Building the Revolution, Royal Academy of Arts

‘Building the Revolution’ is a small but thoughtful exhibition showing in the upper Sackler Wing at the Royal Academy. I visited after a long look round the Hockney so, I'm afraid, my mind kept wandering back to the bright landscapes on show below.

The show focuses on Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-1935, very much activities that ran in parallel in the turmoil of the Russian Revolution. Pre-revolution the basics of colour and geometry were stripped right back with cool, minimal results. The Russian Revolution in 1917 brought the Bolsheviks to power leading to a period of intense innovation in visual arts and architecture. A radical visual language was established to represent the new world of Soviet Socialism. Artists and architects worked in a burst of creativity, abandoning traditional ways to address the modern world.

This exhibition explores the relationship and interplay between art and architecture, qualities are presented through both forms… the cubist-influenced art is structural and exact and the architecture shows similar qualities, together they present a vivid picture of the idealistic culture of the time.

At times the exhibition is a little too much like a history lesson, though there are some beautiful photos of geometric architecture and lovely artworks by leading Russian avant-garde artists El Lissitzky and Liubov Popova. They save the best till last, the final room shows small cubist works by Russian artist Ivan Kudryashev. The palette used is gorgeous with angular shapes and subtle shading, understated but beautiful work from this little known artist.

David Hockney: A Bigger Picture, Royal Academy

Allow plenty of time when you go to the David Hockney, the hottest exhibition to open in London this month. The Royal Academy dedicates its main space to this illustrious artist, in a major retrospective show that includes over 150 works. Some pieces date back as far as 1956, but most have been created in the last eight years, in a staggering flurry of activity.

With Lucian Freud gone, Hockney is being dubbed as Britain’s best painter - this exhibition seems set to secure the crown. We are taken on a journey through Hockney’s vast output visiting numerous fascinating landscapes from different stages of the artist's life. The exhibition’s sole focus is landscapes… Hockney’s favourite subject receives obsessive and excessive treatment, in particular the lands of East Yorkshire where he has been stationed for the past few years. Many of the huge paintings are made from several adjoined canvases, their sheer scale makes them very impressive and much of the colour is so bright you feel a glow standing beneath them. The colours, the vibrancy, the sense of perspective and line all illustrate the passion behind Hockney’s talent, he often seems overwhelmed by the natural beauty before him, and he certainly presents a glorious picture of our land. ‘Woldgate Woods’ and ‘Winter Timber’ stick in my mind: huge bright canvases, rich and atmospheric, bold and memorable.

The most widely anticipated part of this show perhaps is the suite of iPad drawings, a new technology Hockney seems captivating by. The Arrival of Spring features 51 curious iPad drawings of the same country road at different points of the year. The immediacy and speed with which he can draw on this electronic tablet makes it the perfect medium for capturing ever-changing nature. It is an intriguing marriage: instantaneous modern technology and timeless rustic subject matter. It is a breathtaking room of images: as the drawings are printed on paper their original medium is not immediately obvious; Hockney makes the finger stokes very painterly. They are joyful and lively, full of innocent vision. I would have loved to see the process of creation, an amazing function on the iPad enables one to watch how a picture is drawn.

Towards the end of the exhibition a film is playing, a very different medium for Hockney, but even here his energy and love of colour is evident. The film is a collage of moving images; it is lovely and happy, all the audience were smiling watching dancers in bright costumes with familiar upbeat piano music. I had to drag myself away from staying for a second sitting. David Hockney was born with synaesthesia, a neurological condition where you see colours to musical stimuli. With my interest in music and art this particularly fascinates me, effects that can be noticed in this film, but are perhaps not as obvious in his paintings.

I left feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by this epic exhibition, and yet have no doubt that it was Hockney’s vivid canvases that lifted my mood for the rest of the day, it is the perfect remedy to fight off the January blues.

Exhibition continues until 9 April 2012, book here.

