Happy Halloween Daydreamers!

Here’s your spooky instalment of Whats Going On…

Viceland’s frightening tribute to comedy double acts

Everybody loves a comedy duo, from the two Ronnies to the Chuckle Brothers, and Vice have immortalized a few favourites in their typical comic and original style. Freakily good fashion….

Eat Your Heart Out & the PRETOX Potion – the worlds first adults only cake shop!

The evil cake shop, of Maiden on Shoreditch high street, is open for a limited time only to provide you with the most disgustingly wonderful array of edible nasties over the Halloween weekend. 666 terrifying Halloween creations will be sold everyday, and when they sell out the shop closes, so get down there quick. Looks to be a pretty gruesome affair, with cakes depicting roadkill, murder scenes, and all manner of bodily fluid and naughty bits.

Picture Matt Bramford

Theevilcakeshop.com says, “It may sound like a new Harry Potter title but ‘Eat Your Heart Out & The PRETOX Potion’ is the World’s first 18+ cake shop, pushing the concept that cake can never be offensive to the extreme. These truly are for adult eyes only, certified ’18′ in accordance with the same criteria of the film classification board. ‘Eat Your Heart Out & The PRETOX Potion’ shop is about encouraging artists, bakers & potion-makers to work together creating an amazing culinary experience; providing a platform from which people can explore the darkest corners of their mind, bringing their most disturbing visions to life in delicious edible forms for Halloween.”

Picture Matt Bramford

Check out the website here for more details, and have a peek at Matt Bramfords cheeky review on Amelia’s magazine blog here.

Freaky Films

Or if gruesome cakes aren’t tickling your fancy, how about popping down to the Lexi Cimena pop up, in Zippo’s Circus Tent at the old deer park, where they’ll be screening Edward Scissor hands along with a whole host of freaky goings ons. 

Expect fancy dress, deathly bar staff, canapés, a bearded lady and much more, prepare to be afraid… Starts at 7pm, for more info see here.

Whats Going On - Art

Stuck for something to do stateside this Halloween? The innovative collaboration OHWOW present their newest exhibition, "NECK FACE - Into Darkness" running from October 31 - November 20 at their space in Los Angeles.

“A homecoming of sorts for the California native, Into Darkness will feature Neck Face at his nastiest - meaning of course, at his best. Following up 2009's now legendary performance-cum-exhibition in Miami, the artist sets his sights on Hollywood and brings with him the same energy and originality that has made him a cult favourite. Lock your windows and close your doors. He's on the loose and there's no telling what surprises he'll have in store this Halloween.

Neck Face is an artist who manages to imbue humor into violence, locate amusement in fear, and takes pleasure in rattling nerves. His work is simultaneously sinister and grim, genuine and playful. He toys with the sacrilegious, antagonizes phobias, and triggers insecurities, all with a measure of ambivalence. His distinctive style straddles the line between reckless and deliberate, yet the work maintains a sense of immediacy, and is always provocative. Neck Face posits nightmares, prompts anxiety, and conjures the devil. In doing so, he champions the urge to laugh, rather than retract, at the discomfort felt from the true absurdity of horror.”

The opening reception is this Sunday at 7pm, check out more about OHWOW here, and the exhibition here.

Whats Going On - Art

The Museum Of Everything

The wonderfully different and ever quirky Museum Of Everything has recently opened its doors with Exhibition #3, collaborating with Sir Peter Blake, “the godfather of British pop art and a collector par excellence, whose accumulations of self-taught art, found objects and anonymous artefacts inform and inspire his own oeuvre.”

“Exhibition #3 reveals his discoveries for the very first time, as the museum’s Primrose Hill space becomes a canvas for the largest and most ambitious art installation ever created by the legendary septuagenarian.”

There’s never a dull moment with the Museum Of Everything, with its labyrinth layout of rooms and collections of eclectic one off objects and artwork. Pop over to their wonderfully illustrative website to have a peek at other goings on, how to get to their unusual space, and for some spooky back ground music…

What's Going On - Design

The Death Bag

In the last few years the focus on a ‘greener’ way of living has been intense and unavoidable, with the plastic bag taking a bigger bashing than almost any other common object. The ‘death bag', designed by vedang kulkarni and aakanksha rajhans from India, is a simple yet powerful standout design, aimed to force into the public eye the wastefulness of our use of plastic bags. It is also one of the shortlisted entries 
from more than 4000 participants in the 'iida awards 2010' competition, organized by designboom in collaboration with incheon metropolitan city.

