Arts & Culture
Originally published on Thursday, 4th December 2008
Art’s Dark Materials
The freshest handpicked art picks, selected by UJ just for you.
Forthcoming
William S Burroughs
Oh my, if only there was a way to tap into the acutely brilliant, opiate-fuelled mind of the glorious American novelist William S Burroughs? Well, if you never quite got to grips with reading, clap your greedy eyes on his elaborate, child-like swathes of pop-coloured ink that adorn the humble manila files which house his life’s musings.
Opens 15th December, Riflemaker , 79 Beak Street, W1F 9SU
Hit-List: Catch ‘em whilst they’re hot
Dispersion
Seven international artists working in video, installation, photography and performance, mix-up, cut-up, and re-work images with the finesse of a culturally critical disc jockey. Using images plucked from pornography and the internet, the amalgamation of album covers and interactive film make for a particularly daring venture into sexuality and sub-cultures.
Until 1st February 2009, ICA, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH
Mondongo
Mondongo may not have a direct affinity with traditional Argentine tripe stew, the meaning of their collective name, however they do employ a ‘cauldron’ of ingredients. Feverishly whacking together freeze-dried, resin-layered foods such as Oreo cookies and sausages, see the eerie detail of their mixed-up portraits, as used by Comme Des Garçons over at Dover Street Market.
Until 10th January 2009, Maddox Arts, 52 Brook's Mews, W1K 4ED
Billy: Bill Gibb’s Moment In Time
Bessie mates with Ossie Clark and neighbour to a nubile Twiggy, Bill Gibb is one of Britain’s most flamboyant and visionary fashion designers. Hailed 'Designer of the Year' by British Vogue in 1970, gaze in awe at his flowing, fantastical new romantic shapes that went against the grain of the mini-skirt and continue to influence the likes of Giles Deacon and John Galliano today.
Until 16th January, Fashion and Textile Museum , 83 Bermondsey Street,
SE1 3XF
Last Chance: Better grab it quick
Richard Serra
Literally get lost in Serra’s groundbreakingly colossal steel-sculptures that will engulf you in the blink of an overwhelmed eye. He’s an artist who’s been knocking out pared-down, minimal works for over forty years, and yet these beautiful, curvy, site-specific beasts are his most recent. Hence the security guards - they won’t let you forget it.
Until 20th December, Gagosian, 6-24 Britannia Street, WC1X 9JD