London Art Fair, Business Design Centre, Islington

The London Art Fair preview evening is always an interesting night of familiar faces, the odd celeb and lots of art dealers and critics. As the UK's biggest art fair for Modern British and Contemporary Art this annual exhibition has quite a reputation to uphold, and this year it is confident and colourful as ever. I have worked at the fair several times in the past, but for the 2012 opening night I was invited as a guest.

As usual it is located in Islington’s vast Business Design Centre on Upper Street, the smart building with its simple layout is perfect for displaying art. The list of galleries exhibiting is endless and it is almost impossible to see it all. We got a bit lost while on the hunt for champagne, the trail of empty glasses led us round the wrong way.

There is the usual handful of big names on show, Hockney (very topical), Riley, Lowry, Aitchinson to name a few, but there are also unknown gems cropping up every few stands. Of course my dad Chris Kenny's work, beautiful and immaculate boxes, shines out, a selection of new work specially saved for the art fair. I loved wandering round overhearing the fascinating conversations of art critics and art lovers, the well-heeled visitors to the art fair are certainly a bold and bright bunch to admire.

Finishes today Sunday 22nd January at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Tickets £11 in advance, £16 on the door. More information and book here.

John Martin: Apocalypse, Tate Britain

The good news? I got there just in time, on the very last day of the John Martin exhibition, the bad news? So did the rest of London. I was hit, on entering, by a musty sweaty smell, which I guess is expected with a whole roomful of eccentric visitors, all grappling to see the final hours of the Apocalypse show. John Martin’s work is apparently very popular, though I have never come across it before. This is a giant exhibition of his spectacularly vast paintings depicting biblical catastrophes and grand landscapes.

John Martin certainly had a particular vision, and I could see how his work has inspired film especially science fiction. Many of the paintings in the show look similar to stills from blockbuster films, hugely dramatic scenes of natural disaster and terror. The mezzotint prints are more subtle and intriguing, delicate illustrations made by Martin illustrating his impression of Milton’s Paradise Lost. These works show technical prowess as well as an instinctive poetic power.

One thing is very obvious walking round this Tate show- John Martin’s work is characteristically Romantic, meeting all the criteria and acting as an example for what this period was all about. Seeing the subject matter, fiery palette and dramatic flourishes, I could easily relate these paintings to composers' work of the time: Wagner's and Berlioz's and, later, Mahler’s large scale symphonies and choral works… exaggerated, grand and an over-the-top expression of passion and feeling.

I personally found this exhibition rather repetitive. Although many of the exaggerated epic canvases are impressive, few offer anything more, it is a dark and moody show with a lack of subtlety.

The bad news for you is, you’ve missed the show, the good news? You haven’t missed much.

Fly to Baku, Phillips de Pury

The Phillips de Pury auction house are currently hosting an exhibition on the art of Azerbaijan, showing from 17 to 29 of January 2012.

The exhibition, entitled 'Fly to Baku: Contemporary Art from Azerbaijan' showcases 21 artists including Altai Sadiqzadeh, Faig Ahmed, Fakhriyya Mammadova, Orkhan Huseynov, Rashas Babayev, Aga Ousseinov and Melik Aghamalov. Herve Makaeloff is the curator of the exhibition.

The event is a manifestation of Simon de Pury's wish to exhibit an artistic scene which he considers 'vibrant' and the work of artists whom he considers 'original'.

It is a beautiful and unique exhibition of contemporary art from a country that deserves more recognition.

More information below.

http://artwednesday.com/2012/01/18/fly-to-baku-x-phillips-de-pury/

The First Actresses: Nell Gwyn to Sarah Siddons

A Late Shift tour of the First Actresses exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery was the perfect way to spend an evening with a friend. As the wind blew with menace outside, we stepped into the luxurious gallery. Music was playing, a small bar open for visitors and an expert curator was on hand ready to give us a guided talk and put the collection in context.

The First Actresses is a glorious spectacle of beauty, fashion, theatre and femininity, a depiction of the famous actresses who commanded attention in 17th and 18th century Britain. Artists such as Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough were captivated by these notorious and glamorous performers, recording their beauty, dramatic expression and coquettishness through stunning portraiture. Each painting offers clues about the actress shown, the artist and the society that surrounded these divas. Often these paintings would elevate and enhance the actresses' reputations and increase their impressive fortunes, perhaps this was the beginning of the celebrity culture that we are now so familiar with.

