Must Explore GB Design May 2010

M ust...

Magazines

Must Magazines Spring 2010

2

The new home of Cricket, good lord!

4

A Kings Road Tale, Paultons Designs 14 Blake Ward, Sculptor 20 Gong’s Guillaume Evrard 24 Jonathan Williams and his ceramic art 30 Patrick Mavros, there’s only one...

32

Mark Rogers Natural Flooring 36 Cobus van der Walt, Cabtography 39 Alphabet Photography? 44 Marcel Jean Vos of Vos Kristall 56 And lots of bits and bobs in between 15 May 2010

Must Magazines Spring 2010

3

Must Magazines Spring 2010

4

L

eslie Pratt founded Cricket Fine Art in 1996 to assemble and represent a selection of gifted contemporary artists and introduce their work to a wider audience.

With a degree in Fine Art and many years working in London galleries, Leslie had garnered considerable acumen in recognizing new talent and felt passionately about helping to sustain and promote it.

Nevertheless, at that time, as a mother of three young children, it was convenient (necessary!) for Leslie’s first ‘gallery’ to be at home.

While this was quite disruptive during exhibitions (her husband grumbled that it was like moving house three times a year), Leslie alMust Magazines Spring 2010

5

most unwittingly discovered that hanging art at home had a strong marketing advantage.

Clients were able to view paintings in situ and, seeing fine art hanging over an abandoned coffee cup or the odd half chewed sneaker -- the pervasive art of domestic life -- seemed to make visitors immediately at ease with the paintings and able imaginatively to transmit them to their own houses. Consequently, this feeling of seeing art hang “at home� is a concept rooted in the design of her galleries, and each has the welcoming feeling of a furnished house rather than the more traditional spare, minimalist design of most galleries.

As her portfolio of artists grew and her sales moved beyond a predominantly local client base, Leslie knew that she must find a more central venue for both artists and buyers. Accordingly, in 2003, she opened her first gallery at 13 Langton Street and, in this intimate, charming space, held a number of successful mixed and one man shows, including exhibitions of such increasingly successful artists as Chloe Lamb, Christine Seifert and Jeffrey Pratt.

Artist Chloe Lamb at the opening Must Magazines Spring 2010

6

As her artists gained in stature and her business flourished, Leslie decided to move to a larger space and, in the Spring of 2010, opened her new gallery at 2 Park Walk.

Leslie sells art from the gallery as well as from her well constructed and constantly updated website. In her inviting gallery, the vibrant colourful paintings glow from the soft-toned walls and the smells of sea grass and highly polished furniture do make one feel immediately at home (albeit in a particularly tidy one!). People drop in constantly and linger unselfconsciously among the art, which is just as she would have it, commenting ”that’s where paintings ultimately rest -the more it feels like home, the better.”

Leslie’s long represented artists continue to gather ever larger followings and her list of represented artists also continues to grow. She now regularly sells globally and ships works all over the world.

From young mother determined to nurture artists and inspire others to “bring art home”, Leslie has built a successful business that rewards both artist and client; to the first she gives a voice and to the second she gives a love of living with art.

Must Magazines Spring 2010

Free Digital Brochure @ www.mustmagazines.com

7

The downstairs drawing room at Leslie’s Gallery in Park Road,SW10.

www.cricketfineart.co.uk

Must Magazines Spring 2010

8

www.cricketfineart.co.uk

Must Magazines Spring 2010

Free Digital Brochure @ www.mustmagazines.com

9

Must Magazines Spring 2010

Free Digital Brochure @ www.mustmagazines.com

10

Must Magazines Spring 2010

11

The must see antique dealership in Park Road, Chelsea for those quirky objects...

Must Magazines Spring 2010

12

Must Magazines Spring 2010

13

Must Magazines Spring 2010

www.jamesmcwhirter.com

14

P

aultons Designs started life near Paultons Square on the Kings Road in the 1960’s.

