Tank, The Ladywell Tavern, 80 Ladywell Rd, SE13 7HS. info@tanklondon.co.uk www.tanklondon.co.uk
His stunning paintings, delicate and obsessively intricate, record the beauty of these forgotten spaces. In contrast, his bold installation works, inspired by the man made interventions that proliferate the roads and border lands, they incorporate the practical and clean aesthetics of the graphic designer. As with the threads of tarmac that cross the nation, where the wild edge of nature meet the garish formality and regulation of modern existence, Chell's works co-exist together in comfortable opposition.
All Edward Chell's creations are rendered with meticulous attention to detail, fine craftsmanship and conceptual vigour.
I am very much looking forward to this show and couldn't think of a better artist to conclude our residence at Tank.
More info on the Tank website.
I had the idea to hang a continuous piece of white fabric throughout Tank to create a sail like installation. This was mostly inspired by sailing with my father when I was thirteen years old. He worked on tall ships for a company called Vision Quest in the US. They took groups of delinquent kids from juvenile hall on wagon trails across the Nevada dessert or sailing two masted schooners around the East coast.
The New Way was not in official service for most of the year we spent living in Pensacola, Florida. I think it was waiting for some kind of repair or service before they could continue questing. In the mean time we got to sail on short charter trips around Pensacola Bay. We then took a trip 200 miles East along the Gulf Coast to to Apalachicola on her sister ship the Bill of Rights. Wow what a trip. Crazy storms! I kept trying to get on deck and help ( I felt totally sick downstairs and loved being on deck) My dad had to lock me down to keep me safe! The following summer we sailed the Bill of Rights all the way around Florida from Pensacola to Georgia with many an adventure along the way.
I loved working on the boat. Climbing out onto t
he rigging and furling the sails while the boat was speeding through the waves. I helped pull up the anchor determined to use every inch of power and gravity to help me pull my lever just as fast as the guy on the opposite one, despite my fairly slight frame. Coz I can do anything just as good as a grown guy..right!? My dad was proud and called me his “little sweat princess” Yeah, thanks dad! Yuck!
The sails are ever changing. Big and billowing, being reigned in, one up one down, furled, unraveled, swinging the boom over, forever permutating to catch the best wind.
When I arrived in the gallery to make Sail, I had an idea about what I wanted but actually it evolved much better than I expected. Taking on the characteristics of real sails while bonding with the building itself in a way I did not expect. I find myself lingering on the top floor of tank longer and longer, soaking in the light and the breeze.
Aliceson Carter's video works form the perfect collaboration. Charing Cross shows a memorizing sky - most of what you can see while at sea. And Rain with flows abstractly on a horizontally like the water alongside a boat.
I feel like tank has set sail with me in it! Humm...where shall I go?
Aoife
PS: I found the Bill of Right and what was the New Way:
http://schoonerwesternunion.blogspot.com/
http://schoonerbillofrights.blogspot.com/
The plan so far is to strip out and bin the crap, rescue some of the tat (I have my eye on a very old and stunningly beautiful type writer) and build some sculpture. I’m getting ahead of myself really. We have our work cut out. Walls need to be scrubbed, floors washed, and partition walls built. This done we hope to have a great space, and here’s the genius twist, that we won’t be turning into actual gallery space.
Wh
at we hope to achieve is a place where people can come to talk, have a latte, bring friends and get really involved in the ethos and philosophy of TANK. We want people to come up with mad ideas and great concepts 
for shows which we can help bring to life.
The new space will become a place where people can come to sell their work, buy the work of our represented artist and become involved in a Patronage scheme which Aoife and I believe will change the way people purchase work and support the artists represented at TANK. We believe that by building a network of artists and collectors we can really make an impact for artists in the South East and hope that you will want to be a part of this process. So, if you fancy lending a hand painting a wall, or even putting one up, get in touch (there might even be a cold beer in it for you).
There will be more information about our expansion on the website soon and we will be looking for illustrators and artists to produce prints for sale in the near future so watch this spot and I’ll keep you up to date.
Hope you’re all well.
George,xx
The night in question was Emma’s closing party. As we made merry amist the billowing smoke and otherworldly-music, sipping on Vodka and Lyche cocktails (easiest thing in the world to make – Glass, Ice, Vodka of choice and Rubicon Lyche juice to taste. Stir, shake, what-evz – Banging!) it occurred to us that we should bring blankets into the grotto and spend the night. More fun that getting the bus home and besides why would you sleep in a bed when you can sleep on a hard wood floor?
I’ll tell you something though – making rubber Catsuits with what I now refer to as “The Lyche-Over” is a savage way to spend a morning after.
Kisses.xx
George
Our new Exhibition has just opened. Rather than being a direct collaboration between our two artists Stephen Lee and Maria Chevska the gallery has become a space where their work is seen in conversation. We held the Private view for the show “Eye of the blackbird” on Thursday 10th February. I was really excited (I love a good private view). I suddenly, however, became filled with fear when Maria asked me to read a poem... You know that dream when you’re stood in front of a group of people reading a poem and it all goes horribly wrong and you run off crying and wake up in a cold sweat? It’s much worse when it’s real. So much worse. First time I read poetry (from memory) I was 10 and I froze half way through “All the World’s a Stage”. You know the one, good old Bill Spears, As You Like It, if my memory serves. Absolute nightmare, shamed myself and everything.
Second time, Sixth Form, I was playing Uncle Ben in Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” (So depressing I can’t even tell you). Right before I walked on stage my mate shoved a bottle of Amyl-nitrate (poppers before they were shit) in my face and I just fell on stage, stood up and blanked. We tried to pick it up but one shouldn’t say the F word on stage, should one?
A few glasses of wine on and with the lovely 
Becca reading alternate stanzas of Wallace Stevens poem “Eye of the Blackbird” we were set to go. A crowd had assembled in the upstairs gallery area and we went for it. It is a truly wonderful poem and I think we read it really rather well. Un shamed at last and thinking about running at Monthly Poetry Slam as a result. If any of you are interested in getting involved all you have to do is get in touch!
Kisses.
George xx
So, Reel Film, Tank's first film club kicked of last night with a very special first viewing. We had to draw back elements of the current installation, A Trail of Tales by Emma Winter, like a curtain, to make room for watching the screen. The pictures are very dark but you can get an idea of how cozy it was sitting amongst the art on chairs and on the floor. After settling in with drinks and bowls of chips from the bar, we watched three films by local film makers and artists.
Our current exhibition was featured in Le Cool this week which is great.but it was also probably the most complex, layered, intricate detailed and fully handmade work we have had at Tank! But being the kind of curator who loves the artist to go all out for whatever they dream up I agreed to help her realize her concept.
