Thanks to Timeout, I attended a private view of Newspeak: British Art Now, at the Saatchi Gallery last Friday. Armed with a friend – who was understandably more interested in the free Champagne than the art – we descended upon the Kensington gallery to see the second part of Charles Saatchi‘s latest investments. Overall it was a typical mix of bold but baffling statement works and tiny delicate trinkets that are easily overlooked. Here are a few of the pieces that caught my eye.
Clarisse D’arcimoles
Clarisse d'Arcimoles - Petit Roi (My Brother)
A popular exhibit with the crowds, the French artist Clarisse d’Arcimoles takes old family photographs and reconstructs them down to the finest detail; sometimes with performative hilarity, sometimes showing the awkwardness of youth, but mostly showing a tender family love between the photographer and the sitter. The work is similar to the very popular awkward family photos, but almost identical to a blog I’ve seen a while ago where people reconstruct their own family photos (can anyone link me up?).
Tessa Farmer
Tessa Farmer - Swarm
According the Tessa Farmer‘s biography, this work gives a glimpse into the world of fairies, but these sculptures are less Cottingley Fairies and more Brothers Grimm. These fantastically executed tiny sculptures are made from real insect remains, plant roots and other organic material, and stand less than 1 cm tall as these fields take on the common garden pest. Spectacular craftsmanship.
Maurizio Anzeri
Maurizio Anzeri - Giovanni
Men and embroidery generally don’t mix. Neither does photography and embroidery. But for Maurizio Anzeri, the results are perfect, transforming old anonymous photographs into something more mysterious or sinister. Behind the decorative mask, these forgotten faces come to life. With Anzeri’s work featured on the cover of The Drawbridge‘s autumn issue about Ghosts, his creations are becoming very popular and he will be defiantly one to watch in the future.
2 Responses to “Newspeak: British Art Now at the Saatchi Gallery”