Introducing Bonnie Wong Po Yi

Over 100 artists are taking part in The Tate Staff Biennale which will take place on the last week of August on Level 5 of Tate Modern. Over the next few weeks The Rebel Magazine will be chatting to some of the Tate staff who are showing their artwork. Today it's the turn of Bonnie Wong Po Yi

Where did you grow up and what kind of education did you receive? "I was born and raised in Hong Kong. I have been in London for three years. I did illustration and photography for my undergrad at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I worked freelance for a while as an illustrator. Later, I moved on to doing a fine arts and printmaking master degree at The Royal College of Art."

How long have you been working at the Tate and what's the best show you've seen there? "I have been working at Tate for three months. The best show I have seen at Tate is the Don Mccullin exhibition because I love photography, photojournalism and works that are related to politics. I also really like Tate Liverpool's permanent collection."

What can you tell me about the work you're exhibiting in the Tate modern show? "Map 1 is a screen-printed project with 10 layers printed on the same surface created over a period of a year. It is a visual diary that explores the idea of change and movement that happened geographically and occurred over time. Maps have always been a tool for me to understand my heritage. The fundamental element of the work is a vintage map from circa 1900s. The practice of using colours to show ownership in map-making was very common back then. Born in colonial Hong Kong and growing up in post-colonial Hong Kong, I have always been interested in how different maps show my hometown differently - a city could be purposefully indicated in various ways depending on who created the map and when it was made. When creating this piece, I first drew and wrote responding to the ‘factual’ information on the map. Later, I went back to add more notations on top of the previous layer every few weeks. I was having conversations with myself by intervening my old writings. It was when I had just moved to London, undergoing a period of instability, trying to get used to this new city and phase of life. My notes also reflect how my life and mental state have changed over time."

How can people find out about your work - do you have a website or do Instagram? Instagram: bonnieeewpy / my website is: here

What's the best thing about working at the Tate? "The best thing about working at the Tate is that many of my peers are also artists themselves. I get to have conversations about what we love with my colleagues every single day."

The Tate Staff Biennale will take place on Level 6 of the Blavatnik Building of Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern

Creekside Open at the A.P.T

Aindreas Philip Scholz | Alastair Gordon | Andrew Graves | Andrew Seto | Annabel Tilley | Archie Franks | Aude Herail Jager | Bea Denton | Ben Yau | Benjamin Cohen | Bianca Barandun | Bill Henderson | Caroline Jane Harris | Charlotte C Mortenssoon | Chloe Alice Hayes | Chris Thompson | Claire McArdle | Claire Willberg | Cyrus Shroff | Daisuke Minowa | Daniella Norton | David Cooper | David Edmond | David Lock | David Small | David Theobald | Dorry Spikes | Duncan McKellar | Edwin Mingard | Gavin Maughfling | Gill Capewell | Gunther Herbst | Guy Allott | Harry Pye­­ | Helen K Grant | Hemanth Rao | Jamie Hosegood | Janet Sainsbury | Jemma Appleby | John Vincent | John Wyatt Clarke | Julia White | Kasper Pincis | Katherine Reekie | Ken Taylor | Lara Davies | Lisa Penny | Louise Edgington | Lucienne O'Mara | Lucy Mayes | Luey Graves | Luke Jackson | Lyndsey Gilmour | Lynn Fulton | Marie-Therese Ross | Matt Morris | Matthew Webber | Melissa Kime | Michael Calver | Mimei Thompson | Molly Thomson | Natalia Markowska | Nicholas Cobb | Nick Maroussas | Noel Hensey | Oona Grimes | Pallas Citroen | playpaint | Robert C. Gray | Robert Fitzmaurice | Robert Worley | Rosie McGinn | Sally Rowland | Sarah Durham | Sarah Jenkins | Scott McCracken | Seungjo Jeong | Shona Davies + David Monagahan + Jon Klein | Simon Leahy-Clark | Sophia Starling | Steph Goodger | Stephanie Douet | Stephen Palmer | Steve Burden | Steve Perfect | Susan Sluglett | Tess Williams | Tim Allen | Trevor Burgess | Victoria Burgher | Wayne Lucas have all been selected for the Creekside Open 2019 at APT Gallery. See you there on Saturday 15th June at 3pm.

Art in Perpetuity Trust Harold Wharf 6 Creekside Deptford London SE8 4SA

A.P.T is a registered charity that encourages participation in the visual arts through creative practice, exhibitions and education.Located in South East London, A.P.T supports an exceptional resource and facility for artists and the wider community.With the provision of secure studios and high quality exhibition space as a cornerstone, A.P.T aims to foster an environment where creativity may flourish, forging links and collaborations with other professional bodies both locally, nationally and internationally. This is the eighth time that we have run the biennial competition since the inaugural competition in 2005. Since its inception the Creekside OPEN has become one of London's foremost open competitions for visual artists. The Creekside OPEN is organised by Liz May, A.P.T Director under the remit of the A.P.T Gallery & Projects Committee.

