Eyeblog

Nigel Grimmer wins US Photography Prize

Eyestorm artist Nigel Grimmer’s ‘Roadkill Family Album’ series has won an award in the ‘Art of Photography’ competition in San Diego; one of the biggest photographic competitions in America.
There were 13, 692 entries from 67 countries, 113 pieces were selected for the show and 15 were awarded prizes. 

Vic Reeves back with new series of Shooting Stars!

Last night saw the first in the brand new series of Shooting Stars broadcast on BBC2, featuring our own Vic Reeves and his sidekick Bob Mortimer with celebrity guests, surreal humour and absurd challenges.

Although Reeves is predominantly known as a comedian, he has always been primarily an artist, having studied art at Sir John Cass College in Whitechapel in the mid 80s before moving to New Cross where he started a performance art piece at local pub ‘The Goldsmiths Tavern’ which he called Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out. It was during one of these performances that he met future comedy partner Bob Mortimer, who heckled him on stage, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Eyestorm have been showing Vic Reeves’ art for a number of years and have hosted three solo shows of his work. The artists Jake and Dinos Chapman describe Reeves’ art as “able to command our laughter as a purgative, to encourage the viewer to leak at both ends”.

See Vic’s work on Eyestorm here.

The new series of Shooting Starts airs on Tuesday evenings on BBC2 at 9.30pm and is repeated on Fridays.

Interview with artist Dan Baldwin on exclusive new Eyestorm print

Eyestorm creative director Angie Davey talks to Dan Baldwin prior to the release of The Future Frontline Renegades of Dead London, the new large scale silkscreen print he published with Eyestorm in June.

So you’re making a new print with Eyestorm. What are your thoughts on the way the art market is today in terms of print publishing and does this reflect what you’re doing right now?

“When things first took off for me in 2006 it was important to release a print, and I really wanted to push boundaries with mixed media and one-off prints. For me personally they were a major factor in becoming a full time artist; so each was different. It was real cutting edge printmaking with real elements and sexy varnishes. As for how it is now, I feel that now the time is right to bring out another print as I have only released Autumn Girl in the past 18 months. I consciously cooled things off a bit so as to not flood the market as I have seen my contemporaries do with four runs of 1000 released in a year. I think an edition of 15 amazing prints is really exciting, with each one hand touched and with 3D elements. It’s about getting the balance right - print makes my work accessible for more people, yet it’s still special when in a low edition. It’s a very important part of the whole thing.”

Do you think that the print market has been saturated somewhat in the past couple of years, especially in the ‘Urban Art’ sector?

“Yes. When I started making prints I wasn’t aware of any movement, I was just happy to get my work out there. Then it went mental - I stopped producing prints late in 2007 and pulled back. We wanted to slow it down, as it’s about getting the balance right. I think there is great scope to have 4 print releases or so a year, in small runs of 15-50. If you think of this as a worldwide thing it isn’t much - it’s when artists were getting greedy that fucked themselves in the foot - overpricing paintings from £8k to £35k overnight. My work went up gradually as everything sold, and [with regards to pricing] we still try and keep it right, not be greedy. I think because I once earned £28 a week as a YTS plumber it means I really value it [money], so, I value the collector and am not arrogant. Again, we need to produce print, as it’s a way for people to own a piece, and it gets it out there - it’s all about balance.”

Your career suddenly escalated in 2007 and early the following year your painting ‘The End of Everything’ sold at Bonhams for £20,000 in an Urban Art sale. How do you think your work sits alongside this trend of ‘Street/Urban’ art?

“It was £25,200 in total actually. . ahem. . .! .I think those two canvasses really summed up that time well, with the Iraq and American war; the two big burned flags really fitted in with the ethos of the urban scene and politics. It was a really exciting for me and I can see why it was included, the ‘Fuck religion’, ‘Fuck politics’ energy, the anger, the use of spray paint, the use of bullets, money, etc it sits easily with Urban Art, as a lot of this is political, but for me, it was surprising, I mean, I was in a few shows with Antony Micallef before the whole thing went mental in 2005/6 and you know, its good but it was fucking nuts 2007, really really mental, and Antony wasn’t urban either. My work isn’t easily placed I don’t think - I studied illustration & Communication Media, yet I work in a fine art painterly approach with a graphic element. And my subject matter is quite deep, unlike a lot of urban art where normally what you see is what you get. I think Banksy is a very clever artist and like some of the other work that is classed as ‘street/urban’ such as Jamie Reid, but a lot of it I don’t like, and I don’t really like being pigeon holed as ‘urban’ and ‘street’ as it is just not me at all. I’m now finally being asked to show in group shows that aren’t ‘urban’, which is good - I guess you are grateful for the attention when you have been working at it since 1990. But then you think fuck, I’m not ‘urban’!!!”