The group wandered round wide eyed amazed by the clever grouping of exquisite paintings. We heard tales of the 18th century ladies of the stage, and their mischievous behaviour. Learning of the infamous Nell Gwyn, the first independent woman to really make her mark in the theatre. Gwyn used portraiture to her advantage, manipulating the artist and viewer with clever innuendo and charm. The first two pictures in the exhibition show her in suggestive poses, revealing her décolletage in an enticing manner, her facial expression demure and subtle. It is clear to see how and why she may have benefitted from these paintings, soon enough she became the King’s mistress.

This exhibition is wonderfully varied, so much so that I began to forget they were all portraits and instead felt utterly involved in their decadent lives. Every piece feels special, I loved examining the detailed woodcuts, and catching my breath at the epic full length portraits of the attractive Sarah Siddons. Not only are the paintings beautiful but they are entertaining and interesting, a history lesson into the lively theatrical scene in London that has shaped how women work on stage today.

Visit the National Portrait Gallery website here.

Anselm Kiefer: Il Mistero delle Cattedrali, White Cube Bermondsey

The new White Cube gallery on Bermondsey Street is a vast and impressive structure... very big and very white. This space is the third and largest White Cube site in London, following the success of the Mason’s Yard and Hoxton Square branches. The building dates from the 1970s and was primarily used as a warehouse before the current refurbishment. It was designed by Casper Mueller Kneer Architects and includes three substantial exhibition spaces, a bookshop and private viewing rooms.

Following a delicious meal at Pizarro I dropped into White Cube Bermondsey to take a peek. I have spoken before about my adoration of the area - great restaurants, cafes, gift shops, and now a great art gallery too, it has it all. The gallery is currently showing the work of internationally renowned German artist, Anselm Kiefer, in the largest presentation his work ever mounted in London.

The spacious, clinical rooms display art in a cool and minimalist fashion, accentuating the work's power without letting it drown in light. Kiefer is showing relentless, giant sculptures that felt austere and cold to me. There is an obvious lack of colour, which is made more apparent in this blank setting. His structures are massive, made from ravaged and salvaged materials, old books, buckets and bicycles; the tall white walls make the collection even more surreal. I was interested in the conundrum of strength versus weakness, a comparison of elements that is illustrated in many of the sculptures, unsteady constructions made in strong materials like lead and stone.

The title of the exhibition, Il Mistero delle Cattedrali (The Mystery of the Cathedrals) is taken from an esoteric publication by Fulcanelli. The name reflects Kiefer’s interest in illusions, mystical and material, he shows magic as he understands it.

Though I loved the gallery space, Kiefer’s work wasn’t quite to my taste. I enjoy art that tells a story, but this work felt one-dimensional in this respect. The sheer scale of the gallery building gives it enormous potential and I am immensely looking forward to its future contributions to London’s art scene.

Exhibition continues until 26 February, visit website here.

Paul Noble: Welcome to Nobson, Gagosian Gallery, King's Cross

The Gagosian Gallery is an epic franchise with branches all over the world. In London the gallery is based at 6-24 Britannia Street, just round the corner from King’s Cross Station on a strangely deserted street. I was delighted to be finally visiting this prestigious and trendy establishment. The space is clean and stark… a stern faced doorman lets you in, and then other security men stand guard at almost every picture, it is a little bit silly but certainly gives the gallery a very exclusive feel.

The current exhibition is called ‘Welcome to Nobson’, a collection of works by East London artist Paul Noble. The works illustrate Noble’s fictional world, Nobson, an odd and fascinating illusion conjured up in immaculate fairy tale detail in Noble’s most recent drawings and sculpture. The entrance is through a dangling curtain of black and white blocks, as you walk in the forms bash together, it is a very physical start. The vast graphite drawings are minutely detailed, delicate and decorative, carefully executed and apparently miraculously avoiding any smudges. Some show elaborate narratives, little stories woven through the lines and markings; you could examine each work for hours and still spot new things.

