Immersive Art Illusionaires✨
We popped along to an exhibition in London’s Canary Wharf recently and we're quite blown away with light, colour and sound. We had previously done another immersive art experience called Delight at around a similar time of year in 2023 which can be caught at the post 'Ambient Light & Bright New Year' at the link.
Illusionaires In Docklands
The exhibition is a showcase for Alex and Allyson Grey’s artwork called ‘Illusionaires’. It was a coldish November day and another grey and dull style one that had been the gig in London over a few weeks (typical! I take some time off and the weather is duller than dishwater🙁). We headed from Stratford on the Jubilee Line the four stops to Canary Wharf and believe me when you get out from the station it is quite remarkably easy to get lost in the concrete corporate jungle (where every building seems to look the same) and headed through a small island of tranquility which is Jubilee Park.
We eventually found the right route and headed up to Crossrail Place and headed up to the peace and sanctuary of the lovely roof garden and to the exhibition.
The actual exhibition is not huge and uses about 6 different rooms in which the most amazing graphics and computer generated images come alive and swallow you up in a swirling world of colour, light, sound and mirrors (which all makes it a little bit of a mind*** in a darkened room at times🤪). The graphics rolling upwards and sideways and the reflection in mirrored floors makes it feel like you are being swallowed into a world of flying images.
The artwork I guess could be described as ‘trippy’ and ‘psychedelic’ and the music pretty ambient. The effect was fantastic, you kind of needed to spend at least 20 minutes in each of the rooms to catch all the effects. A plate of magic mushrooms 🍄 for dinner before watching would certainly not be required as the images were quite trippy enough on their own.
The first few rooms sucked you into different artistic aspects and then a small adjoining room introduces you to the two artists and how they assemble the artwork they put together along with some of the pieces you can see in the previous rooms. The last room opened into darkness with pebbles underfoot and what looked like large pebbles/stones which had been worn smooth by the sea (they were in fact comfortable cushions so you could sit back and enjoy the fusion of colours and images).
Unfortunately due to copyright I am unable to show the images of their work on this site, but you can catch both artists work on the website for the event above and on the links to each of the artists in the 'Thanks' section below. I would say although it wasn't free, it definitely seemed worth the money I guess it would depend on your taste in art though, gets the big 👍 from Mrs Akin and I. Anyway to accompany this post cue the sounds....
Flying With The Telescopes
There could have been any number of psychedelic numbers I could have included in here ranging from the bands in the '70's and further back to the Psychedelic Sixties with Pink Floyd, but I decided to keep it 'Indie' and go with a band that were signed to the Independent Creation Records Label. The Telescopes started out in 1987 on 'Cheree Records' releasing a split flexi disc single in 1988 with Rock Band Loop and then on to 'Fierce Recordings' eventually being snapped up by Alan McGee and released their eponymous L.P. in 1992 and kind of labelled under the genres of either Shoegaze/Psychedelic/Indie Rock (take your pick!). The track from the album below is called 'Flying' which you can catch at the link gives you an idea of their sound and slightly psychedelic video!
They Were
- Stephen Lawrie - Acoustic Guitar/Vocals
- Robert Brooks - Bass Guitar
- David Fitzgerald - Lead Guitar
- Joanna Doran - Rhythm Guitar/Vocals
- Dominic Dillon - Drums/Precussion
- Guy Fixsen - Piano
They released their fourteenth album called 'Experimental Health' in 2023 on the Australian Indie Label called 'Weisskalt Records'.
Aww to hell with it here you go with something from way back when featuring one of my heroes, the late and great Lemmy alongside Hawkwind and the delightful Stacia all shaking their Chakras about to a slice of Space Rock and the legendary track Silver Machine...
🖌🎨🖌🎨🖌🎨🖌🎨
Video Thanks
Photos Thanks
Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash
Photo by Discogs.com