Peter Blake at Chelsea Futurespace

A fantastic crowd turned out at our sister gallery Chelsea Futurespace for the opening of Peter Blake: Four Decades

Brad Faine and Peter Blake

This dynamic installation of prints was personally selected by Sir Peter and includes a wide variety of works that he feels represents his printmaking activities across forty years. Also the show tacitly celebrates his productive working relationship with artist and master printmaker Brad Faine.

Steve Thomas and Brad Faine at the opening of Prints 'R' Us at Chelsea Futurespace

Brad recently exhibited his own work at Chelsea Futurespace in Prints ‘R’ Us with artist and designer Steve Thomas and has just launched a new website www.fainecontemporaryart.com 

Sir Peter Blake with CHELSEA space Research Fellows and curators Kate Ross and Daisy McMullan

The excellent colour publication for the exhibition contains a text by Jo Melvin and was designed by Daisy McMullan. It will be available soon through our E-Shop

architect Will Alsop, St James Homes' Paul Pritchard, actor Dudley Sutton, and Futurecity Director Mark Davy

Chelsea Futurespace started when CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith was approached by the property developer St James and the art and placemaking consultant Futurecity to come up with a proposal for an exhibiting space within a new residential development on the northeast corner of Chelsea Bridge. The project has lasted 7 years and has notched up 30 exhibitions.

Anna and Paul Stolper with Humphrey Ocean

Works for Sir Peter Blake’s show were generously loaned by Paul Stolper Gallery and CCA Galleries

When Peter and Chrissy met Crimson

It was great to see lots of friends and Sir Peter was incredibly generous, signing autographs and giving everyone his individual attention.

Poet Michael Horovitz talks with his old friend Peter Blake

We were very pleased to see poet Michael Horovitz amongst the private view crowd.

1961 Jazz & Poetry festival poster including a listing for Mike Horovitz

The CHELSEA space exhibition Dobells Jazz Folk Blues includes a bold 1961 poster for a Jazz & Poetry event including a listing for a reading by Mike Horovitz.

David Redfern with his wife Suzie during his excellent talk at CHELSEA space

Sadly the Dobells show has come to an end but our last week included live music and an excellent talk by the extraordinary music photographer David Redfern whose portfolio of photographs of the 1967 Newport Jazz Festival, commissioned by Dobells and Pan American Airlines, was showcased in our exhibition.

audience at the David Redfern talk in CHELSEA space

David has worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones and was a friend of many of the biggest names in jazz. It was an honour to welcome him to CHELSEA space and his talk was the perfect finale for the Dobell’s show.

photographer David Redfern photographed at CHELSEA space by Gavin Freeborn

section of Stephen Willats' Oxford Community Data Stream

Stephen Willats, who showed his West London Social Resource Project with us in 2011, has an excellent new show Conscious-Unconscious: in and out the reality check at Modern Art Oxford. The show represents the next stage in a relationship with the gallery that goes back to 1968.

perspex visor and rubber beret by Flora McLean as part of the installation by Archigram at Modern Art Oxford

Also showing at Modern Art Oxford are the radical architecture practice Archigram and it was great to see that the mannequins in their installation were wearing hats and visors by the milliner Flora McLean.

Gyeyeon Park, Daeun Jeong, and Su Jin Lee wearing rubber berets by Flora McLean at CHELSEA space in 2010

The orange rubber beret in the installation was similar to the ones she gave to former CHELSEA space Assistants Daeun Jeong, Su Jin Lee and Gyeyeon Park who worked with her father, the artist Bruce McLean, for the multi media performance A Political Hot Potato on a Dark Background as part of our 5th year anniversary programme of exhibitions and Events Should I Stay Or Should I Go

Bruce McLean A Lemon a Potato A Torch And A Piece of String Piece Peace

Part of A political Hot Potato was an image to go on the doors of our old friend Jason Brown’s CHELSEA cab.

Hatch Show Print Nashville Tennessee

As recorded in our Blog Archive, Jason now lives in Nashville Tennessee and is currently working with CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith on a show celebrating  Hatch Show Print, the Nashville letterpress shop established in the 1870s and most well known and  collected internationally for  its posters for music concerts for everyone from Bessie Smith and Duke Ellington,  through to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, The White Stripes and many many more. Hatch Show Print recently became part of The Country Music Hall of Fame but artist, curator, and master letterpress printer Jim Sherraden is still very much at the heart of Hatch’s activities. The CHELSEA space exhibition  Hatch Show Print: Nashville Calling  will run from November 13th – December 14th.

