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art star press: news from london's underground and beyond
+kirsten telfer beith

Rehang at Tate Modern

Although everyone’s talking about the rehang at Tate Modern, the press has given the new arrangement mixed reviews. Some are beside themselves with praise, while others are feeling all hot and bothered. Whatever the case, this move was on the cards. Tate Modern’s previous set up had sat stoic in the gallery since 2000 and, unsurprisingly, had become stale. However, back when Tate Modern first opened, the museum set a new precedent in hanging polices. Binning standard tactics of presenting artworks historically, they went for a more innovative approach, displaying works by way of theme.

In 2005, thanks to a three-year partnership with UBS Bank, Tate Modern was granted the opportunity to get busy with a little re-jigging. A year or so in the making and the a waited rehang has been unveiled. Although this hanging stays true to the original ‘themed’ arrangement, it is an altogether fresh presentation from Tate Modern. An astonishing 40% of the works are new, while 20% of the pieces are recent acquisitions from frankly remarkable talents; Guerilla Girls, Christian Marclay, and John Baldessari to name but a few. Meanwhile, the whole shebang centers around 'UBS Openings: Tate Modern Collection' and essentially focuses on the four famed groups of ‘isms’ from the twentieth century; cubism, futurism, vorticism; surrealism, surrealist ‘tendencies’; abstract expressionism, European informal art and minimalism.

Regardless of press reports, this rehang can't fail to succeed. In this single stunning sci-fi space, visitors can view major works from Sol Le Witt, Rachel Whitbread and Andy Warhol. They’ll be able to get up close and personal with pieces from Pablo Picasso, Anish Kapoor, Henri Matisse and Umberto Boccioni. And if that ain’t enough, well, Tate Modern has an incredible amount of work in storage and with their ability to win over wealthy would-be sponsors, another rehang is always an option.

There’s more action happening on the Tate front this month with the Turner Prize. This week four shortlisters were announced with a line up comprising of abstract artist Tomma Abts, sculptor Rebecca Warren, filmmaker Phil Collins and funky sign maker Mark Titchner. It’s a superb mix of talents; diverse, fresh and original. This October, the group will be exhibiting at Tate Britain. It’ll certainly be a worthy show and a smooth run up to the £25,000 prize, announced in December.

Now the Turner Prize, which was inaugurated in 1984, is said to be the UK’s most publicized. It’s also one of the more, shall we say, traditional awards. The annual Beck Futures Prize, however, is the Turner’s cooler cousin. Having hit its fifteenth year in 2006, this month v ideo artist, Matt Stokes won the award, bagging the £20,000 ($40,000 apx) prize for his seven-minute film, ‘Long After Tonight.” The video, which documents a 1960s northern soul evening, was an overall winner, swaying the public vote as well as those on the panel, which included such luminaries as Jake and Dinos Chapman, Cornelia Parker and Yinka Shonibare.


kippenberger

Dieter Roth and martin Kippenberger at Hauser & Wirth, London

But enough of these awards and on to the fabulous private views which took place this May. It’s impossible to mention them all, although, it would be amiss to ignore the all-round star. The Dieter Roth and Martin Kippenberger exhibition marked a spanking new gallery for Hauser & Wirth at the Coppermill in Shoreditch. This is a phenomenal space. It’s big, it’s bashy, it’s a stiff little finger to those average, whitewashed, run of the mill cohorts. But then again, gallerist Ivan Wirth is no average art dealer. This is a man that opened his first gallery at 16. A man who’s ranked as one of the most powerful in the art world. A man, who, barely into middle age, owns four galleries worldwide.

The East End Coppermill is Wirth’s second gallery in London, so understandably, its opening was an event in itself. Nonetheless, when Hauser & Wirth opened its East End space, the seeming chaotic yet clearly calculated show housed indoors was the main attraction. Industrial, urban, well-considered and crazed, this is an exhibition that reaches parts other galleries could only hope for. On the evening of its launch, an overwhelming vibe of production, of commotion, of what it means to be an artist, was shoved bang out there into the throngs filling the jam-packed gallery. All this is no big surprise, especially given that the gallery's initial space was filled by work from Dieter Roth, with installations, assemblages, drawings, paintings, collages and who knows what else. These had been set up almost as one piece. At least that’s how it felt to me. Maybe it was the crowd, pulling the whole thing together, or the fact that there was such an unbelievable amount of work on show. Yet, having seen Roth a couple of years back at PS1 in New York, I know for a fact that, while his work may be frenzied, it can be exhibited in a clean-cut way. Nonetheless, Hauser & Wirth has embraced Roth’s pandemonium, making things feel all cool, crude and industrialized in an altogether organic way.

