Ivan Novak speaks for Laibach in 'A Film From Slovenia' at CHELSEA space

After five very interesting and eventful weeks Neue Slowenische Kunst 1984-1992 comes to an end at CHELSEA space. Our show was the opening section of a London-wide co-operation between Tate Modern, Calvert22 and CHELSEA space; the events have kept rolling and the people kept coming.

Dragan Zivadinov with Donald Smith at CHELSEA space

We were delighted  that the exhibition was visited by members of IRWIN and NSK State artists and citizens. We were also very happy to see the Slovenian Ambassador, Iztok Jarg, the Kosovan  Ambassador, Dr Muhamet Hamiti, the Director of  Tate Britain, Penelope Curtis, and the Director of Tate Modern, Chris Dercon. We were greatly honoured that Dragan Zivadinov, the author of the original Neue Slowenische Kunst Manifesto also came to see the exhibition. A trained cosmonaut  and hugely accomplished theatre director, Zivadinov is a charismatic character  and the recognised founder of the Neue Slowenische Kunst movement – as David Gothard pointed out, he is a paradoxical leader amongst equals.

NSK round table discussion at Tate Modern Starr Auditorium

After our excellent private view, the following week saw the opening of IRWIN:Time For A New State and NSK Folk Art at Calvert 22 followed up by talks and events. In the meantime  Marcus Campbell Books opened a commercial show of NSK publications, music, and ephemera entitled NSK Wunderkammer. Then came the one day symposium at Tate Modern followed in the evening with a stunning concert by Laibach in the Turbine Hall attended by an audience of  1000 people.

projection of an image by NSK Architecture Section Graditelji/The Builders 1988 from the lecture at Tate Modern by Dr Alexei Monroe

The symposium covered all aspects of the Neue Slowenische Kunst movement including an interview with Laibach and  presentations from IRWIN and Dragan Zivadinov.

Tate curators Catherine Wood and Kathy Noble thank Dr Alexei Monroe

The talks  finished with a round table discussion followed by a paper by Dr Alexei Monroe – an inspiring call to artists to be more politically engaged that brought the conference into a stark contemporary context.

Early Laibach (1980-83) evoked at Tate Modern

The highlight of the day’s events was Laibach’s Tate Modern ‘retrospective’ concert Monumental Retro-avant-garde. The concert was a rare and evocative event divided into four distinct sections. The opening section dealt with the period 1980-1983 and included founder  members Ivan Novak and Dejan Knez  in a rare performance with another original member Srecko Bajda. Industrial and often discordant and with a cast including a bald and bare-chested man in butcher/metal worker apron screaming demonically like a character from a painting by Otto Dix or George Grosz, this was an unsettling performance evoking a period that saw Laibach banned from former Yugoslavia.

Laibach frontman Milan Fras and singer/keyboard player Mina Spiler either side of the iconic stag's head

The second section saw frontman Milan Fras take the stage, leading us into Laibach’s pop/pomp cover versions era . This section ended with keyboard player and singer Mina Spiler’s spine tingling  rendition of the Beatles’ Across The Universe which led neatly into section three, dedicated to Laibach’s soundtrack for the new film Iron Sky, a sci-fi comedy set in 2018 telling the story of German Nazis who fled to the Moon at the end of World War Two and established a space fleet ready to conquer Earth. The seemingly blantant consumerist plug for a pulp (science) fiction movie in the middle of a carefully constructed retrospective performance only increased the ongoing controversy and confusion over Laibach’s strategies and intentions.

Milan Fras' vast shadow on the wall of Tate Modern's Turbine Hall recalls the shadowy hooded figures in the poster for the Scipion Nasice theatre production of Baptism Under Triglav 1986

The final part of the show dealt with the WAT album and other recent work, a recording of the entire Tate Modern concert will be available on Mute Records.

Formed in the industrial heartland of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in an area previously held in forced occupation by facsists then nazis, and then more recently affected by the conflicts during the break up of Yugoslavia,  Laibach cannot be solely viewed through the prism of western pop culture.  The event at Tate Modern was a tough and uncompromising spectacle and, during the current shifts of World economic and political power, Laibach remain provocative, critical, controversial, and relevant, using their creativity to raise questions whilst resisting a definitive reading of their own activities.

