Photos from The Magnificent Seven Show at Cass,

The Magnificent Seven is an exhibition at the art space in Cass Art Islington,  66-67 Colebrooke Row, London N1 8AB You can come and marvel at artworks made by; Cristina Calvache, Gordon Beswick, Suzanne Spiro, Harry Pye, Francis Macdonald, Loretta Wall and Chris Tosic any Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday: from 10:00 - 19:00 or on a Sunday from 11:00 - 18:00. The show is on until the 9th of September. Don't miss out.

Image above: Cristina hangs work by Suzanne Spiro

Image above: Harry Pye poses next to 'Sad Bird' and 'Adam and Eve'

Image above: works by Gordon Beswick, Loretta Wall, and Suzanne Spiro.

Image above: Cristina, Harry and Chris

Image above: artworks by Cristina 

Above: Harry Pye and Cristima Calvache

Above: Suzanne Spiro

Harry and Bear infront of works by Cristima Calvache

Above: Posing in front of a drawing of Neil Young by Francis Macdonald

You can watch You Tube profiles of each of The Magnificent Seven below:

Gordon Beswick

Chris Tosic

Suzanne Spiro

Cristina Calvache

Harry Pye

Loretta Wall

Francis Macdonald

 

Bruce McLean features in a charity show in aid of The National Brain Appeal

 

It was great to travel to Barnes today and catch up with Bruce McLean who I first met about 3 decades ago when I did an “artist’s placement” when I was a student at Winchester School of Art. Bruce selected a few things for a charity show I’m organising called Always On My Mind which takes place at Fitzrovia Gallery.

Above: Photo by Suzanne Spiro

Bruce McLean studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1961 to 1963. From 1963 – 66 he attended St Martin’s School of Art, London, where he famously reacted against the formalist academic teaching of teachers such as Anthony Caro. In 1966 he abandoned conventional studio practice for impermanent sculptures made using materials such as water, along with performances of a generally satirical and subversive nature. In ‘Pose Work for Plinths I’ (1971; London, Tate), photographs record a performance in which McLean appeared in a variety of different positions on plinths to parody the poses of Henry Moore’s celebrated reclining figures. When in 1972 he was offered an exhibition at the Tate Gallery, he opted, with mocking intent, for a retrospective lasting only one day. He has continued to use humour to confront the pretensions of the art world and wider social issues such as the nature of bureaucracy and institutional politics. From the mid 1970s, while continuing to mount occasional performances, McLean turned increasingly to painting and most recently to ceramics. McLean has participated in many major international exhibitions since the 1960s, highlights include: When Attitudes Become Form, Kunsthalle, Bern (1969); Information, Museum of Modern Art, New York (1970); The British Avant Garde, New York Cultural Centre (1971); Documenta 6, Kassel (1977); Art in the Seventies, Venice Biennale (1980); A New Spirit in Painting, Royal Academy, London; Zeitgeist, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin (1982); Documenta 7, Museum Fredericianum, Kassel (1982); Thought and Action, Laforet Museum, Tokyo (1983); The Critical Eye, Yale Centre for British Art, New Haven (1984); Out of Actions; Between Performance and the Object, 1949-79, 1985 he was awarded the John Moores Painting Prize. Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (1997); Bruce McLean and William Alsop, Two Chairs, Milton Keynes Gallery (2002) and Body and Void: Echoes of Moore in Contemporary Art, The Henry Moore Foundation, Hertfordshire (2014). First Site, Colchester (2014) and ‘A Hot Sunset and Shade Paintings’ Bernard Jacobson (2016). McLean’s work is in private and public collections around the world. In September 2023 Bruce is having a major show at The Cut (a rural arts centre in Halesworth, Suffolk)

Above: 'Pose Work With Plinths' on show at Tate Britain

Above: 'Always on my Mind' Part 2 is open to the public from Fri 1st Sept to Sunday 3rd Sept from 12pm till 6pm

Print of Adam and Eve by Team Beswick and Pye

This CMYK screen print made on 285gsm Fabriano paper, in an edition of 30 will feature in 2 group shows in the not too distant future. Graham Crowley has organised a show called 'Silent Disco' which will open on Saturday 29^th of July at 87 High Street, Wickham Market in Suffolk. 

Graham's show will also include work by a galaxy of art starts including; Sarah Dwyer, Sarah Jeffries, Bob & Roberta Smith, and John Strutton. The Adam & Eve print will also feature in a group show called ‘The Magnificent Seven’ which will take place in the basement of the Cass Art Shop near Angel tube.

This show will feature prints, paintings and textile art by me and 6 other fine artists; Gordon Beswick, Cristina Calvache, Francis Macdonald, Suzanne Spiro, Chris Tosic, and Loretta Wall. The show will be open the public between the 28^th of Aug and the 8^th of Sept. More news soon. Team Beswick and Pye made the painting of Adam and Eve ten years ago. The print was made by Jonas of Blacklisted Prints. Most museums in Europe have a painting made at least 500 years ago that depicts Adam and Eve.  And most of these paintings show the couple when they are about to be banished for breaking the rules. By contrast, this painting shows Adam and Eve enjoying the good times. It's worth noting we didn't make the mistake of painting Eve with a belly button. Adam is the Hebrew word for 'Man'. His companion was made from Adam's spare rib - her name Eve means "the mother of all living" - amongst the living creature seen here are; a puffin, a zebra, and my personal favourite a cheeky monkey.