Letters from the Brehman collection including a postcard from Picasso, Paul Elouard, Man Ray, Gala, Roland Penrose and others

Jason Brown’s next curated event in Nashville is in collaboration with Chuck Beard of East Side Story and is entitled Voices : A reading of letters from The Brehman Collection with a special performance by Actors Bridge/Sideshow Fringe and an exhibition of new work by Ed Nash

Peter Blake 'Lover's Rock' 2004 silkscreen print courtesy Paul Stolper Gallery

Jason Brown’s CHELSEA cab started life as the curated project CAB GALLERY that he ran in London in association with the gallerist Paul Stolper. Paul is currently helping us with the exhibition Peter Blake: Four Decades at our sister gallery Chelsea Futurespace which runs from May 15th until July 28th. The image above featuring The Clash is from the Peter Blake/Paul Stolper Gallery portfolio Love. The Clash guitarist Mick Jones (second left) has worked with us many times at CHELSEA space including the shows Mick Jones Rock & Roll Public Library,  The Life Room, Should I Stay Or Should I Go, and Red White & Blue: Pop Punk Politics Place

Jason Brown with artist Susan Forsyth at Mick Jones' opening for Should I Stay Or Should I Go

Mick Jones playing Should I Stay Or Should I Go at CHELSEA space April 2010

1960s Dobell's paper 7" bag

The Dobells Record Shop bags in our current exhibition Dobells: Jazz Folk Blues are still creating a lot of interest and it has been great to see visitors bringing their own vintage record shop carriers with them.

double sided James Asman/Mole Jazz plastic 12" record bag

We had no idea quite how popular it was to collect record shop bags and were delighted when our good friend, artist Eddie Farrell, sent us this bag from Berlin with the London Jazz stores James Asman Record Centre on one side and Mole Jazz on the other, two much loved and much missed stores who many visitors to the show have talked about longingly.

James Asman and Maureen Vernon with Doug Dobell at the launch party for Dobell's Tower Street shop in 1981

By coincidence, one of the images in our Dobell’s exhibition is of the man on the bag, James Asman, with Maureen Vernon who worked at Mole Jazz pictured here with Doug Dobell in 1981.The image is from the launch party of the Tower Street store following the demolition of the original shop at 77 Charing Cross Road.

artist Eddie Farrell (foreground) performing at CHELSEA space in March 2005

We very much miss Eddie who first performed at CHELSEA space as part of Gary Woodley’s exhibition impingement #47 back in March 2005 and who made the audio/visual document for our exhibition Bruce McLean: Process Progress Project Archive and made two performance events for the exhibition Rehearsing/Samuel Beckett. We understand that Eddie is returning to London soon and we look forward to welcoming him back.

Private view for Dobells Jazz Folk Blues

Another lively season for CHELSEA space starting with the private view for Dobells Jazz Folk Blues. There was a fantastic crowd out to celebrate this iconic record shop and its founder, Doug Dobell, including CHELSEA space regulars and Dobell’s staff and customers going back to the 1940s.

Dobell's staff member Brian Harvey with music photographer Val Wilmer

Brian Harvey, who was one of Doug Dobell’s earliest staff members, was quite moved when he saw the original Dobells record rack on loan from Museum of London.

Brian Harvey (centre) gets an autograph from Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong whilst Doug Dobell (right) wistfully contemplates the scene

original Dobells record rack on loan from Museum of London

He recalled installing the rack in the bookshop of Doug’s father, Arthur, at 77 Charing Cross Road and how the records gradually took over the entire shop! Opened by Doug’s grandfather Bertram in 1887 Dobell’s was one of the first antiquarian bookshops on the Charing Cross Road. Bertram was the first tenant in this new building constructed after London slum clearances and the shop kept the family name until it was demolished in 1981.

Francesca Stuttle, Stephen and Stephanie Willats

Dobell’s was very popular with the art crowd. Stephen Willats has a collection of 78 rpm discs on Dobells’ own 77 Records label and was a regular visitor to the shop. Stephen, who showed The West London Social Resource Project at CHELSEA space, is opening his new show this week at Modern Art Oxford

Monica and Don Sollash with his 'I've Heard The Sound of Dobells' sweatshirt

We were very honoured to see Don and Monica Sollash at the opening, Don opened Dobell’s Brighton store in 1957 and married Doug Dobell’s daughter Monica in 1958.

Don Sollash, Doug Dobell, and Joe Williams

Don can be seen with many iconic Jazz musicians in photographs in the exhibition, Monica also worked administering the family firm and they were both still working at Dobell’s until its final closure in 1992.

writer Guy Brett with artist Bruce McLean

Artist Bruce McLean, who showed Process Progress Project Archive with us in 2006, worked in the Jazz venue the Bulls Head in Barnes and remembered meeting important American musicians at Dobells including Roland Kirk. He is seen here with art writer Guy Brett who has just finished work for the excellent monograph on Rose Finn-Kelsey published by Ridinghouse Editions. CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith has  recently contributed a chapter on working with Bruce McLean for the book All This Stuff: Archiving The Artist

Fashion designer Lloyd Johnson and Film maker Paul Tickell both had their own Dobells stories

CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith with musician Jona Lewie

Musician Jona Lewie, famous for his song You Will Always Find Me In The Kitchen at Parties, was another regular at the shop and is good friends with Martin Colyer, son of  Dobell’s stalwart staff member Bill Colyer.

