Five? Now were did all that go? Crashes? Computers? Let’s write it all again. Reduced price fruit and the smell of let’s cut the crap an get to the latest headlines, how is this five thing working out? Five Alive? Arrive Alive? Five a day? Well not quite but that would be good. The thing about painting a reduced price passion fruit is that is smells way way too good to just be painting it, it needs to be eaten before it selfishly goes off and things like the Hackney Wick Pomegranate did.  Five more? Five more for what it might be worth, are we really collectively getting excited about some business man flogging dubious Mandalas he had someone paint for him and dressing them up as some sort of seriousness down at the White Cube?  I see via Social Media, that thousands are threatening to flock to the Cube this week. what is all that about? Five more recommended art things then, mostly London art things, a simple exercise in information sharing and sign post posting for that is what we’ve always done here at Organ  September is here, things are stirring (we said this last week), art is stirring (we did cut ‘paste that bit from last week), sometime things do have to be repeated. The rather fractured Five Art Things feature is intended as a regular, almost certainly weekly, or something like weekly, an almost  weekly round up of recommended art events, five shows exhibitions and things we rather think might be worth checking out. Mostly London for that’s where we currently operate and explore, and like we did say lat week (and the week before) with no claims that these are “the best five” or the “Top Five”, we’re not one of those art websites that ignore most things whilst claiming to be covering everything and proclaiming this or that to be the “top thing” or the “best thing”. this is simply just regular list of five or so art things coming up soon that we think you might find as interesting as we do, a little more interesting than someone’s sixth form painting exercises in the shape of “Damien Hirst’s first major solo exhibition in London in seven years, comprised of new paintings from his ‘Mandalas’ series. Continuing themes from his ‘Kaleidoscope’ series, Hirst’s new works take inspiration from the mandala, a symbolic representation of the universe”, whoopibleedin’do,  yeah I know, we haven’t seen them yet but it is really going to be worth the price of the 48 bus ride and the twenty or so minutes it takes ot get there from deepest ‘ackney?

Five things then, five recommended art thing in no particular order…

1: Susan Hiller –  Ghost /TV  at Matt’s Gallery – “An exhibition of objects and video by Susan Hiller that continues her investigations into the numinous, the ephemeral, and the personal.  At the time of her passing in January 2019, Hiller was due to start planning her fifth exhibition with Matt’s Gallery, following on from Work in Progress in 1980, An Entertainment in 1991, The Last Silent Movie in 2008, and Channels in 2013 – shows which introduced some of her most groundbreaking and iconic works. The exhibition had to be postponed, and Ghost / TV has been developed since then in close collaboration with Susan Hiller’s son, Gabriel Coxhead. The display consists of two main elements, both of which relate to Hiller’s previous exhibitions at Matt’s Gallery. A video,Running on Empty (2017), stems from Hiller’s commission to create Channels, a monumental audio-sculptural installation that incorporates 102 cathode-ray tube television sets programmed to play reports of near-death experiences. While constructing Channels, Hiller and Matt’s Gallery Director Robin Klassnik discovered one particular television set that spontaneously and intermittently communicated a haunting, poignant message of its own. Their attempts to document that elusive message, to recreate and capture the phenomenon on camera, even as the television’s functioning proceeded to decay and degenerate in a violent medley of colour and pattern, forms the subject of Running on Empty – a work which thus becomes about artistic making itself, about processes of collaboration, moments of serendipity, and the pleasures of visual play. The other element in the exhibition similarly raises questions about its own artistic status. A macabre hand puppet of a ghost or skeleton, most likely made by Hiller some time in the early 2000s, it relates to her pioneering video installation, An Entertainment, which used footage filmed at Punch and Judy shows. However, the puppet itself was not formally regarded as a fully-fledged artwork by Hiller, but was more a sort of experiment, and was kept on her desk at home as a kind of personal artefact, a negative talisman.

