Vive Le Document. The magazine for fantastique people is two years young

 

24 months ago Chris Tosic and Harry Pye made the world a better place by starting an online magazine called Le Document. Lovely people like; Stephanie O'Brien, Rochelle Roberts, Robin Ince, Richard Strange, Peter Suchin, Micko Westmoreland, Sukie Smith, Andrew P. childs, Humphrey Fordham, Jo Mama, Francesca Bonafede, Graham Bendel, and Pete Sinclair contributed essays. Harry interviewed dozens of writers, comedians, popstars and artists including; Magda Archer, Billy Childish, Sasha Bowles, Stewart Lee, Charlie Chuck, Jeff Innocent, Darren Walsh,  John Moore, Cornershop, Martin Bramah of Blue Orchids, Vic Godard, Brix Smith Start, Paul Carrack, Hannah Hu, Simon Gilbert of Suede, Kevin Rowland, Lovers of the Fancy, Emily Capell, Wendy James, Anne Pigalle, Chaz Jankle, The Catenary Wires, Christopher Strauli, David Quantic, and Victor Bockris. Leonie Woods contributed amazing illustrations and collages and Chris made a new artwork each month and uploaded all the images for "Photo of the Month", "Pet of the Month", "Drawing of the Month" and "Painting of the Month" online. Big thanks to everyone who helped, supported or encouraged Le Doc get off the ground. Next year the magazine will start coming out 4 times a year and hopefully there will also be an accompanying radio show on Resonance FM.  

"Tout le meilleur de Tosic et Pye"

It Takes Two Exhibition (Parts 1 and 2)

Above: 4 paintings based on boxing matches that were intended for an exhibition called "It Takes Two." The paintings were made by Harry Pye in collaboration with Mikey Georgeson, Marcus Cope, Rowland Smith, and Guy Allott. For whatever reason the paintings didn't get included in the show and have only just resurfaced. The "It Takes Two" exhibition took place in both Northampton and London and there was an accompanying publication featuring 50% of Pye and his pals, and 50 % James Jessop and his collaborators. 

 According to Art Rabbit, "It Takes Two Part 2 - James Jessop and Harry Pye" took place at The Sartorial Art Gallery, 101A Kensington Church St, London W8 7LN. The Private View was on Thursday 2nd August 2007 from 6:30pm - 9pm And the show then ran from 3rd of August to the 25th of August - Tues to Sat 1:30 - 6:30pm

"It Takes Two Part 2" - James Jessop & Harry Pye

Sartorial Contemporary Art is thrilled to announce a great exhibition featuring work by not only James Jessop and Harry Pye but also some very special guests.

Last year, two of Sartorial's most prominent artists Jessop and Pye began collaborating on a series of works that paid tribute to 80's hip hop legends such as Eric B & Rakim. Curator Robert Wornum approached Gretta Sarfaty Marchant of Sartorial and told her the two artists he most wanted to open his new gallery with were James and Harry. Their exhibition, "It Takes Two" took Northampton by storm and the Fishmarket received 80 visitors a day throughout April and May 07.

As well as their collaborations with each other Jessop and Pye also collaborated with a galaxy of their art star pals. James made paintings with Jasper Joffe, Ann-Caroline Breig, Gavin Nolan, Christopher Davies, and Akiko Usami. And Harry made paintings with friends such as; Sarah Sparkes, Billy Childish, Rowland Smith, Frank Sidebottom and Mat Humphrey.

Above: Jazzy Jessop & The Fresh Pye

Above: 'Grandmaster Flash & Afrika Bambaatta' by James Jessop and Harry Pye.

Above: Harry Pye and Sarah Sparkes holding their painting "Come and play with Me"

Above: Billy Childish and Harry Pye at Chelsea College with their collaborative painting of Peter Cook & Dudley Moore.

Read Guardian article from March 2007: here

Above: Frank Sidebottom with Harry Pye on the steps of Tate Britain

Below: Photos from "It Takes Two Part Two" in Notting Hill...

Above: Artist Sarah Sparkes with the critic Peter Suchin

Above: Painting by Harry Pye & Mat Humphrey

Above a collaboration between James Jessop & Sweet Toof

Above: Chiara gives Kes a pat on the head

Above: Tate Mates

Above: A close up on a painting by Harry Pye and Kes Richardson

Above: "Things We Said Today" by Harry Pye & Rowland Smith

Above: Pye sees the light

Above: 'How To Make A Monster' by James Jessop

INVITE to closing party of The Ramsgate Art Show

Venue: The Front Room, 10 Bellevue Road, Ramsgate CT11 8LB Contact: philofield@gmail.com

You are invited to the closing party of The Ramsgate Art Show at The Front Room Gallery. Harry Pye's R.A. Summer Show has been a great success so there will be a party to celebrate.