The young Ximena Bravo worked here, assisting the owner, sneaking off to the next door restaurant via the back entrance from time to time for a quick cigarette and the odd tipple with rising rock stars of the time – she casually mentions a string of rock royalty she used to party with. How they got any work done only they would know, but life and business was good.

Must Magazines Spring 2010

15

Must Magazines Spring 2010

16

This grand madame of the Kings Road has the energy of a person half her age. Today, owner of Paultons, she spends her time renovating and designing the interiors of minor mansions, contemplates the finer detail of her wrought iron furniture pieces, manages her shop in Parsons Green, a workshop and suppliers from Morocco to Spain.

Must Magazines Spring 2010

17

As I walk into her showroom she’s dealing with a call from the work shop, thereafter attending to walk in customers from far away, then somehow actually finds time to talk to me. But she’s calm and serene.

The moment you walk into Ximena’s Kings Road showroom, you get a sense of her strong character from the many pieces on display. 100% natural, each piece unique, each piece made to measure. Wrought iron steel and soft white cotton sofa’s.

Steel, glass and reclaimed wood. Dining tables. Chandeliers flickering away. It’s simply a pleasure to walk through this space.

Paultons Designs showroom on the New Kings Road in Parsons Green Must Magazines Spring 2010

18

The pictures in these pages provide a limited representation of Ximena’s work, but I suggest a visit to Paultons Designs in Parsons Green where you may just bump into one of the grand ladies of the Kings Road design scene who can tell you a tale or two.

Must Magazines Spring 2010

19

Free Digital Brochure @ www.mustmagazines.com

Must Magazines Spring 2010

20

Must Magazines Spring 2010

Free Digital Brochure @ www.mustmagazines.com

21

www.blakesculpture.com

Must Magazines Spring 2010

22

www.blakesculpture.com Must Magazines Spring 2010

23

Blake at work on a sculpture named after the ‘Maped F1’ landmine

Blake’s figures celebrate the perfection of nature and the imperfection of the soul. Blake at Work on Medusa: “Mine is an art of passion, an art that evokes sensuality and the richness of human Born in northern Canada, Blake emotions. The work is meant to earned an honours degree in Fine glorify nature and evoke enchantArts from the University of Alment to describe the essence of berta before pursuing his study of the human spirit and reflect the figurative sculpture in the art mystery of the soul.” capitals of Europe. Apprenticing Honouring the European tradition in Paris, he has focused on the tra- each sculpture is limited to an ediditional techniques used by figu- tion of twelve or less. rative artists and developed a precise style of representational work. His sculptures are often modern evocations of classic themes, based on the themes of dance, mythology, feminism, and the human spirit.

ne of the oldest traditions in art is the celebration of the human form.

Must Magazines Spring 2010

24

Must Magazines Spring 2010

25

Must Magazines Spring 2010

26

C

orsica is one of the 26 régions of France, although strictly speaking Corsica is designated as a "territorial collectivity" by law.

study Design. He met Belgian designer Jo Plismy and the next thing he was working at Gong in Portobello Road.

So too was Guillaume Evrard, in the 1960’s though, plus he is a much more congenial and pleasant gentleman. He’s done a lot in his life time: trained as an engineer, worked in fashion buying in France, travelled Vietnam, Indonesia and Africa and in 2001 headed for London where he went back to school to

You can see the influence of Guillaume’s earlier travels throughout the store and much is sourced from those areas and also from Belgium and France.

Get to Gong or for more details of the current range, visit their website.

In 2006 they opened Gong on the Fulham road in Chelsea.

Lamps and lighting remain As a territorial collectivity, it core, but you will find amazing enjoys greater powers than other French régions. Corsica is value in the distressed furniture referred to as a "région" and is range. Guillaume likes to sell almost always listed among the things that have sole – a bit of wear and tear in appearance but other régions of France. Alperfectly manufactured and though the island is separated from the continental mainland fully functional. by the Ligurian Sea and is much closer to the Italian than to the The store appears small from the outside but fortunately you French mainland, politically Corsica is part of Metropolitan can get a bit lost inside on the France. It was once briefly an three levels. Distressed trees, independent Corsican Republic, distressed leather chairs and sofas, reclaimed cast iron lamp until being incorporated into bases, distressed lacquer ChiFrance in 1769. Napoléon nese style furniture.

