That five upcoming art things thing then, five more art things, five five five, five art things, five more London art recommendations, five art things in no particular order, five things that are about to open, five things that interest us, five things that we think might interest you, five art things that look like they might be interesting or exciting and well, go explore…

1; ROA at Stolen Space – “It is with great excitement that StolenSpace Gallery presents the new solo showcase by Belgian artist, ROA”, not sure what the difference between a show and a showcase is? Good to see ROA back in London though, it feels like it’s been ages since he was last hear, most of his art has disappeared from those London walls, the big rabbit on the Hackney Road, the hedghehog, that piece that was under the canal bridge for a year or two.

StolenSpace say “Peering from secluded alleyways, or creeping across crumbing walls, ROA’s monochromatic beasts can be found hiding across the cities of the world, from London, Berlin to New York, Los Angeles and recently Casablanca and Cape Town. ROA’s reputation as a master muralist has grown exponentially, and his gallery works are no less impressive to behold. Portraying animals on a massive scale and in stark contrast to their urban surroundings, their black and white appearance giving them a ghostlike presence. ROA’s intention is to query the relationship between man and animal, the urban relationship with nature and the manner in which we force it to adapt for survival, choosing remote and derelict locations to mirror our own unsympathetic treatment of the natural world and the creatures which inhabit it. Now returning to StolenSpace for his third takeover of the gallery, ROA will be creating on site a fresh cohort of Bestia Animalibus, using reclaimed materials to create multi-dimensional, interactive works of art to beautifully illustrate the precarious connection between man and beast”.

 

StolenSpace is over in Whitechapel, the address is 17 Osborn Street, London, E1 6TD. The show opens this Thursday, September 20th (6pm until 9pm) and then runs until October 21st, more via the gallery website –  www.stolenspace.com

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2: MARK McCLURE, Pseudo Public at the Foundry Gallery, Chelsea, London – “In this his first gallery exhibition in London, Mark McClure has filled the gallery with playful artworks that challenge our very perception of the gallery space, its perspective and its function”.Pseudo Public opens: tonight, Thursday September 20th, (6:30pm – 9:00pm) and then runs from 21 Sep 2018 until 9 Nov 2018

“The British artist and designer Mark McClure’s artwork stems from the urban landscape and representations of the built environment, from buildings and structures to lines on the road, the visual language we unconsciously absorb on a daily basis. McClure comes from a background in visual and graphic design and within his practice he successfully straddles disciplines and media his work is abstract in style with bold lines, sharp angles and strong colour palettes reminiscent of the English Vorticists. Through his multi-disciplinary practice, McClure is investigating what constitutes a painting or sculpture and how the artist can re-establish the lost contact between art and society.

Working alongside architects, public art bodies and interior designers McClure creates artworks that explore themes of structure, public spaces and our interaction with the built environment – from bespoke interiors to huge public art works on the sides of buildings and structures from Beirut to London. He introduces a sense of fun and play, inviting us to interact with the monotonous urban background of our daily surroundings.

On entering the gallery, you are met with a site-specific installation. McClure has constructed and built this artwork by playing intuitively with numerous painted shards of wood. Its non-objective composition and its pared down geometry takes an ordinary material and fills the space in a way that challenges our perception of the gallery space, it’s perspective and its function, interacting with the very fabric of the gallery in what can be seen as a playful approach to sculpting.

One of McClure’s key interests is the idea of how we interact with artwork in galleries. His three-dimensional wall sculptures invite us to engage and interact with them. These works are multi-faceted, on the surface they appear as static pieces but on closer inspection we are encouraged to touch and play with them. His experimentation with materials has allowed him to create immersive artworks that push the boundaries of how people view and interact with art. Modernist style mosaics splinter before your eyes, laser cut from sheets of plywood the shapes are painted and reconstructed playfully into a two-dimensional picture plane. These dynamic paintings are not only concerned with the formal elements of line, shape and colour but their pure abstraction is suggestive of works by the Cubist Picabia and Bauhaus pioneer Moholy-Nagy”.

