Contributors
About Article A very warm welcome to this second issue of Article, the magazine of the Artmarket Gallery. Located in Cottingham, East Yorkshire, the Artmarket Gallery was founded by directors Robert and Michelle Power in 2010. It has since grown to become one of the region’s leading galleries, displaying and selling work by artists ranging from the up-and-coming, such as Chess, Zee and Dean Martin who all first showcased at the Artmarket Gallery, to the grand masters, like David Hockney and street artist Banksy. The Artmarket Gallery is completely independent and all of our artists are carefully chosen by the team to guarantee you the best selection of contemporary art. We offer a range of services including organising a commission for that unique and very special piece, home visits to help you display your new artwork to its best advantage, and advice on what to choose if you’re looking for a piece as an investment as well as for pleasure. And we’re always mindful that buying an artwork can involve a considerable financial outlay (although we have plenty of pieces at very affordable prices!): don’t forget to check out the help we can offer, including the interest-free Artmarket Zero, on our website: artmarket.co.uk
Happy reading! The Article team
Graphic Power Design and production
Robert Power Creation
Michelle Power Gallery Director
Matt Ellwood Lead designer
Jeannie Swales Lead feature writer
Chloe Proudlove Art consultant/ feature writer
Amanda Parker Art consultant
Alessio Mei Location photographer
Matt Power Studio photographer
Image credits
Advertising
Front and back cover: © Alessio Mei www.alessiomei.com
If you’d like your business to be an advertising partner of Article, please drop us a line at:
www.graphicpower.co.uk
gallery@artmarket.co.uk
Contents | 2020
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Page 56
30 Hockney’s window on the world
52 Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
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Flower power New inspiration for Rozanne Bell
David Hockney
8 Lucky Star Breaking the rules with Zee
12 The big book of Bailey Stunning photos from the man himself
16 A sense of lace Simon Wright’s bold cityscapes
20 Moonrise kingdom Reach for the stars with Moonfire
24 AP or EA Common terminology in printmaking
26 A n evening of Northern Romance Cuddle up with David Renshaw
34 Chess pieces Portraits of cultural icons of the 20th and 21st centuries
38 Craig’s worth his weight A nostalgic collection inspired by the 1980s
44 Investing in art Art for a rainy day…
46 It’s a kind of magic Carly Ashdown - tough, yet tender
Everything is possible for JJ Adams
54 Sharks A collector’s edition by Michael Muller
56 Taking the art world by storm The Mad Artist takes no prisoners
60 The fine art of packing Behind the scenes in our packing department
63 The news in brief Banksy, Bailey, and more
50 Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Spain - Designed by Frank Gehry
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The earth as only a handful of people have ever seen it. Find out more on page 20
Buzz Aldrin | Apollo 11 Earthrise Sequence
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Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11 – 50th Anniversary Edition Prints. Earthrise Sequence is limited to 150 copies, signed by Buzz Aldrin.
Photo: © NASA | TASCHEN | www.taschen.com
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Flower power A new found contentment with her life has led to a change of direction in her paintings for artist Rozanne Bell. Her many fans, including Artmarket customers, have long appreciated the Zimbabwean-born artist for her use of an exceptionally vivid colour palette across a wide range of themes including animals, landscapes, seascapes, and even spacescapes. More recently, she’s been hard at work producing dramatic stripe paintings so intense they seem ready to vibrate their way off the canvas. And now, alongside her more familiar themes, we can expect to see more and more brilliant and hugely decorative depictions of lavish arrangements of flowers. “I have never been happier in my career,” says Rozanne, who, having left Zimbabwe in 2002, fleeing the country with her five young children to escape the toxic political situation created by President Robert Mugabe, these days resides in the the rather more sedate surroundings of Dorset. “Like many woman in their 50s, I’m feeling that a huge weight has been lifted as our responsibilities and lifestyles change! It means we can focus more freely on our careers – still passionately, but without the exhausting intensity.
Rozanne Bell | Flower power
Rozanne Bell | Perfect Posy
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Rozanne Bell | Birds of Paradise
Rozanne Bell | Colourful Exploration
Rozanne Bell | Flower power
“ I’m loving getting back in touch with the African flowers of my youth – the bolder and brighter the better! ”
“The only good thing to come with the menopause is the enormous shift one has with priorities. I no longer have either the time or the inclination to waste valuable hours clucking about trivial things. After all, at the end of the day our health and our loved ones are all that’s important. I can now take the time to truly appreciate the things that matter and that money can’t buy. “My mental approach has changed over the years from a ‘manic need to achieve’ mindset to one of ‘I love doing what I’m doing to the best of my ability’. It’s an attitude that brings me enormous freedom and breathing space.” And those stunning flower portraits, which would brighten any room and cheer anyone’s day?
“I’m loving getting back in touch with the African flowers of my youth, which is where I started painting aged 15,” she says. “And the bolder and brighter the better! “My love of texture is at the forefront and I’m also flirting with sculpture, pottery and fabrics.” And like all of Rozanne’s work, each painting is a unique original: “I don’t touch prints,” she says. “And I can’t recreate my own work – my colour palette changes every day, and that’s how I like it!” Given her already eclectic range of subject matter, where might Rozanne seek inspiration next? “A bit like my hot flushes, it’s very hard to predict my next steps,” she laughs. “I’m just enjoying all the aspects of my art that I never had the time to appreciate before. I guess getting older does have its advantages!”
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Lucky star Examine one of Zee’s paintings closely and you’ll be rewarded by an absolute treasure trove of cultural references.
The one that will probably jump out at you first is Spider-Man, who appears, humorously adapted to complement the subject, in every one of her paintings (with the single exception of her first, based on The Wolf of Wall Street – she hadn’t thought of the trope when she painted that one). In her portrait of Marilyn Monroe, for instance, Spidey wears a blonde wig. On the Madonna image, he’s striking a pose. Alongside Princess Diana is a tiny figure of Prince Charles in a Spider-Man outfit. And when he co-stars with Freddie Mercury, he’s wearing the famous yellow leather jacket from the post-Live Aid days.
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Zee | I Love JFK
Zee | The Colour of Money
But this is just one small part of the busy sea of references that range from Disney through The Simpsons to Roy Lichtenstein. Where do they all come from?
Zee – her real name is Zita Som – was born and brought up in Budapest. Both her parents are artists so she grew up in a creative household.
“From my children and my other half, Pete – he’s into all that stuff!” she says. “We do brainstorming sessions to come up with cool ideas: for Madonna, there are hidden song titles in there. There’s the Virgin Holidays logo, but made out of two song titles: Like a Virgin and Holiday. And there’s a Lucky Strike cigarette box on there, but it actually says Lucky Star.
At 18, she moved, alone, to London. “I hardly spoke any English, but I was hungry for success and ready for all the challenges life can bring!” she says now.
“The Princess Diana piece connects to my portrait of the Queen: both images are on stamps stuck on a brick wall. The Queen has lots of photos around her from when she was little, and Diana has lots of Vogue covers – very different, but they link together. “I’ve also hidden my children’s birthdays in each picture somewhere – if people start collecting my work, they can enjoy looking for all these things!”