I loved the huge expansive drawing pinned onto the central wall, it demonstrates mind-boggling craftsmanship on a monumental scale, intricate and beautiful. Heaven (2009) and Hell (2009) were also favourites of mine – two adjacent drawings depicting fenced off areas - bizarrely heaven is a closed trapped space with sturdy brick walls, while hell has ornate pretty fencing with easy access to come and go.

I couldn’t decide if I liked the sculptures or not - Couple (2011) and Three (2011) are made from pale pink marble towering above the visitors on tall blocks; they are mysterious, ultra smooth surfaced and other worldly. To me they looked a bit like giant dollops of marshmallow on top of each other, though I’m not sure this was what the artist intended!

An absolutely stunning exhibition and entry to the Gagosian Gallery is free!

Visit website here.

Pipilotti Rist and George Condo, Hayward Gallery

The Hayward Gallery doesn't conform, and this winter presents a programme of weird and wacky artists on their grey brutalist walls: George Condo and Pipilotti Rist running in tandem in the Southbank venue.

You enter the Pipilotti first... a collection of works under the title 'Eyeball Massage'. It is a sensory playpen, ethereal video installations and unconventional constructions to experience. Pipilotti invites the viewer to freely engage and immerse him or herself in her otherworldly creations - I found some of these pieces to be very disorientating. The exhibition brings together thirty works from the mid 1980s to the present day, including a vast new installation created especially for the Hayward. Pipilotti is interested in both magnified and micro worlds, and my favourite works were the miniature ones, tiny video screens arranged in handbags or shells, or even in the floor - they are captivating.

George Condo presents an equally eccentric collection of works; his retrospective is appropriately titled, ‘Mental States’. Condo hails from New York and is considered to be one of the most original and provocative painters of his generation. This exhibition includes work from the last three decades and is split into thematic sections: Portraiture, Abstract-Figuration and Mania and Melancholy.

It is an angry collection, Condo seems to have a lot of deep rooted, seething frustration and angst that he lets loose through his creations. I found the portraiture to be quite disconcerting, a strange mix of humour and disgust, a few of the cartoon like characters even made me laugh out loud. Some images reminded me of the crazy Dr Seuss books I read as a child, exaggerated bizarre characters that really stick in your mind, in particular I will retain ‘Red Antipodular Portrait’ and ‘The Butler’.

My favourite pieces were the Picasso inspired linear abstract paintings. Expansive canvases with confused but beautiful mind maps of shape, colour and figurative hints like the fascinating Fallen Butler of 2009. They are works created in the 1980s when Condo became preoccupied with depicting non-representational forms tightly packed and overlapped, the artist called them ‘drawing paintings’ because although they are on canvas they are drawn in charcoal, pastel and acrylic paint, rather than the more traditional oil paint.

Mania and Melancholy features the most grotesque of the lot, yet very intriguing to observe. Aggressive and upsetting paintings that ‘reflect the madness of everyday life’, apparently! The exaggerated features and frenzy evoked in these paintings is not dissimilar to traits found in Outsider Art.

I left the Hayward Gallery feeling dazed and bewildered by the two very different artists minds I had entered. Both are intensely imaginative individuals and I felt privileged to be welcomed into their worlds.

Pipilotti Rist and George Condo continue until 8 January, 2011.

Postmodernism: Style and Subversion, V&A

Postmodernism is among the most controversial of 20th Century art movements, many would argue that we are still experiencing it, mixing up the rules to say something new. This provocative movement kicked off in the 1980s with architecture acting as a rebuttal to the rigid Modernist movement and its conventions. Whereas in Modernism 'less is more', in Postmodernism 'less is a bore'. This much misunderstood 'style' is illustrated and explored in the current expansive exhibition at the V&A.

I studied Postmodernism for my History of Art A-level syllabus, but walking round the V&A I felt like I was learning it all for the first time, it is a tricky concept to grasp. It is hard to sum up this phenomenon in an exhibition with clarity, and some of this show feels muddled.

