Nick Waplington "Alexander McQueen: Working Process" at Tate Britain

Nick Waplington‘s photographic work documenting Alexander McQueen‘s final fall/winter collection, titled “Horn of Plenty,” is now a major exhibit at Tate Britain. The installation offers a raw insight into a typically polished world, featuring candid images of McQueen’s process juxtaposed against landfills and recycling plants that acts as a commentary on the creative renewal utilized by the fashion industry, especially because in his final show, McQueen reused both silhouettes and fabrics from his earlier collections. The exhibition will run until May 17. Visit the Tate Britain’s official site for more information.

Yayoi Kusama - The Infinity Mirrored Room, Filled with the Brilliance of Life (2011)

Nothing can prepare you though for the The Infinity Mirrored Room – Filled with the Brilliance of Life (2011), which depicts infinite space in an astounding and transcendent way. Reflecting surfaces of mirrors and water, hundreds of tiny lightbulbs are mirrored into infinite space offering an other-worldly brightness, flooding you with the most brilliant momentary illusion as if climbing into the stars. The experience of walking down a narrow central pathway offers a level of engagement that goes beyond the boundaries of the known artistic universe and is undoubtedly the highlight of the exhibition. 

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Edward Ruscha - Pretty Eyes, Electric Bills (1976)

In this drawing, the juxtaposition of the phrases ‘Pretty Eyes’ and ‘Electric Bills’ is incongruous; the first conjures romantic and evocative images while the second makes reference to a mundane chore. The artist has explained his own view of this drawing, stating: ‘Pretty Eyes, Electric Bills is my way of separating two subjects that are on the far end of the world from each other. This somehow gets to be the reason that I want to make a work of art of this discord.'

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Juergen Teller - Go-Sees

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Olafur Eliasson - The Weather Project (2003)

Representations of the sun and sky dominate the expanse of Turbine Hall. A fine mist permeates the space, as if creeping in from the environment outside. Throughout the day, the mist accumulates into faint, cloud-like formations, before dissipating across the space. 

Archival Footage of Roy Lichtenstein Ahead of His Upcoming Tate Modern Exhibition VIDEO

The works of 20th century pop art artist Roy Lichtenstein will make their way to London’s Tate Modern: Exhibition later in February to May. In anticipation for the look back on the icon’s work, we are given a rare glimpse into the life of the New York born painter and sculptor. Behind his humorous and parodic works that derived inspiration from comic strips, which were sometimes controversial at the time due to their contrast with darker and more ‘tormented’ styles, was a man grounded in simplicity. From more intimate perspectives on his life from interviews including with his wife Dorothy to his discussions about his style and technique, the video is worth a watch for both those appreciative of his contributions to art and creatives alike.

Philipp Karcher - #387: Technical Study Like Gerhard Richter (2012)

Damien Hirst: Two Weeks One Summer

Pinchuk Art Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine presents the solo exhibition ‘Two Weeks One Summer’ of renowned british artist Damien Hirst – a series of 11 paintings that he has been working on since the summer of 2010.  the new body of work is a collection of large and small scale artworks – each one painted from life in his devon studio in the UK.the pieces reference elements from still-life and traditional painting techniques, with a strong allusion to the concept of death.

'M to M of M/M' -Book

Design duo M/M - Mathias Augustyniak and Michael Amzalag- talk through their new book ‘M to M of M/M’. 

A 528-page monograph of M/M (Paris), as written by Emily King, designed by Graphic Thought Facility and published by Thames & Hudson, will be available to buy through the gallery from early October.

Published to mark the twentieth anniversary of M/M (Paris), this is the definitive monograph of one of the most emblematic and influential design practices and art partnerships of the twenty-first century. The publication features their collaborations with the finest, from a spectrum of fashion, music and art including Balenciaga, Yohji Yamamoto, Björk, Kanye West, Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern and the Guggenheim Museum.

Tate Modern London Opens The Tanks by architects Herzog & de Meuron

Tate Modern London this week unveil their newest space, The Tanks. Previously an unused, dark, industrial space, the galleries director Chris Dercon describes “following decades of inactivity, and an extensive period of redevelopment, the cavernous underground oil tanks of the former power station are transformed and returned to daily use.” The project was overseen by architects Herzog & de Meuron, and in a similar vein to the tunnel spaces around Waterloo, performances will be an up close experience for the audience. Expect a full programme of Dance, film, exhibitions and talks in this impressive new space.