A young Martin Colyer holds his pushchair whilst Don Sollash, Martin's mother Betty and his cousin Ray look on at the Dobell's Brighton shop in 1957

Martin, who studied at Chelsea School of Art has written an excellent blog about the Dobell’s show and private view and has included some rare photographs from his family album

DJ Jeff Dexter (right), seen here with Fosit Forsythe, was another Dobell's regular

Peter Halley takes in the Dobell's show at CHELSEA space

We were honoured to see the American painter Peter Halley in CHELSEA space.

installation view of Peter Halley's current exhibition at Waddington Custot

Halley’s excellent new show has just opened at Waddington Custot Galleries in London and the catalogue essay is by our good friend Jo Melvin who curated the show The Ping Pong Dialogues at CHELSEA space

Leon Parker puts a record on the deck at CHELSEA space

This Wednesday saw the first of our ‘open deck’ sessions for vinyl record enthusiasts. These events are being organised by Leon Parker of the British Record Shop Archive who has worked tirelessly with CHELSEA space to make the Dobell’s show happen, ever passionate about the importance of independent record shops, irrepressibly energetic in sourcing materials and making contacts.

Brian Peerless with the cover for 77 Records 1961 album 'High In A Basement'

audience at the Brian Peerless talk

The vinyl session was followed by an excellent talk by Brian Peerless who worked at Dobells from 1962-1992. The talk included some great history, lots of good music,  and rarely heard anecdotes. Some of the audience who knew Dobell’s and Brian added to the event with lively interjections and stories of their own.

Ben Webster and Sarah Vaughn photographed by David Redfern at the Newport Jazz Festival 1967. From a boxed set of prints commissioned by Dobell's and Pan American Airways

The vinyl sessions are every Wednesday afternoon throughout the show and the next talk at CHELSEA space is with music photographer David Redfern 6-7.30pm Wednesday 15th May. The event is free but RSVP to info@chelseaspace.org is essential.

World Record Store Day billboard, Nashville USA. photograph: Jason Brown

The show was also timed to coincide with World Record Store Day and here is a photograph of an advertisement taken in the USA by our good friend Jason Brown who generously ran CHELSEA cab for us until he moved to Nashville Tennessee.

Disquaire Day, Paris

Chelsea Arts Club Trust Research Fellow at CHELSEA space Kate Ross

Ashley Family Foundation Research Fellow at CHELSEA space, Daisy McMullan, (right) with textile designer Melanie Bowles at the opening of Geometrics Volume 1

The talks, vinyl sessions and other events are organised by CHELSEA space Research Fellows Daisy McMullan and Kate Ross as part of the wider CHELSEA public programme. Daisy and Kate have been busy with a range of projects for CHELSEA space including the exhibition Surface that they curated for our sister space Chelsea Futurespace, and the selection of artists for our Gate Curate project in collaboration with the Gate Theatre Notting Hill and Chelsea Arts Club Trust.  Both Daisy and Kate are working on projects away from CHELSEA space too, most recently Kate Ross has been developing a new exhibition programme for the Notting Hill Arts Club and the Chelsea Salon series, whilst Daisy McMullan has just curated the textiles project The Geometrics: Volume 1.

Sir Peter Blake 'Babe Rainbow' silkscreen print 1968

And finally we are pleased to announce that we are about to launch a solo exhibition with Sir Peter Blake at our sister gallery, Chelsea Futurespace. The show entitled Four Decades is an exhibition of prints selected by the artist and will open with a private view on Tuesday 14th May. Peter showed with us most recently at CHELSEA space in the group exhibition Red White and Blue: Pop Punk Politics Place.

 

Dobells shop sign. Photo: Museum of London

CHELSEA space has been keeping relatively quiet as we prepared for our new show but the silence will soon to be broken with what promises to be a lively private view for Dobells Jazz Folk Blues on Tuesday 9th April from 6-8.30pm. Continuing the noise, there will be a Programme of Events throughout the show including talks and record playing sessions. The show also coincides with Record Store Day on 20th April, check our CHELSEA public programme  blog for updates.

Gail Thompson, John Chilton, Doug Sollash, Brian Peerless, Bill Colyer outside of Dobells at 77 Charing Cross Road just prior to its closure for demolition in late 1980

The subject of the show is Dobell’s Record Shop which was started by Doug Dobell in 1946 in a corner of his father’s book shop at 77 Charing Cross Road in London.  The shop’s motto was ‘The Record Shop With A Club Atmosphere’ and it became a mecca where music fans rubbed shoulders with famous touring musicians who would hang out there and catch up on gossip, find out who else was in town, learn what records were popular and where were the new cool places to visit. It was a one stop search engine, as much a club, a branch of social services, a public library, and a research centre as it was a retail outlet and it even had its own record label – 77 Records.

Hand painted sign from Dobell's. Photo: Museum of London

The show includes objects, photographs, posters, record covers and other graphics from private collections and a 1967 portfolio of portraits of Jazz musicians by renowned music photographer David Redfern. We are also grateful to the Museum of London for the loan of original artefacts on show for the first time since the  shop’s closure 21 years ago.

hand made Opening Hours sign from Dobell's. Photo: Museum of London

Dobell’s briefly opened a store in Brighton in 1957 and another London store was opened in Rathbone Place for a while in the early 1960s. The store at 77 Charing Cross Road expanded to take over the neighbouring no. 75 but they were closed for demolition in 1980 and the shop relocated to Tower Street in 1981. Sadly, Doug Dobell died whilst visiting the Nice Jazz Festival in 1987 but his wife Gladys and the loyal Dobell’s team continued running the legendary shop until it closed its doors for the last time in 1992.

