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On Sunday Pauline one of my dearest friend, was in London for few days so we decided to check few shows at major galleries Tate Britain and Tate Modern.

I really don’t like to visit museums during the weekend as they are often too busy and I can’t really enjoy the show. However I must admit that it’s very pleasant to check exhibitions with friends and somehow you can forget to being in a crowded space!

So first stop was ‘Schwitters in Britain’, the first major exhibition to examine the late work of Kurt Schwitters, one of the major artists of European Modernism. By visiting the show I felt that my knowledge of art has been refreshed, it was amazing to stand before so many paintings and sculpture and have the opportunity to re-think about the whole concept of Merz – ‘the combination, for artistic purposes of all conceivable materials’, invented by Schwitters. I was amazed by the huge influence he had over artists such as Richard Hamilton, Eduardo Paolozzi and all the links I could make between his work and various contemporary artists I am working with.

The show also includes an exploration of Schwitters’s lasting legacy through commissions by artists Adam Chodzko and Laure Prouvost made in collaboration with Grizedale Arts. I loved very much these two new commissions and spent a great deal of time watching Prouvost’s video.

Second stop was Tate Modern, last weekend the Hyperlink festival was taking place in The Tanks and Turbine Hall. I had a look around and all the galleries were extremely busy, there were many different activities and children were running everywhere. Perhaps in the Turbine Hall families were making paper boats. I wish I had more time to join the events. For who is not familiar with Hyperlink, this is the first of eight festivals around the country happening as part of Circuit. Hyperlink has been curated by Tate Collective London, a group of young creatives aged 15–25 years, who produce dynamic programme for young audiences across Tate Modern and Tate Britain.

After a nice coffee we went upstairs to see ‘Lichtenstein: A Retrospective’, this well curated retrospective is Co-organised by The Art Institute of Chicago and Tate Modern and brings together 125 of his most definitive paintings and sculptures. This is a great opportunity to see and analyse Roy Lichtenstein’s work.

These are my favourite pieces.

I totally recommend to see these shows, they are both very accessible.

V

Artists, Things I like, Things to see

Yesterday was a warm beautiful day in a (usually) grey London. I was stuck in the office all day so I could not enjoy the lovely sunshine. While being jealous of few people whom were passing by eating ice creams (a way too big ice-creams to be fair!) I realised that Edwin Burdis was performing later that day so I felt extremely happy, I knwe it was going to be a great fun.

So my friend artist Sarah Tew and I went to the performance and found an unusual setting, if you are familiar with Burdis’work you will know that usually the space in which he performs is quite minimal, however this time he painted few very big wood panels full of details and recreate almost a theatre scenography.

Edwin Burdis – The Fruit Machine – an opera and a painting, Corbridge Projects, consisted of over an hour of storytelling, Edwin was hiding behind the wood panels while speaking / making noises / singing to the audience.

I felt it was a great way to watch and feel a painting. Another element that frequently appears on his work is fig. I love the way figs are pictured as remind me of a penis, a vagina and a buttock, all at the same time. No I am not obsessed with sex, but this is a huge part of the artist’s work and it is often addressed in a sarcastic non vulgar way.

Here can you see what I mean?

Thank you Edwin for another great performance.

V

Artists, Performance, Things I like, Things to see

Yesterday artist David Paredes and I, went to the opening of ‘The Rococo Riots’, a solo show by our friend John Walter.

The opening was fun, good vibes for a good evening out. I always enjoy Vitrine‘s exhibitions especially the friendly attendees and the nice atmosphere. Alys Williams, the director is very welcoming, this is unfortunately a rare things nowadays in the Arts.

I was on my own looking at a painting when a photographer approached me, so we started to discuss about the painting before our eyes and ended up to speak about his war reportages. That is what I love about openings and art events.

John’s work is captivating and at times outrageous. I admire the way his paintings stand up proudly in front of the public. ‘The Rococo Riots’ is an exhibition of new paintings encapsulating the ornate, bold and iconoclastic vision of his maximalist aesthetic.

Here is my favourite piece.

I totally recommend to see this show!

