Showcase Archives

ArtsWom are on the prowl for bloggers with a passion for all things cultural to contribute reviews, previews, and event write-ups to our site.

Occasionally, we get our hands on some tickets to arty events, advance DVD copies of cultural programmes due to air on TV and other special treats courtesy of our sponsors, Sky Arts. In the past, we’ve invited fellow bloggers to the Hay Festival, the opera, and some fantastic, arena-rocking concerts and we are hoping to continue this trend.

So, if you fancy the chance to attend some great cultural events or review programmes before they’re shown on TV send an email to info@artswom.co.uk and be sure to include a link to your blog and a summary of your interests so we know what to send you. For inspiration, check out the Sky Arts website for all upcoming shows that you want to review and be sure to include your favourites in the email.

With a voice powerful and enchanting enough to soothe even the most cantankerous of rampaging barbarian hordes, Ali McGregor’s Opera Burlesque is well-worthy of an addition to the world-renowned (that is, known to some people in the world) ArtsWom showcase.

Ali McGregor experienced an award-winning, five-year spell as a principal soprano for Opera Australia, singing with some of the greatest singers and conductors in the world. Since developing ‘The Opera Burlesque’ show - which was quoted to boast: ‘More high C’s than sleaze but just enough tease to please’ - she has led a tour of some of the hottest venues in her native Australia, selling out every time.

More recently, The Opera Burlesque has made the long journey to the UK – gathering together a British cast and making an appearance at the Edingburgh Fringe Festival. They are currently continuing their UK tour, performing at the Waterford Festival on the 28/29th September. Visit the website for more details.

If you want to hear a sample of Ali McGregor’s enticingly sonorous performances, head across to her MySpace page. Of particular brilliance is her cover of Radiohead’s Creep, which was a fantastic song in the first place and is replicated with arousing flair by the voluptuous vocalist.

The use of time-lapse photography to create stunningly uninspired imagery has long left certain areas of the art world infected with a sort of plague of the mundane. Admittedly, that first sentence is an overly melancholic gross exaggeration, but is an apt introduction to the Cologne-based collective responsible for reinvigorating an increasingly tired practice.

Lichtfaktor have taken the practice of capturing a long-exposure photograph of a rapidly moving light source and taking it to new levels of creativity, resulting in some absolutely stunning pictures and an awesome and humorous commercial for Sky Movies called Star Wars vs. Star Trek. We tracked down the teams MySpace page where we found further examples of their work that resonate with a cheeky humour and boundless energy, and their blog that offers
advice and resources for fellow ‘lightwriters’. It was through this that we found the lightwriting group on YouTube which pulls together work from talented artists across the world, hoping to push the boundaries of this exciting concept.

Video of Star Wars vs. Star Trek

Attracting our attention with stunning portraits, wildly creative concepts and a playful sense of humour, Jon-e’s Flickr gallery is such a treat for the eyes we may have to poke them with a fork to redress the balance.

To simply say that Jon-e’s photos portray the efforts of a genius who has spent years perfecting his craft, ensuring each capture displays a flawless mastery of lighting and effect, would be a disservice to his imagination. Jon-e is the subject of many of his more esoteric or radical creations, allowing his personality to shine through further drawing you into his world of spiky-haired clowns, shaving woodpeckers and cheerio masks.

If you are feeling subdued this Monday, Jon-e’s more traditional portraits will lighten your post-weekend mood without shocking the system to any great extent. All elegantly posed and imbued with the same essence of character, these photos (mostly of Jon-e’s own children) prove that this artist is capable of capturing both the beautiful as well as the – no offence intended – insane.

Possibly the only band to come out of Long Bennington and Collingham ever, and quite certainly the best (ArtsWom would put its house on it!), the enchantingly-named I Was A Cub Scout are not so much making waves amongst the indie-types in the know – they’re whisking up typhoons. Signed up to Albino records, an imprint of XL, and furnished with a couple of extremely well received singles (Pink Squares and I Hate Nightclubs) behind them – things are looking extremely bright, especially with the promise that “all is coming along very nicely” in the duo’s blog about their forthcoming album.

So what do they sound like? Hard to describe entirely, but with the swirling, squelchy synth/piano riffs, up tempo drumming and laid back vocals that bely frontman Todd’s tender age – something along the lines of Postal Service, yet injected with a little jollification from The Shins, would be close to appropriate. Transcending the indie genre with a package of disco-pop, that shimmers and glimmers like the coolest floppy-haired kid who knows all the floor-filling hits – IWACS are going to be massive.