Tate curator Andrew Wilson and artist Bob Smith strike retro-Contructivist poses in front of the poster for Baptism Under Triglav

We had a great final day of Neue Slowenische Kunst at CHELSEA space with a great many visitors including Alexei Monroe. The very last two visitors were our friends, the Tate’s Curator of Modern  and Contemporary British art,  Andrew Wilson, and artist Bob Smith (Bob and Roberta Smith).

The IRWIN and NSK Folk Art exhibitions continue at Calvert 22 until June 24th, Alexei Monroe will be talking at Marcus Campbell Books on May 15th and at Calvert 22 on  June 7th.

IRWIN's Miran Mohar in conversation with the Director of Tate Britain, Penelope Curtis, at CHELSEA space

Dusan Mandic (IRWIN), Haris Hararis (NSK archivist), Roman Urjanek (IRWIN) photo: Manca Bajec

Private view of IRWIN _Time For A New State at Calvert 22. photo: Manca Bajec

IRWIN were one of the core collectives in the original Neue Slowenische Kunst movement of the 1980′s along with Laibach Kunst, Theatre of the Sisters of Scipion Nasice, and the design group New Collectivism.

private view at Calvert 22. photo: Manca Bajec

Members of the CHELSEA space team met up with IRWIN and other Slovenian friends at the Calvert 22 opening for IRWIN – Time for A New State and NSK Folk Art, the shows contain some great work. Make sure to visit CHELSEA space and Calvert 22 then complete the set by booking places for the Neue Slowenische Kunst Symposium at Tate Modern on Saturday 14th April.

New Collectivism 'Baptism Under Triglav'

Clyde Hopkins 'Fiveacre'

Meanwhile, Clyde Hopkins’ exhibition of wonderfully hallucinogenic  paintings at our sister gallery Chelsea Futurespace  has been extended and will now run until early May (closing date to be confirmed).

Laura White and Peter Fillingham at Carter Presents

Carter Presents  are currently showing the “constructivist anarcho-punk” work of Laura White and our great friend Peter Fillingham. This excellent show includes a version of Fillingham’s work From Behind that we were lucky to include in our exhibition ideal home

Roger Ackling installation view of 'Down To Earth' at CHELSEA space

Annely Juda Fine Art are showing the lovely Roger Ackling in an exhibition entitled High Noon which runs until 28th April. His show Down To Earth at CHELSEA space last summer was a superb event and we were very honoured to work with him.

Peter Downsbrough 'And Here' CHELSEA space 2011

And finally we are absolutely delighted to announce that another dear friend, Peter Downsbrough, is about to show at the private gallery of the brilliant Laure Genillard who curated the show Aftermath  for us. Peter Downsbrough’s exhibition with Laure Genillard came about, in some part, as a consequence of his CHELSEA space exhibition  AND HERE . Although  he has an international reputation and exhibiting profile, inexplicably, before his show with us, his  last show in the UK was at the Jack Wendler Gallery in January 1973. This fact was eloquently pointed out by Teresa Gleadowe in her CHELSEA space exhibition Dematerialised: Jack Wendler Gallery  1971 – 1974 

Peter Downsbrough’s show is at LAURE GENILLARD,  2 Hanway Place, London W1T 1HB.  7th April  - 26 May open by appointment only on Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 2 – 6 pm. Tel + 44 (0) 207 323 2327 or lauregenillard@gmail.com, mob + 44 77 96 156 805. Alternatively contact Hana Noorali hana@rungallery.co.uk  or Lynton Talbot, Lynton@rungallery.co.uk , mob + 44 7771 904 70

 

Neue Slowenische Kunst private view

curator Michele Drascek with Director of Tate Modern Chris Dercon and CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith

One of the first to arrive was Chris Dercon, Director of Tate Modern where there will be a symposium and a Laibach  concert in the Turbine Hall as part of a co-operation between CHELSEA space, Tate Modern and Calvert 22

Tate Britain Director Penelope Curtis with curator Michele Drascek

The Director of Tate Britain Penelope Curtis was also there to support us.

 

Michele Drascek and the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia, Iztok Jarc

 

Actor Dudley Sutton with CHELSEA space's Donald Smith and Dr Muhamet Hamiti, Ambassador for the Republic of Kosovo

The Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia, Iztok Jarc, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo were both present and it was fascinating to hear them talk  about Laibach concerts that they had been at together during the 1980s in former Yugoslavia.

