Victorian avant-garde?

Alongside the Turner Prize, Tate Britain's other current ticketed exhibition is the Pre-Raphaelites show that presents the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB) as an avant-garde movement. I feel that this is an attempt by Tate to re-package a movement that they have had in the form of ticketed exhibitions in the past and that contains many works already from the Tate collection. When the accompanying guide states: "boldly original in style and conception, the Pre-Raphaelites made a profound contribution to the history of modern art," they dont explain how and this perhaps should be a describtion of the slightly later Impressionist movement?

They describe the many industrial, scientific and artistic changes that happened in the second half of the 19th Century, but not how "Pre-Raphaelite art distilled the energy of the world's first industrial society into striking new forms." Arguably it was the Italian Futurist movement who did this early in the 20th Century, admittedly when these changes had developed further still. I understand that the PRB considered their contemporary art as decadent, but by looking to art before Raphael for inspiration for their artistic style is not new or experimental. Neither is using for their subject matter themes that are taken from Shakespeare, the Bible, landscapes or the view from a window, however much they slightly developed any of the above.

I bow down to the fact that the curators undoubtedly have far more knowledge of the movement than me, but why not present the PRB movement for what they were based on their work? Many of the paintings on display do themselves provide evidence that they were a group of technically accomplished artists who created aesthetically pleasing artworks whether or not they were using classic subject matter or traditional painting genre's. They produced romanticised art which dealt with age-old subject matter, such as love, death, rejection, class and mythology.

Perhaps that would decrease potential visitor numbers and some may argue why shouldnt they look at art with a fresh curatorial perspective? So having said all that, I'll probably sound pedantic when I list my favourite paintings in this exhibition below that I really enjoyed seeing again!


Previously in the Romantics exhibition and taken from Tate Britain's collection, Henry Wallis' impeccably painted Chatterton (1855-6) (below) shows a young poet on his death-bed having commited suicide following repeated rejections from publishers. One of the most romantic yet tragic stories told in the artworks on display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Everett Millais Ferdinand Lured by Ariel (1849-50)

 



 

 

 

I always admire the soft style with which John Everett Millais painted Ophelia (1852) (below).

 



 

 

 

 



 

 

When looking closely at these 2 paintings by William Dyce you can see the incredible detail, such as the individually painted blades of grass. Pegwell Bay, Kent - a recollection of October 5th (1858) is above & The Man of Sorrows (1860) below.

 



 

 

 

 

 

I like Work (1852-63) by Ford Madox Brown (below) because its one of those paintings that are busy with various different people doing things, some more honestly than others! In this way it reminds me of a painting by William Powell Frith, The Derby Day (1856-8), thats in Tate Britain's Historic Collection.

 



 

 

 

 

 

I've included William Holman Hunt's The Children's Holiday (1864) because I like the stylised faces and the incredibly well painted silver on the left hand side of the painting.

 



 

 

 

 

 

In Isabella and the pot of basil (1866-68) William Holman Hunt expresses his incredible technical ability, such as in the way he painted the folds in the fabrics, the reflection on the furniture from the watering can and in Isabella's face.

 



 

 

 

 

 

Every page is like a work of art in William Morris' prints in this publication of The works of Geoffrey Chaucer (1896).

 



 

 

 

 

 

Edward Burne-Jones' The Golden Stairs (1880) is one of my favourite Pre-Raphaelite paintings in terms of its detail, the ladies stylised faces and the great use of colour. 

 



 

 

 

 

 

The next three paintings by Edward Burne-Jones use as their inspiration Greek mythology, specifically Perseus slaying Medusa (the Gorgon) in order to rescue Andromeda from the Kraken.

 



 

The Rock of Doom (1885-1888), Edward Burne-Jones

 

 

The Doom Fullfilled (1885), Edward Burne-Jones

 

 



 

The Baleful Head (1886-7), Edward Burne-Jones

 

 

 

 

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/pre-raphaelites-victorian-avant-garde

Noble favourite

In this year's Turner Prize exhibition at Tate Britain, my favourite of the 4 shortlisted artists is Paul Noble. Shortlisted because of his drawings of the fictional city of Nobson Newtown shown at the Gagosian Gallery, Noble's works on display here start with a word. He then draws around this word to create landscapes with strange biomorphic shapes contrasting with structures that appear to be man-made. When walking round looking at these works, it was like a game to see if you can spot where in each piece this starting point is.

In Villa Joe (Front View) (2005-6) (below) there's an obvious nod to Henry Moore with some of the shapes in the landscape being very similiar to Moore's sculptures. These include a drawing of Three Points (1939-40), which is part of the Tate Collection.

 

 

 

Some of these organic shapes in the drawings on the walls are then transformed into three dimensions by sculptures in the middle of the room. The photo below of a detail from (Large) TREV (2012) shows one of the contrasting 'man-made' structures.