She ended up studying Interior Design and Creative Art at Richmond Collage and Digital Art at Elephant Castle College “I started doing little personalised artworks for friends and family and was receiving more and more commissions from friends and family. But it wasn’t until I went on maternity leave that I decided to try and pursue art as a career: it was my passion, and it allowed me to be around my children. “I try to create unique and slightly quirky artworks. I’m inspired by things around me; by family and friends, and also by my love of fashion and nature.”
Zee describes herself as a mixed media/ digital artist, saying: “Being self-taught, with little awareness of or concern for the ‘rules’, I find myself with a natural tendency to break them! “Experimenting with acrylic paints, inks, and various mediums and tools, I sometimes find myself with a finished painting and no clear memory of the individual steps taken on the way. “Acrylic and watercolours had always been my choice of media; however, now fast computing capabilities provide the tools to render my vibrant inner world. I absolutely love technology and love creating art with an edge. I’d call my style pop art, or mixed media implemented with the benefit of digital technology. “I enjoy a freestyle approach to the use of media; I orchestrate the visual components using a variety of techniques. By scanning painted and drawn media into pixels, I manipulate and integrate the imagery with digital painting. “And nowadays I am more into digital art as I have to work around my children and my artist hours start after 7pm!”
Zee | Lucky star
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The SUMO and its Marc Newson bookstand and the four available prints.
Photo: © TASCHEN | www.taschen.com
David Bailey | The big book of Bailey
The big book of Bailey The Artmarket’s partnership with international art publishers TASCHEN flourishes, bringing some great art and books to the East Yorkshire gallery. One of our favourites is the recent David Bailey ‘sumo’ – so called because of its size. It’s a mammoth 50 cm × 70 cm, has 440 pages, and is luxuriously stuffed with stunning photographic portraits by the photographer whose work came to define the 1960s. Born in 1938, Bailey was just 22 when he was contracted to Vogue as fashion photographer – he shot his first cover for the groundbreaking magazine the following year. He went on to become one of the seminal figures of the Swinging Sixties, a photographer who was a global star in his own right and shot everyone of any note during that sparkling decade. He even inspired one of the era’s classic movies – Antonioni’s Blowup, starring Bailey lookalike David Hemmings as a London fashion photographer who gets entangled in a murder.
“ He prints black and white like a silversmith chases metal.” Francis Hodgson Professor of the Culture of Photography at the University of Brighton
Those who sat for him include Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Kate Moss, Nelson Mandela, Francis Bacon, Zaha Hadid, The Rolling Stones, Jack Nicholson, Brigitte Bardot and Margaret Thatcher, as well as the many glamorous models and actresses who became his girlfriends and wives: Penelope Tree, Susan Murray, Jean Shrimpton, Marie Helvin, Catherine Deneuve and Catherine Dyer (the last three all eventually becoming Mrs Bailey – he is still married to Dyer). All of them can be found in the pages of the Bailey sumo which, with typically TASCHEN flair, has a number of options to appeal to collectors. Only 3,000 were printed. As Bailey himself says: “Big book. Small club.” Each of the 3,000 is individually signed and numbered by Bailey himself, and comes with a bespoke stand designed by renowned designer Marc Newson and a set of four interchangeable book jackets featuring legendary shots taken from Bailey’s 1965 book, Box Of Pin-Up’s: John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Jean Shrimpton, Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol. The first 300 – the Art Editions – were divided into four sets of 75, each with an added extra: a limited edition print of one of the four covers signed by Bailey.
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14 Bailey was both inspirational and aspirational at a time when British society was being turned on its head. From a working class family in the East End of London, he struggled at school – it later transpired that he’s dyslexic – and claims to have only attended on 33 days during one particular school year. His poor school record barred him from college, but his sheer guts, drive and determination won through, and in 1960, he was contracted to British Vogue magazine as a fashion photographer.
Photography: © TASCHEN | www.taschen.com
Before long, he was part of a trio of snappers – the other two were the equally famous, glamorous and working class Terence Donovan and Brian Duffy – who swashbuckled their way through the Sixties, earning themselves the affectionate nickname ‘the Black Trinity’ from their fellow fashion photographer (and very much not working class) Norman Parkinson.
Women fell at Bailey’s feet – Penelope Tree described him during his time at Vogue as ‘the king lion on the Savannah: incredibly attractive, with a dangerous vibe. He was the electricity, the brightest, most powerful, most talented, most energetic force at the magazine’. This from a woman of whom John Lennon, when asked to describe her in three words, said: “Hot, hot, hot, smart, smart, smart!” And yet another model, and later American Vogue’s creative director, Grace Coddington said: “It was the Sixties, it was a raving time, and Bailey was unbelievably goodlooking. He was everything that you wanted him to be – like the Beatles but accessible.” It’s tempting then, perhaps, to view Bailey as style over substance, a lucky guy with looks and chutzpah who happened to be in all the right places during just the right decade – but it would be so, so wrong to do so.
His black-and-white portraits are not only revealing records of individual sitters, but a remarkable social record of a time like no other – as his friend, the renowned British artist Damien Hirst, says: “Bailey’s pictures are immediate and present. He’s the master of his art and he’s created a mind-blowing visual language.” And Bailey’s talents weren’t limited to just taking the pictures: as Francis Hodgson, Professor of the Culture of Photography at the University of Brighton and long-time Bailey scholar once observed: “He prints black and white like a silversmith chases metal.”
David Bailey | The big book of Bailey
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A sense of lace When he was just 15, Simon Wright took a trip to the National Gallery in London’s Trafalgar Square, and found himself transfixed by a 15th-century portrait of a lady. “She was wearing this sort of lace headwear, and I just could not believe how amazing the lace was,” he recalls now. “Then I walked right up to her, and suddenly the lace was just a series of random, almost uncontrolled, marks. But when I got further away again, it revealed itself to be this incredible, finely detailed, work.
“It was almost like a magic trick, and I’m always striving for that – you see a magic trick, and then you see how they do the trick, and you think, ‘ah, that’s how it’s done’. With painting, I’m always trying to do something new and when you figure out how to actually do it, it’s such a big thrill, working out how you can make these marks to give the effect you’re after.
“And then you think, ‘ah, I’ve got that now – now I need to figure out the next way of working’. It’s a process of wanting to constantly better yourself as an artist. “Whenever I’m in a gallery I’m never looking at a painting from 10 feet away – I’m the one who’s 10 inches away, really studying it, looking at how it’s made, what colours they’ve used, what techniques.” That hunger to keep moving, learning and evolving has become the West Yorkshire artist’s trademark. The former illustratorturned-fine-artist first became well known for his sensitive portraits of animals, but even they didn’t follow a set format, ranging from the very traditional to the very contemporary.
Simon Wright | A sense of lace
And now he’s moved on again – the work that Artmarket Gallery customers can expect to see is as far removed from animal portraits as it’s possible to be: lively depictions of some of the world’s greatest cities, some almost impressionistic, others clearly influenced by his background in illustration.
