Playing the Building: an Installation by David Bryne
till 31.08.2009
The Roundhouse
antony gormley's standing man at the edge of the roundhouse (not part of the installation)
people queuing for the piano
some of the keys on the keyboard are not working any more, probably broken by previous visitors
these buttons add special effects to the sounds
the labyrinth of cables & wires at the back of the piano
the wires connecting to each sound box on each column around the hall
close-up of a sound box
official video by the Roundhouse on youtube
Full photo set here
*****
Rankin Live
till 18.09.2009
The Old Truman Brewery
Entrance of the show in truman brewery
Banner opposite the entrance at brick lane
Is this an official edit?
Cute graphics by Them Design www.them.co.uk
Rankin (full name as John Rankin Waddell) is one of the big names among British fashion photographers, if not the only one. This comprehensive retrospective show is a unique opportunity for people to understand how the master develops his career and, with a bit of luck, the chance to see him in action shooting models or even your good self.
Works are grouped in themes, visitors could see for themselves the essence of Rankin's works in different topics/subjects.
Apart from his commercial works, the show also has a generous collection of his college years' shoots, his self-portrait collection and a series he did for the people of Congo. It demonstrates how he has grown into a celebrity on his own from shooting all those fashion campaigns for Dazed & Confused magazine, and yet not forgetting to use his fame for promoting social causes and helping the underprivileged.
show catalogue
behind the scenes
*****
Jack Freak Pictures by Gilbert & George
10.07-22.08.2009
White Cube Gallery
Gilbert & George's signature "church stained-glass"-like paintings have a mysterious psychological power, perhaps due to the prevalence of such medium in religious art. They use the Union Jack, the british flag pattern, extensively in many works on this show. Nevertheless, their version of the Union Jack is not identical to the official one - the proportion of the 3 colours in their own version is equal and unbiased, giving a subtle twist in line with the contemporary context of political change in the UK. They also apply various symbols of street art in some works - maintaining their "relevance" to a new generation of the audience.
Further Reading -
Rankin live - official web (bandwidth-intensive)
Rankin live! preview from the Guardian
Rankin live at Sky Arts
Rankin as property developer, report from the Times
Playing the Building - office web
Official web of David Bryne
Official page of Gilbert & George's show in White Cube Gallery's website