Death : a self-portrait

Wellcome Collection, London
15 November 2012 – 24 February 2013

A new exhibition showcases some 300 works from a unique collection devoted to the iconography of death and our complex and contradictory attitudes towards it. Assembled by Richard Harris, the collection is spectacularly diverse, including art works, historical artefacts, scientific specimens and ephemera from across the world. Rare prints by Rembrandt, Dürer and Goya will be displayed alongside anatomical drawings, war art and antique metamorphic postcards; human remains will be juxtaposed with Renaissance vanitas paintings and twentieth century installations celebrating Mexico’s Day of the Dead.

Please visit the Wellcome Collection website for more information.

Matisse in Maidstone

Drawing with scissors: late works 1950-1954

 A Hayward Touring Exhibition
Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery
St. Faith’s Street, Maidstone
Saturday 20 October – Sunday 18 November 2012
Admission £3 adults, under-16s free.
http://www.museum.maidstone.gov.uk/exhibitions/

‘There is no gap between my earlier pictures and my cut-outs’, Matisse wrote; ‘I have only reached a form reduced to the essential through greater absoluteness and greater abstraction’.
This exhibition presents 35 lithographic prints of Matisse’s famous paper-cuts, including many of his iconic images such as The Snail, and the Blue Nudes. On Saturday 27th October there will be the opportunity to try your hand at making your own Matisse inspired picture at a Big Draw event, being run in collaboration with the University for the Creative Arts. The event is free and open to all.

Street art : contemporary prints

The Historic Dockyard, Chatham ME4 4TZ
Until 27 November 2011

This exhibition explores the ways street art has moved away from the painted wall into the medium of printmaking, creating distinctive, exciting visuals along the way. Drawn from the Victoria and Albert Museum’s internationally renowned collection of prints, the exhibition showcases established and emerging street artists, both British and international, including names such as Banksy, Jamie Hewlett, D*Face and Shepard Fairey.

Please visit the Chatham Historic Dockyard website for further details.

Out of Australia : prints and drawings

The British Museum, London WC1B 3DG
Until 11 September 2011

This exhibition is the first big show of Australian art of any kind in London for over a decade, and it is the first exhibition of Australian works on paper of this scale and ambition to be held outside Australia. It features 125 works on paper by 60 artists, from the 1940s modernists to contemporary artists and Indigenous Australian printmakers, all drawn from the British Museum’s collection.

Find out more on the British Museum website.

Kai & Sunny : the flower show

StolenSpace Gallery, The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL.
Until 26th June 2011

Kai and Sunny are well-known for the book covers they have produced for David Mitchell, and they have won numerous accolades including a D&AD award in illustration/design.  Their new exhibition features a series of monotone works, highlighted in glittering silver, which explore the word ‘flower’.  These include large-scale, silkscreened images which illustrate the complexity of the flower.

To find out more, please visit the StolenSpace Gallery website or visit Kai & Sunny’s blog to view further images of the work.

eStream online TV recordings

eStream is the University Library’s system for digitally recording television and radio broadcasts. You can view programmes via a web browser similar to the way you would watch YouTube.

Access eStream on and off campus at http://www.estream.ucreative.ac.uk

For off campus use, please use your standard UCA computer login.
On campus you should not need to log in unless you are using Firefox or Safari.

If you have any comments or questions about eStream, or would like to recommend any TV or radio programmes that you would like us to record, please contact the Visual Resources team at libraryvr@ucreative.ac.uk

Pick Me Up Graphic Art Fair at Somerset House

17-27 March
Daily 10.00-19.00, Thurs until 21.00

The best, most innovative and avant-garde graphic artists, collectives and galleries from the UK and across the world will exhibit and offer an exuberant mix of artworks for sale. Somerset House will once again become a platform for the graphic art and design community and a great place to experience first hand the energy and excitement of the graphic art scene.

A lively programme of events and activities such as Heavy Pencil, an evening of live music and live drawing, will accompany the fair and an open studio from designer Anthony Burrill.

More information about the fair and tickets is available on the Somerset House website.

John Piper in Kent & Sussex

Mascalls Gallery, Paddock Wood
Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery
Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst

9 March – 21 May 2011

John Piper’s love of Kent and Sussex began in his teenage years when he cycled the lanes of the two counties with his sketchbook. The exhibition includes this early work alongside the artist’s later collaboration with the poet John Betjeman on the Shell tourist guides. Stage sets and costume designs for Benjamin Britten’s operas at Glyndebourne are brought together with designs for stained glass and tapestry, illustrating the versatlility of Piper’s art from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Find out more on the Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery website, the Mascalls Gallery website and the Scotney Castle website.

Jerwood Makers Open – Call for Submissions

Deadline: 21 February 2011.

 

Jerwood Makers Open is part of Jerwood Visual Arts (JVA), a contemporary gallery programme of awards, exhibitions and events at Jerwood Space, which then tours nationally. Jerwood Visual Arts aims to promote and celebrate the work of talented emerging artists across the disciplines of drawing, painting, sculpture, applied arts, photography and moving image. It also aims to make connections and provoke conversations within and across the different disciplines.

More information about the Jerwood Makers Open is available on their website.

Reverting to type

Standpoint Gallery, 45 Coronet Street, London N1 6HD
10th–24th Dec 2010 & 4th–22nd Jan 2011

Reverting to Type is an exhibition of contemporary letterpress practitioners, showcasing how a centuries-old craft is being reinvented for modern day usage.  The exhibition is curated by Graham Bignell of New North Press and graphic designer Richard Ardagh and features prints and publications by progressive practitioners from around the world.

Find out more on the Standpoint Gallery website.