V

Artists, Things I like, Things to see

Last Saturday I went to the opening of Poems, a solo show by artist Samara Scott at the Almanac.

First of all I was delighted to attend an opening on a Saturday evening, I don’t like it when during the week you are in a rush to go somewhere after work, so many openings and things to see. So Saturday I was in a really good mood after a full day of studio visits and that definitely helped me to enjoy the show.

I really like Samara’s work and I think she is one of these young artists to watch! Her work is fun and refreshing, she is so ‘90s and the way she dresses reflects her artistic practice. A combustion of cultural stimulus and socio-fashion references. I find her installations very contemporary. Her work however is not that easy to understand, it is rather tricky, you stand in front of some recycled materials, all assembled together, the result looks fun and colorful and you think you got it… you couldn’t be more wrong. What I understand from her work, is that she is willing to draw the curtain aside on her own memories and to comment on different scenarios of every day life, where massification and consumptions merciless rule our lives.

Go and see Pomes so you could also check this new non for profit space, then let us know what you think. I enjoyed both.

V

Things I like, Things to see

I finally went to check Pae White’s show at South London Gallery. This is the best show I see this week and probably it is my pick of this month’s shows.

I felt engaged with the space and really excited to be there. What fascinated me more about the installation was the amount of work needed to built it up. I spoke with the invigilator, who told me that it took two weeks to set the exhibition up. You can watch here Behind the scenes installing Pae White\'s work at the South London Gallery

For me it was also quite nostalgic as it made me think of my cousin and my childhood. He used to put nails in piece of wood and then criss-crossing coloured yarn span to make drawings, I thought he was a genius! He never let me play with him!

Please go, you would love it!

Things I like, Things to see

David is watching you…

Yesterday I went to see David Bowie is. I arrived just after 7pm and found a fairly long line of exciting visitors waiting to get inside the door. After nearly one hour and half I finally got inside the exhibition, yeah!

The V&A was running a special Friends and Family night where everyone who works for the museums was allowed to get a in free of charge with up to three friends. The museum was open from 6pm till 10pm. (What a great initiative) So since I volunteer for The Museum of Childhood, I did not miss this chance!

The new show requires a headset to be worn as part of the exhibition, by using this you will hear various explanations about the show and its displays. This feature will reduce background noise. However this audio system is not always running smoothly..for example I was listening to an interview when I decided to move slightly on the left, then the audio decided that I should have listened to a song instead! Despite of these little problems I thought that the headset was a witty tool, I hope it will be improved and used for more exhibitions in the future.

Hello little David!

If you are a fan of Bowie you can’t miss this show and even if you are not one of his fans you should go anyway!

From vinyls to handwritten notes, movies extracts, costumes and clothes! I spent there nearly two hours and I wished I could have stayed for longer. Everyone just seemed so happy to be there and good vibes all around!

This is one of my favourite movies and the very first one I remember watching.. thanks mum.

I had a great time and I definitely recommend to visit the exhibition, a really well curated and full of content blockbuster show. I don’t want to spoil it for you so I won’t say too much!

Go go go go!

More info about the show

V

Things I like, Things to see

Below are some images of Takafumi Suzuki’s Walk the Path of Light. You can see this work at La Scatola until the 11th February.

Things to see

La Scatola Gallery is currently host to an exhibition of work by Japanese artist and creator Takafumi Suzuki. This is Suzuki’s first solo exhibition in the UK and includes four new works alongside previously exhibited pieces.

Suzuki’s work, which incorporates sculptural clothing, light and painted fabric, aims to address the link between the natural and the artificial, and how this manifests itself in today’s culture.

The exhibition runs until 11th February and is open Monday – Saturday.

Artists, sculpture, Things to see

From the whole team at La Scatola, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

We will be reopening on the 8th of January at the usual hours of 11am – 6pm. Our current exhibition Preposterous runs until the 18th January, so you still have time to see it if you missed out in 2012.

We will be welcoming in the New Year with a stand at the London Art Fair – you can find us at P18, Gallery Hall, in the Business Design Centre from 16 – 20th January. Book your tickets here.

Our Artists, Our Openings, Things to see

Dressing up for an interview, is it really so important?