First we are introduced to sculptures, photographs and experiments that demonstrate postmodernist tendencies. Works such as Hans Hollein's facade from Strada Novissima, the Presence of the Past. Household appliances and furniture are futuristic and kitsch, bright colours, stylised and bold - image is everything. These I found a little tacky and uninteresting.

The latter half of the exhibition appealed to me more - the New Wave: vivid colour, theatricality and exaggeration... all my favourite things! These features are illustrated predominantly through magazines and music. American performance artist, Laurie Anderson's elusive tracks use voice encoder fragments to create disorientating music. Punky magazines like i-d, bomb and fetish all stand out with fun bright colours and thrilling cutting edge graphics. Andy Warhol's signature silkscreen prints, and in particular the 'Dollar Sign' show the preoccupation with money and the extravagant 'designer decade'.

Postmodernism is fabulous in fashion - the androgynous look became popular - artists like Annie Lennox rebelled against convention by wearing straight masculine suits on stage. And in 1982 when Lagerfeld took over Chanel, the classic and prim black suits underwent a 'postmodernisation' with colours like acid yellow being introduced and radical new tailoring.

The show ends with New Order's music video "Why can't we be ourselves like we were yesterday?" Postmodernism is an ever changing set of ideals, and seeing this exhibition I could certainly feel the attraction and allure. But will Postmodernism always remain current and cool? Is it scary to imagine what could possibly come after this explosive movement? Only time will tell.

Ps. The shop has some rather wacky and nice stocking fillers.

Postmodernism: Style and Subversion continues until Sunday 15 January 2012, visit website here.

Woojung Chun, 'Library', England & Co Gallery

Library is a collection of thoughts, dreams and memories... every piece delicately devised to evoke a miniature world, displayed in custom made wooden armoires.

Woojung Chun is an exceedingly talented young Korean artist currently living and working in the UK. Meeting her at the private view of her first exhibition at England &Co, she seemed sincere and modest, and genuinely engrossed by the world she had created.

The usually bright white gallery space has been transformed to exhibit her otherworldly pieces and the experience is mesmerising. Thick black curtains drape the walls; it is hard to see so viewers must visit each piece closely to identify what it is all about, and to examine the excruciating detail of Chun's artwork.

My favourite piece is the beautiful yet creepy moving hands video which immediately reminded me of the living paintings and newspaper images in Harry Potter. This is the first time Chun’s video piece has been installed, and I was so seduced I wanted to take it home with me. A projector shines light down onto circles of black paper stuck at angles on pins, the same pair of hands is seen in each circle slowing moving and flexing, it is an enchanting idea, with seemingly complex logistics but Chun pulls it off brilliantly.

Chun has previously exhibited in both the Venice and Cairo Biennales and some of these works originated in these events prior to this show, however it is the collection as a whole, a magical Library of secrets and discoveries, that works so well and makes such an impression on the viewer.

Exhibition continues until 23 November, visit website here.

Gerhard Richter Panorama Retrospective, Tate Modern

After walking round Tate Modern's new Gerhard Richter 'Panorama' exhibition, it became apparent to me that this is an artist that has many preoccupations, in thirteen rooms almost as many styles and genres are touched on. Richter has become known for this diversity of approaches: the photography influenced works - personal or political, scraped abstracts, still lifes, monochrome cityscapes and my personal favourites - the colour charts. Here we are shown five decades of work; I was constantly looking for connections between the pictures however many of the subjects seem only tenuously related, proof of Richter’s active mind and imagination.

For my A-level art exam, I painted a pixelated self portrait split into hundreds of squares…I remember exploring the work of Richter then, examining the technique and theories behind his immaculate, perfectionist colour charts. It was amazing to see these oversized works in the flesh, they are far more exciting than I expected. My A-level painting was not abstract, however close up it could have been, as the structure of the face became lost and the pattern of the grid more obvious.

I was interested to find out more about Richter’s squeegee (an onomatopoeically named tool with a flat, smooth rubber blade) pictures - these paintings are made from many layers of paint, the artist passing a squeegee over the surface, pulling the paint vertically and horizontally. They are epic abstract paintings, raw, colourful and very expressive. The paint seems to bubble up from the canvas, vast sunsets of thick impasto with contrasting hues peeking through; they are impressive to say the least.