Dobells: Jazz Folk Blues shows at CHELSEA space from 10th April until 18th May.   Entry Free.   Tuesday – Friday 11am-5pm, Saturday 10am-4pm        Click here for a full programme of Events and updates

Derek Jarman 'A journey To Avebury' 1971 Super 8 Film

CHELSEA space and the CCW Graduate School hosted an excellent talk by Tate Modern Curator of Film  Stuart Comer and film producer James Mackay on the Early Films of Derek Jarman (1942-1994).

James Mackay and Stuart Comer talking Derek Jarman in the Lecture Theatre at Chelsea College of Art & Design

The discussion will be published as part of a series of ‘in conversations’ for the Moving Image Review and Art Journal (MIRAJ) edited by Catherine Elwes and published by Intellect Books. The event included a screening of several films including Studio Bankside 1970; A Journey To Avebury 1971;  Sulphur 1973; Art and the Pose 1976; Sloane Street: A Room of One’s Own 1976; T.G: Psychic Rally In Heaven 1981. Because of the delicate state of the super 8 films it has not been possible to view them much in recent years but James Mackay and the Luma Foundation have been lovingly restoring the films frame by frame and digitizing them.

Derek Jarman 'Sloane Square: A Room Of One's Own' 1976 super 8 film

Super 8 was admired for its portable handheld qualities but it could not be projected to a very large scale, and the heat from the projectors often scorched the film. Derek Jarman enjoyed seeing his work on a large scale and James Mackay believes that these new digital versions will enable the audience for the first time to really see what Jarman saw through the viewfinder. An interesting fragmented portrait of Derek Jarman began to emerge from the biographical, theoretical, practical, political, and contextual commentary, James’s anecdotes and insights, and the films themselves. CHELSEA space is grateful to James Mackay and Stuart Comer for such a candid, intelligent, and  generous discussion.  We quickly ran out of time – there is so much more to be said.

Duggie fields and Steve Thomas at the Lloyd Johnson opening in CHELSEA space in 2012. Derek Jarman made a super 8 film portrait entitled Duggie Fields in 1974

The Lecture Theatre was full with a combination of artists, film experts and academics, fans, friends of Jarman, and students. It was great to see artist/designer Steve Thomas who showed with us in Big Biba and Other Stories and Ideal Home and who recently showed prints with Brad Faine at our sister gallery, Chelsea Futurespace. Steve, who studied at Chelsea School of Art in the early 1960s, knew many of Derek Jarman’s friends on the London creative scene  of the 1960s and 70s and recognised several of his old friends and acquaintances in Jarman’s films Studio Bankside  1970 and Sloane Square: A Room Of One’s Own 1976.

Derek Jarman's Prospect Cottage, Dungeness, Kent with John Donne's poem The Sun Rising originally installed by Peter Fillingham and later restored by Charlotte Moth

It was great too to see Peter Fillingham who also showed in Ideal Home at CHELSEA space. Peter was a close friend of Derek Jarman and was the person responsible for the John Donne poem The Sun Rising installed on the side of Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage, in Dungeness. Peter worked with Jarman on many projects during his lifetime and was also in his film Wittgenstein. In 1999 Peter Fillingham made  an installation in response to Jarman’s film Blue with Keith Collins for the exhibition Stimuli  at the Witte de With in Rotterdam. The photographs of Derek Jarman’s notebook shown in the 1999  installation were taken by CHELSEA space Director of Exhibitions, Donald Smith, and the Director of the Witte de With at the time was Chris Dercon, now Director of Tate Modern.

Nicky Carvell with her customised Egg

Also in the audience for James Mackay and Stuart Comer’s talk and screening was Nicky Carvell who showed with us in Red White and Blue: Pop Punk Politics Place an exhibition that co-incidently featured Derek Jarman’s super 8 film Jordan’s Dance 1977. Nicky was recently invited to customise a large ‘egg’ for the artists’ project The Big Egg Hunt in aid of Action For Children. The artist customised eggs which also include contributions from Graham Hudson and Peter Liversidge amongst 100 others, are going on tour around the country:London Covent Garden, Tuesday 12th Feb – Sunday 17th February; Birmingham, Victoria Square, Tuesday 19th Feb – Monday 25th February, Liverpool, Paradise Street, Wednesday 27th February – Tuesday 5th March, Manchester Exchange square, Thursday 7th March – Wednesday 13th March, Glasgow, St Enoch Square, Friday 15th March – Wednesday 20th March, London Covent Garden Friday 22nd March – Monday 1st April.