Bonaparte was born here.

www.gong.co.uk Must Magazines Spring 2010

Free Digital Brochure @ www.mustmagazines.com

27

www.gong.co.uk

Must Magazines Spring 2010

28

www.createtodestroy.com

Must Magazines Spring 2010

29

Must Magazines Spring 2010

30

P

atrick Mavros has not only created some of the most extraordinary silver sculptures in Africa, he has created around them an environment just as extraordinary, in which he lives and works. The workshops, the family

homestead, the wildlife sanctuary, the offices and reception, together with his wonderful sales studio, are all built so as to form a small village on his estate in the wild hills outside Harare in Zimbabwe.

Must Magazines Spring 2010

31

Mavros is an incurable storyteller and a full-blooded bon vivant as well as a master sculptor. That’s partly why his creations communicate so well. The gift of storytelling is perhaps inherited from his Mediterranean ancestors - but as a fourth-generation Zimbabwean, Patrick Mavros is most at home in the African bush.

Born and raised in Matabeleland (the wild, western province of Zimbabwe), the young Patrick developed a deep affinity for its wildlife, particularly the birds of prey. Like many an artist before him, he strove to capture the form and essence of the birds and animals on paper - as evidenced by his boyhood sketchpads.

prosaic career for Patrick, and he became first a baker, then a soldier. Fortunately fate, in the classic tradition, smiled upon the young man and he met, wooed and won his wife, Catja Halsted. The petite, warm-hearted Catja became the pivotal influence that was to set Mavros on his path to becoming one of the world’s most accomplished sculptors.

Patrick, newly-wed and wanting to give Catja an original and personal gift, carved a pair of earrings from a small piece of ivory in the form of roses, her favourite flower. Catja was not the only one delighted with the earrings - soon Patrick was inundated with requests from friends for similar pairs to be created. And so it all began.

Adulthood, however, laid out a more

www.patrickmavros.com

Must Magazines Spring 2010

32

Mavros developed his own unique sculpting technique, using innate artistic skills and his acute eye for detail and essence. The more he worked, the more he was inspired to try more ambitious subjects. He experimented with various tools and materials, and, with the encouragement of his wife and family, was soon involved in his own full-time business.

Each of these creations has its own unique story, adding considerably to its charm and ultimately, value.

Today, with Catja and his four sons, a slightly eccentric collection of pointers, spaniels, African Grey parrots, horses and friends - not to mention a state-of-the-art silversmithing workshop on a tree-clad estate in the hills, Patrick Mavros is an artist at the height Most of his early pieces were one-offs, of his creative maturity. carved from ivory, his preferred medium. However, to meet growing de- Although he commands considerable mand and develop a more environmen- respect from collectors worldwide, tally-sensitive product, he studied and Patrick Mavros continues to keep a adopted the age-old art of lost-wax close personal involvement with the casting, whereby a mould is used only sale of his creations and the people once. This method ensures that every who purchase them. For the mogul or mechanic, the artist is genuinely apdetail of the original is present in the casting, and that each resulting piece is proachable, a gregarious, interesting man who enjoys nothing more than individually hand-made. He decided welcoming you himself, while showon silver as a material in order to express both the precious nature and es- ing off his collection and the wondersential purity of his subject - wildlife. ful environment he has created to As the Mavros reputation grew, so did house it. his range; after twenty five years it comprises over 450 individual items from - literally - ants to elephants.