Ghost / TV is the 40th anniversary exhibition at Matt’s Gallery, which first opened in September 1979. It will be accompanied by a free publication, the 40th edition in the gallery’s ongoing series of ‘whitebooks’.  The Estate of Susan Hiller is represented by Lisson Gallery”. Matt’s Gallery is currently to be found at 92 Webster Road, London, SE 16 4DF.  Opening: 22nd September 2019, 15:00 – 18:00 and then 25th September until 27th October 2019 – www.mattsgallery.org

2: Time Flies like the Wind, Fruit Flies like Bananas! – “Join us this Wednesday to celebrate a year of painting with the 2018/19 Turps Studio Painters” There’s not much information about this one but the Turps community usually throws up a treat or two in terms of the painters and the paintings. Sure, it is some kind of art school thing and as a rule it is best to avoid most of what the art schools offer up until the artists have dealt with the reality of being an artist without an art school safety net but that’s more in terms of the art students spewed out by the mainstream art schools, that is;nt really what Turps Banana is/ Turps is a little different, Turps is painters refreshing  themselves a little and yes, Gina Birch is part of the show so it has to be worth putting on a raincoat and going to have a look – still love those shoe paintings of hers. I don’t too much about what to expect,but we rather expect to encounter good things, painterly things, rewarding things.  Opening night is Wednesday 18th Sept 5pm until 8pm  and then the show runs until Sunday 22nd, 10am until 5pm at  The Art Academy, Newington Gallery, 155 Walworth Road, London SE17 1RS. Turps Banana

3: Notice the Small Things at Jealous gALLERY – “brings together an eclectic mix of artists for an exhibition dedicated to the art of the miniature. With over 20 contemporary artists spanning two and three dimensions, across a range of disciplines, the exhibition encourages visitors to slow down and take their time to engage with the intricate details of the multidisciplinary works.  Miniature art dates back to the medieval ages, yet became widely popular in 16th Century onwards for capturing portraits as keepsakes or mementoes. The most often-used definition of a miniature is something which case be held in the palm of the hand and, as portable objects, they were an apt accessory for remembering loved ones. The small intimacy of the portraits spoke of secretive and passionate love and were at one time a symbol of status.

Referencing a by-gone age, the works presented in Notice the Small Things are meticulous, precise and intimate; with each work measuring no greater than 15 x 15 x 15cm. The miniature works seduce the viewer in for a closer look, to study each brushstoke, every mark made, to appreciate the medium for it’s precision and purpose.  Miniature art is bound to its own past, yet by asking contemporary artists to reflect on its tradition, this exhibition treads a fine line between imposing the reconciliation of tradition and modernity and allowing artists to react to it. The exhibition includes works by Adam Bridgland, Adam Koukoudakis, Ann-Marie James, Barnaby Barford, Bench Allen, Ceal Warnants, Clare Price, Danny Augustine, Darci Lenker, Dario Illari, Davide Restifo, Delphine Lebourgeois, Fern Goozee, Golsa Golchini, Hayden Kays, Ines Fernandez de Cordova, J.R., Madeleine Lewis, Malarky, Naomi Davis,  Rob Ryan, Sarah Bridgland, Sophie Pitt, Sholto Douglas, Simone Lia, Tinsel Edwards, Twinkle Troughton, William Kingett and Zsofia Schweger –  Jealous is at 53 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3PT (just over the road from the Old Blue Last). Facebook event page

