The Barbican’s timely survey of Carrie Mae Weems’ work is a perfect introduction for UK audiences to Weems’ immense talent and reflections on the Black experience. Carrie Mae Weems This is the third monographic exhibition of a female artist’s work in a row for the Barbican. Late last year we had Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics, […]
A derelict Victorian train station waiting room is a perfect host for an installation about time and memory in Sarah Sze’s The Waiting Room. An Unusual Commute Here is a space I’ve never been in before. I pass through Peckham Rye Station twice daily on my office days. I’m used to the sight of its […]
A compare and contrast exercise, Hilma af Klint & Piet Mondrian: Forms of Life encourages reflection on the organic origins of abstract art. Hilma Af Klint & Piet Mondrian: Forms Of Life It seems a strange pairing, to begin with. Two early 20th Century European painters, sure, but a more different set of two artists […]
An exhibition at Tate Britain, The Rossettis: Radical Romantics, shows the family’s romantic side for sure. Are they radical? Maybe in some ways. Is this exhibition as much of a fresh take as it appears to be? The jury is still out. The Rossettis: Radical Romantics Let’s start off with a small word on names. […]
Designed to respond to and expand on a current exhibition at the Royal Academy, Southern Somebodies brings more Black artists from the American South to London. Southern Somebodies Prompted by an interaction with a reader (thank you!), I recently had the opportunity to visit the Gallery of Everything for their exhibition Southern Somebodies. Featuring Black […]
This simple exhibition at the National Gallery tells the story of its simple subject, Saint Francis of Assisi, through art. It paints a picture of the saint as a source of inspiration throughout the centuries, and his continued relevance today. Saint Francis of Assisi I really wanted to catch this small exhibition before it closed, […]
Don’t come if you’re in a hurry, but for those with some time up their sleeves, Isaac Julien: What Freedom is to Me is a stylish and thought-provoking, immersive experience. Isaac Julien I’m coming around a little to film-based art. When I was younger and less patient, I resented the demand on my time. Because, […]
A large-scale exhibition on modern art at the National Gallery, After Impressionism has some lovely works to offer, but slotted into a narrative that plays it rather safe. And where are the women? A Popular Subject, A Popular Exhibition This is perhaps my own fault: I went on a Saturday afternoon. Please somebody stop me […]
The placement of this exhibition of art by Ai Weiwei in London’s Design Museum prompts us to think about the meanings of art and objects. Ai Weiwei: Making Sense adds ever more layers onto the work of this most famous of Chinese contemporary artists. Ai Weiwei: Making Sense It’s been a while since I’ve ventured […]
A moving exhibition of art from the Southern United States, Souls Grown Deep Like the River is both thought-provoking and revelatory. Souls Grown Deep Like The River I’ve known rivers:I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the rivers. The […]
