I have to admit that few things these days get me to head into London’s East End, an area that I spent a lot of time in during the late 1980s and early 90s. A place that was an altogether different place back then. It wasn’t the art that was edgy back then but the people.
Yesterday’s comics trip didn’t start that well. After finishing work at a reasonable hour for a change I headed to Mare Street. I thought that since I was a touch early I’ll pop into a nearby pub (for arguments sake let’s call it ‘The Top Not’). I ordered an overpriced soft drink and sat on a reclaimed railway sidings bench to read a book. I had a look at the menu. Alongside pizza and pasta,they’re serving “Doughnuts with Nutella and local jam”.
I think I need some good art in my eyes.
Good job there was an exhibition opening nearby with just that!
Last night was something of an event. To celebrate the special tenth edition of Nobrow Magazine themed “Studio Dreams”, NoBrow have teamed up with the East London Comic Art Festival (ELCAF, which takes place next weekend) and SPACE to curate a series of collaborative projects. The SPACE gallery in Hackney will feature not only the seventy artists featured in the new tenth edition but also specially commissioned pieces by Andrew Rae, Yukai Du, Grace Helmer, Patrick Kyle and Tor Brandt.
The illustrations have spilled from books and easels and computer screens onto the walls of this exhibition hall. I would happily have bought all the pieces and taken them home!
(I am not planning a burglary!)
Anyway. Here is the art and some photos of the event. And splendid it was!
If you fancy heading down, and I recommend that you do whether you like doughnuts of not, then you can find this at SPACE, 129-131 Mare Street, London, E8 3RH.
The show is runs until Saturday 16th June.
• NoBrow 10 is available here from the NoBrow web site
Celebrating 10 years of Nobrow, this 10th Nobrow magazine features 70 artists responding to our theme of ‘Studio Dreams’. This will be a number stamped limited edition hardback with a foiled four spot colour printed cover and a dust jacket poster.
World-renowned creators turn their hand to creating their dream studio spaces (whatever that might mean for each one) in this unique international showcase containing over 100 pages of illustration.
Featuring illustrations by:
Olimpia Zagnoli | Jamie Jones | Lisk Feng | Molly Mendoza | Eleni Kalorkoti | Yukai Du | Gizem Vural | Bianca Bagnarelli | Jon Boam | Owen Davey | David Doran | Dustin Harbin | Icinori | Marc Martin & many, many more!
• East London Comics and Arts Festival at SPACE, 14th – 16th June 2016 SPACE 129-131 Mare St, Hackney, London E8 3RH | Web: www.spacestudios.org.uk
• You can find out more about the events leading up to the mighty East London Comics Art Festival (22nd – 24th June 2018 at www.elcaf.co.uk/event/studio-dreams-elcaf-x-nobrow-10-workshops-and-panel-discussions/
See you at ELCAF!
Many thanks for reading.
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Antony Esmond is a comic reviewer and writer – his hips don’t lie.
Categories: Art and Illustration, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, Exhibitions