October 2 2004, Saturday, 10am-6pm (continues until October 3 2004, Sunday, 10am-4pm)
DO YOU WISH TO HAVE SCENES FROM COUNTRIES LIKE CHINA, MONGOLIA, TANZANIA, ZAMBIA & ZANZIBAR ALONGSIDE STATES LIKE ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, MISSISSIPPI, NEW MEXICO, OKLAHOMA & TEXAS OR CITY LIKE BRUGES, ON YOUR WALL? IF SO, ATTEND & ENJOY LAST TWO DAYS OF HEXFAX’S FIRST "ON THE WALL" EXHIBITION
There are plenty
of images and pictures on offer at Hexfax’s first "On The Wall"
exhibition. We visited the first two days of the four/five-day
exhibition and recommend that you visit also. You can attend either one
or both days, this weekend. When we went we saw many of the 240 stands.
We also talked to many of the participating artists and gallerists.
Unfortunately we can only highlight, and feature, several of them here.
So, the first we have to mention is Mei Xin Wang, from the London-based
gallery, "XQ Art + China." Mei explained and pointed out the wide
variety of Chinese paintings she had on show. They have been produced by
artists from both Northern and Southern China and are available at a
range of prices. The press release from 4th World Adventure – which we
picked up at the exhibition’s press office, tells us that the company
specialises in adventure treks and expeditions to Mongolia. It begins,
‘In April 2003 we staged our first show of twelve of Mongolia’s finest
artists and introduced Mongolian Art Today to a receptive London
audience. Many visited the show and the sponsor and organizers committed
themselves to making it an annual event.’ The release then continues,
‘We decided to select one of the artists and commission a body of new
work for a one man show in May 2004 at Gallery 27 in Cork Street,
London. We chose Choindongiin Khurelbaatar who had received plaudits
from visitors and critics alike.’ The advice from us is to go along to
the 4th World Adventure stand and see some of Khurelbaatar’s still lifes
for yourself. From Asia, let us now turn our attentions to Africa.
Imaginative scenes from Tanzania, Zambia & Zanzibar are highlighted at
Stand D63, where you can see original works – which feature the
fictional travels of Ernest Hemmingway Mustard – as created by
Hove-based artist, Sam Toft. We met and talked to the artist, and even
read one of her stories about Mustard’s winning, ‘a Trip for Two to
Africa.’ Now onto another continent – the Americas! When we attended the
exhibition’s well-attended Gala Night on Thursday last, we also met
photographers Max Malandrino (maxmalandrino.com) and Jon Robson (cafesociety.org).
Both like to have their photographic lenses pointed towards the States,
so let us see what each has to offer.
We liked the landscape
images of Arizona – and other states, like California and Texas, as featured on
Max Malandrino’s stand. His press release describes his photographs as focusing
on, ‘the crude, often brash, man-made forms, which populate the American
urban/natural landscape.’ It goes on to give examples of some of what can be
seen at his exhibition stand, numbered D88. Max, ‘is drawn to mundane, everyday
objects that seem stuck in a time-warp and take us back to the 1970s and before
– weathered mailboxes, a bullet riddled roadsign, cheap but clean motels and
drive in cinemas. It is an unglamorous, modest world, part of a disappearing
age, yet the sun always shines and the sky is a piercing blue.’ The other
exhibitor with a big collection of American images that feature scenes from
states like Mississippi, New Mexico and Oklahoma – is Cafesociety.org. We learnt
that their organization has been running educational projects, for Native
Americans, for the last 12 years. Check out and maybe take one or two sample
images from their portfolios. Now, to Europe! A lake in Bruges - that lovely
city in Belgium - is featured at Suzie Pibworth’s stand. In fact it is a textile
image of a reflection of a tree’s branches in the water of a lake. We are unsure
if the textile used is cotton or linen, but you can find out when you visit On
The Wall!
MENU A: £15
B: 9, 10, 27, 28, 49 or 391
L: Grand Hall, Olympia Exhibition Centre, Hammersmith Road, London, W14
M: On The Wall, Hexfax Ltd, 30 Liddel Road, London, NW6 2ER
T: Kensington Olympia (District line)
W:
http://www.4thworldadventure.com/
http://www.cafesociety.org/
http://www.eco.co.uk/
http://www.maxmalandrino.com/
http://www.on-the-wall.co.uk/
http://www.samtoft.com/
http://www.suziepibworth.com/
http://www.xqartchina.com/
