Mark Woods "To Have To Hold" Exhibition: The Wapping Project

A new exhibition of work by sculptor and jewelery designer Mark Woods at the Wapping Project explores fetishism and many of the pieces have erotic and sensual overtones.They are lovingly fashioned in both precious and base materials. The small sculptures(some can be worn) at The Wapping Project exhibition, have been displayed in a rubber room which is crucial to the context of the objects. The public enters this room through a narrow rubber seal which caresses your body.The sculpture is viewed through peep holes cut into the latex walls. Other port holes appear under the windows encased in black rubber industrial gloves. You are invited to try and fondle the objects of your desire through the rubber as they glisten in their cases out of reach.This is a fitting close to 2009 at the Wapping Project. See more images on: ArtLyst Click Here

Eugenie Scrase Wins School Of Saatchi Hands Down

Eugenie Scrase Winner School Of Saatchi
ArtLyst Reports:





Eugenie Scrase was deservedly the winner of School of Saatchi with her “Log on a Fence” installation. The work, a found object, consisted of a blue iron fence with an impaled log, the remains of a fallen tree cut down by the council somewhere in North London.
Scrase a 20 year old from London is currently studying Fine Art / Sculpture at the Slade School of Fine Art. Her tutors have been encouraging about her participation in the series but no one ever believed that her work would win the competition. She was born in France, moving to Buckingham with her family in the early 1990s. Scrase has had learning difficulties, caused by dyslexia. This led her to spend much of her spare time in the school art department. Her sculptures and installations are formed largely from found objects. They were often described as chaotic by the panel of industry insiders, Kate Bush, (Curator at the Barbican) Matthew Collings, (art critic and broadcaster) Tracey Emin (Artist) and Frank Cohen (collector). I think the bottom line was to choose the best piece in the final exhibition. This was held in The Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea last summer. Scarase’s piece was visually the best and most original presented. She is a natural young talent. Sometimes her explanations were vague and random but in the end the work did what it was supposed to do. It spoke for itself and to Charles Saatchi. This was an interesting but obnoxious exercise. It made good and compulsive TV viewing. I would think that this will be a one off series as ratings are everything to the BBC and you have to ask yourself the question,do we really want to allow visual art to have the X Factor treatment in the future?Read More: http:www.artlyst.com

Richard Wright Wins Turner Prize 2009

Wright Stuff Leaves Me Cold
Has contemporary Art Reached The Vanishing Point ? In 1975 Tom Wolfe wrote those very thoughts in an article called The Painted Word.

The 2009 Turner Prize has gone to Richard Wright an artist who was my third choice this year. In the Tate's words Wright created," subtle and exquisite wall paintings that respond directly to the architecture in which they are created. Often awkwardly placed in discreet locations, they combine graphic imagery and intricate patterning from sources as varied as medieval painting, graphics and typography".I don't hate his work but it is unlikely that It will remain memorable in years to come. He looks a nice chap though! Please let me know your feelings on the subject. I am gutted that Roger Hiorns didn't win for his amazing entry this year and can only hope that he is nominated again in the future.The Tate described his work as, " An arresting sculpture and installation combining unusual materials. His exploration of chemical processes took spectacular effect in Seizure, in which a derelict flat in South London was filled with liquid copper sulphate, which after a period of time encrusted every surface of the space with blue crystals"If this year was about pushing the boundaries which it surely wasn't then Hiorns should have won for creating something that was out of step. Seizure was a cut above and stunningly beautiful. Perhaps his age had something to do with the final judgment. I think the award is ageist anyway.I would have nominated Gerry Judah for his paintings of aerial bombardments inspired by Iraq. They speak to me politically and visually. Problem is he is over 50 but why should that matter,both Malcolm Morley and Howard Hodgkin got the prize before they changed the goalposts!.There is always next year to look forward to..... ArtBitch 2009 Read More On: http://www.artlyst.com

Turner Prize Winner Is Announced Tomorrow Roger Hiorns Wins

Roger Hiorns “Seizure” 2009

The Turner Prize winner is announced tomorrow and Art Basel Miami ends today.This is a very busy week for the contemporary art scene. Art Basel Miami finishes, with a mixture of the good the bad and the ugly, while tomorrow the shortlist for the Turner Prize is judged by a mixed panel of people, some (not to mention names) think they understand contemporary art and some know very little (a reference to a certain blond...or should I say gray cougar agony aunt)
I will have a full round up of the events later on in the week. If you missed the ArtLyst video of the Turner shortlisted artists here is the link again. http://www.www.youtube.com/user/ArtLyst1 Roger Hiorns is head and shoulders above the others and if he doesn't win ArtLyst will be very upset.... © ArtBitch 2009