that continue to inform and motivate art production and criticism today.

LONDON: BYAM SHAW MA FINE ART DEGREE SHOW

13 international and diverse artists, producing paintings, drawings, photos, sculptures, videos and (sound-) installations, curated one of the best degree shows that I have seen so far in London. Professional and actually quite serious, these artists show lots of large scaled, elaborate and partly fascinating pieces. A click on the name of the artists should lead you to their websites.

LONDON: CHELSEA MA FINE ART DEGREE SHOW PART II

Jonathan Morgan

Tobias Buckel

Bernard Cella,  curated by Michele Drascek (MA Curating)

Anita Delaney

Rasmus Nilausen

Hyungwook Lee

Thomas Griffiths

Over 70 MA Fine Art graduates from Chelsea College of Art and Design are currently showing their degree show-pieces. Additionally, and just as interesting, the graduates from Ma Curating, Ma Graphic Design, Ma Interior Design and Ma Textile Design exhibit their final works. Clicking on the artist's name underneath each picture or video should lead you directly to their websites (in case they have one). You can still see the show until this Thursday evening. It can be quite confusing to run through the building trying to see everything, so I'd advice you to get a hold of a map and - absolutely worth it - a catalogue (5-10 GBP). If you should be interested, you'll find pictures from the opening in the previous artfridge post.

LONDON: CHELSEA MA FINE ART DEGREE SHOW OPENING

all photos by Lars Bjerre

These are some random photos from the private view at Chelsea's Ma Degree show last Friday. Details will follow in a second part. For now, this much is clear: Visit the exhibition if you have the time! It shows lots of high quality work from emerging international artists - and by the way a remarkable number of paintings, drawings and videos.

CHELSEA COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN / MA DEGREE SHOW

from the 2nd to the 8th of September

Chelsea College of Art and Design, UAL 

16 John Islip Street (right next to Tate Britain)
SW1P 4JU, London

Open from:  Monday – Friday: 10am – 7pm