NSK commentator Alexei Monroe with IRWIN artist Miran Mohar

The British Embassy in Ljubljana kindly helped us fund IRWIN artist Miran Mohar to come from Slovenia for the opening. We were grateful he could come and everyone had an excellent evening.

artists Gary Woodley and Bruce McLean with filmaker Paul Tickell

 

Fashion designer Lloyd Johnson with CHELSEA space's Caitlin Smyth and stylist Jill Johnson

Pil and Galia Kollectiv

 

Laure Genillard and David Tremlett

 

Miran Mohar, David Gothard and Bruce McLean

 

artist/chef Crispin Chetwynd with curator Lynda Morris

 

Simon Bell

 

CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith with actor Dudley Sutton

 

Tate Modern's Kathy Noble with artists Janneke Van Leeuwen and Rosie Farrell

 

Marina Mahler and Manca Bajec

 

 

David Tremlett

 

 

 

David Gothard and Alexei Monroe

 

Karl Lydon and Rosie Farrell with Banner Repeater's Ami Clarke

 

artist Peter Fillingham and curator Michele Drascek

 

musician Mark Wood with designer Chrissi Gassner

Laibach advertisement for launch of the single Life is Life

After much anticipation on Tuesday 20th March CHELSEA space opens the exhibition Neue Slowenische Kunst 1984 – 1992.

Theatre of the Sisters of Scipion Nasice

The show concerns the activities of the radical Slovenian art collective later known as NSK who are widely considered the last true avant-garde of the 20th century.

organisational and functional chart of Neue Slowenische Kunst 1984

The show focuses on key members: Laibach, IRWIN, The Theatre of the Sisters of Scipion Nasice, and New Collectivism, drawing on their archives in Ljubljana and the archive of David Gothard in London. This connection between Ljubljana and London is little known but is highly important and the activities of the collective in the UK is a central theme of the show.

poster for The Theatre of the Sisters of Scipion Nasice

Neue Slowenische Kunst posters and photographs ready to install

Road works: Susan Forsyth's exhibition on the Old Brompton Road

Meanwhile artist and former CHELSEA space Assistant Susan Forsyth is stopping the traffic with her brilliant new exhibition Goldplay at the Royal Society of British Sculptors at 108 Old Brompton Road. London.

 

Susan Forsyth 'Jacob's Ladder II'

The exhibition is essentially in two parts with the impressive ‘Jacob’s Ladder II’ making an eight metre golden architectural intervention outside of the building and Wiff-Waff IV, an interactive ping pong table, inside the gallery.

detail of the gold leaf surface of Wiff-Waff IV

Both pieces have a slab-like matter of fact aspect to them but a closer inspection of the surfaces reveal that they are both gilded in gold leaf creating a lustrous and complex detail that relates to the history of art and craft.

Golden shot: CHELSEA space's Caitlin Smyth plays on Susan Forsyth's Wiff-Waff IV

Susan has created several interactive Wiff-Waff tables and held tournaments. The Wiff-Waff IV table also has a trophy cup and a competition was held on Saturday 10th March. Susan is giving a talk in her exhibition TODAY – Wednesday 14th March at 6.30pm  – don’t miss it!

Bill Beckley Silent Ping Pong at CHELSEA space with Short Story for Hopscotch in foreground

 

Susan generously acknowledges that one of the influences for the the Wiff-Waff tables was the American artist Bill Beckley’s Silent Ping Pong shown at CHELSEA space as part of The Ping Pong Dialogues curated by the brilliant Jo Melvin in 2008.

Bill Beckley and Sir Nicholas Serota discuss the surface of the Silent Ping Pong tables at CHELSEA space

The silent aspect of Beckley’s Silent Ping Pong was due to the fact that the surfaces of the tables and the bats (or “paddles”) were made of foam which created a disorientating effect when one tried to play.

reconstruction of Sir Terence Conran's study including two watercolours of smoking pipes by Patrick Caulfield

Over at the Design Museum there is a very good show dedicated to the varied career of Sir Terence Conran. CHELSEA space was very pleased to note that, amongst the models, books and objects in a reconstruction of Sir Terence’s study, were two watercolour versions of Smoking Pipes  by the late Patrick Caulfield.

