Andy Warhol, Daisy, circa 1982. Evening & Day Editions London.
Thomas Ruff
Thomas Ruff, Substrates, 2003. Evening & Day Editions London.
Rebecca Tooby-Desmond, Specialist, Head of Sale
It’s an acid house summer trip with Thomas Ruff’s psychedelic, cameraless photographs. The seething, burbling squelch of a 303 bass synthesizer throbs through the surface of his anime abstractions, blending into a hallucinogenic, oilslick haze. Gypsy Woman is playing again on speakers in the park in a wave of nineties lime-washed nostalgia, proving Amnesia really is just a club in Ibiza. Photography is not reality. Neither is music – just ask Voodoo Ray. Ruff creates a foil-crinkle, aurora borealis of hypnotic liquid sound: gulp it down and reach a higher state of consciousness. I’ll see you at the foam party!
Bridget Riley
Bridget Riley, Untitled (Oval Image), 1964. Evening & Day Editions London.
Robert Kennan, Head of Editions, Europe
In 1964 the Sun finally came out. Not the big, yellow, hot thing, that we’re all hoping to see sometime soon, but the populist British "red top" newspaper with a reputation for pouring scorn on contemporary art. Had they reported on Riley’s Untitled (Oval Image) made in the same year, they might have dismissed it with a headline: “Pass me the Panadol!.” They’d have been missing the point of course; Riley’s intention wasn’t to cause headaches, but to delight and mesmerise the senses. However, such is and was the power of her early monochrome images, it’s no surprise the gallery attendants in the rooms showing Riley’s paintings at MoMA’s The Responsive Eye show in 1965 demanded to wear sunglasses! Phew! What a scorcher.
David Hockney
David Hockney, Lithographic Water Made of Lines, 1978. Evening & Day Editions London.
Anne Schneider-Wilson, Senior International Specialist
Pack your summer capsule wardrobe, it is hot, hot, hot!
Lithographic Water Made of Lines looks like it was drawn on a particularly hot, slightly overcast summer’s day – the perfect time to be in a tranquil private garden. There are no jarring beach sounds, shrieking children, or annoying sand. Instead, the sun has just gone behind the clouds, the water ripples softly and teases us to jump in!
Nicolas Party
Nicolas Party, Sunset, 2021. Evening & Day Editions London.
Georgie Byworth-Morgan, Associate Researcher
The sun sinks low over the tranquil lake, casting its final, luminous rays across the glass-like surface. The silhouetted hills reflect in the ripples, while the sky blazes with the day's lingering warmth. For me, Sunset captures the serene end to a perfect summer’s day, perhaps as a midsummer (Nicolas P)arty comes to a close, with echoes of laughter and music in the air. The type of calming respite only brought about by being surrounded in nature is evoked through the grains of the woodcut inks. As stars begin to twinkle and the smoky scent of the evening’s bonfire fills the air, the water entices you to dive in, promising a cool moment of joy to reminisce on during the dark, rainy winter months to come. With Sunset on your wall, however, this moment of tranquillity doesn’t have to come and go as quickly as the summer sun.
Claes Oldenburg
Claes Oldenburg, Profiterole, 1989. Evening & Day Editions London.
Julia Paeslack, Cataloguer
Well Pop, lock ‘n’ dollop – look at this regular sized Oldenburg! Did someone say croquembouche? It’s the connoisseur’s ice cream sandwich, a delectable summer snack, choco-block with humor, tactility and good vibes. The only croquet I’ll be playing this summer is of the bouche variety, and Mr. Oldenburg makes this bouche very amuse-ing! With a flourish of playfulness and perfection, Oldenburg is the chef de cuisine of conjuring all the senses in this scrumptious, beautifully hand-painted ode to summertime gluttony. As a gesture toward the democratisation of art, the choux definitely fits. Quoth the artist: "Let them eat cake!" Vive l'édition!
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol, Daisy, circa 1982. Evening & Day Editions London.
Louisa Earl, Associate Specialist
“He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me…”
Stop! Save those petals, and enjoy the sunshine.
Lie in the grass, get the shades on, and smell the roses. I mean, daisies.
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso, Sujet poule (Hen Subject), 1954. Pablo Picasso: Paper and Clay.
Christian Rosolino, Editions Adminstrator
Sample a delectable feast of gastronomical delights this summer with the ultimate Picasso-inspired poultry tasting menu and wine pairing. This dining experience is strongly recommended to be enjoyed al fresco, and the wines are best served in Pablo Picasso’s 1954 Sujet poule, given the work’s thematic ties to the menu’s gallinaceous ingredients:
- Chicken Supreme Vol-Au-Vent Amuse Bouche, paired with a light, sparking Champagne
- Inspired by Picasso’s years as a revered celebrity in France
- Chicken Liver Parfait, paired with a rich, medium-bodied Burgundy Pinot Noir
- Inspired by Picasso’s many years in Paris, the epicentre of France’s decadent culinary history
- Chicken, Rabbit, and Snail Paella, paired with a full-bodied, red Tempranillo
- Inspired by Picasso’s early years in Spain
- Chicken Provençal, paired with a dry Mourvèdre rosé, ideally from the valleys of Provence
- Inspired by Picasso’s ceramic-making years in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur town of Vallauris
- Egg Crema Catalana, paired with a sweet, yet crisp Sherry
- Inspired by Picasso’s years at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona and his birthplace in Andalusia
Pablo Picasso
After Pablo Picasso, La ronde de la jeunesse (The Round of Youth), 1961. Pablo Picasso: Paper and Clay.
Hebe Reynolds, Editions Intern
Ring-a-ring-a-roses,
A pocket full of posies...
Is it Glastonbury or Leeds this year?
Why not both! Is Pablo coming?
I thought he said he was.
He’s probably with someone new –
and younger! Not again…
Why are we dancing around a bird?
It looks like a pigeon.
Hey! Stop grabbing my arm –
A pigeon?! I thought it was a dove!
You’re stepping on my toe!
Ring-a-ring-a-roses…
Recommended Reading
La Joie de Vivre: How Picasso Embraced the Unpredictability of Ceramics >