Editorial 2003 - The Art Fair in Islington

---

Everything’s Coming Up Fresh

Daniel Brooke

Penny Klepuszewska

Funny how you notice a word suddenly going ‘critical’. Fresh, so long associated with food and ideas, is now plastered over everything. The new cars, new faces and now art.
The Fresh Art exhibition on the weekend of July 18-20th at the Business Design Centre in Islington (London) was a great and rewarding experience however. This was a huge coming together of new and underexposed artistic talent situated in a huge exhibition hall. It provides an opportunity for graduate artists and photographers from the UK’s best Universities and Colleges to show off their talents and in the centre, there are many booths for emerging and professional talent (not all yet represented by a gallery) to showcase their work that could be a great investment for the future.

The prices were often pretty reasonable, varying from limited edition colour prints from £125 to something more grand and exclusive for around £1500. The art, a fantastic mixture of ceramics, oils, object d’art sketches, watercolours, animations, you name it, all at ground floor prices. You get to meet the artists and you can take the stuff home with you if you want.
(Or have it delivered or shipped).
It’s a great idea and thanks to the The Times and Sunday Times for backing and promoting it.

NICOLA MORRISS nicky.morriss@virgin.net www.axisartists.org.uk/all/ref6107.htm

It’s tough getting exposure as an artist or photographer and when you see just how good their work is it can be rather intimidating. I was particularly impressed by the graduating student work.
To exhibit there next year you have to submit six slides of your work to a eight person jury and they decide if you can show your work. It isn’t cheap either, at around £1000 for a booth. Some exhibitors were pretty smart however and had sponsors. Most will sell at least half their work and of course, each one hopes that among the throng of visitors there will be that special Cork Street gallery owner looking for the next best thing.

Robert Charlton MA

University of Westminster MA Art & Media Practice 2003, Photography, video, sculpture, installation and music

OK you missed it this year, but you can see some of the work exhibited right here by clicking on the links
Maybe, with luck and the necessary readies we will see you there, next year.

---

Some links to artists:
Robert Charlton (photography) http://www.robertcharlton.dial.pipex.com
Penny Klepuszewska (Photographer) : www.prospect-k.com
Chris Simpson (Travel Photography): www.chris-simpson.com
Daniel Brooke : www.danielbrooke.com
The Exhibition in Islington and list of exhibitors
www.freshartfair.com/2003_consumer/index.html

July 29th Update:

Odd thing driving on British motorways. You can drive for hours and get nowhere at all. I just spent an entire weekend on the M25, which circles London and luckily packed a suitcase for the occasion. Others, not so fortunate, were unable to shave, brush their teeth, or generally enjoy the view across the rolling North London hills as much as I. I do wish though that provision had been laid in for some portaloos as having to pee in public with no hedge or tree to hide behind can be embarrassing. Of course once one does it, another hundred get out of their cars and civilisation comes to complete halt as we flood the verges with human waste. Seven hours on the M25 (which I might add is a circular motorway) can radically alter your view of humanity and where it is actually headed. My own journey was a simple one. To get from Surrey to the A1 exit half way around the M25. I set off at 11am and by six pm I had completed a whole 35 miles. Now, seeing an empty A1 in front of me I suddenly generated a burst of enthusiasm and set forth northwards to the Mecca they call Grimsby. Sadly I came to another halt just two miles up the road. Of course torrential rain can alter any journey, but I am not quite sure why this journey should have taken another five and half hours to go another 140 miles. Had I gone by rail, I may not have reached Grimsby at all. Three weeks ago in a heat wave the trains came to halt facing buckled rails. Now rain brings them to a shuddering stop all over the UK. At one point I was parked alongside the East Coast express and they were staring at us and we at them. At least they have stale sandwiches and polystyrene cups of tea to while away the hours. Funny how the weather doesn't seem to affect any other country on earth to the same extent. It is as if the English are totally surprised by every turn of the weather. I have lived in Africa, Canada and the USA where there everyone pretty much takes pride in getting through whatever the weather. In England not getting through makes a better story. Camping out in strike bound airports because the staff donıt give a fig about their customers is something to tell your grandchildren about. ŒI was there when the M25 came to complete stop sonny. I was a fortnight living on berries and crabgrass until it clearedı. Maybe it is some kind of nostalgia for the war or a deep primitive longing for ancient Briton hardships that makes us want to suffer so. Just to add piquancy there are speed cameras every hundred yards and coppers standing on the bridges with hand held radar guns in case we ever get out of second gear. We meekly accept the restrictions on our freedoms, the deliberate constrictions on getting around our cities and extra longer times at traffic lights to really snarl things up. The car has become the enemy but without it the entire UK economy would collapse. If we all started using public transport it would disintegrate under the weight of people and there would be daily riots at stations and bus terminals. (But then again, we would have something new to moan about hey).

Sam
Email: editor@hackwriters.com


This summer Hackwriters: Rita Sidhu discovers her roots, Colin Todhunter takes a hell ride in Chennai, Habeeb Salloum discovers Copper Canyon, James Campion discovers the Government lies and new fiction from Allen McGill and Sidi Benzahara. More to come.
© Sam North July 22nd 2003

Previous Editorials:
July: Readjusting
June : Saying Goodbye
Returning to Blighty
MAY- DYSTOPIA OUR FUTURE?
Art and the Matrix
BLOSSOM TIME IN THE CITY
Forget your troubles - April
INTERESTING TIMES -March
Oscars have a message
WAITING FOR WAR February
Winning the Peace
THE MUNSTER HOUSE
Renting in Kits
Winter Escape to the UK
Hacks takes a break
TOO MANY MOVIES- IT'S AN AVALANCHE OF CULTURE
What will you seeing at the movies? November
VANCOUVER REALLY IS A FUN CITY October
'The city where everyone gets to live a millionaire lifestyle'
It’s SECTION 9 in the N.Y. Sunday Times
A cornucopia - October
LADY LUCK
The Kids stay in the picture- August
PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES
Hacks visits the new Museum of Glass in Tacoma- August
Hot Sweats in a Cold Read at the Anza Club- August
LIFE ON FAST FORWARD - Vancouver on speed -September
SUPERNOVA NINA & ROAD
SweetSista'Shorts Carousel Theatre- Granville Island - Off Fringe
ROUNDHOUSE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY. - September
Arts in the Community is for real -
WE ARE ALL GURUS NOW - September
Time to enrol
MOVIEWORLD October
Vancouver Film Festival Trade Show report

< Back to Index

© Carine Thomas -Brighter Image web design


Carine Thomas 'Urban Wild'
FICTION . TRAVEL . LIFESTYLES . REVIEWS . FIRST CHAPTERS