The Foundry Gallery is at 39 Old Church Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 5BS – www.thefoundrygallery.org

3; Cultivate: Intention –  a group show – The first part of the six week Cultivate takeover of Shipton Street Gallery over by East London’s Columbia Road, and an opening night Thursday September 20th (6pm until 9pm), then Friday September 21st until Sunday 23rd (11am until 6pm). “Entry is free, everyone is welcome, no need to get on lists or any of that nonsense. This will be the first of four shows at the gallery from Cultivate over the six week period”

The intention is to kick off the six week take over with a short sharp group show, a mixed media show featuring the paintings of Emma Harvey, the intrigue of James Bell, performance and artwork from Marnie Scarlet, sculpture and assemblage from Mia-Jane Hwarris, a leaf or two from painter Sean Worrall, the very painterly photography of artist Sofia Martins and attitude of mixed-media artist Suzie Pindar. Expect cross -pollination, expect busy walls in an intimate space, expect an artist-led art show – www.cultivategallery.com

4: Muse, Model or Mistress? happens at Gallery DIFFERENT over in Fitzrovia – “An exhibition of work by invited women artists and curated by Karina Phillips of Gallery Different and Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf, Vice President of the Society of Women Artists”, the exhibition opens on 24th Sep 2018 (6pm until 8pm) and then runs until September 29th
24 Sep 2018 – 29 Sep 2018

“As part of the collaboration with Flying Elephant Productions there will be an exhibition of Women only artists running concurrently with the week of performances. Artists have been invited to respond to the theme – a phrase uttered by Marcel Duchamp in response to the continuing restricted role of women in the Surrealist Movement, and instrumental in Peggy Guggenheim’s 31 Women Artists exhibition in New York in 1943”..

Gallery DIFFERENT is at 14 Percy Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 1DR – www.gallerydifferent.co.uk

5: DEPTFORD X – The19th DEPTFORD X sees six artists present new context-specific performance, video and installation works around London SE8 in parallel to the festival’s renowned fringe programme, it all kicks off this Friday night over in South East London, .

“Louise Ashcroft has been invited to produce a residency-based Special Project for Deptford X 2018. A series of poetic couplets extracted from the festival’s Data Protection Policy – such as Loop Fields, Train Wave, Transparent Forms, Stage Harm, and Fleshing Board provide the basis for a collection of performances, objects and experimental social experiences.

Five emerging artists are creating new works for the Platform strand of Deptford X:

Shawanda Corbett’s Evocation of Buked is a live performance accompanied by the Negro spiritual I Been Buked. Corbett explores the biblical and social implications of disability during slavery, and the undocumented experiences of disabled female slaves in post-colonial Mississippi. Corbett was nominated for Deptford X by artist Oreet Ashery.

Georgia Lucas-Going presents a series of live performances on Deptford Market Yard Carriage Way, and a video installation in a living room somewhere in Deptford. The works are informed by the artist’s interest in self-taught survival techniques. Lucas-Going was nominated by Melanie Keen, Director of Iniva.

NT presents Fox, a video installation exploring parallels between representations of the urban fox and urban youth. The film poses questions about a lone boy as he travels through the night. Shrewd, fearless and adapted to his environment, his somewhat menacing presence is tolerated but often hidden from consciousness. NT was nominated by artist Larry Achiampong.

Laura Yuile situates a film composed of found footage, corporate stock footage and her own video work within a sculptural ensemble of household appliances covered in pebble dash. Yuile was nominated by Sarah McCrory, Director of Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art.

David Steans has written a book of experimental short horror stories, including some inspired by Deptford and the Deptford Lounge library, as well as the festival itself. In the library, visitors are able to browse or borrow the book, attend readings from it by staff or watch performances drawn from the stories, on the library’s rooftop ballcourt. Steans was nominated by Bryony Bond, Artistic Director of The Tetley.

Running in parallel to the curated festival, Deptford X’s long-running Fringe continues, as an open un-curated programme of independent exhibitions, performances, screenings, open studios and workshops in art spaces and found venues across Deptford. Deptford X is also accompanied by a public programme of artists’ talks, tours and workshops. Deptford X runs from Friday September 21st until September 30th , explore the website for many many things on the Fringe…  Deptford X