You’re known for pushing the boundaries with printmaking, incorporating real elements such as crucifixes and bullet holes into your print work. How does the new Eyestorm print push these boundaries even further?

“15 colour screen print, 15 in the edition, gold leaf, razor blade, hand coloured elements, 1 meter in scale!! This is the largest & most ambitious I have made -collage, fade outs...mmm sexy. Also, it’s not based on a piece; it’s an ‘actual print’ the only other one I’ve done like that was flirting with death. I will work on each one individually, so each one will be different; I don’t see this piece as just a print, it’s a hand embellished one off piece, with print.”

Tell us about the title of the new print ‘The Future Frontline Renegades of Dead London’. Your titles are often quite opinionated, are they an important element of your work?

“I never thought of them as opinionated, more funny or light-hearted. I made a piece in 2007 called ‘Frontline Renegade’, and another called ‘Dead London’. I felt that in this current print these were cool kids, like Emo skater dudes, and kids don’t have tattoos, but its the evolution of how things will go; like all kids now are too fucking cool - not like we were in the 80s. But having said that, they don’t know anything! London is theirs for the taking, we have fucked it up, its their country to take on and tackle now - they will be the future. And they look ready, like ‘make way fuckers’, we are here now. Titles are really important in my work - ‘Mexico Fucked Up My Head’ is an example of how honest I am in my work. ‘I Don’t Wanna Die, I Don’t Want You to Die, I Want To Live Forever and Not Grow Old’ or ‘The Forest of Doom’ is another. It’s what I’m feeling - I work on feeling.”

Symbolism features heavily in your work. Can you explain the meaning behind some of the emblems used in the new print?

“Big Ben I’ve used in paintings before, it’s sexy and sums up a powerful historic London energy. Have you ever stood under Big Ben? It’s amazing. The swallow I guess is the main one, symbolising freedom, then there’s the faint skull in the background - I couldn’t help myself! It just needed that ghostly decay lingering. The cobweb represents life and death: death to the fly, life to the spider. Russian prison tattoos, caught in a web. The raspberry symbolises innocence-life-fruit-vanitas-decay-fragility, which I felt fitted with her. I wanted a cutesy element to compliment the girl. The razor blade, I like the fact this is real - I felt the print needed a real element and this is great because it can be ripped off and will slice you, but sprayed gold it becomes sexy. The tank is a symbol of war.”

What was the first painting you sold?

“At art college in 1994 a lecturer bought one of my life drawings - really fucked up they were, lots of text, scribbles, turning the model into a crippled war hero; lots of spontaneous words - it felt good negotiating the price, she was head of graphic design at Maidstone - bought two actually - if I remember rightly - then not till about 1997/98 when all the bars in Brighton needed art, they were coming to our studio and buying three at a time, desperate to hang anything gritty in their clubs, they’d say “we have an opening tonight, what do you have?”. It was 2004 when it really became regular, then took until 2006 to take the leap.”

What’s new for this year and where do you see things going in the future?

“I have my first American solo show in LA in September, which will show a new body of work. Looks good so far, it’s moving on all the time. This work is getting quite layered and complicated, I can’t help that - it’s all spontaneous, instinct-organic. I’m really excited about it actually. There are two book projects, both in America. A limited edition cup and saucer box set with Staffordshire bone china, which I can’t wait to see. I will also be showing work in Manchester, Lancaster and Notting Hill, two charity events, and hope to do a London solo show in 2010. Constantly searching for ‘it’ - becoming a better painter and showing worldwide.”

For Dan’s Eyestorm page and to see ‘The Future Frontline Renegades of Dead London’, click here

WHITNEY MCVEIGH 'HEAD' PAINTING SELLS AT BONHAMS

One of Whitney McVeigh’s signature ‘Head’ works (pictured) was sold at the Vision 21 art sale on 18th March 2009 at Bonhams, Knightsbridge.

McVeigh’s recent success is proving to be fallible, with many wanting a piece of her work. Most of her ‘Head’ paintings have sold out here at Eyestorm, with only three original works left. You can get your hands on one here.

We also have two screenprints by McVeigh at £468.09 plus VAT, an exceptional price for an artist whose work always sells well at auctions and a selection of fantastic black and white etchings emcompassing the head and figure themes of her work.

