Penguin Ouchy

by

In Penguin Ouchy, street photographer Johnny Peckham transforms the mundane aftermath of a medical procedure into a poignant meditation on vulnerability, resilience, and the unexpectedly playful intersections of adulthood and childhood. The photograph centers on a decorated plaster,a whimsical departure from the utilitarian tape typically used after a blood test,adorned with colorful penguins, cacti, and other cartoonish figures. It is a small act of levity in a moment of discomfort, an aesthetic rebellion against sterile uniformity.

The composition is strikingly intimate, zooming in on the curve of an arm where the plaster gently clings to the skin. The stark contrast between the soft, natural texture of the flesh and the artificial brightness of the cartoon imagery creates an evocative dialogue: one speaks to fragility and physicality, the other to humor, escapism, and the human capacity for optimism in the face of discomfort. The fabric of a dark sleeve edges into the frame, grounding the image in the everyday and emphasizing its unvarnished honesty.

Peckham’s choice to highlight the plaster,a typically overlooked, temporary object,is emblematic of his ability to find beauty in life’s overlooked details. The penguin, central to the title, becomes a symbolic figure: playful, slightly absurd, yet oddly comforting. Its cartoonish demeanor contrasts sharply with the implicit tension of the blood test, an invasive procedure tied to health and mortality. This tension infuses the work with subtle emotional weight, reminding viewers of the delicate balance between body and spirit, the clinical and the personal.

Ultimately, Penguin Ouchy is more than an image; it is a moment frozen in time, rich with layers of interpretation. It invites us to reflect on the small, often unnoticed ways we cope with vulnerability,through humor, design, and the quiet comforts of care. Johnny Peckham has once again captured the extraordinary within the ordinary, presenting a deeply human narrative through a deceptively simple frame.

Untitled (Lost Hope)

by

This abstract piece stands as an evocative exploration of form, colour, and spatial harmony, conjuring a dialogue that is as much about absence as it is about presence. Ptolemy skilfully manipulates an earthy palette of rusts, ochres, greens, and creams, invoking a visceral connection to the natural world. These hues are neither accidental nor arbitrary; instead, they appear deeply intentional, evoking the raw, untamed landscapes of memory or imagination.

The composition unfolds as a quasi-topographical map, suggesting terrain but eschewing specificity. The fluidity of the shapes,soft yet deliberate,creates a rhythmic interplay that oscillates between stability and motion. The sinuous orange contours bleed into softer creams and verdant greens, forming boundaries that feel at once organic and contrived. One cannot help but interpret these forms as symbolic, though their meanings remain tantalizingly out of reach. Are we observing the remnants of a distant memory, a fragmented cartography of an internal landscape, or the traces of ecological decay? The refusal of the piece to offer resolution is its ultimate strength.

Of particular note is the isolated green form,a singular moment of solidity within a sea of ambiguity. This small shape, so unassuming yet profoundly significant, serves as a focal point, a reminder of persistence amidst dissolution. It may signify growth, renewal, or merely the quiet endurance of being. The viewer is invited to meditate on its implications, lost in its magnetic simplicity.

The work thrives on its refusal to conform to expectations, forcing the audience to grapple with questions of meaning and perception. In its abstraction, it becomes both a universal canvas for interpretation and a deeply personal experience. This is a study in balance and tension, a profound testament to the power of abstraction to evoke emotion without narrative. It is both a challenge and a gift,a visual poem for the contemplative spirit.

Essie Plandell

Essie is the author of Ptolemy? Greatest abstract artist since Michelangelo? Available from all good book shops.

Art gallery to open at North Pole?

by

There are art galleries almost everywhere in the world, but there is one place where they are conspicuous by their absence. Or they would be if it wasn’t snowing a blizzard most of the time.

Rumours have been spreading since the House of Lord’s Advent party, when, during an ad hoc game of table football, Menton Spry accidentally told his teammates that Pimlico Wilde were planning to open an art gallery at the north pole. “Their new slogan will be London New York North Pole,” he told anyone who was listening.

One of those listening was award-winning journalist Sally Quite, who works for the Fine Art Guardian, based in Toronto. She it was who had the scoop and announced the exciting news to the world.