Patrick Caulfield Untitled (Smoking Pipe) 1997 from 'ideal home' at CHELSEA space in 2011

Another version of Untitled (Smoking Pipe) 1997 was included in the CHELSEA space exhibition ideal home last year. The work was kindly loaned to us by Jason Brown who was the curator/driver of CHELSEA cab and Cab Gallery , Jason was the subject of a recent CHELSEA space blog which you can read here

installation view of 'ideal home' at CHELSEA space including Patrick Caulfield's Smoking Pipe 1997

The Terence Conran exhibition at the Design Museum seems to lie somewhere between exhibition design and the techniques of  aspirational ‘room sets’ that Conran utilises so well in his retail displays. He even included a section on his latest work for the British retailer Marks and Spencer creating an interesting scenario where visitors can see the work in the museum and then go out and buy the same objects. This play on the balance of exhibition/retail room set was what CHELSEA space was looking for in the exhibition making of ideal home

She's a model and she's looking good

We were sad to see the going of Lloyd Johnson: The Modern Outfitter but, true to form, Lloyd cheered us all up by taking down the roof of his VW and driving off  with his shop mannequins all seatbelted in and ready to go.

Toy Boy - Lloyd Johnson and The Mannequins

Street Fashion

It looked as though he was driving an oversized toy and he tells us it was a bit like the old days,  drawing looks and comments as he drove down the Kings Road in Chelsea. We will miss Lloyd’s regular Wednesday visits to CHELSEA space.

Laibach - Let It Be

We are now in full swing preparing for our next show Neue Slowenische Kunst 1984-1992,  looking at the radical Slovenian collective later known as NSK and widely considered the last true avant-garde of the twentieth century.

The Theatre of the Sisters of Scipion Nasice 'Baptism Under Triglav' 1986

The show consists of archive material from Laibach, IRWIN, New Collectivism, and the Theatre of the Sisters of Scipion Nasice in Ljubljana, and David Gothard in London  with an emphasis on the collective’s activity in the UK during the 1980′s. This exhibition is one element of a three-part presentation organised in co-operation with Calvert 22 and TATE Modern  including Monumental Retro-avant-garde – a concert by Laibach for the Turbine Hall at 22.30 on Saturday 14th April (tickets available through TATE).

Details from: Suzanne Treister's HEXEN 2.0/Tarot/0 The Fool - Aldous Huxley; Eight of Swords - US CyberCommand; King of Pentacles - Economic Cybernetics, 2009-11

Meanwhile over at the Science Museum Suzanne Treister is presenting  her new exhibition  HEXEN 2.0The Hexen project is an ongoing series of works originally started in 1995 and includes  Hexen 2039  held at CHELSEA space in November 2006.

Suzanne Treister 'Hexen 2039' at CHELSEA space 2006

Hexen is a highly detailed world of dillussional  time travellers, dodgy politicians, military personnel, society figures, conspiracy theorists and occultists and was described by Art in America as ” one of the most sustained fantasy trips of Contemporary art” – Miss this latest installment at your peril!

the "stuff"

And speaking of next installments, Mick Jones’ Rock & Roll Public Library has hit the road again, this time appearing at Gordon McHarg’s excellent  Subway Gallery in the pedestrian underpass at Edgeware Road/Harrow Road, London W2 1DX. The show runs from March 9th until March 31st. Gordon is once again working on Mick’s “stuff” with our good friend the artist/chef Chrispin Chetwynd who co-curated the Rock & Roll Public Library with CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith for the Norwich Gallery in 2010, and who was included in our exhibition ideal home in 2011.

The Rock & Roll Public Library at CHELSEA space in 2009

The very first Rock & Roll Public Library exhibition was held at CHELSEA space in 2009 and since then it has appeared in a variety of galleries and temporary venues, sometimes on quite different scales such as the version for Sir Peter Blake’s Art Bus at Vintage Goodwood. The ultimate ambition is to find a permanent home for Mick Jones’ collection of popular culture ephemera, but more temporary shows are being discussed and in the meantime it is fitting that it should come to Subway Gallery and to Gordon McHarg who has done much to promote Mick Jones’ project and who renamed the Edgeware Road/Harrow Road pedestrian underpass Joe Strummer Subway.

Mick Jones playing 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go' at CHELSEA space on 9th April 2010 in a new configuration of the Rock & Roll Public Library made for our 5 year anniversary celebrations

Joe Strummer Subway leading to Subway Gallery where Mick Jones' Rock & Roll Public Library opens on the 9th March 2012

The Staff of Johnsons in a double page feature in The Face magazine.

Shop assistants Vicky and Antoine in Johnsons.

THE MOD SQUAD

In 1979 Lloyd was making 40s, 50s & 60s inspired clothing, the kind which was used in The Who film, Quadrophenia, worn by Sting & Phil Daniels.

