The crème of national and international designers and illustrators have been rounded up as part of ‘Heineken Expression’, three gigs taking place in Dublin, Cork and Galway during October and November to celebrate creativity and the Heineken Bottle.

The last stop on the creative roller coaster is Karma in Galway this Friday 27th November.

Musically, a celebration of all things Irish and electronic. Marcus Lambkin, better known as Shit Robot has been splitting his time between Dublin, New York and Berlin makes the journey to Ruari’s homeland of Galway for the night. Fresh from eclectic sets at Sonar and Oxegen, Ruari will be joined by Prins Thomas favourite Mano Le Tough. Galway favourite Cian O’Ciobhain completes the line up.

Illustrators competing in the live UV Art Off on the night include
Phil Dunne http://www.lovetherobot.com
Steve Simpson http://www.stevesimpson.com
Chris Judge http://www.chrisjudge.com
Gaetan Billault http://www.gaetan-billault.com
BRENB http://www.brenb.net

**NOTE – you must register for FREE tickets on http://expression.heineken.ie **

Check out http://expression.heineken.ie for more details

OFFSET2009 kicks off today in earnest with a sexy little group show in Monster Truck.

The Small Print have asked the sauciest creatives around what turns the on for an X-rated gallery show. The walls of the intimate Monster Truck Gallery will be filled with images exploring their darkest, erotic, sexy thoughts and weird fetishes. Be warned this will be a strictly over 18 show and not for the faint-hearted.

Featuring work by Tim Biskup, Tara McPherson, Gaetan Billault, Jon Burgerman, BRENB, Airside, Serge Seidlitz, Micheal Gillette, Steve Simpson, Mike Perry, Chris Judge, TADO, Brian Cronin, Jeremyville, D.A.D.D.Y, Richard Hogg, Nate Williams, Richard Gilligan, Scalder, Asbestos, Conor & David, Aisling Farinella & Cliona O’Flaherty, M&E, Alan Clarke, Brian Coldrick, Phil Dunne, danleo, Ana Benaroya and more.

The exhibition will open Monday 2nd of November at Monster Truck Gallery on Francis Street, Dublin 8 at 7pm and will run until Sunday 8th of November.

MONDAY 2ND-8TH NOVEMBER @ MONSTER TRUCK GALLERY
FRANCIS STREET, DUBLIN 8
ADMISSION: FREE

Drinks Reception supplied by the good people at Heineken.

For more information visit www.iloveoffset.com & www.monstertruck.ie

Gerry Hunt’s Graphic Novel EASTER 1916: Blood upon The Rose has just been published by O’Brien Press. This 48page full colour album tells the story of the most significant rebellion in Irish history. The Irish Times covered the book in an article which can be read here.

Some cool live art events coming up soon. Heineken Expression is a three city tour (Dublin, Galway and Cork) that sees Chris Judge, Steve Simpson, TADO, Gaetan Bilault, danleo, BRENB, Phil Dunne and Serge Seidlitz do battle over three rounds of live doodling. The final will be onstage on perspex glass with fluorescent pens under UV light.  All this to the impressive beats of  In Flagranti, The Field, Sarsparilla, Donal Dineen and The Juan MacLean (DJ Set).

Heineken Expression Dublin kicks off in Tripod at 8pm, on Thursday, 22nd October 2009.

For more details and to come along, go to expression.heineken.ie to register for free tickets.

Just received word from Dave Comiskey of a group exhibition he is part of…

“I have new work in a group exhibition called ‘sex guise and maybe some videotape’. The show is in the Cross Gallery on Francis St, and is curated by Mark St.John Ellis. The official opening evening is this Friday September 25th, as it coincides with Dublin Culture Night. The opening will start at 6pm, and go on till late. There’s plenty of stuff happening all around the city on friday evening, but if you’re in the area it would be great if you could drop in. Check out the attached flyer (above) for the full list of participating artists. My studios, Irish Design Shop on Bow Lane East, behind the St. Stephens Green Centre, will be open to the public all night too, with work on show from the studio residents, and I will be heading down there when the wine in the cross gallery runs out.”

Following the opening of the Absolut Original Show (currently running for duration of the Fringe Festival – details below) one of the artists involved, Steve Simpson, has put up a great STEP x STEP showing the progression of his piece on his blog.

Absolut Original is a new show running during the Absolut Fringe Festival. Original Artworks by Irish Creatives inspired by the Absolut bottle featuring Aisling Farinella, Abestos, BRENB, Clíona O’Flaherty, Chris Judge, D.A.D.D.Y, Eoghan Kidney, Glenn Leyburn, Hugh McCarthy, Jonathan McHugh, Maser, M&E, Steve Doogan, Steve Simpson, Studio AAD and Unthink.

Curated by The Small Print.

5PM-10PM September 5th-20th 2009 at the Absolut Fringe Factory, Dublin (AKA The Boys Scholl, 8 Exchange St. Lower (off Woodquay), Temple Bar)

See more at www.absolutart.ie

Mail Me Art is back with the 2nd call for submission. Mail Me Art is run by Darren Di Lieto, the founder and co-editor of the illustration news portal the Little Chimp Society. Over the course of a year, the first Mail Me Art project brought together a vast collection of artistic work sent in the form of mail by both professional and amateur artists of all ages from across the world. A wide variety of media were used in an equally wide variety of styles and the work arrived on everything from postcards and envelopes to boxes and pieces of wood.

Contributions included work by internationally-renowned illustrators such as Dan May, Michael Slack, Jon Burgerman, Kristian Olson, Catalina Estrada and Jeff Miracola and in total there were in excess of 600 pieces of mail art submitted to the project.

Mail Me Art culminated in the publication of the book Mail Me Art: Going Postal with the World’s Best Illustrators and Designers and the exhibition, held in London during April 2009.

Candy Collective, in association with Choice Cuts and D.E.A.F presents SweetTalk 37 on Thursday October 22nd 2009 at the Sugar Club, 8 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2. This SweeTalk features the amazing designer Vaughan Oliver and the hottest animator going – David O’Reilly. More info after the jump… (more…)

Barry’s Tea presents Recession: Opportunity Knocks
New spaces, collectives and initiatives are emerging all over the city.This town hall style evening brings together the people who are spotting opportunities and shaping Dublin’s cultural fabric. Hear the ideas, experiences and ways in which a generation address a recession as a fresh opportunity. Chaired by journalist Sinead Gleeson, the panel will include: Trevor O’Shea (Bodytonic/Airbound), BRENB (Offset / Always Read the Small Print), Dylan Haskins (Exchange / Hideaway House), Kate Nolan (Re-Dress), Peter O’Brien (Dartmouth Sq/Edenbee), Conor Bereen (Coppinger Row) and Kaethe Burt-O’Dea (Sitric Compost Community Garden).

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9th, 7:00pm at the Metro Bosco tent on Georges Dock as part of Dublin’s Fringe Festival.

Absolut Original is a new show running during the Absolut Fringe Festival. Original Artworks by Irish Creatives inspired by the Absolut bottle featuring Aisling Farinella, Abestos, BRENB, Clíona O’Flaherty, Chris Judge, D.A.D.D.Y, Eoghan Kidney, Glenn Leyburn, Hugh McCarthy, Jonathan McHugh, Maser, M&E, Steve Doogan, Steve Simpson, Studio AAD and Unthink.

Curated by The Small Print.

5PM-10PM September 5th-20th 2009 at the Absolut Fringe Factory, Dublin (AKA The Boys Scholl, 8 Exchange St. Lower (off Woodquay), Temple Bar)

See more at www.absolutart.ie