Isis Gallery

Drawing Now, Paris March 29th - April 1st

2012-03-09T20:38:44Z

Island Lepers - sheets I & II (2012), Ink, watercolour and collage on vintage Intaglio print, Ruth Marten

We are extremely pleased to be exhibiting again at Drawing Now in Paris. Please find further information here. We shall be exhibiting new work by Ruth Marten, Fabrice Cazenave, Hans de Wit and Sarah V. Please contact us for complimentary passes as we have a limited number available.

Jamie Reid at Subliminal Projects, Los Angeles

2012-03-09T20:07:51Z

For the first project of what will be another busy year for Jamie, Ragged Kingdom opens at Shepard Fairey's Subliminal Projects gallery space on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles. Further details available here.

Triple Major Nomad Store

2012-01-20T14:07:31Z

Isis Gallery and Triple-Major of Beijing are very pleased and excited to present Nomad Store in London during London Fashion Week February 16th to 23rd, 2012. Triple-Major is a Beijing based multi-disciplinary project helmed by Ritchie Chan that beautifully encapsulates the exciting global worldview of young Chinese people today. Although essentially a fashion collective producing their own collections and presenting them internationally, Triple-Major is very concept driven and invites international artists to install work in their three story space in the old hutong district of this most exciting of 21st Century cities. Additionally they helm the Nomad Store, which appears in different cities across the world. Previous emergings have included Los Angeles (Jul 29th-Aug 14th 2011), Shanghai (Jan 11th-Jan 22nd 2010) and Hong Kong (Nov 24th-Nov 30th 2010). This is the first time that Nomad Store has come to London, in a perfect clash with London Fashion Week. Please read more about this exciting project here.

Triple-Major Nomad Store

2011-12-29T20:46:38Z

]]> Isis Gallery and Triple-Major of Beijing are very pleased and excited to present Nomad Store in London during London Fashion Week February 16th to 23rd, 2012. Triple-Major is a Beijing based multi-disciplinary project helmed by Ritchie Chan that beautifully encapsulates the exciting global worldview of young Chinese people today. Although essentially a fashion collective producing their own collections and presenting them internationally, Triple-Major is very concept driven and invites international artists to install work in their three story space in the old hutong district of this most exciting of 21st Century cities. Additionally they helm the Nomad Store, which appears in different cities across the world. Previous emergings have included Los Angeles (Jul 29th-Aug 14th 2011), Shanghai (Jan 11th-Jan 22nd 2010) and Hong Kong (Nov 24th-Nov 30th 2010). This is the first time that Nomad Store has come to London, in a perfect clash with London Fashion Week. As well as presenting their own collection, Triple-Major will also be representing fresh collections from young Chinese labels Digest Design Workshop and JL. For this Nomad Store, Isis and Triple-Major are also expanding the remit to include young Chinese contemporary art and publishing. This will be the first time most of the participants will have presented their work in the UK, even though they all are establishing themselves internationally. By no means meant to be an exhaustive overview, Nomad Store will rather be a sounding or sample that will pulse with the energy of the future. Artist Charwei Tsai (Taipei 1980) exhibits her installation and performance based work around the world – forthcoming projects include a solo exhibition in India and inclusion in group shows in Chile, Germany and Japan. Tsai’s meticulously balanced works exhibit a clarity and precision that marks her out as an artist of sincerity and depth.Additionally, her periodical Lovely Daze has marked her out as one of the most interesting people in the creative arena. We are extremely pleased Charwei Tsai is able to participate in this experiment. Artist and fashion designer Qiu Hao (Taicang 1978) is an award winning St Martins ex who has his own store in Shanghai. As the recipient of the prestigious Woolmark Award (2008) in Paris and tagged by WGSN last year as a name to watch on the international circuit, Qiu’s installation for Nomad Store will include plinth based sculptural elements from his collections as well as ready to wear. Recent collaborators include Stephane Sednaoui and Terence Koh. Yida He (Shanghai1980) has been championed by Beijing curators as a young artist of great promise. Having worked with the wonderful Arrow Factory art space in Beijing, Yida He is beginning to explore the possibilities of placement and the slightest intervention. She will create a special installation for Nomad Store in London. Bananafish Books. As one of the first - perhaps THE first - independent magazine store in mainland China, Bananafish Books in Dalian stocks the most interesting publications from both China and the rest of the world. Bananafish will be hosting a special bookstore for Nomad Store from which visitors will be able to buy the most interesting fanzines and artist books from China. You can find out more about Triple-Major here – www.triple-major.com Creative direction of this special presentation of Nomad Store is by John Marchant, Alison McKenna and Ritchie Chan. Lastly, Isis is once again most grateful to Robert Soning and Peter Allen at Londonewcastle for their ongoing support of our programming. We are also extremely grateful to Philip Dodd and Enrica Costamagna of Made In China UK and to Theresa Liang of Long March Space in Beijing. LONDONEWCASTLE PROJECT SPACE The Londonewcastle Project Space is a gallery and exhibition space in Shoreditch created by property brand Londonewcastle as a platform for creatives and artists to display their work and further their practice. The gallery is donated to users who might not otherwise have the opportunity to show their work and forms part of the ongoing local cultural discourse. www.londonewcastle.co.uk