The designers say: “the idea behind the 'death bag' or the 'coffin bag' is to ring that awareness bell in an individual's mind at that precise moment when he or she is being offered a plastic bag in a store. the conventional plastic bag is shaped 
in the form of a coffin by using origami folds. the bag aims to send a strong message to the user to not use it. 
and honestly, how many of us would want to be seen carrying a plastic bag which looks like a mini coffin? 
the shape and form of the bag should repulse an individual at the point of use and make a strong impression 
on his or her mind about the ill effects of plastic.”

Diesel Sneakers FW10: Stupid Ass Kicking

Diesel Sneakers FW10: Stupid Ass Kicking from Protein® on Vimeo.

PUMA and Material are pleased to present Downtown57, a solo show by London based graphic artist Ashes57

Ashes 57’s work takes its roots in the buzz and lights of cities, urban landscapes and the mu- sic that accompanies them. Downtown57 is inspired by New York’s early 80s cultural scene and Downtown81. The exhibition presents a series of black and white drawings that tell a fantastic journey through the 57 boroughs from Brooklyn to Manhattan, from Queens back to London; the artist looks for the one track which will make the world turn around.

Ashes 57 – Downtown57
at MATERIAL 1.10 Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, London W1B 5PW
`the shows on from October 22nd - Nov 12th 2010
for more info - www.materialmaterial.comwww.materialmaterial.com

The Idol Hours - London Miles Gallery

Iconic artworks reinterpreted for the modern age by an elite selection of new contemporary artists.

The exhibition features all new and original artwork from 40 international artists. Expect to revisit some of 
the world's best-known and most influential paintings under the unforgiving and irreverent eye of this new 

generation of pop-surrealists. With satire, irony, and pathos all wielded as adeptly as the brushes of the 

masters before them, these new compositions unite to create an entirely fresh and inimitable modern day 

narrative all of its own. LINK TO SHOW:

 Exhibiting artists include: Nom Kinnear King, Robert Marquez, Elizabeth Winnel,
Jenny Bhat, Joe 2H McSween, Chris Murray, Ken Keirns, Justin Fry, 
Mad Steez, Kevin Earl Taylor, Ann Marshall, Dave Pressler, Tanner Goldbeck,
Jim Mahfood, David Macdowell, Alex Garcia, Angry Woebots, Claudia Sabe,
Yosuke Ueno, Tiffany Liu, Plastic God, Stella Im Hultberg, Yumiko
Kayukawa, Matthew Bone, Travis Lampe, Zoe Lacchei, Scott C., Scott
Belcastro, Sergio Mora, Alex Young, Bob Dob, Joe Ledbetter, Lost Fish,
David Marsh, Carrie Ann Baade,Tom Bagshaw, Luke Chueh, Carles Gomila,
Xue Wang and Michael Forbes.

Opening reception: Friday November 12th 2010. 7pm to 11pm.
London Miles Gallery/ 242 Acklam Road.
Westbourne Studios. London.
W10 5JJ.

Exhibition until December 1st 2010

LAB POP UP STORE

UNTITLED - Inua's New Play.

END OF SOHO, BEGINNERS GUIDE TO LEAF READING
Hey!Hope your October is going well fellas. Mine is swimming along at the mo, fought off a bout of cold, feeling good. The last night of UNTITLED at Soho was stupendous. My lady’s mother was in audience so I worked thrice as hard to deliver the story, push emotional whatnots etc and it musta worked, the audience responded with a standing ovation. We had changed the ending of the play, configured new lighting, fixed other little things that have made the show tighter. I am looking forward to testing it out on a non-London audience and today we go to Birmingham. The Brummies are a different breed you know, if Londoners where Nigerians, the Brummies would be Ghanians. Anyway, I will be at the Birmingham Rep - please send friends down!


http://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/event/untitled
20 - 23rd of October (4 shows plus matinee on Sat)


The play begins with the unnamed brother in a clearing in a forest, talking to the spirits of the land. He hears their responses by reading the leaves. The following is entirely fictional, so if it does not work do not claim me a lair, cool?

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO SPIRIT-LEAF READING
Welcome to the ancient art of leaf reading. This practice started in the 5th Century when hunters would pause by thorns flecked with flesh off their fleeing prey and say to themselves ‘Supper went this way. By this here drop of blood, I can tell it is afraid and knows death is near, thus I shall follow it with my fork ready and condiments of HP and English mustard. Could do with a spot of salt as well’. As time passed, this art was fined and tuned to such subtlety, practitioners could read the minds of dwellers in other realms. The following outlines the 3 steps to spirit leaf reading.