Florian Roithmayr 'Grotto' Laure Genillard Gallery

Florian Roithmayr 'Moat-Study'

Burg is curated by Hana Noorali and Lynton Talbot who, under their curatorial name of RUN, curated Should I Stay Or Should I Go at CHELSEA space with Elena Crippa in 2010. Laure Genillard who is hosting the Burg exhibition curated Aftermath at CHELSEA space in 2011.

Kit Craig

Kit Craig, who showed at CHELSEA space in With Words Like Smoke, is showing from 5th March to 5th May at Michael Hall’s Parfitt Gallery in Croydon. Kit is represented by Arcade run by the excellent Christian Mooney.

A dancer in front of Alice Channer's work for 'December 1952' directed by Cally Spooner at CHELSEA space in 2009

Finally, Alice Channer, who showed at CHELSEA space as part of Cally Spooner’s December 1952, is currently exhibiting until the 12th May at The Hepworth Wakefield.

The Hepworth Wakefield by David Chipperfield Architects. photo Donald Smith

The Hepworth, set in its award winning building by David Chipperfield, is well worth the visit and Wakefield is only half an hour from Leeds so you can also visit the Henry Moore Institute with its excellent exhibitions programme and superb archive.

The Hepworth Wakefield

STURTEVANT and SECONDEDITIONS private view

Jacqui Davies with SECONDEDITIONS Elizabeth Peebles & Markus Eisenmann and STURTEVANT's UK gallerist Anthony Reynolds

It has been another busy period for CHELSEA space, the crowds turned out for the private view of second reflection / symmetrical contents: STURTEVANT and SECONDEDITIONS on 22nd of January (see more images here). And on 23rd January SECONDEDITIONS’ Markus Eisenmann and Elizabeth Peebles were joined by the Henry Moore Institute‘s Pavel Pyś for an event in the Lecture Theatre of Chelsea College of Art and Design

Henry Moore Institute curator Pavel Pyś in the Lecture Theatre at Chelsea

This event was done in 3 parts – a performative reading of STURTEVANT texts, a talk by Pavel Pyś on why there is interest in STURTEVANT now and the differences in the presentation of her work at the Henry Moore Institute and at CHELSEA space.

Pavel Pyś in discussion with Liz Peebles and Markus Eisenmann beneath a projection SECONDEDITIONS 'Qualified Nouns' 2002

Finally there was a talk by Elizabeth Peebles and Markus Eisenmann, with interventions from Pavel Pyś, about their own engagement with STURTEVANT’s work and ideas and their approach as artists in collaborating with her on the CHELSEA space exhibition.

Gate Curate inaugural award winner Alice Stallard (far right) talks with Bruce McLean and Lynda Morris at CHELSEA space

Meanwhile, CHELSEA space Research Fellows Daisy McMullan and Kate Ross have been busy on several offsite projects. The first of these is a new collaboration with the Gate Theatre Notting Hill to create a residency for artists culminating in exhibitions/installations in the theatre’s foyer and entrance areas relating to the current production.

Bruce Norris's Purple Heart will be the subject of Alice Stallard's work for her Gate Theatre residency

The project is a collaboration between the Gate, CHELSEA space and Chelsea Arts Club Trust. An artist will be twinned with each of the Gate’s five shows a year. Congratulations to the inaugural Gate Curate artist Alice Stallard.

artist Charlotte Jonerheim and curator Kate Ross during the installation of Surface at Chelsea Futurespace

Meanwhile curators Daisy McMullan and Kate Ross were also working on their show Surface at our sister gallery, Chelsea Futurespace.

L-R: Daisy McMullan, actor Dudley Sutton, artist Crispin Chetwynd, Kate Ross

The private view was great fun and very well attended, thanks to everyone who came.

Chelsea Futurespace exterior

Rosie Farrell, Edward Cotterill, and Caitlin Smyth in front of Cotterill's work

Manca Bajec in front of work by Emma Neuberg at the opening of 'Surface'

Bar at the Surface private view

Chelsea Futurespace is open 7 days a week and Surface runs until April 14th

Derek Jarman photographed in Dungeness, Kent

Finally, we are looking forward to our next CHELSEA programme event The Early films of Derek Jarman – Stuart Comer in discussion with James Mackay on Wednesday 20th February. Most recently CHELSEA space included Jarman’s 1977 film Jordan’s Dance in the exhibition Red White & Blue: Pop Punk Politics Place and we are excited that this discussion between Stuart Comer and James Mackay will also include screenings of other early works by the greatly missed artist, filmmaker, and polemicist . The event, hosted by CHELSEA space in association with the CCW Graduate School, is from 5.30-7pm in the Lecture Theatre, Chelsea College of Art and Design  (Atterbury Street entrance) SW1P 4JU.

The event is free but places are limited and booking is essential. RSVP to gsevents@arts.ac.uk

newly painted plinths awaiting video works by Sturtevant

Preparations for our next exhibition  second reflection / symmetrical contents STURTEVANT and SECONDEDITIONS continue apace.

Sturtevant's Medion TV monitors arrive at CHELSEA space

The silver/grey Medion Monitors that Sturtevant specified for her video installation have arrived from Berlin.