Martin Kippenberger currently takes up the second space of Hauser & Wirth. Now, don't be too disappointed but his notorious over the top antics are absent. His sense of the absurd, ability to shock and offend are nowhere to be seen. Not that this is a problem. After all, Kippenberger, like Roth, passed away several years ago, so any shock tactics have been seen before. Despite his quirky persona, the work on show – several canvases – large, small and in-between – his fabulous life size ‘Martin go stand in the corner, shame on you’ and a central installation, ‘Now I’m going to the big birch wood, my pills will soon start doing me good', appear rather calming beside Roth’s creations. It’s ironic, to say the least.

Erica Eyres and Mark Moore Presents at Rokeby, London

Back in the West End things are alive and kicking. A year ago, Rokeby opened up on Store Street in WC1 and having gathered together a tight stable of outstanding artists, including Royal College graduates Michael Samuels and Claire Pestaille, the gallery joined forces with California’s Mark Moore. It's a significant collaboration. Mark Moore is well-established with a heavy set of artists in tow and counts the likes of Alistair Mackie, Simon Willems, Allison Schulnik and Chris Tallon as his own. These are all hot-hot-hot talents. Willems has been tipped as one of the Top 100 Emerging Artists while his associates are easily as impressive.

Needless to say, the hook-up with the Californian gallerist means that there’s a double whammy show on at Rokeby. Mark Moore’s crew are currently shacked up downstairs as newcomer Erica Eyres fills the area upstairs. It all sounds a bit of a mash-up, but the exhibition works well. Eyres, a Canadian born, Glasgow-based artist with a sharp, dry wit, offers a duo of video installations alongside a whole hoard of small, neatly framed, black and white ballpoint pieces, representing some fairly cartoonish females. Yet, it’s on film that Eyres really shines. The darkly hilarious ‘Destiny Green’, a fab little snippet influenced by such cautionary true-life tales as Jocelyn ‘Cat Woman’ Brown and Jonbenet Ramsey, is a sure-fire standout with a message is as clear as its storyline; child beauty queen Destiny Green disappears and returns having had her face surgically removed. Hey ho. There’s never a dull moment in make believe beauty-ville. At least there isn’t where Eyres is concerned.

Back to Mark Moore’s crew showing at Rokeby, and these guys are something else with each, different to the last. Alistair Mackie is quite the organicwhiz kid sculptor. His ‘Egg Head’ is a gob-smacking piece. It’s precise and perfect and just how he managed to make a tiny doll’s head out of eggshells, is anyone’s guess. Allison Schlulnik’s canvases are the opposite in style. This woman works wonders with paint so thick, you’re left marveling at exactly how she managed to keep any control over its arrangement. Then there’s Ryan Taber, who is as accurate as can be, creating intricate gothic drawings, which are both mesmerizing and seductive.

Pete Doherty’s Blood Works

Of course, London wouldn’t be London without the ubiquitous Pete Doherty doing a little something – or at least attempting to. This month some shocking photographs appeared in tabloids and broadsheets showing Doherty either injecting or removing a syringe from the arm of a seemingly unconscious girl. Apparently the Doherty needed her blood for a painting; which is a novel and gory approach to say the least. In the days that followed the appearance of the pictures, rumors of a Doherty exhibition surfaced. Although it’s highly unlikely the show will ever take place, for those who really want to get their hands on one of these ‘blood paintings’, try online where they’re said to be selling at $2000 (£1000) a pop.

Kirsten is a true supporter of the arts and we appreciate her passion and knowledge. She has good taste in spirits as well. To keep up to date with Kirsten, visit www.artstarpress.blogspot.com and get an even closer look at the london scene.