Cool Hunting

Saskia Olde Wolbers
by Laurice Parkin The video art of Saskia Olde Wolbers is transfixing to watch not only for the dreamlike fluidity accompanied by surreal narrative, but also to see the intensely complex handmade models that the artists films. These miniature sets combine both the architectural space and uniquely constructed parts to bring the artist's imaginative landscape to life. Unpopulated and desolate, the worlds are beautiful, strange...

Ryan McGinley: I Know Where the Summer Goes
Since bursting onto the scene eight years ago as one of the hottest young photographers in town, Ryan McGinley continues to produce enduring images that focus on the energy and enthusiasm of youth. In his latest show entitled "I Know Where the Summer Goes" (a title taken from an early B-side by Belle and Sebastian), McGinley continues to move from his original casual snapshot-style...

Clay Ketter: Gulf Coast Slabs
A show of new work by the American artist Clay Ketter opened in London this week at Bartha Contemporary. Ketter, who has lived in Sweden for over 20 years, is renowned for creating art works through the investigation of construction techniques. His work on the surface has a beautifully minimalist aesthetic, but the real interest lies beneath the layers in a "truth to materials"...

China Design Now
A look at the creative energy in modern China, China Design Now chronicles the recent cultural rebirth brought on by a combination of global influences and the rediscovery of China's pre-Socialist traditions. Opening 15 March 2008 at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the exhibit explores three cities beginning with Shenzhen, where graphic designers have been experimenting with new concepts since the 1990s....

Darren Almond: Fire Under Snow
Time is of great importance to the British artist Darren Almond and the perception of its passing features in all his work—whether it be film, installation or photography. From an external perspective the time is certainly now for Almond who has started the year with concurrent shows in two very prestigious London galleries; undoubtedly this is not a happy coincidence, but perfect planned synchronicity....

Barnaby Barford: Private Lives
On 11 March 2008, the irreverent ceramic artist Barnaby Barford will be exhibiting a new series of subversive objects at David Gill Galleries in London. The latest collection, "Private Lives," shows Barford treading into uncharted territory, repositioning figures from pop culture and cartoons for his witty mises-en-scènes. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in 2002, Barford has been working with found ceramics...