Such was the demand for this range of retro clothing that mobs of ‘Ska’ fans would be waiting for us to open on a Saturday morning and long queues would form.

The Specials were one of the bands who would come in. Lloyd didn’t often have much contact with the stars, as he was always busy designing in the warehouse. However on this particular occasion he happened to be in the basement of The King’s Road Store arranging some displays.

John Bradbury, The Special’s drummer was hammering out a beat on one of the units upstairs. Lloyd could hear it reverberating through the ceiling and shouted up the stairs, ‘Will you shut up and stop drumming… please! ” The drummer, being terribly affronted, walked out in disgust.

Lloyd outside the Kings Road shop on a Vespa.

TOP OF THE POPS; FROM THE ROLLING STONES TO LIAM GALLAGHER

Keith Richards bought one of our  ‘Kamikaze-bombs away’ brown leather jackets for The Rolling Stones American tour in 1981 to promote their ‘Tattoo You’ album.

He used this clothing to great effect. The stage would be blackened and he would duck walk on backwards, Chuck Berry style, with his back to the audience, a spotlight illuminating the design of the pilot on the jacket. He had just beaten his well-documented drugs and alcohol problem but it didn’t stop him using his guitar to hit a rogue fan that ran onstage.

We used to do black cotton jeans that were so tight they had to have a zip running from the knee to the ankle to aid in pulling them on. All of the band, except maybe Charlie, would go mad for these jeans. They bought the smallest size, a true 26-inch waist. They were miniscule. Half our female customers couldn’t even get them on… To this day they  reckon The Stones could still get into the 28’s.

Whenever I watched Top Of The Pops from the mid 80’s to mid’90s it seemed that almost every band would be kitted out in our clothes. It wasn’t a case of if you were going to see one of our outfits; it was a case of how many times in one episode you would see our clothes!

We became so ubiquitous that it was often the only common ground between artists as various as The Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Samantha Fox.

Just one of Johnsons rock/pop customers.

DRINKING WITH THIN LIZZY

Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy were customers in the very early 80’s; they were partial to the black leather jackets and waistcoats we sold.

They would often take our manager Steve for a drink in his lunch hour, normally to The Man in The Moon pub opposite our Kings road store in Worlds End. Steve would arrive back after one of these sessions and have to go to bed for the afternoon. I couldn’t understand why until they took me one day, there were six of us in total.

I’d never witnessed anything like it. They secured one barmaid and put in an order for 6 pints of ‘fighting’ lager, strong lager, and 6 large Jameson chasers. While we were drinking the next person who’s round it was put in a repeat order and so on, until we were perpetually supplied with booze. The drinking of the order took the time it took to pour the next round.

Then Thin Lizzy would stroll off up the Kings Road to continue their day whilst I staggered back to the shop and passed out in the stock room.

BILLY DUFFY

He credits Johnsons with saving him from bedsit squalor in North London.

He had moved there in 1979 from Manchester and was working weekdays as a porter at The Whittington Hospital in Archway. Every Saturday he would make a pilgrimage to the Kings Road. He wanted to be a part of the action he had heard about growing up and of course, he wanted to meet girls. He hung around Johnsons and badgered the manager Steve, for a job.

As well as working in the warehouse (for £15 a day as a Saturday boy) Billy was also in charge of the little Johnsons van, using it to cart stock from warehouse to both shops. It was like a fortified rickshaw, a black Suzuki with a motorcycle engine.

He soon made pals with American ‘Psycho Rockabillies’, The Stray Cats. They all shared the same hair pomade, a tin of Black and White, and would line up in front of the shop mirrors slicking their quiffs into place.

Slickly placed quiffs.

Billy is still mates with their drummer, Slim Jim and sees him often in Los Angeles where they both now live.

Lots of long lasting friendships were made. All the shop staff would go out every night. Boy George worked in Worlds end about eight shops down from us and there was a little scene…

..We’d go out every night pubbing and clubbing. Boy George had a huge man crush on Billy and helped him find a job as a guitarist with post punk band, ‘Theatre of Hate’.  So it came to pass in September 1981, that Billy had to leave Johnsons. He was soon kicked out of that group but fortuitously so; as he went on to join Death Cult, which later morphed into The Cult.

He was gutted when he had to leave and remembers hating having to tell Peter and Lloyd. He was fretful that he was trading in a cushy job, fawning women and job security for the back of a transit van and impending poverty. He needn’t have worried!

