Jessica Voorsanger worked with young people from the Louis Vuitton Summer Academy to produce a new series of photographs featuring: Clive Rowe (Tracey Beaker, BBC), Julian Rhind-Tutt (Green Wing) & Amanda Root (Persuasion, BBC). The photographs are a continuation of Voorsanger’s Impostor’s Series. The aspect of impostorism was emphasised with its ‘wrongness’ through gender cross-overs and/or race cross-overs. Clive Rowe, Julian Rhind-Tutt & Amanda Root posed as the artists: Yayoi Kasuma, Sofanisba Anguissola, Louise Bourgeois, Andy Warhol, Thomas Gainsborough & Pablo Picasso. The photos were shown at Louis Vuitton, 17-20 New Bond Street, London W1 (Dec 2010 – Jan 2011).
Image details:
Julian Rhind-Tutt as Yayoi Kusama
Amanda Root as Thomas Gainsborough
Julian Rhind-Tutt as Louise Bourgeois
Clive Rowe as Pablo Picasso
Clive Rowe as Pablo Picasso (detail)
Julian Rhind-Tutt as Sofonisba Anguissola
Amanda Root as Andy Warhol
Peckham Heroes celebrates Peckham’s historical and famous residents in a lively and innovative new artwork where the gallery is transformed into a warm, relaxed and sociable space that encourages active participation.
Jessica Voorsanger transformed Peckham Space into a drop in day-time karaoke bar dedicated to ten personalities that have a connection with Peckham. These heroes range from Rio Ferdinand to John Galliano and have been chosen by local young people from the Harris Academy who have worked with Voorsanger on the project.
Visitors were able to dress up in one of the bespoke costumes and wigs made by the artist and perform their hero’s theme song on a specially constructed stage. A video work featuring the artist and a range of other performers will be projected when live performances are not taking place.
The Peckham Heroes are: Ashley Walters (actor & musician: So Solid Crew, Adulthood); Boris Karloff (actor, Frankenstein); Jo Brand (Comedian); Chris Eubank (boxer); Mary Phillip (International footballer); Michael Caine (actor: Alfie, The Italian Job); Rio Ferdinand (International footballer); Olivia Coleman (actress: Peep Show, Rev); Thomas Tilling (inventor of the bus stop as part of his major horse-bus service which commenced in Peckham.
The Woody Allen Show was an exhibition in Berlin, as part of the Impostors Series . Jessica Voorsanger created portraits of Woody Allen (oil paintings) spanning his life and career. There was a video playing of Jessica performing Woody Allen’s stand-up routines, dressed as Woody Allen from either 1964, 1979 or 2006. The three costumes, the accessories and the monologues were available for visitors to try on and/or perform themselves.
Stage Struck was an installation at the New Art Gallery Walsall in 2008, which later became the first in the Impostors Series . The intention of the installation was to mimic a karaoke lounge. It featured 14 celebrities, their portraits (oil on canvas), costumes/wigs of them for the visitors to wear to perform the karaoke and a film of participants performing. The piece questioned the nature of celebrity and reality TV’s role in the disintegration of genuine celebrities. These ‘new’ celebrities are interchangeable. By selecting people that were/are talented, to feature in the exhibition, and allowing the visitors to mix and match by dressing as one singer and performing as another, it then becomes a metaphor for things going slightly ‘wrong’.
Eastenders is a project from the Impostors Series . The project consisted of an installation at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, The first Children’s Gallery Commission. The project was highlighting notable people from the East End of London in the form of a fake television studio. There were portraits (oil on canvas) of the ten featured Eastenders; Alfred Hitchcock (Leytonstone), Angela Lansbury (Poplar), David Beckham (Leytonstone), Sir Alan Sugar (Hackney), Meera Syal (Leytonstone/Ilford), Barbara Windsor (Shoreditch), Dudley Moore (Dagenham), Sandy Shaw (Dagenham), Honor Blackman (Plaistow) & The Kray Twins (Bethnal Green). The fake studio had a make-up area, costume, Green Room and stage. It was set up for the visitors to dress up as the Eastenders and perform on the stage in a continuously running karaoke. There was a song attributed to each of the Eastenders, ie. The Talking Heads ‘Psycho Killer’ was attributed to Alfred Hitchcock. Once on stage, the performer(s) were visible in the many monitors located around the installation.