Jamie Reid 'Out Of The Dross - Liberty' 8th Dec-14th Jan

2011-12-01T15:38:10Z

Out Of The Dross, 2011
Unique screenprint on Somerset Radiant White Velvet 330 GSM paper
112 x 72cm

Jamie Reid 'Out Of The Dross - Liberty' 8th Dec-14th Jan

2011-12-01T13:11:37Z

Out Of The Dross, 2011
Unique screenprint on Somerset Radiant White Velvet 330 GSM paper
112 x 72cm

Please note: This exhibition will take place at Paul Stolper Gallery, 31 Museum St, London WC1A 1LH We are extremely pleased to announce the forthcoming collaboration with Paul Stolper Gallery, London - Jamie Reidʼs exhibition ʻOut Of The Dross - Libertyʼ. The show is made up of unique works on paper together with sequences of hand-screened works that are perfectly in time with the energetic cacophony of now. In an increasingly visual world the power of the graphic image to define a moment is clear. As political and social reform movements undermine and confront moribund systems of fiscal and cultural entrapment it seems the time is now for artists to step forward. Indeed there has been precious little response from the art community to the crises that surround us. Jamie Reidʼs status as the principal user of Rogue Materials in British Art is undisputed. Tightly conceived and powerfully articulated, Reidʼs artwork has always displayed a willingness to seize upon and develop whatever is to hand to create work of energy and immediacy – newspaper cuttings, a cheap photocopier, paint splashes, degraded photographs – images misaligned, contrast pushed and mistakes embraced. Of course thereʼs a broader story that involves druids, spies, crofting on Lewis, protest movements and allotments in Liverpool. Whatever you think Jamie is, he might be, but heʼs probably not. ʻOut of the Dross. Into The Age Of Piracyʼ. Although the base image and text for this comes from a 1980 campaign for Bow Wow Wow, nothing could be more appropriate for these exciting and volatile times. And Out of the Dross will come Liberty – a word that neatly summarises everything Jamieʼs been about from the beginning - Beatonʼs Queen of course represents the dying Old Order. Now is the Time For Magic. Taking base images that cement the foundations of Jamieʼs reputation and covering them with symbols and glyphs that represent the wider spectrum of his visual register is a confounding yet liberating technique – itʼs a celebration and a cathartic trashing at the same time. The symbols themselves include Boudicca shaking her spear at the Houses of Parliament, the Hare – symbol of free thinking, the Oak Leaf representing our heritage and the cycle of the year, Delacroixʼs Liberty Leading the People in revolt, framed by the towers of Croydon (symbol of oppression by self-serving governments both local and national). This last image predates Jamieʼs flash point with the Pistols and comes from the visually prescient Suburban Press period (1970-1975). Boudicca was used principally for the ten year installation cycle at the Strongroom Studios in Shoreditch (1989-1999), and the oakleaf refers to a lifelong association with the Druid movement (his great uncle George Watson Macgregor Reid was the chief druid of the British Isles. The Hare is a direct signal to Joseph Beuys and the aims and objectives of the Free International University. "Economics is not only a money making principle. It can be a way of production to fulfill the demands of people all over the world. Capital is human kind's ability in work, not just money. Thus economics includes the creativity of people. Creativity equals Capital", Joseph Beuys. Of course the commodification of artwork is a double-edged sword. In acknowledgement of this, 50% of the artistʼs profits from the sale of these works will go directly to support the work of the Occupy London movement. As well as these unique works Jamie will also be exhibiting a series of diamond dust editions that parody the most famous Reid image of all. You know what it is...Looting the Loot...Cash from Chaos...Liberty!