4: Dream Bigger, Better, Weirder. – “Well Hung are delighted to announce a group exhibition with three of London’s most exciting and prolific street artists; Ben Rider, Donk and Skeleton Cardboard. These artists are no strangers to the street art scene and have been leaving their provocative imagery around London for many years. Their friendship and desire to create ground breaking street art has lead to this powerful collaboration. The specially curated show combines elements of pop art, graffiti and photography, which is dynamic, energetic and pushes boundaries challenging us to ‘Dream Bigger, Better, Weirder’. Armed with wheat paste, spray cans and paint brushes, Ben Rider, Donk and Skeleton Cardboard will be adorning our gallery walls with their colourful trademark imagery, stencils and typography to create a visually striking installation. The artist’s original artwork will sit alongside the installation uniting all the collection together. Exclusive to the exhibition we will be launching a joint, special edition screen print. This will be a small edition, all uniquely hand finished. Join us on Thursday 19th September for the private view from 6pm until 9pm. We will be giving away a goodie bag of art and stickers for the first 20 people through the doors so get here earlier to avoid disappointment. The exhibition runs until 19th October”  – I do like a Donk paste up a little more than I like most paste up artists and we’ve almost forgiven him for pasting on the Cultivate door now, and yes, Mr Cardboard may at times remind us just a little too much of someone else, but his words do have a way of hitting the nail squarely on the head, he does have a way of capturing the moment, things can get a little slick at Well Hung, they do have a knack of squeezing the energy out of a good piece of street art but hey, three artists who might just get ovr that little problem…  .The show opens on the evening of Thursday September19th and then runs until October 19th. Well Hung is at 239 Hoxton Street, London, N1 5LG –  www.wellhung.co.uk

4.5: There is the Antony Gormley exhibition opening this week end at the Royal Academy but hey, you don’t need us list that do you?  “Acclaimed sculptor Antony Gormley presents his most significant solo exhibition for over a decade. A conversation between old works and new, it will span his wide-ranging practice and exploit the scale and light of the RA’s architecture” – www.royalacademy.org.uk – I guess if you don’t go you can view it  all on your social media feeds, he is rather Instagramable….

4.6: Art Car Boot Fair, Dreamland, Margate, Saturday September 28th – The beautiful thing that is The Art Car Fair heads to the seaside for one last blast of summer, The 2019 Love Margate artist line-up has just been announced, the fair heads for Dreamland for the weekend of all the Turner Prize whatevers. You’ll find a whole load of artists coming together, you’ll find special created one off pieces of art made exclusively for the fair

– “Last June the Art Car Boot Fair’s mid-summer art love-in bought together over 120 amazing artists on Lewis Cubitt Square, Kings Cross for a wonderful afternoon of art buying and entertainment and and we are bringing the whole show to Margate with re-charged boots of brand new art and loads to get involved in besides. We’ll be filling a double height brutalist carpark right next to Dreamland with over 120 artists, their artworks and wares and all manner of artist led activities and entertainments. We’ll have cool DJ’s, Love Balladeers and Drag Acts plus delicious things to eat and drink – don’t miss out and book your advance tickets now!”

The 2019 Love Margate Line-up: Juno Calypso, Geraldine Swayne, Vic Reeves, Jessica Voorsanger, Polly Morgan, Marcus Harvey, Bob & Roberta Smith, Mat Collishaw, Pam Hogg, Mr Bingo, Kate Knight, Carrie Reichardt, Amelia Troubridge, True Rocks, Laura New, Sara Pope, Camille Phoenix, Susie Hamilton, Colin Self, Gina Birch, Charming Baker, Ian Dawson’s Copy Shop, Turps Painters on and off-site, Jake Clark, David Batchelor, Helen A Pritchard, Dion Kitson, Nina Fowler, Rennaissance Selfies, Hi-Noon Editions, Keira Rathbone Typewriter Artist, L-13, Sadie Hennessey, Rose Blake, Paul Sakoilsky, Wilfred Wood, Tony Beaver, Holly Allan, Jess Albarn, Cate Halpin and the Outside World, The Misfortune Teller, Wilma Johnson, Schoony, Marty Thornton, Alice Herrick & Rachel Megawhat, Beatrice Brown, Abigail Fallis, Jennifer Binnie, Kristjana S Williams, Paul Davis, Natasha Mason, BOW WOW WOW, Tinsel Edwards & Twinkle Troughton, Atom Gallery, Cedric Christie & Pascal Rousson, Lady Muck, The Wind in the Trees, Babe Studio, Resort Studio, Crate Studio, Ruth Fox, Margo McDaid, Michael Kulikselzer, Jessica Jane Charlesworth, Sean Worrall, Emma Harvey, Quiet British Accent, Julia Maddison, Jane Howard, Tracey Neul, Atom Gallery, Richard Clegg, Keeler Tornero, Jealous Gallery with Charming Baker & Miaz Brothers, Joe Webb, Dave Buonaguidi, Magnus Gjoen, Nettie Wakefield and Nick Walker, Art on a Postcard with It’s a Living and James Springall, Euan Roberts, Bumble & Earwig, Joseph Gibson, Smithson Gallery with Frea Buckler, Charlotte Farmer, Rosie Emerson, Helen Jones, Sarah Duncan, Andrew Millar, Clare Halifax, Jayson Lilley and Gillian Garnica, Bridgeman Editions with Hapshash, Holly Frean, Amber Elise, Phil Goss and David Shillinglaw. Plus The SECRET LOVE MIDSUMMER ART CASINO, Plus Sarah Nixey and John Moore singing love songs… Plus Special Guests.

