This page is under construction, this event is happening right now, we’ll post this first draft while it is still happening, maybe you might like to go? There was some great art last night, some good conversation, it is all happening again this Saturday afternoon…

It was a pretty disgusting evening, nothing pretty about it, trees were down in the park, there’s crap going on absobloodylutely everywhere in the world, the storm blowing outside had a name, there’s another one due on Sunday and there’s another Open Studio thing to go to as well. Who in their right mind would go out to anything on a night like last night unless they really really had to (and who in their right mind comes home and tries to write something about it that night while the event is still happening for that matter?). The beautiful rabbit warren that is Martello Studios is pretty much over the road and a not quite five minute walk away from the Organ bunker though, and artists should support artists (and I do like to think that is what I am, still a working artist of something like that although the notion of artists supporting artists does feel like it has maybe got a little lost in recent times).

Off in the rain to the home of the Death Factory it was last night then and this Open Studio thing is happening today as well. Weren’t these Open Studios once a weekend thing? It really didn’t feel that committed last night, it didn’t really feel like the event it once was, it didn’t feel like that was just down to the weather last night? These things are always rewarding though, this open studio events….

These things are always rewarding though, this open studio events, especially in the old historic East London spaces like Martello House or Chisenhale. Yes, these open studios are well worth your time, especially if the artists haven’t cleaned up too much and turned their spaces into galleries. You get to see all kind of things that maybe the artists don’t want you to see (unless they’ve re-arranged their book shelves and CD collections as well). We have covered many open days on these pages. Every artist treats it differently, a strategically placed copy of the Beano in one, the offer of a glass of wine (well a plastic cup of wine) in the next, a carefully hung exhibition of work in the one down the corridor over there, I like the ones where the artist has left things as they always are, where the working mess is alive and the priority is to get this inconvenience all done with so work can continue. It does sometimes feel like you are imposing on people, invading private spaces, almost sacred working spaces and yes, it these old spaces with some much history built up now in the layers of paint on the floor. These old factories that were originally settled by artists in the 70s when no one else wanted them and artists really did.

These days the Space operation seems a little more cynical, a little less about artists and a little more about making money out of artists. Space are the people who run Martello Studios as well as the other two spaces that are open this Saturday; Deborah House and Bridget Riley Studio, both over in the now rather gentrified Hackney Wick. We’re based right over the road from the now faded other Space space and that woefully underused over priced pop up gallery, we have been for years, things have changed at Sapce…

Hey look, I could write a lot more, I need to write lots more about the art and the artists taking part this weekend, there is always god things to see, good conversations to be had, I will write more, come back in a couple of hours, consider this page under construction and unfinished right now. Let’s post it while the event is still on. I shall be back later with more about the art, the artists, their links and more…

For now, Martello Studios are open today, a very short walk from London Field and the overground railway station of the same name, today being Saturday 24th October, 11am to 5pm as are Deborah House and Bridget Riley Studio over in Hackney Wick…. (sw)

Previously on these pages…

ORGAN THING: Martello Street, The Triangle, Peter Kennard, Kelly Sweeney, celebrating East London’s vital old school art studios, these Hackney spaces are important…

ORGAN THING: The taste of paint, the smell of history, Martello Street Studios open day, like we we said last week, these kind of days are vital. Peter Kennard, Throbbing Gristle, Walid Sati, Zoe Benbow, Jamie Boyd, Doyle and Mallinson…

ORGAN PREVIEW: East London’s Chisenhale Studios is open this weekend, explore that great big rabbit warren of artists, studios, eat their biscuits, ask them questions…

Do click in an image to enlarge and see the whole thing or to run the slide show and get a flavour…. artists names and more will be along in a moment..