Above: ' Sleeping Fly (2)' by Mimei Thompson

Above: 'Misfit (Check)' by David Lock.

Above:'Fleurs dans un Vase' from 'The Last Flowers of Manet'by Lara Davies.

Above: 'R.I.P. Karl Lagerfeld' by Harry Pye

Above: 'Monster Munch with Moon'by Archie Franks.

Fatberg Live in Deptford.

Last Friday night the mighty 'Fatberg' played a great set in S.E.8 with their mates, 'Business Dudes' and 'Maternal Feeding Party'. The venue was very packed, very hot and very sweaty and all 3 bands were splendid.

Above: James Aucutt - guitar and lead vocals

Above: Cameron Colbeck on drums and vocals.

Above: Alex Weeks on bass guitar.

Sister Midnight Records is a Record Shop, Live Music Venue, Craft Beer Bar and Vegan Friendly Café based in the heart of Deptford: 4 Tanners Hill (2 minutes from Deptford D.L.R)

This is a painting of Simon & Garfunkle

In 1970 Paul Simon and Art Garfunkle released, Bridge Over Troubled Water. Paul Simon wrote the song about his wife Peggy in an attempt to lift her spirits. When writing it on his guitar he tried to imagine Aretha Franklin singing it. Aretha later covered the song, as did Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and a host of other music legends. Paul Simon has admitted he struggled to find words for the third verse of the song and thinks he should have tried harder. However, the single was featured on an album which was also called, Bridge Over Troubled Water. The single and L.P both shot to number one in the charts in both the U.K. and the U.S. This had never been achieved by a singer or group before. Many years later Paul Simon released a solo album called, Hearts and Bones which flopped in both the U.K. and the U.S. One of the tracks from the album was about the Belgian painter Rene Magritte and his wife Georgette. When, Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War was released it got positive reviews but failed to be a hit. Allmusic described it as being, "a commercial disaster." Last year, Paul Simon performed the song live in Copenhagen, he'd given the song's arrangement a bit of t.l.c. and to my ears this sounds as good as Bridge Over Troubled Water ever did. Simon and Garfunkle's relationship has had it's ups and downs over the years. I like to think of them being friends again and collaborating once more. 'This is a painting of Simon and Garfunkle' (by Harry Pye and Rowland Smith) shows the two old friends in a gallery standing next to a painting by Magritte. Walking round an exhibition with a friend and discovering what you agree and disagree on is a pleasant way to pass the time and you get reminded that there is no accounting for taste - One man's meat is another man's poison. An artist might be able to control what happens on their canvas or on their album but once it's been made public there's no telling what reception it's going to get. In the painting Garfunkle is wearing a Happy Eater badge. It's curious that when the image of the badge is added into the mix the pipe seems more Freudian. Sigmund Freud famously said, "Sometimes a pipe is just a pipe" (meaning that isn't a sexual meaning behind everything). One wonders if Paul was jealous of Art's height or if Art was jealous of Paul's ability to write lyrics. Maybe Paul was jealous when Art got to number one with Brighteyes? There is so much we'll never know. I like the fact they can't look each other in the eye. They both remain guarded and alert. This painting is kind of a companion piece to another Rowland & Harry painting. Like Simon & Garfunkle, John & Yoko were another pair of New York City lovers who made beautiful music together.

(Both paintings are 95cm wide and 65cm high)

Beswick and Pye's Film About The Movements of Vincent Van Gogh

Team Beswick & Pye have been collaborating on art projects together for over 15 years. They have made Pop videos such as RIO by Neil Innes. Collaborative paintings by Gordon and Harry have appeared in celebrated shows at Sartorial Contemporary Art in Kings Cross and Galeria Thomas Cohn in Sao Paulo. In May 2010 Beswick & Pye were invited to take part in Tate Modern's Souls For Sale extravaganza and had their work exhibited in the Turbine Hall. In December 2010 a painting by Gordon and Harry was sold at a charity auction held at The Victoria & Albert Museum. Money raised went to the Breakthrough cancer charity. In April 2012 Team Beswick & Pye took part in "Secret 7" at the Idea Generation gallery in Shoreditch. Their design for a seven Inch single by The Cure was sold in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. In the same month a compilation of their films were screened at Tate Britain's Manton Studios as part of Late at the Tate. In October 2012 Team Beswick & Pye's painting of Martin Luther King was featured in part of Art Below's Peace Project. The painting was exhibited at Gallery Different and a poster of it was displayed in Regent's Park Tube Station. In November 2012 Beswick & Pye were featured in The Discerning Eye exhibition at the Mall Gallery. In 2013 Beswick & Pye worked with Gallery Different and Art Below again for a show about Mrs Thatcher that featured both in the BBC news and in the Evening Standard. In December 2016 a gigantic version of their painting of Chris Packham was displayed on a billboard in Southampton. They have also painted The Beatles on a gigantic egg for the Action For Children charity (see below)

Last year they exhibited a screen print of one of their paintings, 'Come On In, The Water's Lovely' at the Inside Job exhibition at Tate Modern

which you can read about here:

Harry Pye has made several paintings based on Vincent such as 'Stick To What You Don't Know' (see above) and has carried on a great deal of research about Vincent's life. Gordon Beswick and Harry Pye are currently working on a 5 minute film that retraces Vincent's steps in both London and Ramsgate.

