Me at a party x

Serafina Steer is a london based harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter. She is also my neighbour, and at times the wind will carry the sound of her playing down the street. Her latest album release dubbed ‘Change is good change is good’ is a beautiful record, and Jarvis Cocker rates it as one of his favourite albums of the year thus far. Not too tall an order from the lovely songstress who mixes sweet pagan vocals with electronica, harp with keys, romanticism with humour. One song that makes me laugh is 'how to haunt a house party' where she sings 'I'm so ambient you'd walk past me at a party, me at a party'... but not so tomorrow eve. Not a stranger to the Swanfield stage, we are very happy to welcome her back for the grand opening night of 'Swanfield on Tour', July 15th.

Yes that is tomorrow! Take it away Sefa x

IN THE PLACE OF SHADOWS AND LIGHT

Drawings on paper
by Conny Prantera

Today we are white washing walls in preparation for Conny's spookily detailed pencil drawings of tangled braids and crumpled cotton dresses to be hung instore at Swanfield on Tour, on Hoxton Street.

Conny Prantera is an artist and illustrator who lives and works in London. Her work uses an illustrative language that narrates a melancholic and sometimes dangerous rite of passage. Her images of discarded everyday items such as shoes and undergarments are interwoven with landscapes of apocalyptic scenes.

The drawing is intimate yet somehow purposely absent of emotion. All the images are hauntingly still: some are postcard-like reproductions of places, frozen in time, others show personal objects casually positioned as if the character had just stepped away from
them. Yet there appears to be no return. An eerie feeling grips the spectator as it becomes evident that a decisive turn of events has taken place and nothing will be the same ever again.

I wish to thank Mark & Marco of MK11 for first introducing us to Conny's work. You can view some amazing pieces at their Studio & Gallery Space in Claptonia in a group show called 'Death, Love & Cock N' Balls'. Appointment only, so best to drop them a line first.