Must Magazines Spring 2010

33

Must Magazines Spring 2010

M

34

ark Hawkins trained as an accountant and at the age of 21, plans slightly altered, he found himself working for a major carpet manufacturer. Within five years he ran the London operation.

years. Joe, late 30’s and a fitter, started with Mark at the age of 16. There is just about nothing these guys don’t know about flooring. Mark talks proudly of these fine craftsmen.

He would call on flooring contractors years before becoming one of the UK's leading contactors himself, with a showroom in the heart of ChelMark Hawkins sea. The experience gained from carpet manufacturing was invaluable and now he has in depth product knowledge that his competitors can only dream of having. This aught to be very comforting to home owners and designers alike.

‘Our showroom carries only about 2% of what’s out there and available. We know what can be sourced and from where, so in this very personalised business we are able to steer clients to the better quality, better value products – even if the exact sample is not available’, says Mark, pointing at hundreds, thousands of sample swatches.

The operation is made up of the Chelsea showroom and a 5 000 square meter warehouse in Henley on Thames, where they’ve been since 1983.

Mark Rogers Natural Flooring are specialist installers of wool carpets, fibre and wood flooring, located on the Fulham Road, Chelsea, London. www.markrogerflooring.co.uk

Once the Mark Roger team have installed a carpet, natural fibre or wood floor, their clients very rarely go elsewhere when in need of further work at a later stage. Client retention is very high and repeat business from leading London designers is testament to a professionally run operation. Three installation teams go out every day and have done so for the past 20 Must Magazines Spring 2010

35

The range includes wool, fibre (sisal, grasses, coir and jute) and wood flooring.

The showroom in Chelsea - also available as a London base (free of charge!) to ‘Key Designers’ - talk to Mark to discuss access: info@markrogerflooring.co.uk

Must Magazines Spring 2010

Free Digital Brochure @ www.mustmagazines.com

www.markrogernaturalflooring.com

36

Must Magazines Spring 2010

37

Must Magazines Spring 2010

38

Must Magazines Spring 2010

39

Must Magazines Spring 2010

40

was nicknamed ‘Cabous’ at f you bought Cobus school, this abbreviated over time to Cab, hence CAB and Cabtograa CAB in phy.

1998 at He didn’t dive into the world of art Christies, straight after gaining his degree at university, pursuing initially the circa £2 000, world of commerce where he various successes, amongst you’ve done very claimed them, supplying Soweto’s shebeens well indeed! (speakeasy’s of Johannesburg’s

By Francis Caine

The information of Lot 266, sale 8156 on 15 October 1998 at Christies in South Kensington documents the sale of ZEBRAS AND WILDEBEEST as sold for £1 840 against an estimate of £1 500 to £2 000.

townships) with wholesale supplies of liquor during the dark days of apartheid, befriending the locals and Chief of Police on par. Always close to the beating heart of Africa!

Further paintings in oil on canvas

by CAB were sold at Christies at around the same time with prices to match. Paintings are signed ‘CAB’ along with the latitude and longitude of the subject.

Now, when not exploring the Serengeti or Tuli block in Botswana for inspiration and sanity, you might find him driving past you in his short wheel base Land Rover on the N2 motorway between Cape Town and Stellenboch, en route or return from the Sunday ritual - a braai (barbeque) with his loving parents.

Cobus van der Walt was born days before Christmas in 1965, so no big birthday parties to mention over the pursuing years for this extremely private person.

He never locks the doors to his Land Rover and as a result has never experienced a break in. Also, phone him between 3 and 4 in the afternoon at your peril. Siesta time!

Matriculating (A-levels) at Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch in 1983 he then read fine art at the University of Pretoria.

Cab’s work in this issue of Must Magazines provides a mere glimpse of his recent work and does little justice to his genius. His work can be properly appreciated in situ, Must Magazines Spring 2010

41

now changing hands for four, five times the 1998 values and they seem to rise consistently and steadily, understandably so.

An original Cab is rather large and requires expansive wall space.

