London Pop-Up: The Magnum Pleasure Store

So, it's been a while hasn't it? I can't really think of just one reason why I haven't been blogging recently, it's more of a combination of things. I'm still working away trying to wrap up my first year of uni while enjoying my last few weeks in London for a little while. I just seem to have been super busy, along with the fact that no ideas I had for my blog felt good enough. I haven't even been reading too many blogs recently either which is so unlike me!

Anyway, today I've decided to just jump right back into it again and what better way to do that than with a food related post, amirite? This is one for any Londoners, visitors of London or ice cream lovers! Magnum are back with their 'Pleasure Store' pop-up this summer, this time located on South Molton Street, close to Bond Street. I moved to London last September, just as Magnum were shutting the doors on their 2015 pop-up in Covent Garden, so I was more than a little bit excited to hear they were opening up again this summer.

Exhibition Visit: Magna Carta (An Embroidery) by Cornelia Parker @ The British Library

When I first found out about this particular commission, I have to admit I yelped with excitement slightly. If there were a perfect storm in artwork form then this would be it for me. Take the fact that it's done by one of my favourite artists whom I have heard speak in person, as well as it being stitched, involves type and strikes a resemblance to my own final piece for my art foundation (by pure coincidence), and you've got me very excited.

Cornelia Parker Artist Lecture @ The Whitworth

For the next three years, sculptor and installation artist Cornelia Parker will be an Honorary Professor within the University of Manchester. To mark this occasion, she spoke, amongst other things, about her acclaimed exhibition at the Whitworth, forthcoming projects and how she collaborates with scientists, engineers, pyrotechnicians and others to make art. I was lucky enough to attend this lecture on Thursday 23rd April within the surroundings of the newly refurbished Whitworth gallery. 

As many of you may already know, The Whitworth Gallery reopened in February after a £15million redevelopment, launching with ten new exhibitions including a major solo show by Cornelia Parker. I visited about a week after the gallery's high profile relaunch and it was soon obvious to me why this exhibiton has received such high praise from across the art world. The show combines career-defining works such as 'Cold Dark Matter (An Exploded View)' and 'The Distance (A Kiss With String Attached)' along with new works including 'War Room', a vast and immersive installation made from punched out paper negatives taken from the Richmond poppy factory, which is unique to the Whitworth. 

The critically exclaimed exhibition is both impressive and thought provoking and so I was incredibly excited to hear Cornelia herself talk about the show from her own perspective. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Often we think of artists as these highly strung, inaccessible folk who almost seem to speak a different language to the rest of us. But Cornelia was a joy to listen to, incredibly intelligent but also humorous in her manner. At times she had the audience in fits of laughter as she spoke of how she inadvertently blew up an (empty) pram which was needed by it's owners as they were expecting twins any day, and other times she held all eyes as she explained her compelling work marking the 100 year anniversary of World War One. By the way, the owners of said pram were at the gallery opening in February to see if they could spot the misplaced item from 1991 in the midst of 'Cold Dark Matter'! 

Subtitling the lecture 'Truth to Materials', Parker amazed us time and time again with her quests to get her hands on materials that most of us will never even touch in our lifetime, from sawn off shotguns and bullets to snake venom and cocaine. But there was a strong sense that she is far from content with simple police confiscated weapons and a jar of poison. Cornelia wants to take this even further, confessing that she is still working on getting NASA to help her out! 

I'm finding it difficult to condense all of Parker's wonderful anecdotes and explanations that she shared into just one blog post, and in honesty I could never retell them in a way that does her any justice. I will however say that for the next three years, The University of Manchester will be lucky to call Cornelia Parker one of their Honorary Professors, her exhibition and her talent is truly world class.  

Cornelia Parker's exhibition runs until 31st May 2015 @ The Whitworth Art Gallery

Mini Review: Home Sweet Home, Manchester

This will be my first ever food review post so please excuse me if I don't know exactly how this type of blogging goes! This week I visited Home Sweet Home in Manchester's northern quarter with my friends to celebrate the end of our second term at art school. If you live in Manchester, you'll already know that the northern quarter is known for it's distinctive style, alternative culture and quirky cafes. I'd heard good things about Home Sweet Home before and even walked past it a few times, however it always seems to be packed at the weekend so I had never tried it. We visited on a Thursday afternoon and while still reasonably busy, we didn't have to wait to sit down. 