Simon Wright | London Bridge by Night
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Simon Wright | A sence of lace
“I’ve done cityscapes for a while now, in various styles – some are almost Turneresque; others are in bright, bold colours,” he says. “Every time I approach it differently: it keeps me motivated, and once I’ve achieved one style, I can move onto something else, then maybe return to that first style further down the road with fresh eyes and vigour. “This particular work I’m doing at the moment, it’s cityscapes and I’m trying to get a bit of a sense of chaos – I put the paint on thick, it’s a sort of beautiful mess. “When you stand back, you can see it represents a particular scene, but get up close, and it looks as though it’s been thrown on. It’s that which captivates me.” But while Simon gets a real kick out of trying something new, there’s an even bigger high to be aimed for. “The biggest thrill of all is when someone likes your work,” he says. “When you’re painting, you’re all alone in your studio in your own little bubble, with no idea whether anyone’s going to like what you’re doing. It’s such a great feeling when people respond in such a positive way.”
“ Art is almost like a magic trick, and I’m always striving for that.” Simon Wright
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Moonrise kingdom The Artmarket Gallery is currently celebrating one of the most extraordinary of human achievements – the first Moon landing.
“ As we look toward the future, bigger and bolder is where we aim to go! Journeying to the moon and back with new projects such as our ready-to-hang Apollo 11 fine art prints and stunning Bailey SUMO book, we are grateful to have venturous partners like Artmarket by our side for the ride.” Marlene Taschen, CEO, TASCHEN
Fifty years ago, Apollo 11 took a two-man crew to the Moon. At 2.56am on 21 July 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the Moon, followed 19 minutes later by Buzz Aldrin. Their astonishing, almost super-human, talents stretched, it seems, as far as photography: they returned with a set of images which half a century later are as mind-blowingly fresh and crisp as they were when they were first seen all those years ago. Those pictures have recently been published in a limited edition set of art prints by the Artmarket’s good friends at TASCHEN, each one signed by Buzz Aldrin – pop in and take a look: we guarantee you’ll want one!
Photography: © NASA | TASCHEN | www.taschen.com Lunar Module Ascent
Buzz Aldrin | Apollo 11
A Man on the Moon
“ From the rich blacks in the lunar shadows to the bright whites of the EVA suits, the ChromaLuxe aluminum panel showcases the Apollo 11 photography with a spectacular look and feel.” Michelle Power, Gallery Director
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Solar Wind Composition Experiment
Inspecting the Eagle
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Earthrise Sequence 94 hours into the mission:
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Flag on the Moon 110 hours, 10 minutes, and 33 seconds into the mission:
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. A Man on the Moon 110 hours, 42 minutes, and 39 seconds into the mission:
Every crew since the Apollo 8 mission has been electrified by the unexpected sight of the colourful Earth rising over the barren Moon. The Apollo 11 crew was no exception – and could not resist taking its own version of the Earthrise from the Command Module.
Buzz Aldrin takes a moment from the busy timeline to salute the American flag, a familiar splash of patriotic colours on the moonscape. Moments later, Neil Armstrong will join him to take a call from President Richard Nixon.
Buzz Aldrin consults his wrist checklist, which lists the 30 tasks planned for his 90 minutes on the Moon’s surface. In Aldrin’s visor we see reflections of the TV camera, the flag, Neil Armstrong, the Lunar Module, and the Earth.
Dye-sublimation print on two ChromaLuxe aluminum panels (diptych), 80cm×240 cm | Exclusive edition of 150, signed, titled, dated, and numbered on label on verso | £ 6,000
Dye-sublimation print on ChromaLuxe aluminum panel, 101.6cm×101.6cm | Exclusive edition of 150, signed, titled, dated and numbered on label on verso | £ 3,750
Dye-sublimation print on ChromaLuxe aluminum panel, 101.6×101.6 cm | Exclusive edition of 475, signed, titled, dated, and numbered on label on verso | £3,750
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Solar Wind Composition Experiment 110 hours, 3 minutes, and 24 seconds into the mission: Buzz Aldrin sets up the first of the scientific experiments that will be deployed on the surface – the Solar Wind Composition Experiment. This pristine foil sheet, hung on a mast so it was perpendicular to the direction of the sun, would collect some of the tiny particles spewed from the sun and hurled through the solar system as solar wind. Dye-sublimation print on ChromaLuxe aluminum panel, 101.6cm×101.6cm | Exclusive edition of 75, signed, titled, dated and numbered on label on verso | £ 3,750
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Inspecting the Eagle 110 hours, 42 minutes, and 14 seconds into the mission: Buzz Aldrin inspects the Eagle. The Ascent Stage of the LM has yet to perform its most daunting task on the lunar surface. With the Descent Stage acting as a launch pad, it must get the two moonwalkers back to lunar orbit where they will join up with Michael Collins in the Command Module for the ride home. Dye-sublimation print on ChromaLuxe aluminum panel 101.6cm×101.6cm | Exclusive edition of 75, signed, titled, dated, and numbered on label on verso | £ 3,750
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Lunar Module Ascent 127 hours, 52 minutes, and 5 seconds into the mission: After an elegant orbital dance around the moon choreographed by two spacecraft and mighty computers on Earth, Eagle rendezvoused with Columbia. To Mike Collins’s delight, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin arrived just in time for Earthrise. Dye-sublimation print on ChromaLuxe aluminum panel, 101.6cm×101.6cm | Exclusive edition of 75, signed, titled, dated and numbered on label on verso | £ 3,750
Buzz Aldrin | Apollo 11
Flag on the Moon
Moonfire – the book If your budget doesn’t run to a limited edition print of one of these stunning pictures, you might like instead to buy the Moonfire book at a more affordable £40, and also available from the Artmarket. This 50th anniversary hardcover edition features all the photographs you see on these pages and more, with text by one of the 20th century’s greatest writers, Norman Mailer. Mailer was hired by LIFE magazine in 1969 to cover the Moon shot. His articles were later published in a book, Of A Fire on the Moon, extracts from which are included in Moonfire.
Moonfire also features hundreds of photographs and maps from the NASA vaults, magazine archives, and private collections, documenting the development of the agency and the mission, life inside the command module and on the Moon’s surface, and the world’s jubilant reaction to the landing. www.artmarket.co.uk Photography: © NASA | TASCHEN | www.taschen.com
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AP or EA
BAT (final proof)
The language of the art world can be a bit of a minefield for even the most experienced collector. Below, we explain some of the most common terminology you’ll find in print collecting. We hope it helps to clarify things, but please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need any further help.
AP (artist’s proof) Also sometimes called by its French name, epreuve d’artiste, or EA, this is effectively a test print for the artist to check the plate from which the final image is printed. Ironically, in the early days of printmaking, these were often the best quality versions, as there was no wear and tear on the plates at this early stage. Usually the first 20 or so of a print run, numbered separately to the main limited edition run, they were often kept by the artist or sold later. Technology has, of course, moved on, and now an entire run of litho or giclée prints will all be of the same high quality. Many artists, though, still enjoy the tradition of having a special artist’s proof edition, and the value of them lies not in their quality, but in owning a rare print. This rarity makes them much sought-after by collectors.
Untitled 346 by David Hockney
Artist’s proofs are clearly signalled on the reproduction. A run of 20 artist’s proofs would be numbered 1/20 AP to 20/20 AP (or very similar) and will cost rather more than a limited edition – perhaps an additional 20% to 50%.