We’d be delighted to provide contact details, works on offer and prices but Cab’s appears to be exploring and contemplating his next brilliance, so please stay in touch. francis@mustmagazines.com

www.mustmagazines.com Must Magazines Spring 2010

42

Must Magazines Spring 2010

43

A

lphabet Photography is the process of photographing everyday objects that resemble letters of the alphabet, then arranging the pictures together to create any name or word.

This unique letter art was inspired by the book "Alphabet City" illustrated and created by Stephen T. Johnson. Alphabet Photography is the work of photographer Jennifer Blakeley, who spent 3 years traveling North America in a quest to complete her extensive portfolio of alphabet art. Today Jennifer and her husband Sam run the business together along with a wonderful team of people who have become like family to them.

Alphabet Photography makes an ideal housewarming gift, wedding gifts and is a perfect personalized gift suitable for any occasion.

Alphabet Photography is run in the UK by partner Michael Wise.

For more information about Alphabet Photography visit www.alphabet-photography.co.uk.

Must Magazines Spring 2010

44

Must Magazines Spring 2010

45

Round Wood owner Zac Soudain with a huge Easter Island head made from concrete — but you can move it! Usual retail price is £1 100 but Must Magazine readers pay only £900!

www.roundwood.com

Must Magazines Spring 2010

46

Must Magazines Spring 2010

47

Must Magazines Spring 2010

48

www.flexibleloveuk.co.uk

Must Magazines Spring 2010

49

www.fcilondon.co.uk

Must Magazines Spring 2010

50

Must Magazines Spring 2010

51

Must Magazines Spring 2010

52

Must Magazines Spring 2010

53

For more about Helen and her fine work, please visit her website at: www.helenbrownceramics.co.uk

Must Magazines Spring 2010

Marcel Jean Vos

54

TÜv{|àxvà Éy _|z{à

Jean Michel Jarre move over...

M

arcel Jean Vos is in town! London’s

there is Vos Kristall.

Marcel has a showroom at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre, the perfect location for weaving new ideas and products into the architect of light is world of design.

here to dazzle our retinas spectacular fashion. Dutch by birth, international lifestyle intact, Marcel initially trained as an architectural designer, lived and still lives life to the full and one day decided that too little emphasis was placed upon the influence of light over mood.

Vos LED was born and now in 2010

‘Flight Chandeliers’ are the latest addition to the range, launched at London Design Week 2010. This product is simply stunning and very clever, similar to the classic chandelier, but with a twist. Each of the 18 arms suspended individually around a central body pendant, lit solely by four recessed, trimless LED down lights. The effect is mesmerisingly ghost like, as softly lit glass and crystal Must Magazines Spring 2010

55

pendants hang seamlessly from the ceiling.

The flexible design allows for a variety of configurations from single units for bathrooms, a few units above a bedside table to linear rows above dining room tables, arranged exactly the way you want.

Marcel’s knowledge of LED lighting, supported by business partner Laura Sole’s design flair and you have the formidable duo behind Vos Kristall. The chandeliers are made from German crystal designed and manufactured in-house. Clients can determine the grade of crystal to order, obviously affecting the cost, but you will get some change back from £350 for an individual pen-

dant . There are many different grades of crystal and between Laura and Marcel and your own homework, you should make sense of it all. Also have a look at this Wikipedia link on crystal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_crystal .

The range goes further to include crystal curtains and ellipses. A visit to the website is advised...

Trade and retail clients are welcome to visit the Chelsea showroom and stockists worldwide are encouraged to make enquiries. Visit the website at www.voskristall.com

Must Magazines Spring 2010

56

Left The Suspension Range Flight Chandeliers are entirely safe to install in bathrooms and other wet areas as they contain no electrical components.

A product specification is available to view on the next page describing the various applications of the range and below we have the chandeliers in situ coloured by indirect lighting .

Must Magazines Spring 2010

57

Must Magazines Spring 2010

58

Always Free. Continuous updates on our website: Must Magazines Spring 2010

www.mustmagazines.com