Find out more about Whitney McVeigh.

EYESTORM LAUNCHES NEW MUHAMMAD ALI PORTRAITS!

Eyestorm are pleased to announce the arrival of four brand new limited edition photographs of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali by acclaimed photographer Bill Peronneau.

Taken at the Pocono Mountain Training Camp at Deer Lake, Pennsylvania in 1974 while the athlete was preparing for the ‘Rumble In the Jungle’ world heavyweight contest against George Foreman in Zaire, these intimately energetic portraits provide a rare opportunity to see Ali in the midst of his exercise regime – skipping, flexing and sparing with his own reflection.

Peronneau was given rare access to Ali’s private cabin retreat after the two became friends while the photographer was working as a photojournalist documenting the civil rights movement in Philadelphia, where Ali lived at the time. The result is a remarkable look into the private life of one of the world’s most well-known sportsman.

There are four new prints in total, three featuring the boxer himself, the fourth an unconventional portrait showing only his personal training gear on the wooden floorboards.

Each in an edition of just 50, the new prints will be at the pre-publication price of £500 +VAT each or £1,800 for the set of four until Saturday 28th February 2009 and will then rise to the RRP price of £600 +VAT each from 1st March 2009.

If you are interested in these prints you can buy online or contact Guy on +44 (0)845 643 2001 or email sales@eyestorm.com.

Olly & Suzi: BBC Storyville

Eyestorm artists Olly & Suzi were the subject of a recent documentary aired on BBC4 on Monday 2nd February. Storyville: Wild Art: Olly and Suzi Paint Predators follows the artists on expeditions to Tanzania and Antarctica, tracking rhinoceros in the wilds of Africa and diving with seals in the frozen waters near the South Pole. The documentary tracks the artists’ progress from their unlikely pairing at St Martins College in the late 1980s through to their present day practice and tackling their sometimes uneasy position between the high art world and wildlife art; furthermore it questions the thoughts and issues behind their work and analyses the process of their collaborative artmaking.

With insights from collectors and critics including Waldemar Januszcscak, the programme details the simultaneous drawing process of the artist duo and their relationship with the wild animals they draw. Both drawing or painting on the same piece of paper at the same time and responding to each others mark making each artist relinquishes the traditional ‘total control’ of the artist; it is fascinating to see them at work in, as one commentator puts it, a ‘séance-like’ mode. All of Olly & Suzi’s work is made out on expedition and in close proximity to the animals in their natural habitat, drawing the animals as they are in front of them or immediately after an encounter, the immediacy of which lends their work the true impression of the wild encounter and encapsulates the spirit of the animal.

Olly & Suzi often surrender even more control, offering the work to the depicted animal to make their own intervention, from paw prints and footprints to the almighty bite of a great white shark. The marks the animal leaves work as proof of the animals being there and together with the artists’ marks brings together the representation of the animal as a whole as it is at the time of the encounter. The final work, whether a sketched outline or a fuller painting is more than the depiction of a beautiful creature, it communicates the essence of that animal and our relationship as humans to nature. Returning to species and areas, many times in some cases, letting them gather more information from the subjects and refining their work, highlights the plight of some of these species and their environments, an issue close to the artists’ hearts and a central tenet of their work.

Made by an exemplary team of wildlife documenters including cameraman Doug Harris (Blue Planet), wildlife photographer George Duffield who has worked with the pair for many years and director and narrator Rupert Murray, the film is an intriguing exploration of the pair’s oeuvre of over 20 years and their connection with wildlife and nature. Storyville is an award winning international documentary series with five Oscars under its belt, which began over ten years ago that tells varied and eclectic stories from around the world.

If you missed the original broadcast of the programme it is available for viewing on the BBC iplayer until 6th April.

We have two Olly & Suzi prints available to buy. Caracal, which is featured in the documentary, and Anaconda were published by Eyestorm in 2007 and are exclusive to us.

By Hannah Shilland

The BBC Features work by Swava Harasymowicz on Their Homepage

Friday 22nd August saw the BBC homepage feature work by Swava Harasymowicz.

The work is a promo for a programme about the 1958 Notting Hill Riots, which tied in with the bank holiday weekend Notting Hill Carnival event.

Look out for more of Swava’s work at the BBC, coming up shortly.

BBC

Cindy Beale painting by Josie McCoy appears in Eastenders!

Last year Eastenders scheduled an episode about Cindy Beale, Ian Beale’s estranged wife, returning from the dead. Ian went to visit Cindy’s sister and found a huge painting of his ex wife above her fireplace. The painting was commissioned especially by the BBC and appears many times in the episode.

