If you like music, which I do, then there is a good chance you’ll know James Lavelle, the world-renowned producer, label owner and DJ. It’s possible his name is unfamiliar to you but if I said UNKLE, you might think, Oh yes, that guy from Mo’wax. Well, James has now added the role of art curator to his CV and if his pop-up exhibition at London’s Haunch of Venison gallery is anything to go by, he’s pretty good at it.
I was fortunate enough to bag an invite to a private viewing with a question and answer session with James and it feels a shame that it is only going to be around for 3 days over the Summer Bank Holiday. So while some Londoner’s will be trotting down to Nottinghill for the carnival they’ll miss this merge of visual art and music.
Basically James has composed a variety of tracks, handed them to some highly acclaimed creative artists in the field of music, art, film, fashion and design and told them to come up with something for the exhibition. There are video arcade machines, toy sculptures, animatronic designs, lightboxes and believe it or not Azzi Glasser even created a scent! So if you thought art galleries were just filled with dull paintings, this one will turn your world upside down!
Sadly I only had my mobile phone’s camera available to take some snaps with but the truth is, still photography doesn’t do it justice. For me, some of the best pieces were the audio visual installations which included Jamie Shovlin’s TV installation Untitled (Separate Half), John Hillcoat’s Knob Creek, Jonathan Glazer’s amazing film Red Clay and Warren Du Preez & Nick Thornton Jones’s stunning video Follow Me Down. Warren and Nick also provided some stunning artworks on paper and glass.
As I said, it’s on from 27-30 August 2010 at The Haunch of Venison, 6 Burlington Gardens, London giving you 3 days to view 44 pieces that took 3 years to put together and was funded by Lee Message and her husband Brian, who manages Radiohead. More importantly, it’s FREE!
