FILM STILL on EBAY!

I am selling this piece on EBAY, this is a one off opportunity to own something of mine for, well, a price that 

you dictate.


Bidding has started at 99p! *gasp*

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FILM-STILL-embroidery-on-a-mattress-by-LOUISE-RILEY-/161014537861?pt=UK_Art_OtherArt_RL&hash=item257d36de85



Here is the story of why I am selling it:




This piece is called ‘Film Still’.




It is a portrait of my best friend Mariaflora Papapanagiotou, that I made in 2007. I met 

Mariaflora in 2002, the same night that I met my future husband and father of my child 

and three other lifelong friends and collaborators. It was an utterly life-changing day. 

Admittedly it was not love at first sight for us, I thought Mariaflora was terrifying and she 

thought I was pointless. It was art and the thirst to create that brought us together and in 

a bar in Soho in a dark smoky tunnel we shared our history, united on our romantic and 

lateral perspectives of the world and built a home in each other.


God I am actually weeping now.


Only because these friendships are so rare and precious and sometimes it takes the path 

of time to realise that. There are seas between us now. When she first moved away, I was 

shopping for a replacement, but over time I realised that that was it, that was something 

special right there and I was lucky to be part of it.

Mariaflora is getting married. Her future husband is my friend too, he is compassionate, 

sincere and great company and he really gets her (as well as being a complete babe). 

Basically everything you wish for your best friend.



This piece was the absolute turning point in my career as an artist, I found this mattress at 

the side of the road, with my 8 month old daughter asleep in her pram. I stood at the side 

of the road for what felt like an age. After becoming a mother I didn’t really know where I 

stood as an artist, was it time to move on and dedicate my life to my beautiful daughter, or 

should I fight even harder to be everything and did I have the energy and strength to do 

that? I stood at the side of the road and knew that if I didn’t drag this skanky old mattress 

into my family home then art was over for me, if I did do it, then I had to really rise up as 

an artist, if I was going to have something come between my daughter and I then it had to 

be really worth it.



I chose to go for it.



I dragged it home and I worked 9 days in a sleepless starving intense frenzy, unearthing 

this piece from the depths of the mattress and in some ways it is the best piece I have 

ever made.



It has been on a journey with me. It has been to New Orleans, it has been in the New 

York Times, its in the book PUSH Stitchery, it has been tumbling through tumblr over 2500 

times and I made a film with it.


But now it is time to let it go. Mine and Mariafloras relationship has always thrived on 

poetry and this is to celebrate that, to let our past friendship go full circle and be 

supporting our present lives, that the times we spend together and being in that moment is 

pure happiness and the memories of those times when they move into the past are utterly 

precious.



I am still an artist and times are tough, my god, I am literally skimming through and 

growing grey hairs in the process. But my daughter and I have to be there for her wedding 

and be able to be 100% present. I need to BE there, support her in any way I can to make 

this the most beautiful, heartfelt wedding and I cannot let her down in this, you only get 

one shot right?



So I am selling this piece and though the thought at times gives me heart palpitations, it 

feels like the best solution. I want you to know that bidding on it, you are not just bidding 

on a piece of art, you are supporting love in every way.

Slow Dance Party

Since my work explores connection and dynamic, what I am working on is a sweet and logical follow on, but it is definitely somethings different. I am creating a night called Slow Dance Party. Here are the invites and poster and the commercial that I have been having too much fun making. Please come!

Dear Beating Hearts,

I first came up with the idea on a residency in the secluded hills of California. We were six ladies, making sculptures, films and exchanging ideas, in the most beautiful surroundings. I thought we should ship up some men to slow dance with us, since we were just so tender, from working hard, bruised from heartbreak and making mistakes (me), fully flowing from laughing, it just seemed like the perfect idea. I just imagined us swaying around the barn, with handsome and gentle cowboys, that smelled of mild b.o and the wind.

After that collecting Slow Dance Party music became something of an obsession and I definitely waffled on about my ideas for it to more than a few friends, but determined for the event to reach fruition and not slip into the anals of history, like The Dalston Whistling Club, here it is:

Have you noticed:

That people smell so good and so different?