SECONDEDITIONS' Markus Eisenmann tunes a Sony Cube at CHELSEA space

As have the Sony ‘Cube’ monitors from Matthew Fitts’ excellent London-based The Block  who source and supply a range of monitors for video works.

SECONDEDITIONS 'rainer werner fassbinder-martha' 2012. 2 channel video installation

Sturtevant 'Duchamp Bicycle Wheel' 1969-1973 © Sturtevant Photo: Jerry Hardman-Jones

Omega Rug attributed to Frederick Etchells installed in '1913: The Shape of Time' at the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds.

SECONDEDITIONS 'Qualified Nouns' 2002 slide show

second reflection / symmetrical contents  STURTEVANT and SECONDEDITIONS 

Private View: CHELSEA space Tuesday 22nd January 2013 6-8.30pm

Talk with SECONDEDITIONS and Pavel Pyś: Lecture Theatre, Chelsea College of Art and Design, Atterbury Street, Wednesday 23rd January 2013, 6pm (RSVP essential for the talk: gsevents@arts.ac.uk ) 

stacked Gary Woodley designed bench with mirrorball in the window of CHELSEA space with Tate Britain and Millbank Tower behind

It’s time for CHELSEA space to say thank you to those who took part in our 2012 programme and to wish a Happy New Year to everyone who came to visit us.

Kate Ross (left) and Daisy McMullan in front of Daniel Sturgis's painting 'All or Nothing' 2012

It’s long overdue but we must also congratulate and introduce our most recent Research Fellows Daisy McMullan and Kate Ross. Both received awards to be with us; Daisy is our Ashley Family Foundation Fellow, whilst Kate’s award came from Chelsea Arts Club Trust. They both hit the ground running here, getting straight into the installation of  the exhibition DOME:Ralph Tubbs and The Festival of Britain, then immediately on to prepare Steve Thomas and Brad Faine’s exhibition Prints ‘R’ Us at our sister gallery Chelsea Futurespace. They finished the year working on Red White and Blue: Pop Punk Politics Place and preparing material for the 2013 programme.

Gate Theatre programme for their 'Aftermath' season directed by Christopher Haydon

As well as the CHELSEA space and Chelsea Futurespace programmes, Daisy and Kate are also working on a shortlist for our new offsite partnership with the Gate Theatre, Notting Hill. The plan is to create a programme of emerging artists making work in response to the script and research materials for each Gate production to be exhibited in the entrance area of the theatre. Daisy and Kate are also busy with projects outside of the aegis of CHELSEA space: Kate Ross has been curating the Chelsea Salon Series working with MA students and alumni of Chelsea College of Art and Design, and with her blog Curatorial Curiosities whilst Daisy McMullan has recently curated the Young Masters Art Prize at the Sphinx Gallery aimed at emerging and established artists who are inspired by the Old Masters and art history. Daisy has also recently published her essay The Archive and the Museum: Framing Contemporary Practice in the journal Engage .

Ashley Family Foundation Research Fellows: Manca Bajec and Daisy McMullan

CHELSEA space would also like to thank the outgoing Research Fellows, Manca Bajec and Caitlin Smyth. Manca has been a great asset to CHELSEA space and was particularly instrumental in ensuring the success of our exhibition Neue Slowenische Kunst 1984-1992 liaising with our partners in Ljubljana and with Tate Modern and Calvert 22 in London. Manca is currently working on some new research around contemporary monuments. Our exhibition Neue Slowenische Kunst 1984-1992 has found a new form opening under the title The Sovenian Box curated by Michele Drascek at Stacion in Prishtina, Kosova.

Caitlin Smyth with Bruce Mclean during the installation of Ideal Home at CHELSEA space in 2011

Caitlin Smyth ended her time at CHELSEA space organising an exhibition at Testbed entitled Blood In My Eyes concerning Ana Maria Velez Wood’s 1993 photographs of Bob Dylan. With a background in dance, Caitlin, who is now working in freelance curating, PR, and events organising, has a particular penchant for exhibitions crossing art, design, and popular culture so CHELSEA space suited her very well. The exhibitions Ideal Home, Lloyd Johnson: The Modern Outfitter, and Red White and Blue: Pop Punk Politics Place were definitely Caitlin’s kind of shows whilst the choreography of Anna Manubens rehearsed by  Aurea Romero for our exhibition Peter Downsborough: And Here + A Place To Be encouraged her to collaborate with the artist Rosie Farrell, choreographing and performing for Farrell’s recent film installations such as UN-Heaven’s Gate 2012.

Amelia Pica 'Some of That Colour' 2009 from the exhibition With Words Like Smoke at CHELSEA space in 2010

We were delighted to see that Modern Art Oxford currently has a string of connections back to CHELSEA space. Amelia Pica, who showed with us in With Words Like Smoke curated by Isobel Harbison, is showing in Modern Art Oxford’s Upper Gallery, Foyer Gallery,  and Yard until 10th February whilst Julian Wild, who was selected by CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith for a Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea/Chelsea Arts Club Trust Studio Award, is showing in their Project Space.