1) Chalk.
You will need a pouch of powdered chalk. Flour will do, but chalk is best. Take a fist full and dust your hands with it, working it into your skin, ensuring that a thin fine layer covers your palms. The colour ‘white’ contains all colours of the spectrum and when communicating with the spirit world, one that sits invisibly on ours, touching their world with white allows all possible shades of thought to pass into our world - which unfortunately is still governed by colour.


2) Leaf.
Generally all forms of flora will allow something of the spirit world through. However leaves are revered as evidence of the creator’s touch - palm prints of God littered through the world; what you might find on a pane of glass after a careless window cleaner is done (or see Titanic *that scene*). To cradle one is to shake hands with the divine. Choose a leaf that is as closely sized to your palms as possible. The keen eyed spirit leaf reader might also find a leaf whose spine matches the lines on their palms. This allows for easier perception of the spirit’s mind.


3) Reading.
Imagine the leaf is a page from a book of braille. Not much can go wrong after this. Close your eyes if you feel it is necessary, trace your floured fingers slowly and carefully down the spines of the leaf, paying attention to bumps and bruises. As if your fingertips were needles and the leaf were vinyl, soon enough, the bumps will become sound, sound become vowels, vowels clipped by consonants and you will hear them speak!


4) And there you have it. Naked Tree huggers practice Extreme Leaf Reading, but usually die or loose their minds immediately as being so close to the source is more power than our feeble human bodies can handle. After the spirits ask their question, set about answering them and as the unnamed brother in the play found, you too might find the meaning of your life!


That’s all folks.
Inua.

Frieze Art Fair 2010

Wandering around the Frieze Art Fair can be overwhelming, being totally surrounded but an eclectic mixture of art in all its forms, from galleries all over the world. With endless inspiration all around us, the daydream team tried to soak up as much as we could in our visit, to bring you our pick of the fair…

Dawn Mellor’s haunting celebrity portrayals definitely caught our eye…

Anne Collier’s large scale photography was definitely a favourite of mine…

As was Jonathon Monks neon script.

More soon...

Whats Going On

Daydream's weekly news in brief...

FASHION

Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion

"A must for anybody who admires these very creative Japanese designers – It should be a brilliant exhibition" - Paul Smith

Starting today and running until February, the Barbican brings us a look into the ever-progressive avant-garde Japanese fashion.

“The first exhibition in Europe to comprehensively survey avant-garde Japanese fashion, from the early 1980s to the present. Curated by the eminent Japanese fashion historian Akiko Fukai, Director of the Kyoto Costume Institute, the exhibition explores the unique sensibility of Japanese design, and its sense of beauty embodied in clothing.”

“Japanese fashion made an enormous impact on the world fashion scene in the late 20^th century and designers such as Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto redefined the very basis of fashion. Their works will be shown alongside Kawakubo’s protégé, the techno-couturier Junya Watanabe, together with the acclaimed Jun Takahashi, and the new generation of radical designers including Tao Kurihara, Fumito Ganryu, Matohu, Akira Naka, Mina Perhonen and Mintdesigns.” Picture and info courtesy of Barbican

ART

Frieze Art Fair

The Frieze Art Fair is upon us once again, featuring over 150 of the most exciting contemporary art galleries in the world. It also includes specially commissioned artists’ projects, and a prestigious talks programme to inform and inspire us, not to be missed. Taking over Regents Park until the 17^th, The annual fair showcases new and established artists to an international audience; It’s hard to find elsewhere such an eclectic selection of galleries, artists, individuals and collectives, and the Daydream team will be there tomorrow taking in the sights.

Picture Frieze

DESIGN

For the ultimate fix in snazzy furniture, breathtaking light installations and tables-that-are-cleverer-than-you, head over the Super Design 2010.  

Held at Victoria house on Bloomsbury Square, London’s premier design art exhibition will feature specially commissioned, unique and limited edition pieces from international galleries including The Apartment, D&A-Lab, Quadrige, Mitterrand-Cramer, Tom Dixon, Herve Van Der Straeten and Vessel Gallery among others. Now in its 4^th year, super design will be running alongside Frieze, and like a lot of supplementary frieze exhibits, is free to get in.

Picture courtesy of Super Design

Sheep on Savile Row...

Savile Row, renowned for its unrivalled excellence in tailoring, swapped tarmac for turf yesterday, to better suit the herd of sheep that roamed its length. 