The most memorable works were perhaps the elusive cloud paintings, which are quiet and calm, and felt very alive to me despite being almost monochrome. They have a photographic realism, completely different to the aggressive abstractions, or those later works that examine the violent terrorist activity of the Red Army Faction.

If you are trekking to Tate Modern, I would recommend not going at the weekend as you will have to contend with lots of manic culture vultures, but this varied retrospective is definitely worth a visit, it gives a comprehensive overview of Richter’s life and displays many of his most impressive works.

Continues until 8 January at Tate Modern, visit website and book tickets here.

'Alphabet Soup': Isabel Greenberg Prints and Illustrations, The Haberdashery Cafe

A trip all the way up to North London is only endured for very special events, one such occurred last week, the opening of a little exhibition of Isabel Greenberg’s prints and illustrations. The work is on display in the endearingly cute Haberdashery Cafe in leafy Crouch End, incidentally shortlisted as one of London’s best coffee shops. Decorated with pretty bunting, vintage teacups and old school sweeties scattered about, it is the perfect setting for Issy’s characterful work.

At the opening, enthusiastic fans gathered in the cosy cafe to enjoy the collection of recent work while munching on crisps and sipping wine. The show is appropriately named ‘Alphabet Soup’ after one of the pieces that depicts various foods and drinks for each of the twenty-six letters, including J for jelly, K for ketchup and Z for zucchini! Intricately drawn, it is witty and intriguing like many of Issy’s creations. Also on show, are the brilliantly clever comics: cute stories and amusing anecdotes that I could ponder over for hours.

Issy’s work is ridiculously affordable, for the moment; once the wider world find out about it, it will surely go up in price - so definitely worth buying some now. I was most tempted by the fold-out prints designed for giving your shelves or bookcases a brand new look. Humorous, clever and beautifully drawn, they are imaginative and unique and would make the perfect gift.

This is a lovely cafe with some really lovely, lovely art. Go and see it at: The Haberdashery, 22 Middle Lane, Crouch End.

Charles Matton, 'Enclosures', All Visual Arts

Hidden away in once grotty King’s Cross is the All Visual Arts building, a pristine space that exhibits innovative and aesthetically intriguing collections. A wonderfully unique show has just opened here with free entry to the public: the first major retrospective of French artist, Charles Matton in an exhibition entitled ‘Enclosures’.

Matton spent the years from 1985 until his death in 2008 creating the most enchanting miniature rooms in boxes, replicas of real interiors and revisiting memories from his life as well as a few fabricated from his imagination. All thirty eight enclosures are painstakingly authentic, and created by Matton and his assistant to exactly 1:7 scale. Tiny mirrors, elaborate book shelves, hectic and messy art studios - each box is perfected to evoke a vivid and significant place. They are quite enchanting, and unlike anything I have ever seen before; they are, as Grace Glueck from the New York Times, puts it ‘a voyeur’s delight’.

Some of the boxes use double-sided mirrors, a wonderful invention that seems to create real magic within the boxes. We are unable to see our reflection when looking into the artwork but the tiny rooms surrounding are reflected -immaculately, creating a seemingly impossible illusion. I found the artist studios most awe inspiring. Matton uses such unbelievable detail to recreate the studios of famous artists such as Francis Bacon and Alberto Giacometti; torn newspapers litter the floor, paint pots lie discarded and miniature works of art sit half-made.

I have never heard of Charles Matton before, and was delighted to be introduced to his exquisite and poetic world in this lovely retrospective exhibition.

Continues until 7th October, visit the website for more information here.

Wool Week

Milly the Sheep

So we all know that 'fashion week's are coming up in many major cities, but who knew that this week is Wool Week in the UK? Well it is, and there are events and activities happening across the capital embracing all things woolly. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales initiated the Campaign for Wool, to make us more aware of the huge challenges facing the wool industry. It seems Wool Week has come not a moment too soon, considering the arctic September weather we are currently experiencing.

