London Bits – pre-2012

In a modern day Tale of Two Cities, Central St Martins graduate Frank Laws divides his time between his studio in London and Paris, where he works as an in-house artist for Louis Vuitton.

Frank Laws, London Bits
Frank Laws, London Bits

However, it’s London that has proved the inspiration for his upcoming solo show at Orange Dot Gallery, London Bits.

Frank Laws, London Bits
Frank Laws, London Bits

While it’s been hard to miss the furious tidy-up job ahead of the Olympics, particularly in the host borough of Newham, Hackney and Tower Hamlets, Laws looks to the grittier side of the capital to inform his works.

Frank Laws, London Bits
Frank Laws, London Bits

Inspired by ‘housing estates, crime fiction and tradesmen’, according to the gallery, these pieces depict the buildings that arose in the wake of the London slum clearances of the late 19th century.

Frank Laws, London Bits
Frank Laws, London Bits

While deemed ugly by many, Laws aims to present these monuments to building for longevity as creating a new perspective of our everyday urban surroundings’, becoming ‘subjects of mystifying, semi- sequestered beauty.’

Frank Laws, London Bits
Frank Laws, London Bits

Laws has documented the progress of creating the large-scale centrepiece for the London Bits show through a series of photographs posted on his tumblr site franklaws.tumblr.com

Frank Laws: London Bits runs from 26 July – 24 August at Orange Dot Gallery, Continental Stores, 54 Tavistock Place, Bloomsbury WC1H

Start the discussionStart the discussion
  • Post a comment

Latest articles