Richard Wilson’s No Formulas private view + 1513: A Ships’ Opera

Richard Wilson talks with Will Alsop and Don Grant at the No Formulas private view

This year's model: private view visitors with maquettes by Richard Wilson

Richard Wilson’s No Formulas opened with an excellent private view on Tuesday 17th September.

Lights, Steam-Action! Richard Wilson's epic 1513: A Ships' Opera on the River Thames

still smiling: Richard Wilson at CHELSEA space

Although the private view was only 3 days after his epic 1513: A Ships’ Opera  on the River Thames, Richard was in excellent form and clearly thrives on extremely hard work and a very full diary!

Tate curator Andrew Wilson with artist Richard Wilson

Directors' meeting: De La Warr Pavilion's Stewart Drew with Henry Moore Institute's Lisa Le Feuvre

artist Richard Wilson with architect Will Alsop

Humphrey Ocean

It was great to see lots of support for Richard and meet up with some old friends

Gary Woodley, Donald Smith and Oswaldo Maciá

The Block's Matt Fitts admiring Richard Wilson's maquettes

The past and the future of CHELSEA space exhibitions were represented: it was lovely as always to see Gary Woodley whose exhibition  Impingement No 47 was the very first CHELSEA space show back in 2005, whilst Oswaldo Oswaldo Maciá’s Library of Cynicism was our most recent show and our 50th at CHELSEA space. TV Monitor guru and Director of The Block Matthew Fitts will be curating a show for us in June 2014.

Futurecity Director Mark Davy

De la Warr curator Jane Won with artist Sean Dower

Stephen Farthing talks with Steve Thomas

Karl Lydon, Sally Bannayi, and Keith Collins

just published: Derek Jarman's Sketchbooks

Stephen Farthing and Keith Collins (seen in the private view photos above) have been working together on the new Thames and Hudson book Derek Jarman’s Sketchbooks which was featured in a recent CHELSEA space blog (read the blog archive here). Stephen and Keith met through CHELSEA space Director Donald Smith and we are very proud to be associated with this important book. The concurrent publication of Jarman’s sketchbooks and the opening of Richard Wilson’s exhibition of proposals, maquettes, sketches, and scores proves there is a very strong interest in preparatory materials and the importance of drawing. Richard Wilson’s title No Formulas also points to his extraordinarily diverse approaches to drawing and the openness of his ideas.

Thomas Zatorski with Richard Wilson's scores and proposal for 1513: A Ships' Opera

Richard Wilson’s 1513: A Ships’ Opera was produced in collaboration with Zatorski and Zatorski and we were delighted to see Thomas Zatorski at the CHELSEA space private view.

smoke from the big guns of HMS Belfast during 1513 A Ships' Opera

Tower Bridge opened for its longest recorded time as part of 1513: A Ships' Opera

proposal for 1513: A Ships' Opera

Richard Wilson’s No Formulas at CHELSEA space is an exploration of proposals, maquettes, sketches, and scores in an attempt to better understand creative processes and the ideas behind finished artworks and performances. Although the proposal for 1513: A Ships’ Opera was made well in advance of the event and is an imaginary scenario, it is incredible how this speculative drawing/collage accurately captured the dramatic atmosphere and dynamic activity of the live performance.