Big Blue Bird

Hahn/Cock, Katharina Fritsch, 2013

This morning Boris Johnson unveiled a giant 15ft blue cockerel entitled 'Hahn/Cock' by German artist Katharina Fritsch - the latest sculpture to take roost on Trafalgar square's forth plinth for the next 18 months. The forth plinth was originally intended to hold an equestrian statue of William IV but due to insufficient funds remained bare for over 150 years. In 1999 the decision was made that it would be used for the temporary display of artworks.

My colleague went down to watch the unveiling this morning, reporting Boris to have been careful to avoid the English half of the sculptures title. He concluded his speech with a dig at David Cameron saying in the future googling the sculptures name would lead to computer meltdown after the prime minister called for greater internet censorship earlier in the week. Jon Snow, broadcaster and member of the fourth plinth commissioning group, said he admired the cockerel's distinguished flurry of tail feathers which point towards the National Gallery. 

The sculpture symbolises regeneration and strength though has been criticised for it's gallic reference, placed right next to Nelson's Column. Boris was having none of it hailing the suitability of it's colour after the birth of our Royal Prince!

Last night I happened to be cycling past so took a photo of him all lit up...

Leonardo Drew

Leonardo Drew, b. 1961

Having started work at The Art Newspaper I have been very bad at taking advantage of the invitations to private views we receive. Last week I finally managed to go on a bit of a team bonding trip to the Leonardo Drew exhibition at Vigo Gallery, the second solo show of wall-based sculptures by the Brooklyn based artist. 

Drew is known for his reflective and abstract sculptural installations which incorporate natural and man-made materials such as fabricated wood, tree branches, roots, paper, raw cotton, rust, random found objects and mud. The resulting effect is exceedingly tactile while the combination of the man-made and natural creates a feeling of them working in both harmony and opposition, battling against each other while simultaneously coming together.

Some of his installations, not on show in this exhibition, are composed solely of urban debris, collected by people who live on the street for $50 per bag. Drew re-examines and re-invents the objects and materials he uses, often loading his work with multiple African American historical, cultural and social connotations. His work draws on the cyclical and transient nature of life - decay and resurrection playing a central and recurring role throughout his work.

All works illustrated above were made this year and are composed of found wood. If you like what you see and are feeling flush, prices range from around £35,000 up to £95,000. 

The exhibition runs until July 26th 2013

Preview

Marcel Storr, Untitled, 1973

Very excitingly this month I got the chance to write my first preview for The Art Newspaper's July/August issue. The 'Alternative Guide to the Universe' is on at The Hayward Gallery until August 26th - here is a link to it...

The Art Newspaper - 'The Hayward goes Wayward'

Tune in for my September preview on the RA's 'Australia' exhibition which should be a little longer. 

Frieze New York

Frieze New York returns this week for a second time, opening its doors yesterday on Randall's Island Park in Manhattan where it will remain open to the public until Monday. The Fair features over 180 of the worlds most exciting contemporary art galleries from 33 different countries. Additionally there is a 'Focus and Frame' section in which emerging galleries (galleries less than 10 years old) are exhibiting. TAN also has it's own office at the Fair where several of our London and NY team are frantically producing a daily paper, keeping visitors up to date with the goings on.

The Fair is housed in a unique bespoke structure overlooking the East River, designed by SO - IL architects. Located adjacent to the fair is The Sculpture Park where works by both established and emerging artists can be seen, one that cannot be missed standing at 80 feet high is Paul McCarthy's inflatable Balloon Dog... 

Paul McCarthy - Balloon Dog, 2013

All change

Having tried for the last 10 months to break into the world of art restoration and conservation, as time has ticked past it has become more and more apparent that it is quite literally impossible unless you can afford to do a 3 year course followed by several years of apprenticeships - plus the big and final problem of there being very little work out there at the end of all of this. Not that I want to sound like I'm giving up but my determination to beat the system began to waver over Christmas when my father and I had a stern talk.

This very blog got me thinking about arts writing after making the decision that my chosen career path  wasn't really feasible right now. So, back to the drawing board...

After a few months of job hunting I am now working at The Art Newspaper. Founded in 1990, the monthly investigative newspaper is for people serious about art, it covers everything going on within the art world on a global scale. With offices and sister publications in New York, Turin, Paris, Athens, Moscow, and as of this month Beijing. It covers everything - news, exhibitions, fairs, museums, art market, conservation, interviews with artists and collectors and more. Reporting on old, new, commercial and non-commercial - seeking to know and show where the power lies in art. 

The Art Newspaper or 'TAN' for those in the know, is a campaigning newspaper, regularly publishing breaking news that gets taken up by the daily papers. One journalist went undercover to met tomb-robbers in Italy and find out the economics of the trade in illicit antiquities, another into Nablus to discover the truth about damage caused by Israeli troops to the ancient buildings. During the first war against Saddam Hussein TAN disclosed how many of Iraq's major archeological sites were close to bombing targets and published maps. It has also lobbied Italian politics over the threat posed by climate change to Venice.

Fear not, I shall continue to blog and certainly am in the right place to do so - never will I be at a loss for new material for it!

Next time you're at St Pancras, make sure you look up...

'Cloud: Meteoros' suspended high above St Pancreas International 

A giant 15 metre cloud installation was unveiled today at St Pancras station. The work was created by husband and wife Lucy and Jorge Orta and can be seen floating in the stations iconic architectural roof space above commuters bustling through the station's Grand Terrace. 

'Cloud: Meteoros' is the first artwork in a series of 'Terrace Wires' pieces commissioned by HS1 Ltd for the space which was home to the Olympic rings last summer. A variety of metal figures dance on top of the clouds making viewers stop to try and work out what they are doing.  

Meteoros has a double meaning - 'in the midst of/lofty/hanging/suspended' while also referring to 'an atmospheric phenomenon, a cloud.' The result is a suspended meeting place, an intermediary between two worlds, reality and the imaginary, heaven and earth, lightness and gravity. 

The installation will be in place until the end of 2013 so next time you're passing through, make sure you remember to stop and look up - without missing your train!

Louvre shuts due to strike over pickpockets

The infamous Pyramide du Louvre in the main courtyard

The Louvre, one of the world's most visited museums, didn't open yesterday because of a protest by staff over pickpockets. Two hundred staff took part in a strike as they said thieves were targeting employees and tourists. The museum's management said it had already asked for more assistance from police to deal with the problem.

Pickpocketing has been an ongoing problem for sometime which has grown increasingly worse over the last year. Staff have reported many more aggressive gangs, many including children, visiting. Officials have been unable to say when the museum will re-open.

I will make sure to pack my trusty bum-bag next time I visit!