Photo: Gilbert & George/Photo: André Cadere from the exhibition 'Dear Lynda..' at CHELSEA space

Meanwhile in Modern Art Oxford’s John Piper Gallery, Lynda Morris has curated Documenting Cadere: 1972-1978. André  Cadere was best known for his Barres de Bois Rond  constructed from round coloured discs made into a pole that he carried wherever he went. In homage to this work, Lynda Morris, who was celebrated in the exhibition Lynda Morris: Dear Lynda… at CHELSEA space this year, has organised a recreation of her 1976 Slade Association Cadere events – one on Wednesday 19th December at The Plough, 21 Museum Street, London WC1 from 7-8pm, and another on Thursday 20th December at The Jeremy Bentham 31 University Street, London WC1 from 7-8pm.

Sturtevant 'Blow Job' (2006) video still cam 1

SECONDEDITIONS 'Josef Hartwig and Oskar Schlemmer - Jointed Doll 1923' (2002-2013)

CHELSEA space reopens on 22nd January with the private view of  second reflection / symmetrical contents  STURTEVANT and SECONDEDITIONS. Thank you for supporting us in 2012 and we look forward to seeing you in the new year!

Elizabeth Price 'Monument to Dematerialisation' 2006 from the exhibition The Affirmation at CHELSEA space

Congratulations to Elizabeth Price on winning the Turner Prize at Tate Britain. Elizabeth, who featured in CHELSEA space #17, The Affirmation , gave a short but perfectly pitched speech remembering the late Mike Stanley and quietly sending the message to the Government and the State Secretary for Education Michael Gove that she would not have pursued a successful career as an artist had it not been for a strong arts curriculum at school and a free education at art school. The importance of funding for the arts and arts education was also the theme of the speeches by Director of Tate Britain, Penelope Curtis and the presenter of the Prize, the actor Jude Law.

flyer for the Chelsea 'Teach In' protest at the 2010 Turner Prize

Penelope Curtis recalled the ‘Teach in’ anti-budget cuts protest by staff and students of Chelsea College of Art and Design and other colleges at the 2010 Turner Prize, covered in our Blog at that time, and reiterated the need to continue the fight for Government financial backing in the arts.

Mark Titchner N(I)B 2011

2006 Turner prize nominee Mark Titchner is currently featured in Red White and Blue at CHELSEA space. His film N(I)B was originally commissioned for his one person show Be True To Your Oblivion at New Art Gallery Walsall in 2011.

Mark Titchner N(I)B 2011

The film is a video portrait of  Nicholas Bullen, founding member and singer with the Grindcore band, Naipalm Death. N(I)B presents us with a close up of Bullen’s mouth as he performs a work by Titchner, the work combines a list of the 200 words banned by Local Government associations which are transformed through the use of a Gematria Calculator which gives numerical value to words and phrases. The LGA banned words include ‘actioned’, ‘ambassador’, ‘core value’, ‘functionality’, and ‘sustainable communities’ amongst others – a strange and intriguing list!  Titchner’s mesmerising, slowed down, silent piece, with its references to  subversive music and political correctness, is at the heart of the themes of Red White and Blue.

Billy Whitelaw performing Samuel Beckett's 'Not I' for a 1975 BBC TV production reprising her 1973 Royal Court performance

The title ‘N(I)B refers to the Black Sabbath song of the same name and to the BBC film of actor Billie Whitelaw’s performance of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Not I’  where the camera focuses exclusively on the exaggerated movements of her mouth.

Samuel Beckett's 'Not I' (left) as part of the exhibition 'Rehearsing/Samuel Beckett' at CHELSEA space

Beckett’s nephew, the musician Edward Beckett, kindly gave us permission to show ‘Not I’ as part of our exhibition Rehearsing/Samuel Beckett in 2006.

Mark Titchner with his work Ur Text and Marcel Duchamp's Rotoreliefs at CHELSEA space in 2007

Mark Titchner contemplates his film N(I)B and Derek Jarman's 'Jordan's Dance' at CHELSEA space in 2012

Titchner had previously evoked Black Sabbath in the exhibition Vertigo:Marcel Duchamp and Mark Titchner where he explained that, although he recognised the importance of Marcel Duchamp, his own introduction to roto-scopic art came when he bought a secondhand copy of Black Sabbath’s 1971 album, Master of Reality, on the Vertigo Records label who’s logo graphic was a pastiche of a Duchamp Rotorelief. Titchner’s film ‘The Artist’s Studio’ made for Vertigo  at CHELSEA space was reshown as a projection in our exhibition Ideal Home in 2011.

framed vertigo record (left) next to Paul Tickell's 'Punk and the Pistols' and Pil and Galia Kollectiv's 'WE'

The framed vinyl record on the Vertigo label has reappeared in our current exhibition Red White and Blue: Pop Punk Politics Place.

Michael Bracewell in front of Daniel Sturgis's painting at CHELSEA space

Michael Bracewell who wrote an excellent text for our Red White and Blue  publication came to visit CHELSEA space this week. Happily, he liked the show and thought it would be regarded as a “significant bench mark”.