The film's debut screening will take place in August at Tate Exchange at Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. More news soon.

Help fund the new album by Neil Innes

A few months back it was announced that music lovers from all around the the world had chipped in to raise the money needed for recording, mastering, and manufacturing of a new album of songs by Neil Innes on CD and Vinyl via Pledge Music. The target was reached but annoyingly Pledge Music failed to honour their commitments ("Ouch"). On the 6th of Feb Neil made the following announcement: "I have at last spoken to Pledge Music and our agreement is now terminated.I would like to make it clear that I have no wish to pour petrol on a fire that has broken out somewhere high up in their organization. I am frankly not interested in who or what is to blame. I believe the “good guys” in Pledge when they say they feel just as betrayed as the Artists and their loyal Supporters. Their platform is broken. They hope to regain the trust and goodwill of Artists and Fans alike – but this will take time – 30 to 90 days. But this is too long to wait for my project, recording has begun with studio and musician costs incurred. My limited resources are dwindling. Consequently, I am busy looking for alternative ways to finance the recording/manufacture/artwork and distribution of the “new album”. Pledge Music have agreed with me the only way to make the best out of a bad job is to consider the following advice: You CAN get your money back IF you paid by a Credit Card with an insurance policy against fraud – such as VISA, Master Card or even PayPal. (Also, it is worth asking your bank if they have you covered) Please forward your Pledge “acknowledgement” to yvonne@neilinnes.media so that we can know Who and Where you are – and What you wanted. (We already have details for those of you who ordered T Shirts and/or Handwritten Song Lyrics.)

IF you DO manage to get your money back, PLEASE consider donating the same amount to gofundme.com/neil-innes-the-new-album. WE intend to deliver our part of the original bargain – but need all the help we can get! We still hope to finish “The Greatest Album (of its kind) in the History of the World” with De Luxe Artwork, by this Spring – aiming for April. It will then become available from my website: neilinnes.media/shop – if you’ve had enough of “crowdfunding” for now! THANK YOU for your patience and understanding, we are all in the this TOGETHER. Let’s be positive but mindful of the words of Oscar Wilde: “That Good triumphs over Evil is the True Nature of Fiction.” Be Happy!"

So, a new fund has been set up and the goal is £25,000. Click on HERE to go to Go Fund Me page.

The Spammed support Specialized and The Teenage Cancer Trust

Specialized is a musical community that was created in 2012 to raise funds to improve the lives of teens and young adults with cancer or who are living in difficult circumstances. The Specialized Project brings together amateur and professional musicians with the shared goal of creating musical projects to raise funds for cancer research and support agencies, particularly The Teenage Cancer Trust, The National Foundation for Youth Music and Tonic Music for Mental Health. They’ve done this by the production of themed albums supported by live music events across the UK.

Specialized 7: BOSS which is available now, is a four disc CD box-set featuring reinterpretations of all ska’s hit factory Trojan Records. Tracks featured on the compilation include The Spammed's version of Jimmy Cliff's You Can Get It If You Really Want. You can buy it for £15.99 via the Specialized online shop: http://www.specializedproject.co.uk/shopping/boss-a-tribute-to-original-sounds/

Yesterday The Spammed visited South London's Perry Vale studio to record a cover of 'The Prince' (originally by Madness) which will feature on 'Specialized 8' (a tribute to 2-Tone Records) which will be released in 2019. The Spammed consist of; Kevin Eldon (Vocals), Neil Innes (Keyboard), Micko Westmoreland (Guitar), Horace Panter (Bass), and Rat Scabies (drums). The man at the mixing desk for this recording was Pat Collier, (a former member of The Vibrators) who has worked with numerous bands over the years including The House of Love,Katrina & The Waves, The Wonderstuff, and Jesus & Mary Chain.

The Prince was released on Two Tone records on the first of September, 1979 and was the band's first top twenty hit single. The track is a tribute to the Ska legend Prince Buster who gave the world such classics as Earthquake, One Step Beyond, Al Capone, 10 Commandments and Oh Carolina.

Image above: Kevin studies the nutty lyrics. Image below: The Fun Boy 3

Merry Christmas Everyone!