Since we didn't have any I can't comment on the hot food, but what can I say to even begin to describe their incredible cake offerings? The photo here hardly does these masterpieces justice. They were all so creative and unique, and not only do they look spectacular but they also taste amazing. One thing I am always wary about when it comes to over-the-top wacky cake decorations is that the cake itself is often dry and tasteless. I needn't worry though, the sponge was perfectly baked, soft and very very tasty. I had a gorgeous white chocolate sponge cake with mint flavoured buttercream topped with just about everything sweet and bad for you; it tasted exactly like mint choc-chip ice-cream! At £4.50 a slice it certainly isn't cheap, however if you're looking for the wow factor and a good old sit down in a cosy environment, it's so worth it. 

In terms of the service, unfortunately I can't say I was overly impressed. It was quite slow and our drinks order and bill both came wrong. However, both situations were rectified quickly so it didn't impact our lovely afternoon really. To sum up I think the clue is in the name here, such a homely little place to stop, relax and natter. After all, what more does one need to celebrate if not a cup of tea and a slice of glittery cake?

Exhibition Visit: Transmitting Andy Warhol at Tate Liverpool

It's contextual studies week for me at uni and so yesterday I decided I'd better get my act together and finally see the Andy Warhol exhibition that's on at Tate Liverpool before it closes its doors on the 8th February. Now, I must first admit that I'm not the greatest Andy Warhol fanatic. His work is more of an inspiration of process for me rather than a deep love of pop art on my part. I do however respect his incredible influence and the fact that many of his statements about the world are even more vital to today's society than the society from which he practiced. 

Despite any of my preconceptions, he is the most widely exhibited of all 20th-century artists, and Tate Liverpool are featuring more than 100 examples of his work, so I'd probably be mad to miss the opportunity to see miss Monroe for a fiver. I am a graphic design student after all, I thought there was bound to be something there to tickle my fancy. 

The exhibition had an interesting take, choosing to focus on how the American artist publicised his iconic paintings to as many people as possible around the world and I have to say I really did enjoy the work. What was interesting to see was the vast range of Warhol's commissioned graphic design work, from album covers to book design as well as his work as an artist in his own right. I even found a new favourite. The Electric Chairs Portfolio (1971) is a series of silk-screens done in shockingly inappropriate sugary colours, completely at odds with the morbid subject matter. It's a very odd sort of sensation you get when looking at them, especially in an exhibition environment with velvet underground playing through speakers in the next room. 

The music, bold colours and flashing images all combine to make this exhibition a true sensory experience throughout and I'm very glad I took the time to visit. 

The work is only showing for a few more days so definitely get down to Tate Liverpool this week if you can!

x

Matisse Cut Outs Exhibition Review

As the blockbuster exhibition of Matisse’s paper cut-outs drew to a close on the 7th September, Tate has since announced that it has become the most popular show in their history, attracting more than half a million visitors. 562,600 people went to the Tate Modern in London to see the groundbreaking exhibition, which also makes it one of the most popular paid-for exhibitions in Britain for decades. I was lucky enough to be one of those 562,600 people who witnessed the beauty of Matisse's last years of work, and I know first hand why this particular showcase has captured the public’s imagination in such a profound way.

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is one of the most iconic artists of the twentieth century who brought a whole new concept of colour to the art world. For the last 17 years of his life, he developed an entirely new approach by carving directly into colour with a giant pair of scissors.  From small studies that show him using cut-outs as compositional tools for paintings, to his prophetic final works, Matisse’s genius surges, growing room by room as the works themselves become ever more ambitious. 

Every single room in the exhibition from start to finish was a joy to explore and 2 hours went by in a flash. From mermaids to dancers, circus scenes and a famous snail, the exhibition showcases an impressive range of 120 works made between 1936 and 1954. 
I knew the exhibition was going to be something special, but what I wasn't prepared for was the way in which I would be emotionally touched by it. It was such a joyous and fascinating collection and it has stayed close to the forefront of my mind for weeks after visiting the galley - also becoming the only exhibition I've felt inclined to buy the accompanying book from! Matisse wanted “anyone tired, worn down, driven to the limits of endurance, to find calm and repose” in his art. In this he certainly succeeded. I left the exhibition inspired to start practical art again, what more can you ask of an exhibition?

I'm no stranger to exhibitions but there was something about the fact that at a time in his life where Matisse was very unwell, he managed to not only carry on his artistic career, but reach new heights of creative triumph. There can't be many people who left the exhibition this summer that didn't want to replace their home decor with the vibrancy and excitement of Matisse's cut outs.