Yellow since 1877

The Wapping Project is the fascinating art gallery and installation space coupled with a restaurant and bar. It is housed in a disused industrial site that was once a Victorian pumping station, built in 1890 and closed down in 1977. The Wapping Project opened in 2000 and since its inception, the driving force has been Jules Wright, founder of the Women's Playhouse Trust and a tireless innovator. Yellow since 1877 is the name of the latest art installation, a collaboration with Veuve Clicquot , the prestige Champagne brand. Veuve is immediately recognisable by its rich yellow label (Pantone 137c) and was founded in 1877, hence the name of the show. Wright has invited a number of artists to respond to the colour and to the Wapping site and the results are dazzling. Works on show include Bloom by Stan Spenser which uses the tree to support a coloured canopy and a sound installation; Martin Scanlan's five minute thriller movie; Maresa Von Stockert's dance performances; and Jules Wright's own contribution, Forest, a dense drift of autumn leaves (yellow of course) and within the forest, a telephone box that rings forlornly. Show runs to 20 January 2008. Open Monday - Saturday noon - 11pm, Sunday noon - 5.30pm. Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, Wapping Wall, London E1, 020 7680 2080; www.thewappingproject.com

Caption:
Stairways and Reflections created and installed by Shed 54 at the Accumulator Tower

 
 
 
 

Going, going, gone!

David Farrar's sculptures reflect his passion for endangered animals and his mission to draw attention to them. Made from wire and papier mache, they are mounted in the style of hunting trophies, an ironic reference to man's heartless manipulation of other life forms. The range of animals featured is extensive and includes the Riverine Rabbit with long eyelashes and cocked ears, a pipe-smoking Badger, a snarling Polar Bear, a hawkish Bald Eagle and the extinct Dodo. Farrar has the knack of giving his sculptures human characteristics and moods. The animals can look thoughtful, startled, sly, angry or threatened but chiefly they look dignified. Pieces are emblazoned with whimsical texts like "many hippie returns" on a wild boar's ear, or "give, don't give in" on a Himalayan Ibex. Subversive luxury logos like Dior, or Rolex are used at random. You don't know why, but it doesn't matter. This is a thought-provoking show but highly entertaining - another example of Rebecca Hossack's clever taste for talent. Farrar is an eco-warrior but he's an artist first of all. Prices from £2,800 - £3,500, excluding VAT. Show runs 7 December 2007 - 19 January 2008. Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm. Rebecca Hossack Gallery, 28 Charlotte Street, London W1, 020 7436 4899; www.r-h-g.co.uk

Caption: Riverine Rabbit 2007
Wire, papier mache and horsehair
Status: Critically endangered as 60% of its habitat is being converted to cultivation
Location: C. South Africa
£2,750 exc. VAT

 
 
 
 

Ryan McLaughlin

The clean white space of Alexandre Pollazzon's gallery is an oasis of severe elegance amid the muddle of Tottenham Court Road, and for the next few weeks it is host to paintings by a young American artist, Ryan McLaughlin. Entitled Finley Park, this is his first solo show in London and the paintings are remarkable for a number of reasons. Firstly they are beautiful - a rare adjective these days in the world of contemporary art - with a subdued colour palate and haunting, elegiac subjects of sports, memory and friendships. Then there's the assured technique in the old style of paint on canvas - yes, how bold and original, after the mixed media nonsense that's been flooding the market. This chap is a painter with real talent. And finally, the prices, modestly ranging from £1,900 - £4,000. If you want to start collecting, you could begin here. Definitely one to watch. Show runs to 5 January 2008, Tuesday - Saturday, 10am - 6pm. After 22 December, by appointment only. Alexandre Pollazzon Gallery, 11 Howland Street, London W1; 020 7436 9824; www.alex-pollazzon.com

Caption:
P. Roy Scarecrow 2007 by Ryan McLaughlin
Oil on linen on MDF
83 x 76 cm

 
 
 
 

Contemporary Art Society

Here's a clever idea for a Christmas present for yourself or someone else - membership of the Contemporary Art Society. If you want to learn about art or build a collection, it can be a daunting and lonely experience. Most people are unsure of their own judgement, terrified of being ripped off or looking a fool. Fortunately there is a reliable and sociable way to hone your taste via the Contemporary Art Society, CAS, which has three programmes suitable for members at different stages of their collecting careers. There are wide-ranging, expert-led visits to galleries, artists' studios, major art fairs and private collections such as the newly-opened Zabludowicz collection in a converted Methodist church in Chalk Farm. There are also social events in the UK and abroad, newsletters and debates. BLOOD is the simplest membership scheme, (annual subscription £95) suitable for newcomers and beginners. Contemporary Collectors (£275) is the next stage offering access to tailored art events, exposure to the most difficult art being created today, and regular opportunities to meet and talk to collectors, curators, gallery owners, critics and the artists themselves. Contemporary Patrons is the inside track, for collectors who want to make a real difference to the careers of living artists and includes wider access to the world of commissioning work for their own foundation, public space or for museums. There's a clever scheme to entice new members that runs from now to the end of March 2008. The first 100 new members will receive a specially commissioned limited edition print by the internationally renowned collective Artists Anonymous. For more details about membership and the Contemporary Art Society, call Hayley on 020 7831 3218 or email membership@contempart.org.uk

Caption: Ghost (T.V.)
Mixed media, 2007
© Artists Anonymous