Peace Is Tough by Jamie Reid at Bear Pit London 2011

2011-11-04T20:40:38Z

Here follow a sequence of appropriately rough installation shots of Jamie Reid's Peace Is Tough installation at London's Bear Pit October 27th - November 20th 2011. Read the press release here.

Jamie Reid - Peace is Tough, London 27th Oct - 20th Nov

2011-10-23T09:52:02Z

27th October – 20th November 2011 Bear Pit, Park St, London SE1 Private View 26th October 6pm-9pm Isis Gallery and Merge Festival are extremely pleased to announce the opening of Jamie Reid – ‘Peace Is Tough’. Hot on the heels of Reid’s wonderful Ragged Kingdom installation for Isis Gallery at Londonewcastle Depot in June, Peace Is Tough revolves around two polarities – one being principal elements of the Jamie Reid Archive which has recently been exhibited at the CCBB in Rio and MoCA in Los Angeles. The second being a presentation of the 365 paintings that comprise the core of Reid expansive and delightful Eightfold Year project. Peace Is Tough will be installed in a very raw space behind Tate Modern. Entry is at your own risk. Reid’s Archive spans the decades, from college plotting through punk to protest graphics. This presentation includes original collage work, drawings and paintings, bromides, proof prints and photographs. Elements of the archive are present in extremely important international collections, including that of Tate, acknowledging Reid’s importance in the narrative of 20th and 21st century culture. The 365 small gouache paintings (each a uniform 100 x147mm) that compromise the core of Reid’s Eightfold Year Project represent an exposure of an intensely private endeavour. Reid’s daily painting practice has flourished in the last ten years. October 31st 2011 will also be the first day of the second year cycle for an online project which offers a daily painting, festival dates, moon phases and wild flower information that changes daily, through the cycle of solstice and equinox (www.eightfoldyear.org) Jamie Reid's unique vision articulates and gives form to some of the key issues of our times. He responds to the ever-increasing attacks on our civil liberties and shared common spaces with passionate anger and savage humour, and shows us ways in which we might re-organise our political and spiritual resources. This is the role of the shaman and Reid's art acts like a lightning rod, returning us to the earth so that we might share the work of healing. Please contact us at Isis Gallery for images and interview proposals – contact@isisgallery.org or John Marchant on 44 7906 275 098 Isis Gallery would like to thank Illuminate Productions, Merge Festival and it’s sponsors - Tate Modern, Better Bankside, The Denis Rosen Memorial Trust, Land Securities, Bankside Mix, Commercial Art and the London School of Economics.

Jamie Reid - Peace is Tough, London 27th Oct - 20th Nov

2011-10-23T09:05:59Z

Last Days (1972)
Print on gummed paper
10cm x 17.4cm

27th October – 20th November 2011, Bear Pit, Park St, London SE1 Private View 26th October 6pm-9pm Isis Gallery and Merge Festival are extremely pleased to announce the opening of Jamie Reid – ‘Peace Is Tough’. Hot on the heels of Reid’s wonderful Ragged Kingdom installation for Isis Gallery at Londonewcastle Depot in June, Peace Is Tough revolves around two polarities – one being principal elements of the Jamie Reid Archive which has recently been exhibited at the CCBB in Rio and MoCA in Los Angeles. The second being a presentation of the 365 paintings that comprise the core of Reid expansive and delightful Eightfold Year project. Read more here. You can also see a sequence of installation images here.