The highlight of the week is an exhibition titled WOOL MODERN launching at La Galleria in London – a celebration of wool in the 21^st century. The show exhibits innovative wool-related pieces from iconic designers including furniture, art and photography, and taking a peek at the history of wool. There is also the chance to register to compete for an exclusive designer woolly handbag, thanks to Harvey Nichols.

My favourite thing about this event though is the woolly mascot that has been designed by MillaMia in honour of the week, Milly the Sheep! Complete with instructions, MillaMia hopes to introduce people to the world of wool with this fun and quick knit. Each furry animal can be customised with its own coloured scarf and is made from soft merino wool from John Lewis, or other yarn shops across the UK. Read the instructions to make your own Milly the Sheep here.

More information on Wool Week here.

Museum of Broken Relationships, Covent Garden

Museum of Broken Relationships can be perceived by every viewer differently, perhaps you will participate and donate an item, or you may prefer to just be a voyeur, listening to other people’s memories and stories. I found it touching and intriguing and strangely ethereal.

The exhibition is located in two tiny Covent Garden venues, beginning at the Tristan Bates Theatre on Tower Street. Amongst beautiful delicate paper cut-outs, lie discarded objects, each given to indicate a lost love, a remembered relationship, from people all over the world. Alongside the piece is a brief description, explanation or thought.

It is described by the creators as “a traveling exhibition revolving around the concept of failed relationships and their ruins. Unlike ‘destructive’ self-help instructions for recovery from failed loves, the Museum offers a chance to overcome an emotional collapse through creation: by contributing to the Museum's collection.” Conceived in Croatia by Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić, the Museum has toured internationally, amassing an amazing collection.

Museum of Broken Relationships is an insightful exhibition that is truly unique and unlike anything I have ever seen before. Heartbreaking and memorable this show will make you laugh and cry, just like all good love stories.

A £3.50 ticket is valid for repeat visits within the week of purchase. Ends on September 4th 2011, visit the website here.

The Vorticists, Tate Britain

Vorticism is pretty much the English equivalent of Futurism, a twentieth century Italian avant-garde art movement that celebrated modernity and progress. The similarities were immediately apparent to me when I entered Tate Britain’s summer exhibition ‘The Vorticists: Manifesto for a Modern World’, and despite the Vorticists claiming to be a reaction against this preceding group.

This exhibition shows a collection of the main works that emerged from their brief four year existence in London fro 1914 to 18. The name was coined by radical American poet Ezra Pound, with the literary journal ‘Blast’ setting out to proclaim Vorticism’s ideas and opinions. The group was made up of various artists over the four years, led by painter and writer Percy Wyndham Lewis. Other members included: Jacob Epstein, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Alvin Langdon Coburn.

The work is bold and brave, much of it has obvious similarities with the Cubist works of Braque and Picasso. The use of colour is sensational: bright rich tones juxtaposed to create striking statements. The influence of the machinery and brutality of modern urban life is particularly evident in the recreation of Epstein’s sculpture, ‘The Rock Drill’ – a pale figure holds a dominating big black machine gun type tool. It is impressive and domineering, a dismal premonition of the war. On a smaller scale this modernity and terror can be seen in the monochrome Vorticist woodcuts. These tiny works are angular and geometric, movement is created through furious zigzagged lines and sharp shapes.

My favourite room focussed on 'BLAST' the Vorticist magazine. Despite the publication collapsing after the second issue it caused quite a stir, and gives us a real insight into this movement. The cover is bright red, with the title ‘BLAST’ printed in daring black capital letters across the front. It is striking and exciting, just as the name suggests. The first issue focussed very much of topical concerns like feminism and the suffrage movement, however the second edition seemed less revolutionary.

There was only one proper Vorticist exhibition at the time, which took place at the Dore Galleries in London in 1915. Some of the work shown then was included in the Tate exhibition. The show concludes with examples of Vorticist photography hung in an area painted bright cobalt blue. These ‘Vortography’ experiments consist of ghostly fragmented images with mysterious abstract and futurist connotations.

