Get Involved blog

Renowned photographer, friend, and fellow Shing-A-Ling DJ, Dean Chalkley’s current exhibition, The New Faces, is running until 29 April at The Book Club on Leonard Street in London…

The New Faces is a collection of images Chalkley took late last year of a group of young Mods who he first encountered at his monthly DJ night, Shake!, at The Boogaloo pub in Highgate. Intrigued by their sharp dressing and enviable dancing skills, Chalkley suggested he immortalise their look and attitude on celluloid and invited them to come to a studio shoot. “These guys are the antithesis of the all too common don’t-give-a-fuck attitude of some young adults,” explains Chalkley. “They’re bright young folk who take a real pride in how they present themselves and they’re really into their music - mainly late 50s and early 60s rhythm and blues. They’re actually from varied backgrounds and different parts of the country – but their shared passion for music, dancing and looking sharp brings them together. And you should see them dance!”

To see a super selection of images from the show - check out the preview I posted on Creative Review’s blog yesterday by clicking here.

The New Faces runs until 29 April at The Book Club, 100 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4RH

See more of Dean Chalkley’s work at deanchalkley.com

The Get Involved Poster Show opened last night to much whooping (by me) and much quaffing of beer at East London’s ace gallery and shop, Concrete Hermit.

For the show, all the posters created for Get Involved during its three year tenure at central London venue The Social have been reprinted on lovely paper using a posh ink jet (Giclée) printer and framed in white wooden frames. These prints, each in a strict edition of 10, are available to buy for £20 (unframed) or £35 framed. There are also archival ink jet prints of a selection of shots taken at Get Involved by top rock’n'roll photographer Dean Chalkley on show as well as badges to grab and stickers to steal. PLUS limited edition A2 Get Involved prints are available to buy for just £45 by James Joyce and also by Crispin Finn - who designed some bespoke Get Involved wallpaper specially for the event too. NICE! Here are some photos of last night’s launch party taken by Concrete Hermit head honcho, Chris.

and some shots taken by me on m’iPhone:

Contributing artists: Accept & Proceed / Ali Graham / Anthony Burrill / AustinFromNEW / Build / Crispin Finn / Dan Huglife / Dave Oscroft / Dave the Chimp / Design Friendship / Eskimopush / Ian Stevenson / Intercity / James Joyce / Jeremyille / John Slade / Jon Burgerman / Kate Moross / Kavel Rafferty / Kerry Roper / Laura Southcott / Lazy Oaf / Lucy Vigrass / Matthew Hodson / Nat Shah & Rob Jones / Nils Leonard / Paul Pensom / Peskimo / Richard Hogg / Roo Walton / Rose Stallard / Sam Muir/ TwoPoints.Net

Much thanks to all those that came down to the opening, and special thanks goes to Chris at Concrete Hermit, Dean Chalkley, Richard Hogg and Crispin Finn – whose help and encouragement was and is hugely appreciated; and to Roy Richards (who framed the entire show) – and also to Gareth Bayliss who installed the wallpaper and made up the Get Involved stickers that proved so popular.

The exhibition runs until 31 July at Concrete Hermit, 5a Club Row (between Redchurch Street and Bethnal Green Road), London E1 6JX. Go check it out / buy some nice affordable prints!

Magic Roundabout by David Henckel, 2005

Late notice I know, but my esteemed colleague and learned friend, David Henckel, is exhibiting some new work (two paintings and a limited edition screenprint) at a group show at The Brick Lane Gallery – it opens tonight amid a sea of folk swigging free beer. Good times!

If you know me, chances are you know Dave. He’s one of my best chums in the whole world, he’s DJed at the night I used to run in Brick Lane, It’s Bigger Than, and it was Dave that created the AWESOME PARTY MONSTER bootleg of Daft Punk’s Da Funk spliced with The Beastie Boys Intergalactic that appeared on the 12” record that we put out a few years ago (Record of The Week in Phonica at the time). In short, the guys’s a legend! Those of you that have been to my gaff, will be familiar with Dave’s artwork as there are various canvases of his in the flat including this beauty:

Invasion by David Henckel, 2005

Private view is tonight between 6.30 and 8.30 - if you’re in the area, pop in for a delicious free beer!

The Brick Lane Gallery
196 Brick Lane (just south of the bagel shops!)
London | E1 6SA

See more of David Henckel’s work here: davidhenckel.com

Whether from rapacious property developers or the internet, the independent record shops of London’s Soho are under threat. Barely a month goes by without another one disappearing. Designer Ali Augur and photographer Spencer Murphy decided to document these musical treasure troves and their owners before they become a distant memory. Their exhibition, Independent: A Celebration of Soho’s Independent Record Shops runs from 16 – 24 May at 63 Broadwick Street, London W1. To see more images and find out more about the project check the piece (from which the above is extracted) featured on the Creative Review blog.

Mancunian design trio Central Station were responsible for creating some of the boldest and most memorable record sleeves of the 80s and 90s. Just as The Happy Mondays’ attitude and stage presence (not to mention the opening of The Haçienda, and the arrival of acid house and Ecstacy) heralded the arrival of a new chapter in Britain’s musical history, so Central Station’s legacy of colourful and energetic record sleeve designs for various Factory Records acts documents a simultaneous shift in graphic approach to music packaging. After studying design, the studio basically stuck two fingers up at Swiss minimalism and formal typography in favour of finding their own unique voice – one that was relevant to – and inspired by – the music…

A new exhibition of their work, entitled Faç Off, opens this Friday at Richard Goodall Gallery in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. It will showcase much of the trio’s now iconic work for the likes of Happy Mondays, James and Black Grape – as well as a selection of non-commercially produced paintings and prints.

Faç Off is not only the title of Central Station’s forthcoming exhibition – it is a graphic they conjured up for a promotional T-shirt for Factory back in 1990. “I remember Tony[Wilson]’s reaction when he asked what we’d come up with,” says Central Station’s Karen Jackson. “We showed him, he looked at it and said, ‘Fac off. Brilliant!’”

To see more images and read a full profile on the studio, check out the piece in the May issue of Creative Review magazine or read it online on the Creative Review blog.

Faç Off runs from 16 May to 21 June at Richard Goodall Gallery, Manchester. Limited edition screenprints will be available from richardgoodallgallery.com