The Bear Pit 13th-16th Oct

2011-09-30T14:56:11Z

]]> The Bear Pit is special presentation of contemporary art organised by a loose collective of three contemporary ventures – Carter Presents, L-13 and Isis Gallery. Around twenty international artists will be represented in a two-floor installation that encompasses sculpture, painting, photography and installation. The Bear Pit will run concurrently with Frieze and will present an alternative platform for work that would otherwise be unrepresented. The artists include Martin Erik Andersen (DK) , Alice O’Malley (USA), Dallas Seitz (CAN), Brian Reed (UK), Billy Childish (CH) and Neal Jones (UK). The venue is a raw, pre-war warehouse space behind Tate Modern, with easy access by car, underground or train. Please note that the nature of the space means that ENTRY IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. The Bear Pit is curated by Steve Lowe (L-13), Jamie Robinson (Carter Presents) and John Marchant (Isis Gallery) For further information, jpegs and interviews with artists and galleries please contact the individual galleries. With thanks to Illuminate Productions.

Isis at Bear Pit, London 14-16 Oct and Cutlog, Paris 20-23 Oct

2011-09-30T14:45:31Z

Isis will be at two events over the coming two weeks - please do try to join us for at least one of them! The first is a group show at a wonderful, raw venue called The Bear Pit just behind Tate Modern on the South Bank in London. This event will run concurrently with Frieze and is very close for those visiting the Gerhard Richter show. This event is organised in association with L-13 and Carter Presents. We will be showing work by Ruth Marten, Martin Erik Andersen, Alice O'Malley and Martin Griffiths. Further details here. The second is the third edition of the Cutlog art fair in Paris. A great variety of galleries from all over the world, including China, Japan, USA, Germany, Italy and France will be exhibiting at the Bourse in Paris during FIAC. Isis will be showing in association with L-13. Artists include Alice O'Malley, Fabrice Cazenave and Ruth Marten. Further details here.

Fabrice Cazenave - Drawing under hypnosis

2011-07-26T13:26:46Z

French artist Fabrice Cazenave (1975) has now undertaken a fascinating project for which he has been searching for a willing accomplice. Parisian hypnotherapist Jean-Francois Hirsch recently agreed to take the artist into a hypnotic trance to open up a new area of exploration. Cazenave has extensively drawn 'blind' with his eyes closed, expressing particular experiences and their relation to the inner body through marks on paper, using his touch to both map the space and chose the hardness or softness of pencil to use. Here Cazenave goes even deeper, removing himself yet further from the controlling influence of both gaze and premeditation. You can find out more about the artist, watch footage from the sessions and see the extraordinary results here.

Ragged Kingdom - Jamie Reid July 1st to July 30th

2011-05-11T13:25:15Z

Ragged Kingdom - Jamie Reid July 2nd - July 30th

2011-05-11T12:57:01Z

Isis Gallery at Londonewcastle Depot, 1-3 Wenlock Road, London N1 7SL

July 2nd – July 30th 2011 Gallery open Noon-6pm Tuesday-Saturday Preview: Friday July 1st 6-9pm . Ye of the Plough, Ye of the Bower, Ye of the Mill and Ye of the Tower, Ye of the Way and Ye of the Tree, Ye of the Stars and Ye of the Sea, Rise Up to the Cry of the Commoners Storie, Our Ragged Kingdom - a Kingdom of Glory! Anon (Trad) Jamie Reid is world renowned for his work with the Sex Pistols, but there is so much more than this. Reid’s collaboration on the Suburban Press (1971-1975) was an early coalescing of his political convictions and artistic intuition, and his output after the implosion of the Pistols extended his artistic drive through many genres - music, publishing, performance. After a long creative residency at the Strongroom Studios in Shoreditch and three years as visual art director for Afro Celt Sound System, he has for the last ten years, immersed himself in a daily painting practice to explore and reveal the Aspects of the Eightfold Year (www.eightfoldyear.org).