LV's Kusamarama

Since taking the helm at Louis Vuitton in 1997, the enigmatic and masterful Marc Jacobs has revitalized the revered label with artistic collaborations with the likes of Richard Prince, Takashia Murakami, and Stephen Sprouse. Each has been a stunning success, spawning reissues (due to overwhelming demand) as well as a sea of counterfeits. If history is prone to repeat itself, LV’s latest foray will prove so timely and mind-blowing that even the most discerning of fashion-minded art lovers will be left seeing spots.

“I am a big fan of Yayoi Kusama’s work,” Jacobs says of the Japanese artist, whose first retrospective travels from the Tate Modern in London to the Whitney in New York this week. “She took great pleasure in showing me a Louis Vuitton Speedy bag that she had hand-painted herself,” he says, recalling their first meeting at her studio in Tokyo in 2006.

Kusama often customizes her personal wardrobe to blend with her large-scale colorful paintings, and it is likely that fateful Speedy was no exception. The spirit behind her signature dress code is now being refracted through the LV lens—the manifestation of which hits stores in conjunction with the Whitney show and includes teeny polka-dot bikinis, cotton and clear plastic trench coats, bags shaped like her pumpkin sculptures, charms, and miniaudières that reflect the signature design aesthetic of the entire Kusama oeuvre.

An artist who considers herself a “dot lost among other dots,” Kusama says “emotion created by this collaboration will expand my polka dots everywhere.” Meaning? “Love forever.” The inescapable theme of infinity floods her work and finds its psychedelic way into the heart of even the most jaded of mainstream critics. Infinite and indispensible. Wear without end.

An Exploration of British Art with Vivienne Westwood VIDEO

Fashion luminary Vivienne Westwood leads viewers on a tour of Tate Britan – a home to some of the most notable pieces of artwork on the planet. Focusing on homegrown talents, the designer lovingly describes her affinity for James Abbot McNeil Whistler’s Nocturne in Blue in Silver and Frank Auerbach’s Oxford Street Building Site I. It’s clear that London’s culture has had an impact on Westwood that completely changed her life.

Banksy improves Damien Hirst’s LSD.

Damien Hirst Tate Modern Retrospective

Damin Hirst’s huge body of work opens to the public today at the Tate Modern in London. Hirst is famous for his controversial installations and sculptures, from a diamond encrusted human skull to his infamous pickled shark. These are all on display as part of the exhibit which promises to be a sensory experience.

Hirst takes art imitating life to the next level, with a room full of live butterflies and a giant ashtray full of used cigarettes from 1996 — not to mention ‘A Thousand Years’, which features a rotting cow’s head and accompanying maggots. Ah, the circle of life.

So, is Hirst an artist, or a con artist (as he is often dubbed by critics)? This exhibit has us leaning towards the former. You’ll be able to decide for yourself, though, as the exhibition will be on display for the next five months.

Gerhardt Richter - "Panorama" Retrospective

Gerhardt Richter, one of the world's finest living painters gets a review of his new retrospective show in Berlin. Titled "Panorama," the show is a comprehensive look at the artist's work of the last 50 years and has lengthy lines of fans waiting in freezing temperatures for a glimpse at his famous canvases. But it's not just a case of a well-known artist getting his due, it's also a curious study of how fervent an artist's following can become in the face of a body of work that sees enormous sums paid for it (one painting fetched 20.8 million dollars last November at a Sotheby's auction).

When asked how he feel's about all the hubbub surrounding his work and the public reaction to it, he does admit that it's all a bit "absurd". But the staggering talent simply can't be denied. There is a startling degree of realistic perfection in his work (from a distance, some might resemble actual photographs) while still utilizing a heavy dose of abstraction and modernism. The total effect is one that is can only be described as "Gerhardt Richter."

The Tate Guide to Modern Art Terms

Need a quick primer on basic art terms? No worries, the Tate has your back. The famed English art institution has released a hand iPhone app that defines over 300 important modern art terms, artists, and movements. A must have app.