CultureLabel Blog

05May2012 Art Insider

Glasgow International Festival of Visual Arts

Last chance to go to the Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art!

For 18 days every two years, Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art transforms Glasgow into an artistic hub, with events taking place in museums and artist studios across the city. This year’s Festival features work by over 130 artists in over 40 venues with more than 90% of the work included in the Festival programme being new or previously unseen in the UK. These newly commissioned works draw on a range of other disciplines, including dance, film, music, performance and theatre.

This year’s Festival programme presents some of the best contemporary art from Glasgow-based artists and leading international artists, including Turner prize nominee Karla Black, Henry Coombes, Corin Sworn and Rob Churm. Buy these artists’ artwork on CultureLabel and spread your payments over 10 months with Own Art!

This year Karla Black has produced a miniature version of her large, experimental sculptural works. These works explore how thin or slight forms can become, before they can no longer be considered sculpture. The edition is to be installed individually according to the guidance of a signed installation note written by the artist (thread and a hanging hook are also supplied).

Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland said: “2012 is the Year of Creative Scotland and a unique opportunity to showcase exciting activity taking place across the country for audiences at home and internationally. Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art has unveiled an event that offers a stunning programme of international work that invites newcomers to the city, or to the creative arts, to explore their city with an artist’s eye.”

Visit Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art until the 7th of May. Find Karla Black’s, Henry Coombes’, Corin Sworn’s and Rob Churm’s work on CultureLabel.com here.

16Apr2012 Art Insider

Introducing Peggy Wolf



Illustrator Peggy Wolf creates bright and beautiful fashion prints from her home in London. Originally from Germany, Peggy explains why she upped sticks to move to London, and how her work led her from fashion and interior design to her successful career in illustration.

What is your work inspired by?
I am mostly inspired by women – how they live, their beauty, characters and spirits, but nature also plays a big part in that.

When did you discover you had an artistic talent?
When I was about 16 I found out that I love to draw (faces, nature, clothes) and got very curious to discover more. I applied for different Universities in Germany and soon I started to study Fashion Design, as I thought that would be the kind of medium most challenging for me. Towards the end of my studies one of my professors told me that he thought of me more as an artist/illustrator than a fashion designer. I tried to ignore his advice but after working freelance in the fashion industry for two years, I decided to leave Germany and to start my career as an illustrator in London.


Why did you choose to work in the UK rather than your native Germany?
To work and live in the UK was also more of a coincidence. I visited London on a three day trip with a friend of mine and out of the blue I had this gut feeling telling me to move to London.

Why and when did you make the transition from interior designer to artist and illustrator?
When I arrived on London in 2006, I applied to loads of different design jobs. It was more of an accident that I ended up working in Interior Design. But I had always my illustrations in the back of my mind and I knew that I couldn’t let go of the idea; that one day I’d make a living out of my work. It took me a year to quit my part-time interior design job and since then I’ve been working as an illustrator full-time.

What’s a day in the life of Peggy Wolf like?
Everyday is different, but to sum things up; first thing in the morning I check my emails. After that I start to work on my commissioned work or on my own projects. At around 3pm I check my orders from my online shops and get them ready for shipping. If I am out of some prints I have them re-printed with my printers in Shoreditch and pick them up the next day. I’m back at my desk by 5ish, working till quite late in the evening. On some days I go out into town to get ideas and to collect materials for my collages – taking pictures and buying interesting items and fabrics.

What is your favourite print in your collection?
My favorite print is “Hanna” as this one was inspired and named after the baby of my friend in Germany.

Find Peggy Wolf’s full collection on CultureLabel here.

11Apr2012 Art Insider

What do opera and watermelon have in common?

Enrico Caruso!

Enrico Caruso, the world renowned Italian opera singer famously said: “Watermelon is a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face!” What a cheeky chappie!

The cleaver people behind Beyond Thrilled Screenprints have brought Enrico’s quote to life in this vibrant limited edition print. Be sure to snap one up quick!

Beyond Thrilled is mastermined by illustrator Richard Pendry. Richard ran a small internet games business from Barcelona and Paris, before returning to his native London to devote himself to illustration and printmaking full time. He now prints from his spare room in London.


Richard also creates retro London prints. The recent “No Underground. Get over it.” series are both a homage to the classic London Transport posters of the last century, and a humorous comment on many Londoners’ obsession with living near to a tube station, featuring neighbourhoods that happily do without such transport links. Other London-based prints are in the pipeline…

Find Beyond Thrilled Screenprints’ striking illustrations on CultureLabel here.