Nowadays wherever you go you can find dress code; people do not feel the need to dress conventionally anymore no matter whether they are in a place of work, an interview and formal occasion.

Not that long ago it was impossible to conceive that someone would go to work wearing a pair of jean and a t-shirt. Now plenty of offices adopt the attitude where wearing a suit is almost unfashionable. Think about design studios, advertising and PR agencies, these are often lead by young people and the atmosphere is relaxed with a friendly dress code.

I believe that when you have a job you can certainly relax and why not go to work in your favorite pair of jeans! Of course this does not mean that you can wear inappropriate clothes because after all you are still at work, dealing with colleagues and often with the public.

The problem arises when you don’t have a job! In that case, please keep your t-shirt and denim in your wardrobe and pull out your smartest outfit for your job interview.

When you are going for an interview, you don’t really know whom you will meet and what they wear at work, you don’t know how it feels to work there and what is appropriated or totally out of order. So why do you want to take a risk?

It always happens that whenever we are interviewing candidates at La Scatola Gallery we see boys and girls wearing all sorts of things. It happens quite often that some of them arrive wearing very informal clothes. By informal I mean training shoes, jumpers with holes and far too many accessories such as bracelets, pins, and hats.

Now let’s get this clear; I love accessories, I am a trained fashion designer after all, and I believe it is fundamental to have a personality. However when we are going to a job interview we need to understand that we are not going out with our friends in our leisure time and there is nothing wrong if our hypothetical future employee does not share our vision and taste in fashion. He/she does not need to be our friend but they do need to feel that they can be comfortable working with us and believe in our professional capabilities.

With time we might perhaps discover to have a lot in common with our boss and opt for a more casual dress code, adjusting ourselves to the existing work environment.

At an interview there is no need to try and make a statement through your dress sense, instead show your capabilities through confidence and brightness and not through your clothes.

Show to your future employer that you are a professional and conscientious individual and you want to look smart and make a good impression. They will respect you for taking the time to look presentable and showing care for that interview.

Looking smart and will help you to feel good about yourself, making you appear more confident. You will kill the interview and get that job!

Often I hear people say, ok but what is smart, what should I wear?
Here I have written down some practical examples of things that I would wear and that I like to see when I interview possible applicants.

I hope this will make it easy for some of you to feel less nervous and get more focus on how to show your skills rather then your taste in fashion. If you happen to follow my tips please let me know how it goes!

Good luck.

Girls:

Colour palette: black, blue, brown and grey are classical tints, they are considered quite formal, so you can never go wrong with them. However you can certainly wear strong colors, but try to avoid to mix too many of them at the same time, for example if you want to wear an orange jumper perhaps chose a blue skirt to go with. Strong contrasts are always welcome and they are on season.

A black simple dress is always a must in a girl’s wardrobe
Trouser and a shirt, this can be casual, try to avoid too many patters or see through tops.
You can wear a denim trouser but match them with a smart shirt and a jacket. Avoid too many accessorizes.

Shoes: wear heels if you feel like it, but not too high. It will be easier to move around in an office that you still don’t know very well!
Mens’shoes will look smart under a skirt as well as trousers. Over the last few years they are massively on trend so I am sure that all of you have at least a pair.

Avoid trainers unless of course they are related to your future job.

Boys:

Same rule of colors applies for boys too.

Yes you can wear jeans with a nice plain jumper (preferably darker colors) and why not a shirt underneath.

If you can wear a pair of formal trousers that would be even better. Why not buy a simple cheap pair to use anytime you have an interview? You can find good quality ones for an affordable price from places such as Marks and Spencer’s and Topman. I believe it is worthy to invest some little money for them especially if you have just graduated and looking for your first serious job. Hopefully you will go for many interviews and before you know it you will recuperate your investment!

Once you have a pair of smart trouser than you can wear a jumper/shirt/gilet/jacket on top, according to your mood and the formality of the work environment. So one pair of trouser can accommodate many situations and looks!

I know it is difficult for many of you, especially in this cold climate, but please, please avoid hats! Let’s us see your beautiful clean scalp!

Tips