All Things Considered

A Sky Full of Kindness
Posted by Simon Lewin

We couldn't get back from the Highlands in time for the launch of Rob Ryan's new book in London tonight - instead we've been up here enjoying the copy Rob sent us.

Here are a few snaps of A Sky Full Of Kindness, available for purchase from Amazon.

Posted by Simon Lewin on October 6th, 2011

Xerox – A Celebration Of Fanzine Culture
Posted by Simon Lewin

Caught By The River are hosting an event at Rough Trade East on October 12th celebrating fanzine culture from the 70s up to the present day.

Robin Turner explains...

"Time and again, we’ve found ourselves saying that Caught By The River is like a fanzine. As longtime fanzine readers, writers and buyers, it makes total sense that there would be something lo-fi and DIY deep inside us; an ever present and excitable urgency to pass on newly learnt information to as many people as possible.

Earlier this year, we decided to join the dots between our site and some of the grassroots mags that had been inspirational to us by holding Tales From The Typographic Ocean, a symposium at Port Eliot Festival to discuss the roots of the UK’s underground press. Our very good friend Emma Warren (formerly of Jockey Slut) hosted a panel that featured Rough Trade’s Geoff Travis, Elektra record’s biographer Mick Houghton and ZigZag man Andy Childs. Tripping back to the late 60s, the talk moved onto punk rock and beyond, painting a kaleidoscopic picture of a time before today’s heavily sponsored, focus grouped music press.

Back in the Smoke, we thought it was something worth revisiting. On Weds October 12th, we’re staging a second fanzine panel. We’re calling it Xerox. This time it’ll go beyond punk, taking in C86 acid house and a whole bunch more. The line up on the night will feature Caught By The River contributors Andy Childs (ZigZag), Andrew Weatherall (Boy’s Own), Bob Stanley (Saint Etienne) and Geoff Travis (Rough Trade), all in conversation again with Emma Warren."

The event is free and runs from 6.30pm until 8.00pm on Wednesday 12th October 2011 at Rough Trade East, 'Dray Walk', Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL.

Posted by Simon Lewin on October 3rd, 2011

Words on Water
Posted by Simon Lewin

A quick mention for our friends over at Caught By The River whose social club is presenting this night of 'Words on Water' featuring John Andrews, Luke Jennings, Charles Rangeley-Wilson and Chris Yates.

The event takes place on Tuesday October 4th between 7-11pm at The Stag, 67 Fleet Road, London NW3 2QU. You can purchase tickets online.

Posted by Simon Lewin on September 29th, 2011

Aguazero – a visual arts award
Posted by Simon Lewin

We're pleased to be involved in this new visual arts award from Cortijada Los Gázquez, the creative retreat where Angie was artist-in-residence earlier this year as part of their Joya: arte + ecología program.

Submissions in water-based medium on or with paper are invited in this competition which has an environmental agenda, referencing the contrary character of climate change.

The prize is a two week residency at Cortijada Los Gázquez, including travel costs within Europe, plus the sole use of a studio and 20 hectares of land for the duration.

The selectors are:

Ana García López (Vice Dean for Institutional Relations and Professor at the Drawing Department. Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Granada - Spain)

Rebecca Fortnum (Artist - Reader in Fine Art, University of the Arts - London,  UK)

Louise Short (Artist - Bristol, UK)

David Crawforth (Artist -  Director at Beaconsfield - London,  UK)

Molly Hogg (Collector - London, UK)

Melissa Marks (Artist - NYC, USA)

Angie Lewin (Artist - Norfolk and Scotland, UK)

Simon Lewin (Proprietor - St Jude’s - Norfolk and Scotland,  UK)

Gonzaga Gómez-Cortázar Romero (Communications co-ordinator for Joya: arte + ecología - Spain)

Simon and Donna Beckmann (Founders of Joya: arte + ecología - Spain)

The closing date for submission is 31st December 2011. For full details visit the Cortijada Los Gázquez blog.

Posted by Simon Lewin on September 23rd, 2011

The Map of Spitalfields Life
Posted by Simon Lewin

'The Map Of Spitalfields Life' is a fresh look at an historic neighbourhood, produced by Herb Lester Associates in collaboration with the lauded website Spitalfields Life and illustrated by noted cartographer Adam Dant.

It explores this corner of East London through its distinctive characters and businesses, providing a glimpse into a world few people even notice, where chestnut sellers and story-telling waiters rub shoulders with milkmen, artists and scrap-dealers. From Gilbert and George and Tracey Emin to Molly the Swagman and Sandra Esqulant, landlady of The Golden Heart, all Spitalfields Life is here.

You can purchase a copy for £4.00 from both Spitalfields Life and Herb Lester Associates.

Look out for Tim Rich's interview with The Gentle Author - creator of Spitalfield Life - later this year in Random Spectacular.

Posted by Simon Lewin on September 17th, 2011

Ravilious In Essex – closes soon
Posted by Simon Lewin

We popped along to the Fry Gallery in Saffron Walden yesterday to see the Ravilious In Essex exhibition that's been breaking records for visitors numbers to the gallery since it opened in April.

You'll find 18 watercolours of Essex by Ravilious, brought together specially for this exhibition from private owners and galleries throughout the country, plus a selection of related work from the Fry Gallery archives.

The exhibition closes on Sunday 14th August 2011 - I wish we hadn't left it so long.

If you don't get a chance to visit we can recommend the Mainstone Press publication Ravilious: A Country Life which features twenty two watercolours with accompanying essays by James Russell. 

Posted by Simon Lewin on August 8th, 2011

Piccadilly Pleasures
Posted by Simon Lewin

Our friends at Old Town have just published Piccadilly Pleasures, a slide show of their afternoon spent at The Red Lion, St. James's, photographed by Matt Hind.

Posted by Simon Lewin on July 31st, 2011

Andrews of Arcadia
Posted by Simon Lewin

Here's the wonderful letterpress printed poster publicising 'The World of Andrews of Arcadia – A Tented Installation of Vintage Fishing Tackle for the Soul' which you'll find in the Caught by the River Field at this year’s Port Eliot Festival between Thursday 21st and Sunday 24th July 2011.

The installation will be created and hosted by John Andrews a.k.a Andrews of Arcadia who can often be found at his stall in Spitalfields Market. You can also view a selection of John's vintage fishing tackle online.

To find out more about the installation visit the Caught By The River website.

Posted by Simon Lewin on July 6th, 2011

Festival Mug
Posted by Angie Lewin

Here's a detail from my latest lithograph, Festival Mug, which is now available and will be featuring in my exhibitions later this year.

It features our treasured mug designed by Norman Makinson and produced by Wedgwood to celebrate the 1951 Festival of Britain.

Available now from the St. Jude's online print store.

Posted by Angie Lewin on June 19th, 2011

Jonny Hannah
Posted by Simon Lewin

Opening in Yorkshire this weekend is White Horses and Unquiet Graves, a folk-inspired exhibition by Jonny Hannah.

This is Jonny's first solo exhibition in the north of England. The exhibition consists of paintings, cut-outs, ephemera, linocuts and screen prints and other assorted oddities. Folk and jazz music are major points of reference in this body of work, but historical characters and symbols, such as Ripon’s celebrated cellar-man Tom Crudd (pictured below), the love heart and the English oak leaf also play a part.

The exhibition runs from 18th June 2011 at Hornseys in Ripon.

If you're unable to visit, don't forget you'll find a selection of Jonny's prints over at our online store. And we hope to be working on a new fabric with Jonny soon, the follow up to The Captain's Pattern.

Posted by Simon Lewin on June 15th, 2011