“We have a limited number of advance tickets on sale now here: Entrance is £10 for a 1pm entrance ; after the advance ticket holder queue has gone in, tickets will be available on the door on the day. After 3pm the entry price is £5. We’ll also be running the Secret Love Art Casino offering another chance to pick up some of the best bargains in the carpark for even less and some will be going for an absolute song!” so said A member of the Art Car Boot Fair team.

5: Hunter Barnes, “Outside of Life: Lowriders, Coolers, Bikers and Bloods” at David Hill Gallery – ,Now this looks intriguing, we don’t often head towards photography but this does look good and, as the press release says, “Hunter Barnes is one of the foremost documentary photographers working today, known for his extraordinary ability to depict cultures and communities so often misunderstood by the American mainstream”.

“This September, David Hill Gallery will present Outside of Life: Lowriders, Coolers, Bikers and Bloods, an exhibition offering a unique insight into the periphery of modern American narrative.  In 2003, Hunter Barnes spent a fascinating year travelling the USA, documenting individuals on the fringe of society who he met along the way, including lowriders, bikers, Bloods and CA State Prison inmates. In time, Barnes gained their trust and understanding and was accepted into their respective communities. Immersed in the world of a motorcycle club in New York, Hunter also rode through the deserts of New Mexico with lowrider car clubs, was accepted by Bloods in East St. Louis, and was granted access to California’s maximum-security prison system, the first photographer to be permitteed to photograph inside its walls.   In his words, ‘From the ones who let me in, this is a glimpse into a life rarely seen. True characters in life who live what they know on their own terms… Looking back at this chapter of my life, fifteen years later, I see a phase that helped me grow. A new found respect for so many things, seeing people as people, and the importance of showing light in the lives of people that I was invited in to. It marked a new beginning at a certain point in my life. In that moment of time, one journey lead to another, and I am thankful I can share them.’ Hunter Barnes, 2019”

The Hunter Barnes private view is Thursday 26th September 2019 | 6-9pm. The exhibition continues until 20th December 2019. Opening ttimes Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11-5pm (other times by appointment) The gallery is at 345 Ladbroke Grove, London W10 6HA – www.davidhillgallery.net

And yes, I know we listed it last week but it is worth listing again and it is worth enjoying while you still can, those gardens are going to be missed

5: Graffestival at the Nomadic Community gardens – EndoftheLine end the summer with a Graffestival: Art & Music Jam September 21st & 22nd (open midday til 8/9pm). – “This Autumn EndoftheLine return to the Nomadic Community gardens, this is the 6th graffiti event we’ve hosted on the site since 2014. Since then we’ve hosted the annual Meeting of Styles UK festival 5 times and we’ve expanded the legal walls to include the walls surrounding the Allen Gardens and leading up to Brick Lane. This is a special friends and family jam to celebrate the space which is closing soon and a grand finale to commemorate our involvement over the past 6 years. With over 40 brilliant artists confirmed so far this is also your chance to witness a diverse range of artists and styles, from local and visiting graffiti artists as they team up to paint the home of East London’s largest legal wall spots. Don’t miss the chance to do so in this unique location right nestled in the trainlines with live music, DJ’s, screen printing & graffiti workshops, a range of food options and hot & cold drinks. All of this is part of a free 2 day art and music jam in the heart of East London. More details from the Facebook events page .

And coming up in November…