”The news is correct,” Carlisle Pau confirmed to thousands of waiting journalists, from the steps of the latest Pimlico Wilde gallery in San Diego. “We will be opening a gallery at the North Pole, once we have found a cement that can be used at minus five hundred °C, or whatever the temperature is at the NP.”

He simultaneously released an artist’s impression of what the gallery will look like, which is printed above.

Vincent and the Van Goghs to release first single

by

Vincent and the Van Goghs are a band composed of art dealers who all met on the set of the I said Monet not Mondrian! reality TV programme. “We are an unusual mix of indie rock and swing, with a dash of rap as well”, explained frontman Scissors Coney, art dealer at Jones & Jones. “You might also notice some early medieval influences on some of our records – sometimes an emotion can only be expressed through Gregorian Chant.”

Membership of the group is fluid, but currently includes-

Scissors Coney – vocals and guitar – Head of Sporting Art, Jones & Jones, Cheltenham
Safah Pulle – drums and double bass – Director of Acquisitions, Simpkin Hodges, Bond Street
Armani Suoff – backing vocals, xylophone, triangle and bass guitar – Gallery manager, Ottimo Arte, Milamo
Edward Grunt – tamberine – Owner, The Grunt Gallery,

The title of the first single will be ‘Singing the Phthalocyanine Blues’ with a B side of ‘I like it, Caravaggio, but it’s a bit dark”.

Fine Art Sporting Society: Inter-art dealer rugby tournament

by

Coming soon is the inaugural Inter-art dealer rugby tournament, to be held in Berkeley Square.

With entries from art dealers around the globe, the tournament looks like being a huge success. “The cream of London art dealers have entered teams, from Lavendor Brothers of Kingsley Street to Crantjirot & Hawkins of Hanover Square,” explained organiser Roberto Andretti, himself a dealer with Hogge Spike, the agents for successful sculptor Ferkin Wykes. “Berkeley Square hasn’t been used for rugby for centuries, so it is great to recommence an old tradition.”

Winners will take home newly-discovered original screen prints by Michelangelo of Goliath, found in a burial chamber in Milano earlier this year.

Photography: Show’s over

by

In Show’s Over by Johnny Peckham, the photograph captures the liminal state of an art gallery,neither empty nor alive with its usual vibrancy, but suspended in a moment of quiet disarray. The image documents a space in transition, yet it speaks volumes about the impermanence of creativity, the machinery of the art world, and the unglamorous reality behind cultural production. It is a portrait of absence, where art’s afterlife becomes the central subject.

The composition of the photograph is stark, with its clean architectural lines interrupted by the intrusion of discarded materials and wrapped canvases leaning against the wall. The contrast between the pristine white walls and the plastic-covered paintings is striking, creating an atmosphere of tension. The wrapped artworks, simultaneously protected and obscured, become symbolic objects,metaphors for the fragility of art itself, perpetually caught between creation and commodification. They exist here as ghosts, stripped of their function and reduced to raw materials awaiting their next destination.

Peckham’s use of light is subtle but deliberate. The sterile glow of the overhead lighting flattens the space, denying any romanticism and instead heightening the sense of banality. Yet, this starkness is what makes the photograph so poignant: it refuses to embellish or idealize, choosing instead to confront the viewer with the backstage reality of the art industry. The discarded trash bags in the foreground echo themes of waste and abandonment, suggesting that even creativity produces detritus.

At its heart, Show’s Over questions the cyclical nature of art-making. What happens when the audience leaves? When the applause fades? Johnny Peckham forces us to confront the aftermath, the mundane cleanup that follows the spectacle. In doing so, the photograph transcends its literal subject, offering a quietly profound meditation on the transient nature of art, labor, and existence itself. It is a study in endings,and perhaps, new beginnings.

Meet the artist – Mick Cohen who analyses international politics through abstract art

by

Mick Cohen’s work examines and critiques international politics, conflicts and world news through abstract art. “It is all very well to have hundreds of commentators on TV giving their opinions on the latest wars and realpolitik, but that is so superficial. The real critiques of world events are found in abstract art.” 

There have been relatively few artists whose practice focuses on abstract art and political comment, but Mick sees their work as having a direct linearity to Hogarth, Jekinsop and Jerry Woolworth. “We all want to stop war and help peoples get on with and live peaceably with their neighbours. I am convinced that abstract art is the only way this aim can be achieved.”