PP (printer’s proof) Similar to an artist’s proof, although obviously intended for the printer’s, rather than the artist’s, peace of mind, there will likely be even fewer PPs of a given print, giving collectors the opportunity to own something even rarer. Usually numbered in the same format as the artist’s proof – so, perhaps, 1/20 PP – printer’s proofs sell for the same price as APs, or even slightly more.
HC (hors commerce) Hors commerce translates loosely as ‘out of trade’, or ‘not to be sold’. These were very low edition prints sometimes used as exhibition copies, so wouldn’t be handled or damaged much, pushing their value up even more.
The rarest of the rare, BAT stands for bon à tirer (loosely, ‘good to go’) and is the final trial proof, approved by the artist: this is the one that dictates how the edition looks. There is only one BAT per edition, making it the most valuable print of all.
Signed and numbered A limited edition print should have on it somewhere – often in the bottom left- or right-hand corner – the artist’s signature and what looks like a fraction. Usually in pencil, this tells you what number, of a limited edition of how many, you are buying – so 7/50 would be the seventh print in a run of 50.
Certificate of authenticity All of our artwork comes with a certificate of authenticity, a document with information about the piece, signed by the artist. It gives you confidence that what you are buying is genuine.
Collector’s price Also known as retail price, this is the standard asking price of the artwork.
Art professional’s price The price paid by art professionals, such as galleries or dealers.
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DOG FRIENDLY PUB
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An evening of
Northern Romance
Three new original artworks by David Renshaw inspired by the Pipe and Glass and its beautiful surroundings
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One of our favourite artists, the hugely popular David Renshaw, dropped by recently to make a rare personal appearance for the Artmarket Gallery at the Pipe and Glass. Fans travelled from all over the country to spend the evening with the man himself at the Michelin-starred restaurant, just a few miles up the road from the Gallery at South Dalton. David, of course, is the creator of Ted and Doris, the loved-up couple whose travels in their trusty camper van form the basis of his Northern Romance series of paintings.
Autumn Glow by David Renshaw
Three brand new original artworks featuring Ted and Doris and inspired by the beautiful Pipe and Glass and its surroundings were revealed on the night by David alongside Artmarket director Robert Power.
“When I was looking for a new direction in my painting, my grandmother’s stories sparked the idea of Ted and Doris – I wanted something that people could connect to on an emotional level.
The three pieces – Our Perfect Evening, Light of My Life and Autumn Glow – all sold on the night, as did many of the boutique hand-embellished limited edition prints of each new painting, each one numbered and signed by David.
“So now there’s always the couple, always a heart, and love is always the theme. But geographically, they can go anywhere. And they’ve evolved over the years. At first they were always quite Lowryesque cityscapes – my parents are from Manchester and Leeds. But I was born and brought up in Southport, and I love the countryside, so now they’re often in more natural environments, reflecting my own experiences more.”
The Northern Romance series is, David explains, inspired by his beloved grandmother. “She was a prominent and influential figure in my childhood,” he says. “She adored my grandfather, who had died when they were quite young. She never remarried, and she always used to tell me stories about him.
David Renshaw | Northern Romance
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Our Perfect Evening by David Renshaw
The three new pictures had a more specific inspiration, too: before starting work, David visited the Pipe and Glass to have lunch, meet owners James and Kate Mackenzie, and enjoy the surrounding countryside and landmarks, including the Humber Bridge and the soaring church spire of St Mary’s at South Dalton. Guests enjoyed a delicious Pipe and Glass dinner starting with a selection of canapés, followed by a little cup of game and wild mushroom broth, with a game and juniper sausage roll; beetroot and Yorkshire gin-cured salmon with crème fraîche, crab croquette, pickled cucumber and dill, and Two Chefs ale-braised ox cheek with marrowbone potato, crispy onions and anise carrot. Pudding was white chocolate and semidried cranberry bread and butter pudding with spiced clementine suzette and cardamom custard, all rounded off by coffee and sweet treats. This was the third Artmarket Gallery artist event at the Pipe and Glass – previous guest artists were Bob Barker and Peter Smith. The originals of their paintings, Table for Two and The Secret Pantry, can be seen on display at the pub.
We were delighted when David Renshaw recently agreed to paint a new Northern Romance image exclusively for the Artmarket Gallery.
David Renshaw’s event sold out in record time and was over-subscribed – do keep an eye on the Artmarket website, or sign up to our mailing list, for future events.
The Bridge To Our Hearts features cuddly couple Ted and Doris enjoying a dramatic sunset over the breathtaking expanse of the Humber Bridge - see previous pages.
Light of My Life by David Renshaw
We were privileged to be able to sell the original painting almost immediately; we also stock a limited edition of just 25 handembellished giclée on canvas prints, most of which have already been snapped up – so do hurry if you’d like one for your home!
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There are few artists who could create an entire collection of memorable images based entirely on the view from their window. But David Hockney is, of course, one in many millions. When the Yorkshire-born artist discovered the iPhone as an artistic medium, just over a decade ago, it opened up entirely new possibilities for painting. The device was simple to use and he didn’t even have to get out of bed to start work, a boon for an artist then in his 70s (he’ll celebrate his 83rd birthday in July 2020). Its backlit screen allowed him to work long into the night if he wished. Ever the innovator (he once told The Telegraph that ‘anyone who likes drawing and mark-making will like to explore new media’), in 2010, he moved on to the brand new iPad: its larger screen and Brushes app opened up even more possibilities, artistically and practically. “The iPhone was more about the relationship between the hand and the ear, whereas this is all about the hand and the eye and makes for far better co-ordination,” he told the London Evening Standard that year. He used the new technology to create a set of uniquely personal images of the view from – and the objects immediately inside – his window, which have now been brought together in a vibrant new book suitably entitled My Window, available at the Artmarket Gallery.
Photo: ©TASCHEN GmbH/ Mark Seelen
Hockney’s window on the world
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“ The iPhone was more
about the relationship between the hand and the ear, whereas this is all about the hand and the eye…”
David Hockney
32 My Window is a ‘baby sumo’ volume and the perfect companion to the previous collaboration between TASCHEN and Hockney, the spectacular A Bigger Book, which was a huge success with collectors. Each of the 120 pictures in the new volume, all created between 2009 and 2012 and arranged by Hockney himself in chronological order, captures a specific moment in time, from early morning sunrises to dusk and nightfall, and moves from season to season, a particular interest of the artist’s. Intimate details of objects both inside and outside the window give a unique insight into his world, and how he sees it.
