Haunch of Venison

LBF loves the art world. If you're a frequent stalker of my site you'll have seen my dotted impressions on artists, not to mention my ever-evolving somewhat egotistical 'art caption.'

One of my favourite galleries is the Haunch of Venison in Mayfair. The gallery exhibits a plethora of contemporary art, representing artists such as Keith Tyson and Damien Hirst, and shares a building with the Royal Academy of Arts (they will be moving back to their old address in 2011 after renovations are complete) And to top it all off the building rests just a stone's throw away from the famed Abercrombie and Fitch store. Every time I venture out there for a dose of culture I spend at least fifteen minutes outside in their promenade of Grecian columns and shamelessly intoxicate myself with the sight of Abercrombie's male models perched outside the door, slyly coaxing gaggles of tourists within the shop with their chiseled chins and sun-tanned abs. And when I mention intoxication, I should rather clarify near asphyxiation, for that awful cologne they sell is strong enough to make my eyes teary from across the street. Forget First World War mustard gas, this stuff is positively lethal. Still, hot men from Wales clad in nothing but their birthday suit and jeans so tight it rarely leaves much to the imagination is reason enough.

At the moment the gallery has two different shows on, one, Glasnost, a Soviet inspired show featuring art from post-communist Russia, another a retrospective of the art of the German artist Anton Henning. Henning is a funny man. His work is fun, vibrant, full of colour, verve and satire. The artist is skilled in many areas, from abstract Picasso- themed paintings, to Moore-themed sculpture and even furniture. Surprising to think the artist is skilled in even in the godly craft of carpentry (as we all know, our homeboy Jesus also worked in the profession before hitching up to play the son of God and all) . Henning's versatility is incredible. I think we've all been under the Emin interpretation that all artists are lone wanderers who do drugs and smoke a lot of cigarettes for 'inspiration.'

Henning, on the other hand, composes his own music to accompany his artworks, as well as short abstract films and projections that tie in with the themes and are sold as a necessary accompaniment to the piece. If you have a chance to pop by the gallery (it's free by the way) also check out their bookshop, where limited editions of artist conditioned prints are for sale. I promise you will not be disappointed!

Haunch of Venison

6 Burlington Gardens

London W1S 3ET
United Kingdom

http://www.haunchofvenison.com/en/#page=london

Alice Dellal Puts up a Fight

The Dellal it-girl has again made herself a tool for protest, this time against the lifting of the whale ban. The rawness of this video helps emphasise the point of a looming reality. Help join the cause and sign the petition. Fun Fact: This video was actually shot at the Haunch of Venison art gallery where I'm currently interning.

Paradise Lost - Mykonos Girl's Weekend

It's official. Summer has breezed its way into our hearts, minds, and not to mention- our wardrobes. But, despite all of the above, the typical London summer cannot be compared with the island paradises of the Mediterranean, thus LBF gave into temptation, taking the weekend off to fly down to her favourite Aegean oasis of Mykonos in Greece.
After having got up at the crack of dawn, (literally the birds outside my window were adamant in their pursuit to deafen me with their mating calls) LBF sped off to Gatwick, vintage Mulberry tote in hand, to board Easyjet's non-stop direct flight at 7am to the notorious 'gay' Greek island. Looking fashionable (as always) in a Diane Von Furstenberg silk top and pashmina LBF found herself wedged in the plane between two disastrously good-looking gay men (honestly it made me angry at God for being born a woman) as she started her journey to paradise.....
In the dictionary Paradise is defined as a 'place of ideal beauty and perfection,' and in this case, Mykonos fits the bill. With a rocky exterior summoning the landscape one would expect on a lunar landing, a town cobble stoned to deter invading pirates of past centuries, the 'wine dark' sea Homer so provocatively described in his epic spreads itself out for miles and miles around the island paradise, and one cannot help but fall completely entranced under its bohemian spell.
As it happens the weekend coincided with a 'girl's trip' where six of my friends had come to stay and enjoy a bit of sun and sea before heading back into the real world of deadlines, launches and men problems. Amidst glasses of white wine, long, luxurious cat naps and glossed amounts of St. Tropez tanning oil we spent the days in a very SATC manner, scolding men for being such unpredictable and un-tame-worthy creatures, picking up gorgeous Italian men in beach bars and laughing over our grumpy husbands and boyfriends who had been incessantly texting and calling stuck home in raining, cold, London.

Caprice bar in Little Venice in Mykonos is legendary, perched quite perilously on the edge of the coast, the waves crash against the shore and splash all those who happen to be passing (talk about a sobering-wake-up after an evening of dancing and strawberry daiquiri shots) It was a favourite haunt of Jackie O back in the sixties, and on any night is sure to be jam-packed with party-goers. Definitely a must-go.

Mykonos has over three thousand churches. They all look like this and some are even placed next to clubs and bars. It's not unusual to see a group of burly Greek men pop in and light a candle before going out for a night on the town. Seriously, I've done it myself, clad in gold sequined crop top and micro-shorts =)

Dotted around Mykonos's many winding streets and luminous enclaves there are places to buy everything from jade necklaces to diamond watches. One of my favourite vendors is an Argentinian man whose life is that of the quintessential hippie, going from island to island, living as a nomad trailing the underbelly's of the world's cities. He doesn't eat meat, respects snakes and lives in an abandoned house by the sea, without any electricity. It's inspiring.

His craft is even more so, the mechanical constructions and intricate braided chains combined with beads fashioned from stones from Afghanistan, make up the most amazing, unique pieces of jewelerry. Needless to say, I had to get something, and left with a crystal the size of my fist, fixed fast with a moulded metal setting on a beautiful leather chain.

Saatchi Gallery Exhibition - NEWSPEAK: BRITISH ART NOW

LBF is fascinated and similarly entranced by modern art. The Saatchi gallery in Duke of York's Square on the Kings Road is the perfect combination of tantalising pieces framed within the expanse of white, wide, open spaces. Last night was the opening of their new exhibition, Newspeak: British Art Now, where handfuls of eclectic artists, gallerists, buyers and viewers boycotted the site, wine glasses in hand, to ponder over the works and visual stimulants of Britain's most prolific artists.

Saatchi Gallery

Duke Of York's Square, King's Road, London, SW3 4SQ, United Kingdom.

Entry into Exhibitions is free

Alastair MacKinven

'Pop Was The Sound Of The Bubble Bursting' 2009

Screenprint and oil on canvas

littlewhitehead

Sentient Orbs 2009

Shoes, chinos, sweater, balloons, wire, stuffing

'Within our work there is a strong connection between the reality that surrounds us and some kind of escapism into a made-up world'

Karla Black

Pleaser 2009

Cellophane, paint, sellotape, thread

Nothing is a Must 2009

Sugar Paper, chalk, ribbon, lipstick, glitter, hairspray

'Black's approach to sculpture is often described as holistic: her assemblages are more than the sum of their parts, each element interconnects physical, psychological, and theoretical stimuli which are both self-referential and relate to art as a wider-world experience.'

Barry Reigate

Voracious Impotent Penis 2009

Acrylic, oils, oil pastel, pencil, crayon, collage, wrapping paper, spray paint, varnish, gloss paint, wax, charcoal, marker pen and paint brush on canvas.

Barry Reigate with partner Kim Hersov Editor-at-Large of Harper's Bazaar Magazine in London

I'm a Leader not a Follower 2008

Neon stick strip light, jesmonite, ply and gloss paint

'I'm interested in cartoon imagery because I was taught how to draw by my father. When visiting him at Wandsworth Prison, my father would try to entertain me through drawing popular imagery like King Kong, or Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. That would be his way of communicating to me'