Mitchy Becomes a Birmingham Bwoy

Mitchy Bwoy, the man behind the brand of dance duo Chase & Status, will soon be exhibiting a selection of new and old work, following on from the hugely successful Swifty Pop Shop, which opened in December 2009.

Working from his own London studio over the last 10 years, Mitchy has carved his own niche not only in music cover design but also in illustration, fashion, and more recently, video production. He has worked with artists including Chase & Status, Amp Fiddler, Bugz in the Attic, Nitin Sawhney, Ziggy Marley, and Howie B, amongst others.

His reputation has also led to his inclusion in numerous art shows, such as; the Art Basel / Miami (alongside Doze Green, Swoon, Rostar), Candela Festival / Puerto Rico (with Swifty, Mode 2 and HVW8) and Loud Graphix / Berlin (with Parra, Delta, Mode 2, Swifty and Machine).

Punch Records has secured a major scoop bringing Mitchy Bwoy to the city and showcasing his famous work. From album covers and illustrations, to famous fonts and fashion designs, fans will be able to see and purchase a range of prints, one-offs and originals.

Synonymous with new music and club culture, London-based Mitchy Bwoy has worked with some of the best names in the industry.. From his studio, the ‘post-graff' artist has designed album covers and branding for the likes of Chase & Status, Ziggy Marley, Nitin Sawhney and Amp Fiddler.

He has also made a name from himself in illustration, fashion and video production. As well as working on a number of special projects, including the Blak Twang/We Love You album project with Banksy, Bacardi brand development with Mode 2, and live art project 55 DSL.

"After the success of the Swifty shop we knew there was high demand for pioneering graffiti artists and designers to bring their work to the city. Mitchy is one of the best in the business, not only designing for some amazing artists but also creating fantastic visual representations of today's society and culture," said Ammo Talwar, Director of Punch Records. "We're really excited about bringing Mitchy to Birmingham and can't wait to see his work in the gallery. He'll only have a few originals, so die hard fans need to make sure they get down early."

The Mitchy Bwoy exhibition opens on 1st April and runs until the End of May at the Sauce Gallery, 5 The Custard Factory, Gibb Street, Digbeth. Info: www.punch-records.co.uk

Chips With Everything

Minivegas - Rotterdam Skull

Given that they operate fluidly across platforms - television, the Internet or viral radio- and use a variety of creative media ranging from traditional filmmaking to 3-D computer-generated animation (often combining techniques and approaches) it is hard to define exactly what these particular Dutch creative studios are.

"Chips With Everything" is an exhibition of works by three innovative Dutch collectives/studios working across the disciplines of digital design, animation, multimedia direction, art direction and art.

Are they traditional creative directors operating primarily in the commercial sphere? Or are they a new kind of artist? Not entirely within the traditional realm of visual arts, nor really completely outside of it either…

Baked Beans, Circus and Minivegas are three contemporary Dutch studios based in Amsterdam. Their work is seen internationally within the commercial sphere, for example on television or as part of brand campaigns, not only in the Netherlands but also in countries around the world where they have won commissions. But, as can be seen from some of the included works, they occasionally cross the floor, veering into the realms of media art and visual art, something that perhaps has a longer tradition within the Netherlands than in the UK.

Baked Beans & Minivegas - Bol.com

Drawing inspiration from the media-saturated world around them and making use of its techniques, the presented studios underscore a certain Dutch contemporary digital design tendency to make little distinction between the worlds of street culture and the aspirations of serious contemporary art, design or cinema. Skateboarding or the worlds of Japanese anime may mingle with multimedia design seriously informed by mid-twentieth century Dutch Modernism. Quite aside from a certain eclectic egalitarianism within their shared sensibilities, the other key aspect that the gathered works highlight is the very creative application of computing technology as a means to a highly aesthetic and creative end.

For example, in one exhibited interactive work originally produced by Minivegas specifically for a special project coinciding with Art Rotterdam, the leading contemporary art fair in the Netherlands, we see all of this encapsulated. A screen displays a floating image of a head, rendered stylistically to reference the particular graphic identity of Rotterdam Terror Corps, the music group synonymous with the distinctive Gabber dance music scene arising from that particular city.

Yet, when approached, the head is hardly a static thing. It morphs into something that locks in on the viewer and interacts with him or her, depending on individual body language and movement, thanks to sophisticated bespoke computer programming. An almost tongue-in-cheek jibe at the pretensions of the 'art world' -by siding with the vibrant underground culture of Rotterdam- it is a work that nonetheless leaves us with little doubt of its conscious referencing of everything from underground music culture and video games to Disney's iconic 'mirror, mirror' in 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves'.

Minivegas, like the other included studios, Baked Beans and Circus, eschew the notion of highly individualistic creatives in favour of existing as loosely formed collectives that can involve any number of relevant creative practitioners according the needs of a project.

"Chips With Everything" will transform the space in Fitzrovia into an appropriate milieu for the presentation of work by Baked Beans, Circus and Minivegas: neither too formal nor denying the formality of a presentation space and not without a certain humour which is only fitting, given the approach to content.

Chips With Everything, Baked Beans, Circus, Minivegas exhibition at NL opens on Sat 16 Jan - 13 Feb at The Dutch Cultural Pop-Up Space in London 40-42 Riding House Street, London W1W 7ET. Open: Thurs to Sat, 12noon- 6pm.

Please check back for updates.

Mon - Fri
FINE ART
With Sally A Turner of Blue Lizard Arts. Make your own canvas with artist in these fine art classes that explore the themes of her exhibition. Venue: Zion Arts Centre, 335 Stretford Road, Manchester M15 5ZA. 2-4pm. (11-16 yrs). Info: 0161 226 1912.

Mon - Fri
LAYLA GARNER
Fun art and craft activities to inspire and delight artistic, young minds. Learn mixed media and new craft techniques from artist Layla Garner. Venue: Zion Arts Centre, 335 Stretford Road, Manchester M15 5ZA. 10am-11.30am (up to 11 yrs). Info: 0161 226 1912.