If you wish to see the painting available for sale, please go

here

Frank Kiely: Art that should be in a computer game?

Keith Stuart from The Guardian recently reported in his ‘Games Blog’ online, that the artwork of Frank Kiely should be featured in a computer game. Reviewing Kiely’s work as “art that gets people to really look at and appraise where they live, and there’s definite potential for a GPS/location-based game, based around encouraging players to explore and re-assess their surroundings”. Stuart believes it would look great on an Xbox, PSN or DS.

Who knows? Maybe Kiely’s work will be on a computer game screen near you soon!

Quote taken from Games Blog, by Keith Stuart, Posted Friday October 3 2008.

NEW PRINTS BY LUCIE BENNETT

This week Eyestorm is excited to present three brand new limited edition prints from one of our most popular artists.

Lucie Bennett’s crisp, minimal imagery of the female form has been hugely favoured since Eyestorm first started to show her paintings back in 2004, and is among some of our most frequently viewed and purchased work. Initially her original paintings and then more recently her screenprints have been so successful that much of her work has now sold out and is beginning to appear on the secondary market, proving that it is still very much in demand.

Bennett’s most recent work presents slick images of women in various poses in simple, perfectly executed line form. Sometimes confrontational, sometimes elusive and oblivious to the viewer’s gaze, Bennett’s women seek to challenge our preconceptions of femininity.

Today sees the launch of three brand new prints from Bennett. Tahiti Nighttime, Red Satin Pants and Tangerine Pants are the first Giclee prints published by the artist. Each in an edition of just 45, they will be at a pre-publication price for one week only from today.

As we always advise with work in low editions, it’s worth getting in early if you wish to purchase these pieces to avoid missing out, especially as these are the first works in a while by Bennett that have been available to buy.

To purchase Tahiti Nighttime at £510, Red Satin Pants at £467.50 or Tangerine Pants at £425, go here.

*Please note: Eyestorm will only be accepting paper Eyestorm and britart vouchers until 31st December 2008. After this date vouchers of this nature will not be accepted. This does not affect electronic gift vouchers.

View the new prints here.

NEW and EXCLUSIVE Published Works

David Bray’s works have sold incredibly over the past month and his “One Point Plan for Male Pattern Baldness” and “Tuesday” prints are nearly sold out.

I’d like to take this opportunity to present to you these four brand new limited edition prints by Bray, which will be officially released in the main Eyestorm newsletter and on the website on Friday 4th April. 

The first 12 of each edition will be sold at the pre-publication of £380 inc. VAT each, or £1450 for the set of 4.

They will then be going up in price to £450 each (£1600.00 for the set), so I would advise you to get in early as each is in a limited edition of just 30, and we have already had significant interest.

We have allocated numbers 5-15 for entire sets and 15-30 for pairs and individuals.

Please drop me an email with your interest and the edition number you would want and I will try my best to put it aside for you.

Guy Riza
guy.riza@eyestorm.com

Richard Trupp's sculpture a huge success!

One of our main exhibitors to the Eyestorm Summer Show 2007 is Richard Trupp. He presented 2 outdoor sculptures in the Eyestorm sculpture garden, entitled ‘Fixing Blocks’. During the Opening Evening, many flocked outside to see the sculptures and sit around them, engaging in friendly banter and a drink or two.


In the main room of the gallery, ‘Anticipating Mars’ is displayed for the first time and has generated a lot of interest from our guests. Richard Trupp comments on the nights success: ‘The new sculpture is ambitious but I was delighted with the final installation and response, in particular the ‘Anticipating Mars’ piece stirred up lots of conversation and enthusiasm.’


‘Anticipating Mars’ was inspired by Trupp’s interest in Roman Mythology. Inside the large steel casing exists a range of smaller pieces made from vulcanized bronze and rubber. Each piece reflects Trupp’s research into Roman mythology and the god of vulcanicity, Vulcanus.


‘Anticipating Mars’ and ‘Fixing Blocks’ will be on display at the Eyestorm gallery until mid August, where you can pick up more information about them.


Claire Cleverly - Website Editor

Why Blog?
Eyestorm has been the market leader for limited edition prints since the web was in its infancy, so over time we've become pretty opinionated on a bunch of art-related issues. So while we're here to provide you with the best art you can buy, we also wanted a flexible space through which to share our experience of working in the frenetic, ever-accelerating market for contemporary art. So this is it. The Eyestorm blog. Ups, downs, news, views and reviews.