Image Metro.co.uk

In support of Wool Week, a Prince Charles initiative to raise the profile of this forgotten fibre, Savile row invited flocks of Exmoor Horn and Bowmont to graze. Other retailers will also be supporting the cause, with Jigsaw holding knitting classes and Selfridges sending a yellow flock of their own down Oxford Street. 

Allan Deas for the Big Issue

Previous Daydream artists Allan Deas has worked with The Big Issue on some cover illustration and a typography piece. 


The bright and bouncy illustrative style that we love Deas for is prominent in his decoration of Kate Nash on the cover of the current issue, and dont miss the title art on the article inside too.

Deas' work was featured in DD07, and recently at our Daydream Greats Event.

See more here

Whats Going On

Daydream's weekly inspiration in brief...

DESIGN

Tom sachs at venice architecture biennale 2010

New york-based sculptor and artist tom sachs is exhibiting at the palazzo delle esposizioni for this year's venice architecture biennale. Known for working with--and reworking--iconic images, the exhibition focuses on le corbusier and explores the successes and failures of modernism.

In the middle of the space is 'mc busier' (2002), which consists of two foam-core models of a drive-thru McDonalds and le corbusier's 'villa savoye'. a collection of miniature surveillance cameras monitor the two projects which are then displayed on a stack of tvs on one end of the installation. the piece is a part of a much bigger project entitled, 'nutsy's', which reads as a real-life videogame involving a series of race tracks, remote-controlled cars, art parks, rivaling ghettos and much more. sachs puts side by side  the idealistic modernism of the villa with the commercialized modernism of McDonald’s to show the shattered  memory of modernism's hopes and failures. 

courtesy of Designboom

ART

Anish Kapoor: turning the world upside down
kensington gardens.

This autumn The Royal Parks and the Serpentine Gallery will present a major exhibition of large scale outdoor sculptures by acclaimed London-based artist Anish Kapoor in Kensington Gardens.

The free exhibition will showcase a series of major recent works never before shown together in London. Constructed from highly reflective stainless steel, the giant curved mirror surfaces will create illusory distortions of the surroundings and will be visible across large distances, creating new vistas in this famous and much-loved setting.

Sky Mirror, Red 2007

Installation view Kensington Gardens, London

© 2010 Dave Morgan

The sculptures will be sited to contrast and reflect the changing colours, foliage and weather in Kensington Gardens. Despite their monumental scale, the works appear as pure reflection of their surroundings: the sky, trees, water, wildlife and changing seasons. The distortions in the works’ mirror-like surfaces call into question the viewers’ relationship to both the work itself and the surrounding environment.

FASHION

September 2010, saw the brand launch of She Died Of Beauty by long standing friends super model Erin O’Connor and Stylist Kate Halfpenny.

Image courtesy of ecofashionworld.com

A simple yet concise collection of 5 beautiful typographic t-shirts and 2 bags, with a play on the brand name – in their own words, “the very visual nature of fashion is to manipulate and exaggerate almost everything. We loved the idea of twisting a polite sentiment into a naughty yet, frivolously funny statement that we hope will appeal to all.” 

The inspiration behind the brand name and collection is to make “a teasing yet affectionate tickle at the fashion industry we continue to love, honour and serve”, showcased through a capsule collection of invigorating and lovingly created organic cotton t-shirts and bags in a classic monochrome palette. 

The brand origins are firmly rooted in London, with a creative collision of informed education; Kate at St Martins School of Design and Erin within the political & potent world of fashion, providing a signature style, which is witty, purposeful and un-apologetic. 

The core brand philosophy is based upon ethically and organically sourced materials important to both Erin & Kate “after all, there’s no reason why style and conscience can’t co-exist!”, say the design duo.

Daydream Greats Mixes by Justin Robertson & Nico Lupo

JUSTIN ROBERTSON-ELECTRIC PURPLE LIVE 3.8.2010 by justinrobertson/deadstock

Nico Lupo's Daydream Pick n Mix by nicolupo

Daydream Greats at the London Miles Gallery

Thanks to everyone who came down on Friday, brilliant night of artwork, dancing, drinking and general Daydream shenanigans. Against the backdrop of our Daydream Greats and Alex young’s massive murals, Bad Fingered Bundy and Justin Robinson provided and great set followed by Nico Lupo the Tuborg flowed to cap of a great night.

Good to see some fresh faces along with our loyal supporters, and glad everyone had a good time! To everyone who didn't make it, here's what you missed...

Photos By Vicky Kear

The after Party!... Photos By Stefanarge