 



 

 

 

Noble's drawing Lidonob (2000) is still on display in the A Walk Through the Twentieth Century galleries at Tate Britain.

 



http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/turner-prize-2012?gclid=CLeFy7LikrMCFXHLtAodv1MALA

Faces and Figures...

...is the title of the current exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery that focuses on portraiture by Thomas Schutte, including sculpture, photography and paintings by the German artist.

On the walk through Hyde Park to the gallery I saw this sculpture across The Long Water/Serpentine lake. It reminds me a little of a Henry Moore or Barbara Hepworth.

 

 

 

 

Outside the south side of the gallery are these (patinated bronze) sculptures (below), United Enemies (2011).

 



 

 

As the sun begins to set, it casts great shadows across them and the grass.

 



 

 

 

As with the United Enemies sculptures outside, I like the weathered effect on the (patinated) bronze below. This artwork, Memorial for Unknown Artist (2011), also has that effect on its steel base too.

 



 

 

 

Vater Staat (Father State) (2010) has a similiar effect, albeit more rusty, on its steel surface.

 



 

 

 

 

I like the character that some of Schutte's ink and pencil drawings (on paper) have, such as this one from the Mirror Drawings (1998-99) series.

 



 

 

 

http://www.serpentinegallery.org/2011/03/thomas_schutte.html



Last week to see...

...the Eley Kishimoto Living With Patterns exhibition at The Aram Gallery on Drury Lane in Covent Garden. The King and Queen of fashion print express how they have become surface designers too in this small interesting show.



 

I like the way the exhibition has been curated with fabric walls between the different rooms. These are 'flash' lace panels woven by MYB Textiles, which also adorn some of the windows in the Aram (furniture) store below the gallery.

 

This is the exhibition entrance (below), with a brief view of the Flash Gnomes inside.

 



 

 

 

 

According to the exhibition guide, these Flash Gnomes (below) "welcome you to the print on print world of Eley Kishimoto."



 

 

 

The Narumi ceramics (below) are the result of the Japanese bone china manufacturer and Eley Kishimoto collaborating on Narumi's 10th anniversary Styles range.

 



 

 

 

I really like the way they curated this room with just one pair of shoes displayed using this machine that walks them round in a perpetual circle.

 

 

 

That pair and these shoes below are the result of another collaboration, this time with Clarks. They feature Eley Kishimoto's Flash and Cute Boys prints.

 



 

 

 

Ofcourse no Eley Kishimoto show could be without printed womenswear, with my favourite 2 dresses below from the In Shape range.

 

 

 

The next 3 photos below are my favourite piece's in the room of Moorcraft pottery. These are traditional ceramics that have been handpainted with Eley Kishimoto designs.

 



 

 

 

I like the oriental feel of the 2 above and the fact that the one below reminds me of a few of the paintings in the Futurism exhibition at Tate Modern in 2009.



 

 

 



http://www.thearamgallery.org/now/

Please buy my greetings cards from Inkly!

For all those of you who have an iphone, ipad or an ipod touch there's a new way to buy greetings cards from this free app from the itunes store.

If you search for my name within the app, you'll find my work...

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/inkly-cards/id557932128
 
Many thanks.

'From Paris:

A Taste for Impressionism' is the current exhibition in the Sackler Wing of Galleries at the Royal Academy of Arts. The shows artworks are all borrowed from the collection of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Massachusetts in the US. It is divided into these themes: Still Life, Landscape, Genre Scenes, The Female Figure, Orientalism and the Exotic and Portraits. These are my highlights, which are drawn from the majority of those themes of this quaint exhibition:


I really dont like the taste of them, but I like the way Renoir has painted Onions (below)! This softly painted style is classic Renoir.

Onions (1881) (Oil on Canvas), Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841 - 1919)

I like the way Rousseau draws the viewers eye first to the lightest area of the sky, then to the farm below and the path leading up to it. The style he painted Farm in the Landes (below) reminds me a little of Constable. Rousseau was a leading member of the Barbizon School and a major influence on the Impressionists.

Farm in the Landes (1844-67) (Oil on Canvas), Theodore Rousseau (1812 - 67)

In Gooseherd (below) by Troyon the viewers eye is immediately drawn to the light playing on the feathers of the softly painted geese.



Gooseherd (1850-55) (Oil on Panel), Constant Troyon (1810 - 65)

 

Saint-Charles, Eragny (below) was painted when Pissaro was temporarily adopting the pointillist technique that Georges Seurat is famous for.

Saint-Charles, Eragny (1891) (Oil on Canvas), Camille Pissarro (1830 - 1903)

Frigates (below) was painted magnificently by Jongkind. I especially like the detail on the ships in the centre of the canvas.

Frigates (1852-53) (Oil on Canvas), Johan Barthold Jongkind (1819 - 91)

Beautiful choice of colours from Renoir again...