Nicky Carvell 'Hemel 17'

He was particularly taken by the hanging of the main space  containing works by Daniel Sturgis, Simon Periton, Neil Clements and Nicky Carvell.

Ignite nightclub Hemel Hempstead photographed by Paul Ryan

Nicky Carvell’s piece, Hemel 17, includes a large photograph of the Ignite nightclub, a seemingly corrugated industrial shed with a postmodern “classical” facade. On a recent visit to Hemel Hempstead artist and theorist Paul Ryan recognised Ignite after seeing the Nicky Carvell piece at CHELSEA space and took this photograph to show us how it has been repainted since Nicky’s work was made. Paul says the club is in a retail centre called ‘Jarman Park’ adding an ” odd extra connection with the works in your show” referring to Derek Jarman’s super 8 film ‘Jordan’s Dance’ 1977.

Left: Mark Titchner N(I)B 2011. Right: Derek Jarman 'Jordan's dance' 1977

Red White and Blue: Pop Punk Politics Place  ends at CHELSEA space this Saturday -8th December- at 4pm. Don’t miss it!

Brad Faine (left) and Steve Thomas (right)

Red White and Blue is not the only show in town and some of the artists can also be seen elsewhere at present: Steve Thomas is currently exhibiting at Chelsea Futurespace in PRINTS ‘R’ US  with Brad Faine.  Their prints inspired by pop-culture, graphics, and British and American Pop Art are full of colour, puns, wit and irony; the show at Chelsea Futurespace runs until 27^th January 2013.  Steve also featured in CHELSEA space show #22 Steve Thomas: Big Biba and Other Stories.

Sir Peter Blake 'Stanley Road' album cover for Paul Weller

Brad Faine works very closely with artists who work in printmaking, including Sir Peter Blake, who’s Found Art: Britannia is featured in Red, White and Blue at CHELSEA space.  Blake currently has a series of prints on show at Power House Studios in Chiswick, and is included in The Perfect Place to Grow at the Royal College of Art, celebrating 175 years of the RCA

Lawrence Mynott 'Jordan' for the cover of the RCA journal ARK

Also included in the RCA exhibition is The punk issue of Ark: A Journal of the Royal College of Art,  from 1978. The cover design, featuring Jordan, the assistant at Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s shop Sex, is by Lawrence Mynott.  Jordan features twice in Red, White and Blue; in Paul Tickell’s 1995 documentary Punk and the Pistols and in Jordan’s Dance, a short super 8 film by Derek Jarman, made in 1977, a year before his film Jubilee.

Mark Titchner 'The World Isn't Working'

Another British artist featured in Red White and Blue, Mark Titchner is currently artist in residence at the Art Gallery of Ontario.  During his residency he will make large scale wall drawings, billboards and posters that will be installed throughout the city as well as in the gallery, in an exploration of the nature of text and mass-communication. Mark first showed at CHELSEA space in #13 VERTIGO: Marcel Duchamp and Mark Titchner.  Also exploring the nature of language in art, Pavel Buchler is exhibiting in a group show Postscript: writing after conceptual art at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, which looks at the artistic possibility of language from the 1960s to now.

Syd Shelton 'Strike meeting' Sydney Australia 1973

Syd Shelton, whose 1977 and 2012 Jubilee Mansions photographs grace the front cover of the Red, White and Blue publication, has a new website.  Following on from our themes of austerity and legacy, here is a photograph by Syd of a strike meeting in 1973.

Laibach 'We Come In Peace' tour

The Slovenian music and art collective, Laibach, whose music video Anglia is featured in Red White and Blue are currently on their WE COME IN PEACE tour.  Laibach first featured at CHELSEA space in #43 NSK: Neue Slowenische Kunst . You can find out more about Laibach here. 

Roman Urjanek (left) in front of work by IRWIN at the 'Bigger Splash' private view at Tate Modern

As part of the NSK co-operation between Tate, Calvert 22, and CHELSEA space, Laibach played  at Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall in March earlier this year,  IRWIN, the visual art section of NSK who also showed in Neue Slowenische Kunst 1984-1992 at CHELSEA space, are currently featured in A Bigger Splash: Painting After Performance also at Tate Modern.

Pil and Galia wear Red White and Blue for the private view at CHELSEA space

Pil and Galia Kollectiv, who gave a public talk as part of our CHELSEA programme this year, are currently touring in the UK.  In Red White and Blue we are showing a video of a performance work Performative Contruction of a Future Monument for a Post-Catastrophic Society and the video WE Will Follow Him.  Their tour WE is currently in the UK, including London gigs at Lupa 13, Bruno Glint and The Wreck.  Find out more about Pil and Galia’s art, curating, projects and tour here. 

Jaime Gili, Maine industrial tanks design proposals

Across the Atlantic, Venezuelan-born, UK-based artist Jaime Gili’s winning design for the Maine Center for Creativity’s Art All Around competition is being painted onto 16 industrial tanks, at 24247m they form the largest public art painting in the world and were planned to be seen by satellite.

Jaime Gili painted tanks for the Maine Center for Creativity