Fresh from a recent tour with fellow bright young things Dartz, IWACS have already confirmed their appearance at the intimate Carling Stage at Reading and Leeds festivals this Summer – as well as a host of other gigs across the globe. So take a look here to find out more, or MySpace them and listen to a tune or two. Stand out track – Pink Squares.

Creative website design can often be a double-edged sword. When departing from the ‘standard’ template, you run the risk of alienating casual visitors who will be confused by fancy graphics and innovative navigation. The flipside is the adoration you gain from people who browse the site and instantly fall in love with the unique experience. It can be said that such web design requires, more than anything, complete confidence in your brand and your product.

Colette opened the doors of its store to the public in March 1996, with the aim of “re-inventing the concept of retail”. Reeking of style, the store sits down 213 rue Saint-Honoré Paris with the tagline, “styleartdesignfood”. Unfortunately, the ArtsWom budget does not stretch as far as afternoon trips to France so we can not gaze longingly at the range of merchandise first-hand. The website, however, promises “a spontaneous, unique and entertaining mix of influences and inspirations from around the world”.

With a neat, clean and creative design, the Colette website is a pleasure to browse and delve into the various assets that (like the store) offer surprises whilst remaining aesthetically stunning. Oh, and did I mention the robots?

Visit the Colette site by clicking here and let us know your thoughts below.

Picture the scene. It’s been a long hot summer in a mid-western town and the ground is raisin dry, with only the saloon doors swingin’ in this one-horse-town. At the bar, shady looking gunslingers huddle up in corners while a sour-faced barman slops out shots of ‘mighty’ powerful whiskey to toothless old blacksmiths who drawl in drunken appreciation. *Bang*, the sunken eyes of every guy in the place are drawn towards the door as in strolls the new cowboy in town. His only weapon – an acoustic guitar he wields with aplomb and the kind of sawn-off, grizzly voice that could slay a wild buffalo at twenty paces.

Ladies and gentleman! Raise your six shooters in appreciation – For this is Ben Clempson.

Mixing an upbeat style of toe tapping acoustic guitar with a snakeskin boot or two full of heavy blues influence, Clempson has been peddling his own inimitable guitar-bashing style across Warwickshire and beyond for the last 9 years. Influenced by the likes of John Martyn, Richard Thompson and Bert Jansch, he nonetheless possesses an originality and laid back exuberance about his music (especially stand out track Whisky) that will see him stand out on any bill of like-minded musicians.

Currently working on his debut album, set to be released on Pillar Box Records in autumn 2007, Clempson is a name to look out for… ArtsWom highly recommend. Visit him here.

Mathias Pedersen is young and gifted… Just the kind of person ArtsWom love. Our decision to feature Pedersen as today’s showcase is in part thanks to Lazlo’s Basement, who featured an image that led use to the further delights of the artist’s portfolio.

Thirsty?, an image of a cactus man drinking from a hose is what drew us in. Artswom marvelled at the sculpture; what an imaginative concept. It was only then that we realised that the picture is computer generated, unbelievable! Have you seen those shadows…

Pedersen’s engagement in digital art began early, while his peers battled The Flood or criminalised their way around Liberty City (liking ArtsWom’s gamer reffing?) he started to hone his craft. Clearly a great choice, as he is now a 2 and 3d artist extraordinaire whereas, for example, ArtsWom can compete averagely at pro-evolution 6.

At 17 Pedersen is beginning to expand his horizons - which frankly could be as significant and far reaching as he likes – being commissioned to design logo’s, web pages and interfaces. The work on his site is exceptional, using the virtual chisels of Photoshop, Photo Paint and Blender amongst other tools. ArtsWom highly recommends taking a look at his work… Dispute about favourite images is currently swinging between Silent Killer and Altruism – and we really like Poor Pluto.

As an aside it is also MathiasPedersen.com’s 1^st birthday and on that Artswom sends its congratulations!

Occupying our blogroll for some time now has been the website Senses of Cinema, and, to be honest ArtsWom love this site, so we thought we’d make it our showcase.

Senses of Cinema has the tagline, ‘an online journal devoted to the serious and eclectic discussion of cinema,’ and that perfectly encompasses what the site is and does. This, however, a showcase article it does not make… so where to begin… err… the beginning?

It all began for the Australian-based journal in 1999 and, eight years on, Senses of Cinema is stronger than ever. The sites ability to appeal to its niche audience of the cinephile is the key. It is neither exclusive nor superior about the fact; there is interesting reading for the casual cinephile or the thirty-films-a-week super-cinephile. Be warned though, if the world does not feel like a better place when the lights go down and the titles run, Senses of Cinema might not be your Saturday night at the movies. This however, is why it does what it does so well.

