Marilyn Monroe: Legend, Myth and Icon

O3 Gallery Intern Charlotte visited Venice for the first time last month for a short city break for a dose of Venetian culture. She soon noticed that down every alley way and in every square the city’s walls were adorned with pictures of Marilyn Monroe….

We decided to go along to the beautiful Palazzo Bembo Exhibition space, just off the Grand Canal, to find out what all the fuss was about…

The Legend, Myth and Icon Exhibition opened on 20th December and runs through to the end of February. It brings together over one hundred and fifty works dedicated to the figure of Monroe. Palazzo Bembo, a 15^th century Venetian noble home overlooking he Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge, recently opened the new permanent exhibition space to mark the occasion of the 2011 Venice Biennale of Art.

Through this wide selection of works, ranging from photographs, paintings, prints, collages and sculptures, a group of well-known international contemporary artists and photographers portray the Hollywood star from the very beginning to the highlights of her career and until Bert Stern’s famous “Last Sitting” shot just a few days before her mysterious death in 1962. Works made after this date, like the famous series of silkscreens by Andy Warhol, reflect on Marilyn’s iconic status, investigating her beauty and, ultimately, paying homage to her charisma and sensuality.

I was really glad to have visited the exhibition, I felt that it was very well curated and Palazzo Bembo couldn’t have provided a more atmospheric space for displaying art works encompassing a truly timeless legend, myth and icon.

Ardington School of Crafts

The O3 Gallery hosted a ‘Crafty Networking’ evening last Wednesday which provided an opportunity for buyers, makers and even those just ‘crafty curious’ to meet up and share their interests. We met Roz from the Ardington School of Crafts in Oxfordshire who was representing and promoting the new craft courses especially designed for beginner adults. The courses on offer range from stone carving and silverwork to calligraphy and embroidery.

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Valentine’s Day Gifts at O3 Gallery

Flowers and chocolates not your thing? Show that special someone you care with an arty gift from the O3 this Valentine’s…

Love hearts purse by Sweetly Wrapped £12.00

'Missing' Artist book by Neil Mabbs £5.00

Tatty Devine Chirpy Necklace £21.00

Nylon Sky Rose Necklace £10.00

OVADA on the Map

On Tuesday (7th February) Oxfordshire’s Visual Arts Development Agency (OVADA) teamed up with Roves and Roams to host an evening of performance in their uber cool new building! Situated on Osney Lane (en route between the O3 Gallery and Jam Factory) OVADA opened the big red doors to their rough and ready but incredibly wonderful new warehouse space…

 

The evening began with a talk by Dr Tracey Warr, editor of ‘The Artists Body’ and ‘Live Art Now’ and current Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Art Theory at Oxford Brookes University. Warr’s lecture provided a short critical history of durational performance. This was followed by a durational performance (of approximately 20 minutes) by internationally regarded artist Anya Liftig. The work ‘Produce/Procreate’ featured the artist gazing up at a cactus. Like a number of Liftig’s works, feminist associations could be drawn from this piece.

 We are very excited to  have OVADA as our new neighbour and look forward to their future exhibitions and events in their fabulous new venue!

The Road is Wider than Long: Roland Penrose and British Surrealism

This exhibition is a sure thing not to miss at the Southampton City Art Gallery.  Artworks by celebrated artists such as Conroy Maddox, Paul Nash and the last living British Surrealist, Desmond Morris, are included.  Desmond Morris is famous as an accomplished author, broadcaster and zoologist, in addition to being an eminent painter.

This exhibition focusses on the influence of the artist, historian and poet, Sir Roland Penrose who founded the ICA in London.  He was largely responsible for establishing the English Surrealist movement, through coordinating  the International Surrealist Exhibition in 1936.

Tim Craven (curator), Desmond Morris, Tony Penrose

Desmond Morris & O3 Gallery Assistant Rona

A notable room, painted jungle green, displayes an array of paintings by Congo, Desmond Morris’s pet chimp from London Zoo.  These works are actually beautiful in their specific markings and colour and one can also watch a short video of Congo at work.

Congo at work

Painting by Congo

Although Desmond Morris is still producing a large amount of new work, it was interesting to see one of his very early works, which was included in the show.

Desmond Morris- A Girl Selling FLowers 1946

Sheila Legge, the phantom surrealist reappeared after her first appearance in Trafalgar square in 1936!

Sheila Legge, 1936Sheila Legge & Desmond Morris 2012

Art Teachers Exhibition Private View

On Friday 13th January there was a Private View for the Art Teachers Exhibition which is currently on show at the O3. All the artists’ family and friends were invited and friends of the Gallery attended making it a truly buzzing event! The evening was a great opportunity to preview this special exhibition. It’s not very often that we get the chance to see our County’s teachers’ work displayed in a public space… there was no need for encouragement!

Here are some pictures from the event…

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Object of Desire

We LOVE these gorgeous little fabric bead earrings by Annabelle Lou! The perfect present for any Aquarian birthday girls out there! £6.00 per pair – available at the O3 Gallery.

Spoken Word hits the North Wall

Everyone seems to be talking about…

N.O.N.C.E

Friday 27^th Jan 2012, 8pm

North Wall Arts Centre, South Parade, Oxford, OX2 7NN

An underemployed artist lands the job of “poet-in-residence” at a high security prison.

Having toured Canada to much critical acclaim Steve Larkin unleashes “N.O.N.C.E.” on a UK audience for the first time.

This gripping show is an original piece of dramatic storytelling based on real life events that took place during the year he spent working as a ‘poet-in-residence’ at a high security ‘therapeutic’ prison. The subject matter is dark yet the load is lightened with “comedic flair”. A must see.

Steve Larkin is an internationally respected spoken word artist, a lecturer in performance poetry and storytelling, the founder of the UK’s largest poetry slam organisation, and a singer/song-writer. A passionate poetic firebrand described as a ‘spoken-word guru,’ and ambassador of ‘poetry for the hip-hop generation’, Steve is the only university lecturer in Oxford dedicated to performance poetry, leading the Performance Poetry and Storytelling module as part of the Oxford Brookes University’s Performing Arts Course.

“A darkly hypnotic, occasionally hilarious mini-masterpiece of slam storytelling.” -Vue Magazine

“a masterful rush of language that combines monologue, dramatic narrative and slam poetry” - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation July 2011

“sublime slam poetry with a gripping rap cadence…enthralling…run to this show!” - Uptown Magazine, July 2011 5 stars

Ticket are £10/£8 advanced and are available from North Wall box office 01865 319450 www.thenorthwall.org.

The Hunting of the Shark

We are very proud to be selling signed copies of Bill Heine’s latest book ‘The Hunting of The Shark’, which discusses for the very first time how the bizarre 25-foot fibreglass ‘Headington Shark’ sculpture was conceived, constructed, erected and kept up on the roof against the full blast of Oxford City bureaucracy.

Catch Bill in the O3 Gallery on the evening of 1st March 2012 when he will be talking about the book and answering questions from the public.

A trip to Cairo

A member of the O3 Gallery team recently travelled to Cairo…

Due to the political problem in Egypt, Cairo was devoid of tourists.  I visited The Egyptian Museum which was full of serious treasures including King Tut’s death mask and contained a special temperature controlled room full of mummies. We could not help but notice a burned out building in plain view outside the museum on Tahrir square.  In old Cairo, tranquil spots were tucked away off the noisy streets.  Visiting the pyramids was more impressive than one imagines and the history is truly overwhelming!

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