The four editions This large-format, crisp resolution artist’s book comes in four Art Editions, each with a print of an iPhone or iPad drawing. The first 250 – Art Edition A – are all accompanied by drawing No. 535, created on 28 June 2009, which showcases a vase of brilliant pink flowers – we’re putting our money on peonies – on a yellow sill below a window framed by a white shutter. A further 250 – Art Edition B – are accompanied by drawing No. 281, an intimate insight into Hockney’s day on 23 July 2010. A single vibrant red flower stands in a Moroccan-style blue vase against green slatted shutters – perhaps he was on holiday somewhere hot and by the sea? David Hockney | Untitled No. 281
David Hockney | Untitled No. 535
The third 250 – Art Edition C – are all accompanied by drawing No. 610, created by Hockney on 23 December 2010. We must have had a white Christmas that year – the image, with a clear windowsill shows a green-framed window looking out onto a gloriously seasonal scene – heavily snowladen branches against a vivid blue sky. You can feel the chill in the air. The final 250 – Art Edition D – are all accompanied by drawing No. 778, which reveals Hockney’s view on 17 April 2011. It’s springtime, and the artist, then 73, is enjoying the riot of colour – an indigo blue curtain, which looks as though it’s probably velvet, frames an uplifting scene in which pink blossom clashes joyously with the terracotta red of a pantiled roof.
David Hockney | Untitled No. 778
David Hockney | Untitled No. 610
The Art Edition book and prints are personally signed by David Hockney as is the Collector’s Edition book which comes in a clamshell box (numbers 1,001 to 2,000). All editions are currently available from the Artmarket Gallery at the time of going to print, prices on application and subject to change without notice.
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Chess pieces Buy a work of art by mixed media artist Chess and you’re also buying a piece –or two – of history.
35 From Bowie to Bob Dylan, from Madonna to Meghan, the Wiltshire-based painter creates stunning portraits of cultural icons of the 20th and 21st centuries, each one carefully curated from original newspaper cuttings about the subject. Buy a portrait of 60s supermodel Twiggy in her heyday, for instance, and you might find yourself reading cuttings ranging from the long defunct and much-missed American movie magazine Photoplay from October 1971 to the Daily Mail from December 2018 – the former profiling ‘a star in the making’, the latter, ‘Dame Twiggy’. Each startlingly accurate portrait starts life as a pencil drawing on canvas, after which Chess paints in the background colour, minimising the risk of getting any stray splashes of paint on those precious cuttings. She then tears articles and headlines from the newspapers, all of them carefully sourced from online stores: “I buy from people who have collected around a certain person. I do worry, though, that one day they’ll just run out! And I don’t like to cut them – I enjoy the rough edges.” The cuttings are then applied to the canvas using a technique similar to collage or découpage. Finally, the finer facial features are carefully inked in using calligraphy ink. “It’s very similar to the ink that was used to print the newspapers, so that’s a really nice touch,” says Chess.
“ As well as being detailed portraits, they have the added dimension of the stories that are attached to them.” Chess
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Each work is finally sealed with a coat of gloss varnish, which makes the colours of the vintage paper sing. The finished images – all of stars that ‘people have a really strong reaction to’ – combine Chess’s love of reading and writing (she completed an English degree and a Master’s in Creative Writing) with her love of painting and creating. “As well as being detailed portraits, they have the added dimension of the stories that are attached to them,” she says. Chess is a relatively recent addition to the Artmarket family of artists, but already the gallery has stretched her creativity and ingenuity – she was recently commissioned, via the Artmarket, to create portraits of the late rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.
Chess | Wish Me Luok
Chess | Hypnotized
The Artmarket Gallery team with artist Chess
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The Last Post by Chess by Chess
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Craig’s worth his weight… Artmarket Gallery favourite Craig Davison launched his latest body of work, a nostalgic collection inspired by the 1980s called Davison Gold.
Recently returned to the UK after a successful show at the Zarks Gallery in the United States, and newly bearded, the artist shared his new paintings with an appreciative crowd at the Cottingham gallery. Davison Gold features Craig’s trademark style of children enacting scenes involving their favourite characters with the shadow of that character behind them and focus on heroes (and the occasional villain) from popular TV series Doctor Who and The A-Team, and from major ‘80s movies Back to the Future and Rambo. The Doctor Who pieces, featuring Tom Baker’s interpretation of the Timelord, and Daleks, are exclusive to the Artmarket Gallery. The work represents a major shift in time for the Sheffield-born painter. Craig says: “Until now, my art has all been about my childhood – but I’m a bit too old for these characters, so now it’s about other people’s! I’ve been asked to paint characters from the ‘80s many times – well, here they are.
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“ My art has all been about my childhood – now it’s about other people’s!” Craig Davison
40 “I can never really say much about my work as it’s all in the painting – if someone gets something from my work, then I’ve done my job!” Previous collections by Craig have featured superheroes, pop stars and characters from Star Wars; last year, one of the franchise’s original team, actor Mark Hamill, tweeted to his three million-plus followers, with the hashtag #TheWonderOfChildhood: “I LOVE Craig Davison. In my 5-year-old mind’s eye that dishtowel around my neck made me look exactly like Superman!” Most of the originals of each piece in the collection sold long since – but the Artmarket Gallery still has very limited boutique editions of certain pieces and the original pencil sketches. Anyone ordering one of the editions will also receive a complimentary limited edition print, available whilst stocks last. Craig Davison worked as a cartoonist in the 1980s, on pre-school comics and characters including The Shoe People, The Wombles, Huxley Pig and Bangers and Mash. He was then employed at a computer games company as an animator and designer, working on many games including Zorro, The Hulk and The Hurricanes, as well as the game concept and characters for Johnny Bazookatone. He also began sculpting reference figures for 3D animation, which led to his becoming a freelance sculptor of animals and action figures for ranges such as Me To You, Enchantica, Harry Potter and Doctor Who. In 2007 he entered an art competition and finished in the final three, which launched his career as an artist – and the rest, as they say, is history!
Craig Davison | Davison Gold
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David Hockney | Untitled 346
Banksy | Girl With Balloon
Investing in art Written by Robert Power
We all need to keep a weather eye on our financial futures: it makes sense to keep a bit tucked by for a rainy day or invest seriously to support an early retirement. And wouldn’t it be nice if you could do that by putting your money into something that will give you pleasure in the meantime? The good news is that, by investing in art, you can. With a bit of careful forethought, and by taking good care of your work of art, you can enjoy it while it hangs on your wall and then resell it when it suits you and get more than your money back. Art prices, of course, can be stratospheric. We’ve all seen stories in the media of the jaw-dropping prices achieved by works from artists likes of Hockney, Warhol, Pollock – the so-called ‘blue chip’ artists.
And the ‘Old Masters’ can fetch even higher prices – at time of writing, the record was held by Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, which sold at Christie’s in New York for over $450m in 2017 – ironic when you consider that for many years, it was believed to be a relatively worthless copy of a lost original. In its most recent Art and Finance Report (2017), finance specialists Deloitte say that more and more people are expected to invest in what they term ‘passion assets’ in the coming decade as part of a long-term industry trend. In a poll of wealth managers conducted by Deloitte, no less than 88% of those questioned said that art should be a key part of an investment portfolio.
45 But how to go about it? Here’s our beginner’s guide to investing in art. Buy what you like The first step: it sounds obvious, but it makes sense. If you’re going to buy a piece of art with a view to hanging on to it for the future, decide what you like first. There’s bound to be a few pieces that appeal – you can then start whittling down which one of your favourites is most likely to increase in value. Take good care of it You wouldn’t buy a piece of expensive jewellery, then wear it to dig the garden. Take equally good care of your investment art piece. Don’t hang it in direct sunlight, or over a fireplace or radiator. Don’t hang it in a room that suffers from damp. Make sure it’s properly framed – not only does the appropriate frame enhance it aesthetically, but it will help protect the painting, making sure it doesn’t warp or fade. If you don’t plan to hang it at your home or workplace, but prefer instead to keep it in storage, make sure you use a reputable company which understands how to store art properly.