Ragged Kingdom installation view by Declan O'Neil

Ragged Kingdom will manifest as a Peace Camp in our midst - a place to pow-wow. Eight custom-made tipis with magickal adornments will be drawn up into a protective circle with a ritual space at its axis. Tipis traditionally represent Shelter, Wonderment, Harmony, Peace, Beauty and Community. For Ragged Kingdom, each tipi will be a world in itself, internally representing eight aspects of Reid’s career to date – Suburban Press, The Cat Book, Sex Pistols, How To Become Invisible, Afrocelt/Visual Stress, Strongroom, a Festival of Sleeves and the Eightfold Year. The exterior of Isis Gallery at Londonewcastle Depot will feature a giant montage of selected posters, glyphs and symbols by Jamie Reid.

Ragged Kingdom/Pay No Poll Tax, 2011, 100 x 70 cm on 310 gsm Hahnemuhle Satin Photo Rag with acrylic screen print, Signed, numbered and titled by the artist

Additionally six special editions of unique overscreened prints by Jamie Reid have been co-published with L-13 and are available to view and purchase along with signed poster editions here.

First Light review by John de Wit

2011-04-26T11:49:41Z

“FIRST LIGHT” A Sculptural Installation in the Cloisters of Lincoln Cathedral by Martin Griffiths Artists and musicians well know the risks of performing or exhibiting their own work next to a masterpiece. Amateur harmonica players for instance should think carefully before offering their services to the Berlin Philharmonic, and visual artists need to be very good indeed to compete with the likes of Christopher Wren or the medieval architects of Lincoln Cathedral. So the first question about Martin Griffiths’ new installation called “First Light” is – how well does this new work match up to its magnificent surroundings - namely the cloisters of Lincoln Cathedral?

First Light by Martin Griffiths at Lincoln Cathedral. Installation image by Richard Deveraux

As soon as I walked into the cloisters the colour of the seven doorway type structures which fill the delicate sandstone arches of the Wren building took my breath away. A deep resonant blue captures your attention and perfectly complements the warmer and cooler colours of the surrounding stone buildings. The experience of such concentrated and beautiful colour is very reminiscent of the kind of sensation that Anish Kapoor’s work inspires. Of course colour alone won’t turn a work into a masterpiece, but meticulous attention to the proportioning of each doorway within the setting of a colonnade of Wren arches, creates a conversation between the installation and its setting which is irresistible. Where Wren gave us a stately but simple procession of dark and light shapes and spaces, Griffiths has added a kind of counterpoint in a contemporary idiom which perfectly harmonises with the architectural setting. This is modern sculpture at its very best – truly original and contemporary, and at the same time in perfect harmony with some of the great works of the past. But the best is still to come! What makes this work truly original and special is the technique of “reflected lighting” which Griffiths has pioneered. By using highly reflective pigments and perspex layers the artist has created the illusion of light captured on the top of the lintel of each doorway so that the lintels shine and hover and reflect sunlight onto their surroundings. The effect is quite magical, and only adds to the counterpoint harmony that the artist is playing with the architecture. Add to all this a contrasting white single plinth with a panel of “reflected lighting” in the centre of the cloister garden, harmonising with all the verticals and horizontals of the architecture and the rest of the installation, and the work is complete.

First Light by Martin Griffiths at Lincoln Cathedral. Installation image by Richard Deveraux

The whole installation is technically beautifully crafted and highly original, and uses colour and above all light itself to create a deeply spiritual song that harmonises with the spirituality of its setting. As with all the best art, this work first catches your attention, and then works its magic of colour, form and rhythm on you, and even catches the light for you! What more do you need to give you an excitingly new starting point for the rhythms of prayer that cathedrals have inspired for centuries? John de Wit Archdeacon of North West Europe April 2011