Joshua Raffell solo show @ studio1.1

JOSHUA RAFFELL 

'Craft and Controversy'

8 - 31 August

private view Thursday 7th August 6 - 9pm

Joshua Raffell makes work that invites - insists on - the viewer's participation: we turn handles, peer into peepholes, are shocked and/or amused, and question our shock or amusement. Some of us try not to look, try to stop others looking, for their own sake. His work has been vandalised, censored, and damaged by over-enthusiastic cranking. He has driven it through the streets of central London on the back of a bike, and parked it in Trafalgar Square for the enjoyment of tourists. For the last few years he has concentrated on dolls, stitching together miscellaneous scraps of fabric into monstrous masturbating polygendered figures (that's where the cranking comes in). Now, for his first solo show at studio1.1, where he was artist in residence 2011-12, he is taking his art back to its natural habitat, the seaside pier amusement arcade. Boxes and other receptacles will have holes in the side, inviting us to bend and peep. What we see might stop us sleeping: inside the box there's more than the butler ever saw, as Dario Argento meets Donald McGill.
In his own words:



'I’m looking at the debauchery and the underbelly of society, I’m interested in scratching the surface and seeing what lies beneath…

My works are awkward and brash like an old toy played with and torn. The craft is in the making and breaking, the cutting and re-sewing. The taking of an idea, simplifying, reworking, until some sort of outcome is achieved. Allbeit momentarily. It's playful, over the top and naughty. I put things out of context and in your face...'

also -
tickets are on sale now for our Annual Fund-raiser - 'The Lottery Show'
a limited edition print (ed. 250) by Jordan McKenzie forms the ticket for this year's Lottery Show draw - which will take place during Frieze weekend in October 2014 - for more details click here

Grayson Perry said he was scared of me...

Having just done a performance, Denise suggested that I put the costume back on and go and meet Grayson Perry. Despite some protest I agreed and went to him...

 After posing for photos I continued on my way.

 That girl was obsessed with my belly button, as I have a sticky out one.

 Looks like we had a magic moment. He asked me if I had an erection and the said I was scaring him.

 He also suggested that I was making fun of Transsexuals, I replied that I was most definitely not and that I was surprised he was scared of anything, He said he was not scared of concepts but was only human and scared of lots of things.

 Seeing these pictures I think I would have been scared as well... It did make me think about why I keep on doing this to my self. My dissertation was about attachment theory and shame, I want to look as way out and crazy as possible. because it makes people uncomfortable, Myself included... Its interesting that Grayson Perry was afraid of me and I would suggest that its because I don't conform to a particular group that although the porn on the pants is gay porn, the breast suggest something else.

 Grayson perry is a house hold name and people accept him because although he wears outrages cloths, that by his own admission, he wants the designer to create the most grotesque and awful dress, something you would never want to be seen out in. They still have a likeable and familiar aesthetics a clown costume or a dolls dress. I try and push this and think about how Paul MacCarthy would look if he was a transsexual. The only aesthetic is one of a brutal truth no touching up, WARTS & ALL

 Its not meant to be easy, if it was then there would be no point, this performance was inspired by the amazing work of Paul Kindersley  /http://www.fadwebsite.com/2013/09/22/paul-kindersley-one-gigantic-sketchbook/ who it turns out went to Chelsea...

 I also showed a new work, 'Brute force and Ignorance' Thanks to Frances for not only getting me but for bringing this so speedily to a usable state. Although it does need some tweaking still.

 Thanks to caroline for demonstrating it so beautifully...

Our Beautiful Garden, 17th July 2014

 So lush and vibrant, also in the process of building onto the garage to make it into a studio.

 The lavender smells devine, and the day lillys add structure and constant colour of burnt orange.

 This is an old drinking fountain. Overflowing with labellia.

 Dave is sat working in the house.

This was the last photo taken of the garden but we also had around a dozen goldfinches flying around from this evening, They were making the most beautiful sound. Sadly no photos :-((

New work getting ready for studio1.1 show

 I wanted to play with the Toilet graffiti, but felt this was not really working. Unfortunately Maureen and Bill passed away and Maureen's daughter gave me all her wool so I have been playing with them, wrapping them around frames and then decided to add the text from the previous work.

 Its feeling much more exciting and I'm really enjoying the freedom of the process.

Newspaper People

 Rebecca Molloy and myself staged the Newspaper people or 'It's a load of Rubbish' In Trafalgar square

 Thanks to everyone who got involved and for taking on the spirit of the project, having fun and taking art to the public... We would like to develop this idea and make the costumes stronger.

 To invite more people to get involved and to take it to other places.

Its the final count down... starting to make work for Chelsea final show...

 Made a series of small models to try attaching 4 sheets of plywood and two MDF to create a large pop up book. Its coming togather much quicker that I ever thought. But nervous about the pop up bit...

 Thanks Cristiana for taking the photo...

 Had to create a stand to put the book on and to make it more accessible to everyone...

 Working in the sunshine and also making a toilet from wood found in the skip.

 Spray painting the cover was much more difficult than I expected and the paint just disappears into the air. Had to buy six cans and the finish is still not great. But will leave it as it is now!

 The book and stand in my studio... Today a lady from textiles walked through and said "you, keep changing things, but that interesting and a good thing" Then she said "when does your show finish". I replied its not a show its my/our studio space...