Date: Tuesday 14th September

Time: 6pm till 9pm

Artists include; Felicity Allen, Sir Peter Blake, Gordon Beswick, Elizabeth Cake, Russell Chater, Billy Childish, Ben Dickson, John Duffin, Christian Furr, Lisa Hawkins, Sadie Hennessy, Gary Hume, Corin Johnson, Bob London, Jo Mama, Jock McFadyen, Hugh Mendes, Humphrey Ocean, Carson Parkin-Fairley, Harry Pye, Julia Rogers, Bob & Roberta Smith, Helen Smith, Rowland Smith, Owen Thomas,  Hazel Thomson, Twinkle Troughton, Jessica Voorsanger, Julian Wakeling, and Leonie Woods. 

For more info about the show please read this article which features statements from 10 of the artists here and also this preview about the show by The Isle of Thanet News: here

A wonderfully eclectic art show is coming to Ramsgate this August and you are invited.

The Ramsgate Art Show opens to the public at 11am on Friday the 20th August. The show is on at The Front Room Gallery, 10 Bellevue Road, a few doors down from The Mother Goose Nursery. 30 artists have work in the show. The works will be hung in a salon style and there will be a mixture of prints, photos, drawing, painting and sculpture. The gallery will be open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11am till 6pm from the 20th of Aug till the 12th of September. 

Above: Drawing of Brenda Blethyn by Leonie Woods

Above: Painting of Turner's Obituary by Hugh Mendes

Above: 'Ramsgate Station - End of the Line' Acrylic on canvas by John Duffin

Above: Drawing of John Le Mesurier by Bob London

Above: Painting of St Augustin's Church by Russell Chater

Above: image of Jackie Pallo by Ben Dickson

Above: image: Untitled photo by Julian Wakeling

Venue: The Front Room, 10 Bellevue Road, Ramsgate CT11 8LB Contact: philofield@gmail.com

Artists include; Felicity Allen, Sir Peter Blake, Gordon Beswick, Elizabeth Cake, Russell Chater, Ben Dickson, John Duffin, Christian Furr, Lisa Hawkins, Sadie Hennessy, Gary Hume, Corin Johnson, Jock McFadyen, Hugh Mendes, Humphrey Ocean, Carson Parkin-Fairley, Julia Rogers, Bob & Roberta Smith, Helen Smith, Owen Thomas, and Hazel Thomson, Twinkle Troughton, Jessica Voorsanger, Julian Wakeling, and Leonie Woods. 

Claude Cahun's self-portrait reviewed by Astrid Horkheimer

 

This self portrait by Claude Cahun (born Lucy Schwob, in France, in 1894)has always intrigued me. It reminds me of the work of both Cindy Sherman and Gillian Wearing. Maybe it's not quite as well known as other works by Cahun such as the iconic image of the artist in circus strongman costume and doll face make-up ("I AM IN TRAINING DO NOT KISS ME")but this is the image I think of most. There's something special about the chessboard coat and piercing stare. Cahun wrote in her autobiography that, “Under this mask, another mask I will never be finished removing all these faces.” Yet I detect a sense of panic in the eyes that, to me, asks "have I revealed too much?"

Go to most bookshops during PRIDE month and you'll find something in the 'Art & Culture' section about the belief that gender is fluid and not fixed by biology, and that "masculine" and "feminine" are not biologically fixed but culturally presupposed - but back in the days Cahun/Schwob was making art I imagine rejecting gender constructs made you stick out like a sore thumb and that kindred spirits would be very hard to find. But apparently the artists did find a friend in Oscar Wilde.

The self portrait I admire was made in 1928. It wasn't until the 1990's that Cahun's work began to be properly respected and bought by major galleries. In 2018 the artist has a street named after her in Paris. A year ago her heroism was celebrated in a book by Jeffrey H. Jackson called, Paper Bullets: Two Artists Who Risked Their Lives to Defy the Nazis. I'm sure there will eventually be a bio-pic and postage stamp made in the artist's honor. And why not?

Text by Astrid Horkheimer