It is clear that these artists were desperate to be different. Once you forget about the ‘Vorticism’ label, and the fact that this is just another ‘ism’ from another group of proud artists, this show is definitely worth a visit, even if just for the sake of a little bit of patriotism.

The Vorticists continues until 4 September 2011, book here.

Tracey Emin: Love Is What You Want, Hayward Gallery

Tracey Emin is the UK's most notorious art rebel. Strangely, after seeing her epic retrospective at Southbank's Hayward Gallery, I was reminded of Lady Gaga, another deeply injured girl who uses her impressive creative outlet to sooth herself and relieve her anger. Both are needy and desperate for appreciation from others, both are aggressively and eccentrically talented.

The exhibition shows a wide range of Emin work from the bold, colourful tapestries to small figurative sketches; from strange films of herself to her most personal often bizarre possessions, artifacts and memories. Entitled ‘Love Is What You Want’, this collection hopes to illustrate the different aspects of Emin’s life, it is an expansive exhibition, that gives a complete biography of this troubled artist.

There is the usual helping of crude creativity on show. Many will remember the dirty dishevelled ‘My Bed’ that Emin submitted for the 1999 Turner Prize show, gaining substantial media interest. Here we are subjected to Emin’s used tampons, and a video explaining, in detail, the physical and emotional turmoil of her abortion. Harrowing for the viewer too, filled with suffering and tragedy, but eventually I felt myself becoming annoyed and bored by these disgusting exhibits, there is less and less meaning to them.

The films are even more self-indulgent, video depictions of Emin’s fantasies. ‘Love is a Strange Thing’ shows Tracey speaking to a drooling dog in a park, he has propositioned her and asked for sex, but she turns him down - a bizarre clip that yet again illustrates her need for power and control. I found the 1995 work ‘Why I never became a dancer’ more interesting. A dizzy film that gives a vivid account of Emin’s childhood in Margate, and her early dancing ambition. She tells us of the boys that laughed at her, these local lads that slept with her then ruined her dream. After seeing the town of Margate, the shabby shops and beach, the film turns to a smiling Tracey who dances manically round the room to Sylvester’s ‘You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)’.

My favourite works are the embroidered rainbow blankets that cover the walls of the first room. On these hangings Emin has stitched statements and thoughts, patterns and text. Some blaspheme and swear while others just show thoughts and realisations. They are angry and chaotic, like much of her work, but also wacky and quite stunning, whether she meant them to be aesthetically pleasing is another point to ponder.

Tracey Emin’s ‘Love Is What You Want’ continues until 29 August, 2011, book here.

Saatchi Gallery - The Shape of Things to Come

The Saatchi Gallery is a flattering space to show any kind of art, the enormous white rooms can make anything seem spectacular and important. ‘The Shape of Things to Come’ shows a group of bold works from twenty sculptors from around the world.

Of course with many of Charles Saatchi’s exhibitions, one expects to not ‘get it,' after all he is always ahead of the rest of us, sussing out what will be hot before anyone else has had time to move on from the last artistic revelation. This show is slightly different though as it exhibits some older works too; they must hold some significance for Saatchi if they have remained in his favour for this long.

I went along to the Gallery for a work “do," a summer cocktail party in this lush setting. Curators were on hand to explain and discuss the works on display but none of the suited and booted men seemed interested, so I went round for a private guided tour. The lovely Saatchi curator was knowledgeable and spoke at length about the origin and inspiration behind each of the sculptures, answering my questions patiently.

In my opinion, often the artists' intentions are more illuminating than the actual pieces which are in the true sense of the word, ugly. This is particularly the case with the giant work by Folkert de Jong: grotesque green female figures huddling together, a strange seemingly Shrek-inspired work, part of a series called ‘The Shooting Lesson’. Other works too seem obsessed with physicality, desperate to make their presence felt. I was drawn to the pale clay figures by Rebecca Warren which feel a little more sensitive in their creation and are certainly more interesting to look at and think about.

I’m not sure Saatchi has got this one right... if this is the future of sculpture, we haven’t got a lot to look forward to.

Until October 16, visit website here.