A simple and pure mission statement goes some way to explain how many-a-time, ArtsWom has let afternoons slip by reading the thoughts of film scholars/enthusiasts on a particular cinematic subject or singular silver screen treat. Take as an example the essay on Sergio Leone by Daniel Edwards or this month’s feature piece by David C. Ryan, Dreams of Postmodernism and Thoughts of Mortality: A Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Retrospective of Blade Runner. The Blade Runner article is a deeply detailed and enlightened piece of work, and is a great thought-provoker for anyone about to revisit Ridley Scott’s dark and richly textured interrogation of what it is to be human.

New feature pieces arise quarterly with each issue and there is a vast archive of past articles. Other great sources of film knowledge on Senses of Cinema include the extensive top ten lists and database of great directors. The later offers superbly written biographical information, punctuated with comprehensive understanding on correlations between the life perspective of auteur’s and the themes of their work.

ArtsWom uses the site on a regular basis, searching for more knowledge prior to the viewing of any film. Enter almost any title (found nothing on Ken Russell’s Lair of the White Worm; I feel a contribution coming on) you like in the search facility and get back analysis and study of the kind you just can’t get easily anywhere else other than university libraries.

Senses of Cinema is a site that absolutely needs to be in the favourite’s list of web savvy film fans the world over. Their chosen name gives proof that they do not merely watch cinema, but feel it…

Fresh from Czeching out (sorry – couldn’t resist that) Eastern Europe on a frenzied June mini-tour of Prague, today’s showcase band are a cluster of sultry indie-rockers (since 2002) who go by the name of Sundown – all the way from bonny Newcastle. Offering well-polished songs burnished with a northern-sized portion of grit, determination and emotion, gravelly-voiced frontman Stephen Brown sings in a folk-infused story-telling style that evokes a compelling oxymoronic mix of upbeat melancholy. Meanwhile, the lush music accompaniment provided by Tim, Spencer and Darren creates a subtle, foot-tapping urgency, ensuring that the tenderness of the tunes are never lost to that oh-so-familiar trap of a lagging tempo.

Formed in 2002, and no doubt bringing a wealth of life-experience with them, stand out track (on their MySpace at least) ‘Now That I’m Gone’ is a grand example of all that is delicious about this band. With a chorus as catchy as cholera – Brown candidly mourns the loss of a loved one as he tastes a bittersweet night without them, propping up American bars until the sun comes up. It’s a testament to human loss, spirit and resolve – and for fans of Bob Dylan, Ben Kweller, Evan Dando or any other tender indie/folk musician, I really cannot recommend Sundown highly enough. And with a new album due out in late 2007, it may be time for Sundown to come up.

You have no idea how difficult it was to not to use an unbelievably lame rhyme/pun in the title of this showcase. Fortunately, it was avoided, which is great news because George Pringle requires nothing but the letters of her name in the right order.

Pringle is the kind of artist that you dream of stumbling upon, catching the end of a set in the back room of a pub that has seen better days but still has a resonance of something great. It is the ether of significance existing in certain venues that draws potentially great artists. You stand drinking overpriced and usually warm lager, week in week out, seeing the next blur/joy division/the cure/sex pistols but not seeing the next blur/joy division/the cure/sex pistols. Merely imitations of such luminaries, potentially revolutionary but, ultimately, disappointing.

Pringle’s hook is that - potentially - she could conquer the world. It doesn’t matter, however, whether she does or does not conquer anything because to those who have heard and/or seen her there is a realisation that potential can exist exclusive to talent. Pringle is the real thing, something of a side-step away from the standard and vast chasms beyond the average. Already described by The Guardian as “shoegaze-pop, poetry and electronica” she is courting meaningless, empty descriptions as sound-bytes from the right areas. She does, however, deserve more. Her music is poetry, full of lyrics that gush with desirability and then jar exquisitely with a sound akin to the gentle drop of razorblades in sinks.

George Pringle is our friend (sadly) on MySpace only. Hailing from Oxford, she is in the ArtsWom locale so the hive of artistic affection that is we shall undoubtedly be travelling in her direction. George Pringle has a sound that people will play at important moments of their lives. It will accompany the elation of first kisses, the power of sexual encounters, the depression of lonely evenings and the meaningless significance of suicides; people will live and die to it. Why? Simple: The work of George Pringle is memorable and important.

It is time to change our showcase, it has been a while and that is because we’ve been waiting for the right artist. Let it be known that no-one is more right than Brickwall148!

We are actually featuring his YouTube channel, however Brickwall148 isn’t a filmmaker; he’s a painter. He points the nozzle of his spray-paints purchased at Wal-mart and fires through self cut stencils onto card, resulting in dramatically striking work. Using YouTube to showcase his art is a masterstroke, as time-lapse clips allow viewers to see the formation of his pieces in a couple of minutes.