That you nearly cry when the hairdresser massages your head?

That you want romance but its not always that easy to organise it?

Everything is so fast these days?

It’s been a while since you slow-danced?

Come and get close at:

Slow Dance Party

30th March 9pm-2am

£5 in advance £7 before 10pm, £8 after

Time to just grab someone and feel the heat of their body

Time to dance with strangers, your husband/wife, your best friend or your sister. 

Its cold outside and we all need to stay warm. 

Beautiful and lovingly collected slow music crossing through genres 

from the past to the future

This is everything for everyone

Live bands and moving and melting projections to make the heart thump

Bring your love, bring your pals, but most of all,

bring your open arms and melting heart.

Invites.

Download them and send them to the person you want to slow dance with.

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE!


Post a comment if you buy a ticket, so I can pop a party popper to celebrate!


A SPOTIFY SLOW DANCE PLAYLIST

Making Fabric

Patchwork satin gives me beautiful feelings in my belly.

New Wheels

I have been making some wheels for a client, as samples, I am going to make her a chandelier made from kids wheels, which are much smaller (12") and more home sized.

Below are the samples and pictures from a full size chandelier that resides at 

Eiffel Society in New Orleans 

photo:  Jeff Pounds

Photo: Luke Gifford

Exorcising Exercise

make animated gifs like this at MakeAGif

Self Séance 2012

Last chance to see it at 

Modern Panic III

Apiary Studios

458 Hackney Road

London

E2 9EG

11am-7pm until December 2nd

Or buy tickets for the last in the series of the 

Panic Sermons

Dec 2nd 

8-11pm

I will be there! xx

Original Framed Drawings and Prints

These are original framed drawings. 

Some, the beginning of something bigger.

Photographed in electric light and daylight.

'Mother of Pearl'

£150

SOLD!

Numbered Prints £15 ~ Framed £45

became this:

'Family Tree'

£150

Numbered Prints £15 ~ Framed £45

became this:

'Dreamscape'

£180

Became this:

These which are yet to fly off the paper.....

'Scape'

£180

Numbered Prints £15 ~ Framed £45

'Lucidity's Slice and Splice'

£230

Numbered Prints £15 ~ Framed £45

'Teleportation'

£250

Numbered Prints £20 ~ Framed £50

Project 'Putting a Roof Over our Heads' !!

After having a roofer come to give me a quote to mend my roof, he told me he couldn't fix it as trying to fix it would likely break it more, the tiles and nails are 113 years old, pretty impressive. He gave the poor old thing 6 months to live. So not only is it time to start thinking of an installation using 2000 ancient slate tiles, but I need to raise the cash for a new roof. Well I do like a challenge and have decided to not cry and instead knuckle down and go for it.

Good news for you, because all my work is now:

Up to 30% OFF!!!

So here is what's available and, in true saleswoman fashion, the before and after prices. I am also open to being paid in installments, if that works out better for you, we can work something out. It is important to me that everything finds a good home.

'Lauren'

45cm x 45cm

Was £400 - Now £280 !
SOLD!

'Sun'

50cm x 50cm

Was £400 - Now £280 !
SOLD

'Film Still'

1m x 1m x 20cm

Was £2800 - Now £2100 !

'Bjorn'

50cm x 50cm

Was £1500- Now £1000 !

(the original sculpture)

'Spacescape'
2.5m x 1.8m

Was £1800- Now £1200 !

(this comes with me to install it in your home, within distance reason, here is a link to one installed of the same size

http://louiseriley.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/installing-at-russell-of-clapton.html)

'Sometimes We're Assholes'
8cm x 8cm

Was £80- Now £56 !

'Liquid Lucy in Lucidity's Slice and Splice'

150cm x 115cm

Was £2800- Now £1960 !

'Mother of Pearl'

120cm x 85cm

Was £2500- Now £1750 !

If you have any questions or want to visit the pieces, just email me: louise.riley@gmail.com