Venice, the Doge's Palace (1881) (Oil on Canvas), Pierre Auguste Renoir

The beautifully painted Crossing the Street (below) by Boldini is another example of an artist drawing the viewers eye to where he wants it to go, in this case the immaculately executed face of the central character.

Crossing the Street (1873-75) (Oil on Panel), Giovanni Boldini (1842 - 1931)

In Renoir's A Box at the Theatre (At the Concert) (below) I like the way the contrast between the dark haired lady's eyes first holding the viewers gaze and the girl in profile then drawing the eyes down to the bouquet of flowers in her lap. According to the wall text for this painting there was a man in the top right hand corner that Renoir painted out with the curtain.

A Box at the Theatre (At the Concert) (1880) (Oil on Canvas), Pierre-Auguste Renoir

James Tissot, a master at painting people in many different surroundings...

Chrysanthemums (1874-76) (Oil on Canvas), James Tissot (1836 - 1902)

I like the stylised way Bonnard painted Women with a Dog (below), apparently influenced by the wonderful Japanese prints that so many of the Impressionists were.

Women with a Dog (1891) (Oil on Canvas), Pierre Bonnard (1867 - 1947)

Alfred Stevens is an artist I know very little about. Having seen A Duchess (The Blue Dress) (below), I now want to see more paintings by this specialist in meticulously executed genre scenes.

A Duchess (The Blue Dress) (1866) (Oil on Panel), Alfred Stevens (1823 - 1906)

The most striking painting in the final room for me was this Self-portrait (below) by Degas:

Self-portrait (1857-58) (Oil on Paper, mounted on Canvas), Edgar Degas (1834 - 1917)

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/from-paris-a-taste-for-impressionism/

Late Large Forms

...is the subtitle of this small exhibition of Henry Moore large scale sculptures at the (Britannia Street) Gagosian Gallery. All of the works on display were intended to be installed outside, so the Gagosian's refreshingly different approach is to simply show them in white-walled gallery spaces for the first time.

These are my highlights of this very good, but small exhibition...

Seated Woman: Thin Neck (1961), Henry Moore

Two Large Forms (1966) (below) has beautifully weathered surface colours, which along with its huge scale are good reasons why the sculptures in this exhibition should only temporarily be displayed inside. As can be seen via the link (at the bottom of the page) to the show's webpage, this monumental artwork looks so much more at home in a natural landscape.



Large Two Forms (1966), Henry Moore

I saw Reclining Connected Forms (1969) (below) at the Kew Gardens exhibition of Moore's work in 2007, although this is a piece that I feel works almost as well in a gallery space.

Reclining Connected Forms (1969), Henry Moore

Finishing the exhibition are some maquettes for the sculptures in the show, some of which are artworks in their own right, such as the beautiful Maquette for Reclining Connected Forms (1969) (below).

Maquette for Reclining Connected Forms (1969), Henry Moore



http://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/henry-moore--may-31-2012

Christian Louboutin and Designs of the Year

Possibly with the exception of the 2009 Hussein Chalayan exhibition, this show of Christian Louboutin's 20 year career designing shoes is the most impressively curated of any exhibitions I have seen at the Design Museum. In Christian Louboutin: 20 Years the kitsch, yet glamorous displays outshone most of the footwear on display in my opinion.
My favourite examples of this were...

The outside view of the entrance:

The introductory ('shadow boxing') first room, with the shoe shadow silhouette and shoes hung like boxing gloves:

The Merry-Go-Round, with shoes on 'seats' where the horses would be:

The (fake, plastic leafed) 'hedge room', completed by neo-classical plinths to display the shoes on:

Most of Louboutin's Fetish collection must be conceptual pieces, because they're all completely unwearable, but in my opinion are some of the more interesting shoes on display. My favourite of the less conceptual and more wearable footwear is the Alta Dentelle (fishnet and calfskin) boots from the S/S 2012 collection (below):



http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2012/christian-louboutin




The other main exhibition currently at the Design Museum is Designs of the Year 2012, with 39% of the work displayed having been designed in the UK. There's a lot of innovative and interesting design here, but these are my favourites from the museums shortlist:

Shade installation, designed by Simon Heijdens (for the Institute of Chicago) 'brings the outside in!'

The Tip Ton chair, designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby (for Vitra, Switzerland)...

...the pair who also designed the Olympic Torch:

The Invisible Cycle Helmet, designed by Hovding, almost looks like a scarf (below left) but it inflates (like a car airbag) to protect the head in the event of an accident (below right):

Moon Rock table designed by Bethan Laura Wood (for Nilutar Gallery, Italy):

This excellent Ready to Wear Collection designed by The Reality Lab in the Issey Miyake studio, Tokyo:

The eye-catching Thixotropes light, designed by Conny Freyer, Sebastien Noel and Eva Rucki at Troika, London (for Selfridges):

http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2012/designs-of-the-year-2012