Turner and the Elements at Margate's Turner Contemporary space

JMW Turner, The New Moon or I've lost My Boat, You shan't have Your Hoop, exhibited 1840, Oil on mahogany
Courtesy of Tate Image © Tate, London 2010

As Oscar Wilde would say: "There was no fog in London, before Turner".  This funny quote encapsulates the importance of Turner's mark on history of art. Turner’s innovative painting technique and the influence of scientific and technological developments during his lifetime were to revolutionise landscape painting.

In Turner and the Elements, the first major show of the painter’s work at Turner Contemporary, exhibition space situated on Margate's seafront, is explored the important role that the depiction of the elements played in the master's landscape watercolours and paintings.

The exhibition brings together 88 works many from the Tate collection. Works on display include Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth exhibited 1842 and The New Moon; or ‘I’ve lost My Boat, You shan’t have Your Hoop’ exhibited 1840. Turner’s frequent visits to Margate and the Kent coast are vividly portrayed, with particular works chosen especially for the exhibition.

Curated by Inés Richter-Musso and Ortrud Westheider, the exhibition is the only opportunity to see this selection of works by Turner together in the UK. Don't miss it !

Rothko & The Abstractionists: First major canvas by Rothko at a London auction in a decade

Mark Rothko (1903-1970), Untitled, signed and dated 'MARK ROTHKO 1955' (on the reverse), oil on canvas, 69¼ x 61¾in. (175.8 x 157cm.). Painted in 1955. Christie's Images Ltd 2012.

This is very exciting. Christie's London announced that "Untitled", the painting executed in 1955 is the first major canvas by Mark Rothko to be presented in a London auction in a decade. Realised at the height of the artist’s celebrated classic period, it forms part of a series of abstract works exhibited and owned by a number of major international museums. Rendered in a palette of brilliant red vermillion, burnt ochre and white, "Untitled" comprises two rectangular forms floating within the canvas. Faced with this large-scale and vivid piece, ‘abstract sublime’ and ‘spiritual awe’ are amongst the terms used to describe this work which inevitably provokes a wealth of emotions for the transcended viewer said the official press release.

Let's wait for the actual auction and who buys it...

Quote of the week: Kate Moss on Lucian Freud

"He taught me discipline, which I hadn't been taught properly before. If I was, like, two seconds, late, he would kick off. Once I was three minutes late and he went absolutely berserk. I was crying and I was pregnant and I went 'I'm pregnant!' and he went 'Oh, I'm so sorry', and I was forgiven. But he was so strict. But he made a massive impression on me." Kate Moss to the Times.

Givenchy Haute Couture Spring 2012

Beautiful as always...

Karl for Net-à-Porter

"Karl"

Large printed canvas tote

Net-à-Porter collection - launched today.

Francesco Vezzoli - Prada - AMO: 24h museum

Yesterday night, in the middle of the Haute-Couture Paris Fashion Week, artist Francesco Vezzoli, Prada and AMO/OMA, Rem Koolhaas's think tank took over Palais d'Iena to launch a temporary museum called the 24h Museum with Kate Moss DJ-ing all night. How cooler can you get?

“Think of it as a parody of a retrospective” explained Vezzoli to Peter Aspden at the Financial Times in a recent interview. Prada and Vezzoli have been friends for a long-time and collaborated on several occasions. Vezzoli photographed Miuccia for the April 2009 cover of i-D and Prada has exhibited Vezzoli’s pieces at her Fondazione Prada located in Milan. The glorious fashion designer, who will have a proper retrospective show at New York's MET next May believes that "art has become too serious" so basically asked Vezzoli to entertain us a little. How can we not feel a sense of irony?

With the new “24 h Museum“, Francesco Vezzoli is continuing his exploration of reciprocal influences in the visual arts, cinema and theatre that he has already investigated in the performance in which Veruschka did petit-point embroidery at the Venice Biennale in 2001, the Democrazy video in which Sharon Stone and Bernard-Henri Lévy represented themselves as characters of a fictitious political campaign for an hypothetical presidential election (Venice Biennale, 2007), and in Lady Gaga / Damien Hirst / Frank Gerhy's performance at the MOCA in Los Angeles in 2009 when she played a live tribute to Diaghilev among many other art/PR-coup stunts.

Classical-style statues with faces of celebrities with whom Vezzoli has worked with, such as Courtney Love and Cate Blanchett were what you could see in a room full of hipsters and celebrities. “I am personally tired of pursuing and courting them, and I have exhausted my fascination with that universe.” Vezzoli added when speaking with Peter Aspden... When I told you, irony prevailed in this show...

Still, it's a must-see but hurry-up...

Exclusive interview with Spanish artist Nicolás Santos

Nicolás Santos is a young Spanish artist who developed an imagery thanks to collages. He smartly mixes fashion, 30's American-cinema-glamour and boy-related influences, creating beautiful visuals that can disorient viewers. I had the chance to interview with him on his influences and his upcoming Madrid exhibition at La Fresh Gallery.

Enjoy !

How would you describe yourself and how would you describe your art? 
I'm curious and my art is fulfilling.

Currently, do you have an exhibition and where does it take place?
No I don't, but I will have one before summer in Madrid, at La Fresh Gallery, with the work I'm currently working on.

Where do you take your inspiration from?
Mostly from 20th-century subcultures.

Are you represented by a gallery?
By La Fresh Gallery in Madrid.

Who are your favourite "models"? Who would you like to work with?
My favourite model is the one I created matching my own objectives.  I'd rather keep my wishes for me, wishes are all we have left with. 

Do you have any preferred artworks you've made?
The ones to come.

If you were not an artist, what would you be doing?
I would be studying. Not pretty sure what for, but who does?

What is your next project about?
About fashion and desire.

Do you consider that Art is Alive?
Well I would say it's pretty much dead, but we all have to try and keep it alive.

How have you developed your technique?
Through perseverance and determination.

What do you think about this blog and what would you wish it?
Spreading the word is necessary, keep up the good work.

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