10Apr2012 Pick of the week

Introducing Marz Jr…

Marz jr creates bold pop art inspired prints which make you long for the 80′s.

After studying at Savannah College of Art and Design, Marz jr. began developing his signature nostalgic style, combining his passion for pop culture and iconic images.

While in NY, he spent over a decade collaborating in colouring work for a private studio representing Marvel and DC Comics as well as studying improv theater at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.

Marz jr’s illustration work has been published in newspapers such as the NY Observer and he regularly exhibits his work in galleries around the globe.

Find Marz jr’s full collection on CultureLabel here.

02Apr2012 Pick of the week

Hopping into Easter

Easter time is fast approaching, for many of us marking the end of lent and the beginning of a well deserved chocolate binge!

Whilst we await the arrival of our Easter eggs, why not distract yourself with CultureLabel’s Top Bunny Picks from this year’s Easter Collection – featuring Flat-pack bunnies by Garudio Studiage, Siamese bunnies by jewellery-designer Tilly Bloom, shadow puppet bunnies by Ridley & Dowse, Inkblot bunnies by Luna & Curious, Night Light bunnies by Maiden, we love them all!

Or treat yourself to a limited edition Bunny Blossom Kozyndan print from BALTIC spreading your payments over 10 months with Own Art!

Find the full Easter collection on CultureLabel here.

30Mar2012 Pick of the week

Pick Me Up


Pick Me Up Art fair showcases the best young illustrators in a fun and informal environment- better still all the art on show is affordable!

Kristijana Williams was selected by the Pick Me Up panel as one of the best up an coming illustrators. Kristijana’s stall really stood out from the other 20 artists selected with her inimitable style and vibrancy of her nature and jungle prints attracting a lot of attention from the crowd. We’re delighted to announce that she will soon be joining us on CultureLabel.

Our highlight of the fair was undoubtedly the Nelly Duff gallery zoo. What an experience – walking through a gallery of caged animal paintings to a soundtrack of monkey noises with ants and birds crawling in and out of paintings!

Check out the Pick Me Up fair at Somerset House until May 3rd.

27Mar2012 Art Insider

Josie McCoy: A Glowing Review

Josie McCoy is most famous for painting television and film actors. She paints from photographs and progressively transforms her subjects into glowing, unblemished and photoshopped god-like versions of themselves.

As part of our Opus Competiton we’re giving away Josie’s Suzie print. In case you haven’t recognise her yet, Suzie is a painting and print of Christina Ricci in the film The Man Who Cried.

We asked Josie what inspired her to paint Christina Ricci: “I was inspired to paint Suzie because I liked the way she was gazing out of the screen with such an ambiguous look in her eyes.”

Josie’s unique approach requires her to apply layer upon layer of oil paint to achieve the TV screen glow present in all her paintings. Josie started using this technique of painting when she was studying at Central St Martins: “I was fascinated by old painting techniques which used green as under-painting to make the top layer of paint glow. After trying this for a while I realised that I preferred to use green for the skin colour, and that I could make it glow if I painted in very thin layers. I´m enchanted by the way that paint can do so much, it´s the most adaptable and seductive substance.”

To understand the true extent of the number of layers in Josie’s painting check out the Jonny Depp picture above. All the small images are pictures of the painting taken every hour. Incredibly, after layering green, blue and white the painting radiates with luminosity.

Win Suzie by Josie McCoy and a collection of limited edition prints worth over 5k by signing up to our newsletter here.

26Mar2012 Pick of the week

Easter Egg Cup Promotion


To celebrate Easter Maiden are treating us to 2 animal egg cups for £15.

Who will you choose? CultureLabel’s egg cup family includes Mr Goat, Miss Guinea Pig, Mrs Pug, Mrs Hippo, Mr Panda, Miss Swan, Mrs Duck, Mr Cow, Mrs Rabbit, Mr Owl, Mr Hare, Mrs Wolf and Miss Ram.

Our office’s favourite couple is Mr Panda and Mrs Pug.

Find the whole egg cup family on CultureLabel here.

22Mar2012 Pick of the week

Best of British Actors

Catch a glimpse your favourite actors and actresses in Simon Annand’s new exhibition, The Half, at the Idea Generation Gallery in Shoreditch.