The Impostors Series has taken several different forms. It’s main characteristic is in the ‘impostorship’ of someone well known. In the installation works, the viewer is invited to dress-up as the celebrity/television character or artist and perform as them. In some cases there are portraits of the ‘icons’ as well as costumes & wigs, often accompanied by karaoke. In the performance based pieces, Jessica Voorsanger becomes the ‘icon’ but always remains herself, ie. David Hockney with an American accent.
Crimefighters Crimefighters is project from the Impostors Series . The project consisted of an installation at the Kornhausen Gallery in Aschaffenburg Germany. The project celebrated the ‘TV Detective’. There were portraits (oil on canvas) of the featured TV detectives; Baretta, The Bionic Woman, Cagney & Lacey, Charlie’s Angels, CHiPS, Columbo, Hart to Hart, Horst Tappart, Knightrider, Kojak, Man from U.N.C.L.E., Miss Marple, The Bionic Man, Starsky & Hutch and The Sweeny. Other than the portraits, the installation consisted of wigs and accessories for each of the detectives featured which the visitors to the exhibition were invited to wear. The theme songs for the shows were also played, with a live band performing for the opening event.
Jessica Voorsanger has turned part of the Substation into a TV stage-set reminiscent of the strange and often hostile planets visited by the Enterprise’s crew in the original series of Gene Roddenberry’s much-loved Star Trek (Original Series, also known as TOS). Visitors are invited to dress in detailed replica costumes of the famous Star Trek uniforms and act-out scenes which will be instantly recorded via a replica 1960’s TV studio camera and played back via monitors situated in the space. Scripts, props, costumes & make-up were provided.
Art Car Boot Fair at Brick Lane Sunday 9th June 2013
The original and the best – when all the top artists make special works for the day and sell them at
genuinely unbelievable prices – directly from their car boots! Something for everyone with artworks from
£5 – £500 and fabulous food & entertainment to boot – it’s a mini festival in its own idiosyncratic orbit!
We’ll be pushing the boot out for the maddest, most eye-poppingly fabulous Art Car Booter to date as we celebrate
ten years of fun, frivolity and astonishing art bargains! Over 70 pitches including Gavin Turk, Sir Peter Blake,
Tracey Emin International, Marcus Harvey, Nigel Cooke, Polly Morgan, Mat Collishaw, Billy Childish, Pure Evil,
David David, Bethnal Greeen Working Men’s Club, The Idler, Marty Thornton, Pretty Taxing, Pam Hogg, Kristjana J
Williams, Louis Eliot & The Embers, St John Bread & Wine, Nudeespresso and The Colony Room Pop-up Cocktail bar.
Plus! Introducing Shoreditch scenesters Herrick Gallery, Tracey Neul Shoes, Leila’s Shop and her amazing artisans and the fabulous Museum of Everything.
Exclusive print from Sir Peter Blake celebrating 110 years of Vauxhall Motors!
Plus! The Groucho Club’s Bernie Katz, in association with AITPE (Almost In The Public Eye) making a rare foray east (and in daylight hours too!) to add
some pizazz and celebrity pals to the Born Hectic tent of fun, games and amazing prizes in aid of award-winning charity Just for Kids Law.
Pop in to the pop-up hair and grooming gazebo with the fabulous Johnnie Sapong, play Celebrity Bingo, dance in a reprise of last years’ hugely popular
Handbag Disco to win fab bags from the likes of Jimmy Choo, Anya Hindmarch and Alice Temperley.
Plus! New for 2013 – Pass the Art Parcel! In between the layers of each exquisitely wrapped parcel will be a chance to win a piece of fantastic art by each artist
in the car park with super special works in the middle! NOT TO BE MISSED!
We’ll fill your eyes with delight and your hearts with joy!
Doors open 12 midday, pre-selling entry from 11am to an orderly queue.
Only £5 in for hours of fun plus exclusive back of the boot bargains guaranteed…you’d be hard pushed to beat it and mad to miss it!
LIMITED EDITIONS AND UNLIMITED FUN!
