Review of the exhibition Aubrey Beardsley at Tate Britain. In which I struggled once more with social distancing, but at least there were more mask-wearers here than at Tate Modern. Aubrey Beardsley at Tate Britain I’m sure you remember my review of Andy Warhol at Tate Modern: exhibition fine, organisation shambolic. Well, a few days […]
I don’t know whether it’s me who needs to adjust my expectations, or curators who need to start planning their exhibitions around me, but at the moment I’m finding a number of exhibitions are missing the opportunity to ‘tell a story’. Last time it was the Charles I exhibition at the RA which was arranged […]
Late works seem to be quite fashionable at the moment: late Turner, late Rembrandt, late Matisse, probably late other people as well. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it is interesting to explore whether an artist’s output changes towards the end of their life and what the contributing factors are, but in the case […]
A well-curated and somewhat delayed exhibition at Tate Modern, Philip Guston is a journey into abstraction and back again. Content warning: contains discussion of racism and violence. Philip Guston I love an exhibition on an artist I know little about. I also love a bit of drama. And so I was happy to finally have […]
A broad undertaking, A World in Common: Contemporary African Photography brings together artists from across the African continent to explore points of commonality and difference. A World In Common: Contemporary African Photography Now here is a Tate exhibition I can get on board with. Although I really liked Isaac Julien: What Freedom is to Me […]
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 […]
A review of Postwar Modern at the Barbican Art Gallery in London. An exciting exhibition, its narrative about the impact of war, death and disruption is as relevant as ever. Postwar Modern Now this is an exciting exhibition from the Barbican. Maybe you recall this from a previous post, maybe you’re new here, but I […]
A review of two art exhibitions finishing soon in London: Paula Rego at Tate Britain, and The EY Exhibition: The Making of Rodin at Tate Modern. Two monographic exhibitions but with different approaches, each of them illuminating the artistic practice of their subjects. Tate vs. Tate Ok, not really Tate vs. Tate. But a comparison […]
A very thoughtfully curated exhibition, Lagos, Peckham, Repeat: Pilgrimage to the Lakes explores migration, identity, home and belonging in a select few works over two sites at the South London Gallery. Lagos, Peckham, Repeat: Pilgrimage to the Lakes The short nature of this review is mostly a reflection of the relatively small number of works […]
One of Westminster’s smallest tourist attractions, the Jewel Tower is worth a quick look for historic interest. Just don’t go planning any trips specifically to see it! The Jewel Tower The Jewel Tower is a spot that has intrigued me for a while. I work not far from Westminster, have done a number of cultural […]