Make sure you have the right documents A good gallery will give you a certificate of authenticity and an insurance valuation with your piece. Store them carefully – you’ll need them when you come to resell. Do your research Like everything else, art is subject to the vagaries of fashion. What’s worth £100 today might only be worth £50 tomorrow. Then again, it could be worth £1,000. Investment is always a risky business, but careful research can help to minimise that risk. Talk to your gallery – at the Artmarket, we pride ourselves on being friendly and approachable. Buy the best you can afford It’s a maxim that will pay off in most areas of life. The art investment world divides contemporary artists into three camps: ‘emerging’, ‘established’ and ‘blue chip’. Emerging: this is often where the real potential for making serious money lies – if you have the ability to spot a real talent at a very early stage in their career, and the confidence to buy, you can snap up a real bargain. Established: widely known within the art world, and beginning to become known more generally. Blue chip: these are the big beasts of contemporary art, those with ‘household’ names. Their work will always sell, but in percentage terms, is unlikely to make the huge returns possible with emerging artists. And don’t forget: none of those blue chip artists – the Picassos, the Harings, the Lichtensteins – came into this world fully formed. They were all emerging, then established, artists at some point in their career. Spotting them at those early stages is the Holy Grail of investment. And one final word of advice from the Artmarket Gallery – and we know you know this, but we still have to say it! – the value of your investment may go down as well as up. Happy hunting!
The Artmarket Gallery has seen some dramatic increases in the value of some of the works of art it’s sold in recent years. Peter Smith’s The Secret Pantry: The limited edition print originally sold for £645 when released in 2015; one has recently sold on the secondary market for £3,000. Craig Davison’s limited editions prints: Bat Signal and Time to Act, each from a limited edition of 95, were originally sold at £450, and have since doubled in value. Super Troopers was released at £650 in 2014 and resold in 2019 at £965 on behalf of an Artmarket client. David Hockney, Untitled, 346: Created on his iPad, this image was released in 2016 as part of A Bigger Book priced at £3,750. We recently resold it for over £16,000. While the above results may seem spectacular, Artmarket Gallery Director Robert Power advises caution: “Obviously not all artworks and prints are as successful as these; some will be worth less than the original purchase price. “If you are looking to invest with a view to reselling at a later date for a profit, please make us aware as our advice will be tailored to your requirements. You also need to keep in mind how will resell your artwork when the time comes, and what fees you will be charged for this service.”
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It’s a kind of magic The tough-yet-tender style of Carly Ashdown’s large-scale portraits of dancers and motorcyclists has gained adoring fans, not least at the Artmarket, for some years now. But a recent life-changing event has opened up a new world of possibility for the young artist. When we speak, Carly is still in recovery from major surgery. “I had a hip replacement about eight weeks ago,” she explains. “I’m at home at the moment, and have only gone back to the studio once or twice. For me painting and expressing myself is such an important part of my connection with life, so to not do it means there’s a bit of me missing. “But after the operation, for a good four to five weeks, I didn’t feel the need to paint, and that’s never happened before. In a way it’s been a positive thing: it’s made me appreciate just how much of my energy I put into painting.
Courage by Carly Ashdown
Carly Ashdown | It’s a kind of magic
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“Because I enjoy it and get so much from doing it, I hadn’t realised how much it required from me – but because I’ve had to focus on recovery I didn’t have the energy for it. It was a really good distinction for me: there’s so much richness in my work, I feel that if I’d attempted to work when I was recovering, it would have shown up in the paintings as a lack of depth.” As the weeks went buy and her body began to mend, Carly began to feel the itch to paint again, but was still not physically well enough to go back to her studio. The results of those frustrating circumstances have surprised even her. “I began to paint at home, where there isn’t room to do the large-scale stuff I’m used to, so I started using watercolours. I had to learn how to work with different materials, and it’s been really magical. “It’s still the Carly Ashdown style, but there’s a new delicacy to it. It’s a very different way of working to my usual acrylics on canvas – you have to put the water down first then add the colour. It’s like a new expression coming through, and it feels quite poetic – I feel that this work has just been waiting to be expressed, and yet I would probably never have explored this avenue without the operation.”
“ The magic never went anywhere – you just lost your connection to it.” Carly Ashdown
Carly Ashdown | It’s a kind of magic Her subject matter, too, has gone in a whole new direction. “All my work represents something bigger – the ballerinas were never about dancing, they were about freedom of movement, about dancing with life and engaging with it. The motorbikes were not about motorcycling – they were about the freedom of the spirit. “And with the watercolours, I’m drawn to paint children in this way which is about portraying a sense of wonder, of magic. I think of my own son, who’s five, talking about how he rides his dragon. These new watercolours point towards the fact that life is incredibly magical and remains magical, but as an adult, all these challenging life events can make it difficult to keep that sense of magic alive – we’re so busy worrying about paying the mortgage, or getting that job. I hope I can show people that the magic never went anywhere, you just lost your connection to it.”
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Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain Designed by Frank Gehry
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It’s over 20 years old, but its curvilinear exterior still makes the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao look futuristically fresh.
Its extensive collections include masterpieces by Mark Rothko, Yves Klein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Anselm Kiefer, Jeff Koons and Jean-Michel Basquiat. But for many, it’s the killer curves of that showstopping architecture that are the real draw. The museum of contemporary and modern art in the largest city of northern Spain is the most celebrated work of Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and was described by leading American magazine Vanity Fair as ‘one of those rare moments when critics, academics, and the general public were all completely united about something’ (in a positive way!) The swooping glass, titanium and limestone structure alongside the city’s Nervión River overshadows even Louise Bourgeois’ famous Maman, one of the world’s largest sculptures – a bronze edition of the sinister 30-foot-plus high spider skitters permanently on the concourse outside the museum. And the Guggenheim is evidence of the power of art to transform a city –it very quickly became a popular destination for tourists from around the world, and within three years of opening, had generated an estimate €500 mlllion for the local economy, more than covering its costs. To find out more about the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, visit: www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en Photography: Alessio Mei |
www.alessiomei.com
alessiomeiphotography
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Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious‌
JJ Adams | Supercalifragilistic-expialidocious
“ Everything is possible, even the impossible.” That was Mary Poppins in the recent blockbuster sequel to the 60s classic – but it could well have been JJ Adams, one of the Artmarket’s most popular artists, whose acid-tinged hyper-real portraits of iconic cultural figures – including the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious one herself – fly off the walls at the Cottingham gallery. JJ is a mixed media artist originally from Plymouth, currently living and working in London. His vibrant, graphic images root him firmly in a pop art tradition that recalls artists such as Andy Warhol, Roger Dean and Richard Hamilton. His approach to the art world is defiantly unconventional – guests at one of his openings were given the opportunity to be tattooed for free by JJ’s favourite tattoo artists, with a choice of designs by the artist himself. We spoke with him during a break from his busy work schedule. JJ, some of your images are clearly based on well-known images of iconic people. How do you approach your version? I approach it by thinking the impossible. The more impossible the idea, the more of a challenge it becomes, and the more fun. For example, if a subject is known for never looking directly at the camera or always posing to the side, I would choose to create my portrait face-on and create an image that otherwise doesn’t exist.