Over a period of 25 years Annand photographed actors just before they went on stage, capturing the backstage tension and atmosphere. Annand’s project also recorded a history of the West End’s brightest stars. Our favourite British actors in the exhibition are Tilda Swinton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightly and Eddie Redmayne. 
 

Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton has gained respect from her peers and audiences worldwide for her performances in arthouse and mainstream films. If you haven’t seen We need to talk about Kevin yet we’d advise you to get your hands on the DVD as soon as possible!

Benedict Cumberbatch has played major roles in dozens of plays winning himself an Olivier for Best performance for when he played Tesman in Hedda Gabler. Most recently he entered into our homes as Sherlock Holmes on the hit BBC series Sherlock. 

Keira Knightly’s big brake came in  1999 when she played Natalie Portman’s decoy Padme to Portman’s Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Since then she has starred in leading roles in blockbuster films The Pirates of the Carribean alongside Jonny Depp.

Etonian Eddie Redmayne has won awards for his performances in Red on the West End and on Broadway. He recently made a splash on the small screen as the lead in Firesong. We’re keeping a close eye on this starlet in the making…  

20Mar2012 Pick of the week

Beware of the Big Bad Wolf

“But, grandmother, what a dreadful big mouth you have!”
“The better to eat you with.”

Treat yourself to this colourful Little Red Riding Hood silk satin scarf by Robin and Scarlet Design that depicts the Brothers Grimm’s age-old tale.

Robin and Scarlet scarves are designed , hand drawn and painted by Beverly Ranger. The designs are then printed onto 100% silk satin and the hems are hand rolled to produce beautiful scarves. Other designs in the fairytale scarf collection include Hansel & Gretel and The Frog Princess. When she’s not creating her scarfs Beverly works freelance as an art director, set designer and artist.

Our mini fairytale collection sees Little Red Riding Hood make her way through the Windswept Forest by artist Hannah Maybank, weaving her way towards the big bad Mr Wolf the egg cup by Maiden.

You can also re-enact the whole fairytale with these brilliant Little Red Riding Hood and Wolf laser cut rings by Soop for Saatchi Gallery!

Find all the Red Riding Hood products on CultureLabel here.

19Mar2012 Pick of the week

Team Artists are Possessed

Cornwall Contemporary opens a new exhibition by TAap.


The artists; Jesse Leroy Smith, Sam Bassett and Richard Ballinger at the exhibition’s private view.

The Pomp by TAap

Rocket Boy by TAap

Man TrAap by TAap

TAap, otherwise known as “Team Artists are Possessed” are a collective of four young artists living in Cornwall and Brighton: Richard Ballinger, Sam Bassett, Jesse Leroy Smith and Chris Priest.

All four artists meet up and work on the paintings simultaneously, creating very fresh and unique work. Inspired by art, politics, commercial culture, dark humour and “unashamed maleness”, their work incorporates a multitude of techniques from printmaking and collage to painting and lettering. Some of the imagery is from an old set of posters that they came across a year ago which they use as a starting point for inspiration and then they adapt and paint over them.

Find TAap’s work at the Cornwall Contemporary gallery and on CultureLabel here.

15Mar2012 Pick of the week

Win a £5K Contemporary Art Collection!

CultureLabel is very excited to announce its new, exclusive competition with Opus Art giving you the chance to win a collection of 7 limited edition artworks from eminent contemporary artists worth over £5k.

The stellar collection includes prints from established artists Josie McCoy, Dave White, Chris Kettle, Laurie Hogin and the world famous Helmut Newton, Susan Derges & Jamie Reid.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned collector Opus Art’s competition collection is guaranteed to catch your eye. With such a varied selection of genres and styles the collection will make a wonderful addition to any art lover’s home.

Opus Art is the North’s premier contemporary art gallery and represents the best in cutting edge contemporary art and photography. Emma Poole, Opus Art’s Director, said:

“We’ve worked closely with CultureLabel since their launch and are thrilled to be working with them on this exclusive competition. The prints included are a perfect ‘starter pack’ for new collectors, featuring photography, pop art and original prints, and are a great introduction to collecting art. Our selection also includes some serious heavyweights, such as Helmut Newton and Susan Derges, for collectors looking to add to an existing collection.”

The competition will run from the 12th of March till April the 26th. For a chance to win simply sign up to our newsletter here.

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