The Clash

Above: "The Clash" painted by Harry Pye with Rowland Smith, For most of their recording career, The Clash consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer (first on the left in the photo below), lead guitarist and vocalist Mick Jones (standing with fag in mouth), bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon (wearing a beret).

Photo above by Chester Simpson (1979)

Above: a photo of Mick Jones taken by Harry Pye in July 2009

In May of this year Mick Jones made a guest appearance on this track by The Goldborns...

The Goldborns - Don't Like Going Places feat. Mick Jones

A month earlier Paul Simonon collaborated with Galen Ayers on this fantastic new song: Lonely Town

Read The Guardian's opinion on The Clash's 40 Greatest songs: Here 

Mad, Mad World

Above: Dave Berg

Above: Don Martin

Above: Mad art by Norman Mingo

Above: Hear No Evil

Above: Clockwork Lemon

Above: Mad Mickey

Above: Mad Cover from 1999

Above: Mad Pepper

Above: Alfred E. Dali

Twenty Photos From Varnishing Day at The Royal Academy of Arts

 

Above: Sculpture of The Royal Academy's first president, Sir Joshua Reynolds that stands infront in the Annenberg Courtyard of Burlington House.

Above: Sarah Wood and Sandra Turnbull in the R.A Courtyard

Above: Harry Pye off to special service for artists held at St James's Church

Above: Sarah Wood with Gavin Turk (R.A.) inside St James's Church

Above: Sarah Wood next to her painting 'Devoted' (oil on linen). This section (works 662-862) featured still life painting chosen by Clare Woods (R.A.) As well as great paintings by Lee Maelzer and Rachael Robb - this section also featured a bronze Veg Box by Gavin Turk.

Above: 'Devoted' by Sarah Wood

Above: Jock McFadyen (R.A)

Above: Adam Dant with Russell Herron

Above: A wall of paintings selected by David Remfry MBE RA

Above: Humphrey Ocean (R.A) the painting in the top right hand corner is his portrait of Winnie Hall.

Above: Gavin, Humphrey and Winnie all point to the best painting in show.

Above: Bob Smith (OBE, RA)

Above: Gavin Turk (RA)with David Remfry (MBE RA) in front of work by Bob & Roberta Smith.

Above: Gallery 9 curated by Eileen Cooper RA

Above: Upclose and personal with Sandra Turnbull

Above: 'Can You See Me?' by Sandra Turnbull (acrylic, charcoal)

Above: Lovely Lee Maelzer offers me some strawberries. Check out her oil painting 'Cups'  here

Above: 'Oratorio' (wood cabinet with side panels comprising of 8 paintings and 8 figures) by the late Dame Paula Rego (OBE, RA). Works 1133-1187 are by Royal Academicians who have recently passed away such as Brian Catling, Tom Philips and the amazing Paula Rego. (R.I.P.)

Above: Photo of 'Terry and Jerry in the Summer of 81' painted by Harry Pye and Rowland Smith (photo by Russell Herron).

Above: CHEERS! (photo by Sarah Wood)

Go and see the Summer show at The Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Picadilly W1J OBD (Tue, 13 Jun 2023 – Sun, 20 Aug 2023)

More info: HERE

Chaz Jankel in the studio with The Spammed

Chaz Jankel and Ian Dury co-wrote classics such as; 'Sweet Gene Vincent', 'Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll', and 'Hit Me With Your Rythmn Stick'. Aside from The Blockheads, Chaz has collaborated with everyone from Quincy Jones to Sly & Robbie to Robbie Williams. Yesterday Mr Jankel had another reason to be cheerful - he was invited to spend a day with the studio with The Spammed recording a track for the next Specialized CD compilation ('Punk Pioneers: The Roots of Punk')

(Above: Singer Kevin Eldon, Guitarist Micko Westmoreland, Producer Chaz Jankel, Guitarist Paul Cuddeford, Drummer Rat Scabies, Keyboardist Micky Gallagher, Bass player Horace Panter, and Sax player Terry Edwards.)

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 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. The two main organizers of The Specialized Project are Paul Willo and Paul Ayriss. The albums they’ve put out over the last decade have raised over £100,000.

To find out more about the project visit: https://specializedproject.com/

(Above: Rat, Kev, Micky, Terry, Paul, Chaz, Horace and Micko recreate the photo on the back of The Blockhead's Do It Yourself L.P.)

The Spammed (whose original line-up was put together by Harry Pye and Micko Westmoreland) have appeared on every single one of the Specialized Cover Version compilations – these albums included tributes to acts such as; Bob Marley, The Clash, Madness, The Beat, and The Rat Pack.

(Above: Kev, Micko and Chaz)

Yesterday The Spammed were delighted to work with extra special guests guitarist Paul Cuddeford (from Tony Visconti's band Holy Holy) and Blockhead keyboard legend Micky Gallagher. It was great to be in the legendary recording Premises studio in Hackney watching these talented chaps record a cover of ‘Louie Louie’ for the next 4 Disc Specialized CD  “Punk Pioneers:The Roots of Punk Rock”

Read Harry's interview with Chaz about his Glad To Know You anthology: HERE