Most artists would simply paint a known photograph or recreate an image from another image. I want to create something new if possible. I am a mixed-media artist, so I will use whatever is needed to make the idea come to life, sometimes I’ll use screen printing, sometimes spray paint and also acrylic. I mainly tend to work digitally at first as it enables me to adjust and change as I work. I find it a lot harder working digitally than I do traditionally but so much more is obtainable. Digital is my preferred method but it’s the least fun. Why do you think some people gain the iconic status that you’re looking for? That’s a difficult question. It’s all about the respect I have for them and the time that has passed since. I really struggle with commissions of modern celebrities or people I feel haven’t accomplished enough yet.
Your work has been described as ‘adding a drop of LSD’ to otherwise familiar images – how do you feel about that description? I think that’s a great description! I definitely do add a lot of tongue-in-cheek humour and bright colour, so I can understand what they mean. I like to turn things on their head and add unusual elements into my work to start people talking or thinking. What can we expect from you next – is there anyone on your ‘hit list’ that you want to paint? Or is a complete change of direction heading our way? Who really knows? My ‘hit list’ is growing and I feel as though I haven’t even really started yet. I like to be consistent but at the same time push the boundaries. I usually stick to a few styles that have proven popular in my work but I also know that a change of direction can be good – it just has to be a really good change, and at the right time. So if you do see a change in my direction, rest assured it will be alongside what I do already. There’s nothing worse than a band you like releasing a new album in a completely new style that you really hate – they’re never as good as they used to be!
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Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the gallery…
Photographer Michael Muller is best known for his portraits of the world’s greatest actors, musicians, and sports stars. His subjects have included megastars Brad Pitt, Jeff Bridges and Scarlett Johansson. But in the last decade, he has also built up a spectacular portfolio of images of the alphas of the underwater world – sharks. His quest has been to document the apex predators in close proximity and with unprecedented precision. Using a patented seven-bulb, 1,200watt plexi-encased strobe lighting rig, developed with NASA engineering, he has created a collection of dramatic and intimate underwater portraits which have been brought together by art publishers TASCHEN. The Collector’s Edition of Sharks – available now at the Artmarket Gallery – brings together the best of Muller’s shots in a stunning portfolio. Arranged geographically, it follows his ocean adventures from photographing black tip and sand tiger sharks in South Africa to great hammerheads in the Bahamas, and includes the first known photograph of a great white breaching at night.
Thrilling narratives from each trip document the many challenges and near-misses along the way. The book is dramatically presented in its own metal cage, a design conceived by Muller to allow readers an even more vivid sense of his underwater encounters, as if they themselves were diving down to face the sharks. Each cage is individually distressed to reflect the effects of time and salt water. Each edition is individually signed and numbered by Michael Muller. Complementing Muller’s work for advocacy organizations such as WildAid and EarthEcho, his photographs are presented alongside essays from Philippe Cousteau Jr, grandson of the famed underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau, and marine biologist Dr Alison Kock, who discuss the exploration and conservation of our oceans. Culture writer Arty Nelson adds an overview of Muller’s work, while a technical section explains the precise equipment behind these spectacular shots.
“ The culmination of a decadelong obsession with these apex predators, [Sharks] contains hundreds of photos, shot in beautiful, haunting style…” Man of the World, New York
Each limited edition book costs £1,000 – you’re gonna need a bigger bookshelf!
Photography: © TASCHEN | www.taschen.com
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Taking the art world by storm Written by Chloe Proudlove
Fresh from exhibiting alongside Banksy, Dean Martin AKA The Mad Artist is shaking up the art scene in his debut Artmarket Gallery event. Born and bred in Portsmouth, Dean Martin’s artwork got off to a rough start after his dream was crushed by an art gallery owner who shoved his work into a drawer without another glance. “I was a young lad covered from the neck down in tattoos. Untrained, my face never fit, so I gave up.” That was until Wishbone took Dean under their wing, just one year ago… As a self-taught artist with no formal training, Dean shrugs off discussing his technique, saying he ‘picks a brush, mixes up some paint and just goes for it’. His quick-thinking modernist attitude is reflected in his work as he receives inspiration from current affairs. “I wake up in the morning, flick the news on and something will click into my head,” he says. From bunny rabbits and fashion, endangered animals with guns and Jeremy Corbyn peeling off a mask to reveal a member of the IRA, Dean’s artwork covers an astonishing scope of politics, fashion and breaking news headlines. With the skill to draw a photographic quality image with a pencil, Dean has never looked away from black and white.
Dean Martin | Taking the art world by storm “Currently, I’m working with acrylic,” he says. “I could be doing it all wrong in the eyes of an art graduate, but it works for me.” Dean’s palette comprises three greys and a white and begins with his striking, coloured background. Each piece is unique, but the process is relatively similar, starting with a bright, stunning background colour and growing into sketches, then grey and white acrylics. With such a limited palette of colours, it’s incredible how Dean encapsulates all of his varied pieces with such detail and intricacy. But averaging around 15 hours a day in his home studio, it’s no surprise that the work is so exceptional. The artwork transforms from a blank canvas to Artmarket Gallery showcase-ready in about five days. However, time is of the essence with Dean as he keeps selling his paintings before they are even finished!! Following a controversial media backlash over a high profile client, Dean was inundated with death threats, abusive social media interaction and struggled to find the confidence to exhibit his work. Artists refused to exhibit alongside him until his good friend Mason Storm placed his artwork alongside Banksy at an exhibition in London. This ignited a spark in Dean’s work: “It’s not every day you get to exhibit alongside Banksy.” Dean’s story is not all success. Years ago he took his images into a gallery and watched them place the artwork into a drawer, but today, he has ‘connections to the best galleries in the country’ and honours Robert and Michelle at the Artmarket Gallery for displaying his work and unfolding his first-ever gallery experience into something unforgettable. Banksy and Mason Storm are two of Dean’s biggest inspirations. In fact, Mason Storm is the only artist on Dean’s walls. While Dean speculated on rumours over the identity of Banksy (he swore me to secrecy to never print!). He too said if money was no object the piece of art he would love hanging on his wall is Devolved Parliament by Banksy. This came as no surprise to me since Dean features politics and political leaders in his work. “I don’t vote, I don’t trust none of them” he says, and progresses to open up about the grief he receives from his controversial paintings, especially those of political substance. How does Dean respond to this criticism? By painting more…
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Dean Martin | Taking the art world by storm
“ It’s not everyday you get to exhibit along side Banksy.” Dean Martin
59 Dean pays homage to his publisher, Wishbone Publishing, for his success. Having only signed with them for a year, Dean says: “Before I signed to Wishbone I was an artist in limbo.” He would paint anything from political figures, gangsters and animals to landscapes and graffiti and felt he had no direction. Wishbone’s offer was something he couldn’t refuse, and now he proudly paints for one of the most significant publishing companies in Europe. He emphasises how honoured he feels to be a member of Wishbone Publishing and has fallen back in love with art and painting. “It’s a dream come true.” Wishbone, he says, has ‘finally given me a direction, the right direction and channels to help my work’. The Artmarket Gallery hosted Dean’s very first gallery exhibition “ I could be doing it all wrong last month. The in the eyes of an art graduate event had a fantastic but it works for me.” reception and allowed Dean’s work to be showcased for people Dean Martin who had travelled far and wide to meet the man behind the art. “I would just like to thank the Artmarket Gallery for hosting my first major exhibition. I couldn’t have asked for a bigger or better gallery to hold my first exhibition. It looked stunning: I couldn’t believe it. It was a night I will never forget, a huge success. I cannot thank the Artmarket enough.”