According to his profile, Brickwall148 is a 17 year-old named Peter who has never taken an art class. Other elements is his profile give him an enigmatic edge, such as his singing at Carnegie hall and St. Peter’s Basilica, the fact he refers to his painting as a ‘secret hobby’ and his final piece of advice to, ‘always wear a mask when you paint because it is better to be smart and creative than dumb and creative.’

Creative is certainly what Brickwall148 is, he is also smart… His YouTube Channel has 900 subscribers, over 18,000 views. Logical step, place one of his paintings on Ebay and let them all know, which is precisely what he has done.

ArtsWom is quite keen on a small piece called Dining, we fancy it for the en-suite. You see, not only are BrickWall148’s creations aesthetically interesting, they are also surrounded by an ungraspable demeanour that makes them devilishly desirable.

With a touring schedule akin to the working ethic of a packhorse - but far from pedestrian in his output - singer-songwriter Sam Isaac is an inspiration to all those music-loving kids who sit in their bedrooms idly strumming chords and dreaming of getting signed – not to mention the provider of melodic explosions of picture-perfect pop! Forever happy to take to the road and play at house-parties, BBQ’s, festivals and whatever else takes his fancy (multi-storey car park, perhaps), Sam is another in a line of upbeat acoustic British artists (Get Cape, Frank Turner, Seth Lakeman) undeniably on his way to the stratosphere.

With an alluring throaty voice, soaring above energetic splashes of song, new single (and 10” split with the similarly hard-working Luke Leighfield) Sticker Star and Tape is a cracking introduction to Isaac’s work. With a sound hovering somewhere between The Spinto Band and Ed Harcourt, the single is released on Sam Duckworth’s (of Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly) label Mannequin republic and - if you like what you hear - you could even invest in his mini-album too and hold bragging rights over all your hippest friends by boasting that you were there at the beginning.

So what next for this acoustic troubadour as sultry spring melts into a sweltering summer? Well, quite a lot it seems as he’s just been booked to play Glastonbury. Oh, and Wireless. And Truck. And Latitude. Not to mention 2000 Trees, Marshmellow, and Kendal Rising. Busy summer Sam?

An eclectic mixture of subjects decorate Clive Sax’s Flickr gallery that is beautifully characterized by a spirituous vibrancy and playful eye. Browsing through the pages of his many photographs is effortless, with your eyes constantly drawn to an unexpected new composition. Animals, nature, statues, architecture, life portraits and (the jewel in the crown) enchanting images of him and his friends just having fun, result in an enjoyable insight into the imagination of a truly talented individual.

Granted, that is not actually the name of the focus of this showcase. Rather, today we are casting our critical eyes over Sculpture.org.uk – the site of the Cass Sculpture Foundation, known across the world as the home of 21st Century British sculpture.

The design of the website is very simple, using a plain, white background and a striking, colour-coded navigation scheme. Browsing the website is a lesson in usability, meaning it is easier to find what you are looking for and no trouble at all to access the host of great photographs displaying some of the gems of British sculpture.

The news page (that can be subscribed to via RSS) keeps you regularly updated with announcements from the sculpture community. Organising their entries by thumbnail images is an attractive and sensible way to display content for such a site. This method makes flicking through the archive to find something that catches your eye far less of a chore than is usually the case.

The ArtsWom team often experience great moments of guilt when we realise we’ve been neglecting one aspect of the arts of the other. Hopefully, this will prove a worthy sacrifice to the sculpture gods!

As an aside, we did actually perform a search for Simply Sculpture to find out if there were any websites by that name. We found Charlene Bregier, an American figurative sculptor who works in bronze and clay. We would be remiss if we did not take the opportunity to point you thuswards…

Photography - The portrait; get the subject, point the camera and click. Done… Not actually the case, apparently, it takes a little more knowledge and skill than this. We don’t know who decided this (to be honest we already knew there was a little more to it… see ArtsWom’s tiny and truly terrible Out and About Flickr collection), but they have definitely been in contact with Jonathan Fredin; he has talent.

This is not an amazing discovery. Fredin is a professional who has been working for 12 years and his achievements (awards and publications) are outlined on his site, Jonathan Fredin – Photojournalist.

ArtsWom, however, were drawn to his set of portraits featured on Flickr. Each picture holds vibrancy and vividness that emanates from the moment, the result of such assuredness is that more than appears in the photograph is captured. The expressions give a sensory element for the viewer of the instance that Fredin has immortalised.

For more of his work view the gallery on his official site or the other photo’s posted on his Flickr site.