THE END OF THE ROAD

We thrived in a pre-digital world of shopping, retailing, production and design, one where our boutiques became total environments and the place to be seen.  All sorts of shenanigans went on in the stock room as members of staff often embarked on steamy love affairs with each other. We were even allowed to smoke and drink on the shop floor. Bands were always giving us their CD’s and cassettes so we would play their music really loud on the shop stereo.

It all came to an end in 1999. Independent shops like Johnsons started to die out and the high street chains took over.

For those of us who lived and worked around Chelsea in the 70’s, 80s and 90s, London was a very special place, and Johnsons was the epicenter. I loved it there and can’t help but be nostalgic – as the old saying goes “Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson – you find the present tense but the past perfect”.

A staff reunion at the private view of LLOYD JOHNSON: THE MODERN OUTFITTER at CHELSEA space.

LLOYD JOHNSON: THE MODERN OUTFITTER finishes today – Saturday 3th March where Lloyd is joining us for one more day of stories and antics. Here at CHELSEA Space we’ve had the chance to learn about the importance of fashion to culture from the 60s onwards and for some of the younger CHELSEA space staff, get a taste of an era which changed youth culture for us today. Join us for the last day of this exhibition and experience some Johnsons history.

Thanks to Georgea Blakey – Freelance journalist and artist for her interviews with Johnny ‘Mono’ Graham.

invitation to a Turtle

The very first ‘Turtle’ exhibition and series of events was Turtle: An Anarchic Salon at CHELSEA space in the summer of 2006. The project came about after the film maker Michael H Shamberg, who was well known for his work with the band New Order, had become ill with the debilitating Mitochondrial disease. The turtle had become a symbol of hope for him because in Lebanon, at the border with Israel, there is a turtle sanctuary that became  a protected area during the civil war allowing the almost extinct Mediterranean Sea Turtle to flourish. Shamberg said at the time “This is something good that came out of the war. I have gone through my own corporeal civil war and TURTLE is my sanctuary and celebration”.

The original Turtle at CHELSEA space in 2006 with a work for the window by Lawrence Weiner

Aurea Romero performing in Peter Downsbrough's 'AND HERE' at CHELSEA space in 2011.

Portrait of Shelagh Cluett with her sculpture. Leeds Museums & Galleries (Henry Moore Institute Archive). Photo: Gary Ede

On 24th February at the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith and artist  Jo Stockham gave a talk about the work of the late Shelagh Cluett .

Lisa Le Feuvre, Head of Sculpture Studies at the Henry Moore Institute in the Shelagh Cluett exhibition at CHELSEA space in 2010

 Shelagh Cluett: Drawing in Space is a very beautiful and well considered show curated by HMI’s Sophie Raikes and looks at Cluett’s early work from 1968-1980 through drawings, photographs, sketchbooks and sculptures. There are direct links with the CHELSEA space show Shelagh Cluett Sculpture 1977-1980 with some material common to both and it was great to see the works in the context of the Henry Moore Institute and their other current exhibition United Enemies: The Problem of British Sculpture in the 1960s and 1970s. The Henry Moore Institute is rare and important; a place where a serious discussion is happening about sculpture and sculptors now and an invaluable educational resource that helps us better understand the diverse legacy of sculpture in the UK through the collected personal archives of artists themselves.

installation view of Shelagh Cluett: Drawing in Space. courtesy Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Museums & Galleries

installation view of Shelagh Cluett sculptures in Leeds courtesy the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Museums & Galleries

Rock & Roll Wildcat Jacket by Shelagh Cluett

one of the many back stage passes from the Shelagh Cluett archive

Tom Waits wearing Johnsons boots in the Jim Jarmusch film 'Down By Law'

Meanwhile back at CHELSEA space, Tom Waits is evoked in our current exhibition  in the form of a pair of Johnsons La Rocka  boots.

La Rocka Black Croc ‘Rock West’ boot designed by Lloyd Johnson

And the connections don’t stop there – Tom Waits famously sang on the extended recording of the musical masterpiece Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet by Gavin Bryars who has been a long term friend and collaborator with CHELSEA space.

musicians Gavin Bryars and Evan Parker with Donald Smith at CHELSEA space in 2011

installation view of '3 Things' curated by Donald Smith for RUN Gallery in 2007 including works by Richard Tuttle, Peter Blake, Marcel Breuer,Bruce McLean, Suzanne Treister, Kirsten Weiner