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The fine art of packing You’ve finally found that perfect piece of art. It hasn’t been a quick or careless decision – you are, after all, going to be spending your hard-earned money on something that you’re going to share your home with for some time, perhaps even for the rest of your life. You may have an eye on the investment value of your chosen piece, too. So the last thing you want is for it to get damaged in transit. At the Artmarket Gallery, the man in charge of making sure that doesn’t happen is Matthew Power – a packing wizard who’ll go to any lengths to make sure your artwork arrives intact. Matthew and his team start each packing project by carefully inspecting the piece to make sure it’s perfect, then cleaning it. If the artwork is framed, each frame is wrapped in impact-resistant edge protection, which is 100% recyclable and chemically neutral.
If it’s glazed, the team uses residue-free masking tape in a star shape on the glass. This will prevent the glass from shattering should the box receive a substantial knock: the tape helps to prevent any flex in the glass and holds it together in one piece. “The front of the piece is covered to keep off any dust or dirt when packing and shipping,” says Matthew. “The edge protection and cover are then cling-wrapped to the piece of art to make sure that they stay firmly attached during shipping.
“Bespoke boxes are made to measure using double-wall corrugated cardboard sheets for extra protection and durability, and thick polystyrene sheets around the edge to protect it from knocks or other impacts.
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“ Bespoke boxes are made to measure using doublewall corrugated cardboard sheets for extra protection and durability ” “Once the box has been made we do final checks to make sure the piece is securely fitted inside it and there is no wriggle room which could result in the piece getting damaged. It’s then sealed, and wrapped in branded Artmarket ‘fragile’ tape to emphasise to the courier that the package is delicate and should be treated with care.
You’ve heard of extreme sports – meet extreme packing!
“All art is sent out on a next day pre-noon service to keep the time that the art is in the hands of the courier to an absolute minimum.
Recently, they were charged with packing two pieces by Nic Joly – one-off and extremely fragile wall sculptures, hand-sculpted and painted by the artist.
“Our aim is to get it to you as soon as possible, and just as it was when you first fell in love with it in the Artmarket Gallery.”
“We wouldn’t be able to get any more of them should the worst have happened and they smashed, so we really went to town on the packing,” says Matthew.
Sometimes, Matthew and his team have to take their already exceptionally high standards just one little step further.
“It took a whole day, but the pieces arrived at their destination in perfect condition, so it was worth the effort. “We also ensured we booked a pre-10am delivery, just to get them off the vans as soon as possible and minimise the handling time.”
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Have smartphones killed the photography star?
Photography: Photo: Richard Young, 2019
The news in brief
Is the art of photography dead? Photographer David Bailey certainly seems to think so. Late last year the great ‘60s snapper reflected on the recent death of fellow mid-century icon, Terry O’Neil, saying: “There’ll be no more David Baileys. “I think it’s so over, that star photographer thing has gone. Like in everything. There’s no star fashion person any more, it’s all spread out.”
The Last Post
Water under the bridge
Last November, one of the Artmarket Gallery’s most popular artists, Chess, was made a personal appearance there.
You may remember that in the first issue of Article, we paid tribute to Hull window cleaner Jason Fanthorpe, who reclaimed the Scott Street Bridge Banksy, Draw the Raised Bridge, for the city when it was whitewashed over.
And when Gallery Director Michelle Power realised that the date of the appearance the day before Remembrance Sunday, she had an idea.
“I asked if she could do something with a poppy and a soldier,” says Michelle. “It’s very different from her usual work, which portrays very recoginisable figures – you can’t see the face on this one, he’s the Unknown Soldier. The cuttings she uses are, as always, very relevant to the subject, though – she has a background in English literature, so the words are very important to her.” The original artwork, entitled The Last Post, sold immediately, but the Artmarket still has a number of prints from the limited edition of 45 that Chess produced. They cost £195 each, and from that amount, Chess and the Artmarket will donate £10 to the Royal British Legion, which supports our Armed Forces. You can find out more about The Last Post here: https://www.artmarket.co.uk/art/chess-the-last-post
And you can read more about Chess on pages 30 to 33 of this magazine.
Bailey was talking to the Daily Mail at an event to promote his new, self-titled ‘sumo’ book, available at the Artmarket Gallery – turn to pp12-15 of this magazine to find out more. The Gallery is also selling a limited number of signed prints by Terry O’ Neill – contact Gallery Director Michelle Power on m.power@ graphicpower.co.uk for more information. Photography: © Russia Today
She contacted the artist, well-known for her portraits of iconic cultural figures created from newspaper cuttings about them finished with inks, and suggested a new piece with a World War I theme.
Well, the story rumbles on. In the autumn of 2019, work began to dismantle the Grade II listed bascule bridge, which had closed to cars in 1995 and stopped being a public highway altogether in 2007, when it was left permanently raised.
The 82-year-old cameraman attributed the demise of the star snapper to the rise of the smartphone, saying: “They’re better than me! My wife takes much better pictures than I do on her Insta-whatever-it’s-called … Instagram. The pictures are amazing.”
The mural, which the elusive artist had painted on the former road on one side of the bridge, was removed in three sections and put into storage with a view to it being returned for display in the area ‘as soon as possible’. Hull City Council’s Daren Hale, portfolio holder for economic investment and regeneration, promised that the artwork would be saved for the nation. “We are absolutely delighted that we have managed to save Hull’s very own Banksy and we look forward to having it back for public viewing as soon as practically possible,” he told the Hull Daily Mail.
It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world If you weren’t able to get along to his recent personal appearance at the Artmarket Gallery, we highly recommend that you instead meet Dean Martin, aka The Mad Artist, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW53A2gmxAk
“Our aim is to ensure the Banksy remains part of the thriving street art culture in this area and that the context of the artwork and the history of the bridge are fully respected and acknowledged in the final scheme.
The artist, whose works fly off the walls at the Gallery (you can find out more about him on page 48), made an appearance on the gloriously bizarre online TV show Sputnik: Orbiting the World with George Galloway.
“This was a complex operation. The local authority has kept Scott Street Bridge in place for as long as practically possible, but we have been advised that dismantling the bridge is the only way to keep river traffic safe.”
The former Labour and Respect Party MP and his co-presenter and wife Gayatri interviewed the affable Dean about his life and work. It’s well worth a watch, if only to marvel at how well the artist would blend into an episode of the programme he loves to paint, Peaky Blinders – perhaps as a long-lost Shelby brother.
