The top holiday souvenir when you were on the Grand Tour in the 18th century was a painting by Canaletto as Venice was considered the cultural centrepiece of such an expedition! Luckily for those of us without such deep pockets, the Queen’s Gallery is staging a stunning show called ‘Canaletto & the Art of Venice’ which transports you back to Venice of those days.
London hosts a large number of art fairs in October but the daddy of them all is Frieze where the world’s top galleries gather in a huge marquee in Regent’s Park to show off their best wares.
I go each year with a friend who lectures in Fine Art so I get the best low down on what we are seeing. You can discover new artists but also find new work from established favourites. Continue reading
I’ve been watching the extension to the Tate Modern grow for the last 5 years, seeing the twisted pyramidal shape emerge as the exterior changed from a white cladding to a brick lattice which matches yet is different from the original Tate. They are both parts of an old power station site so, in a nod to its origins, the first Tate building is now called the Boiler House and the new Tate is the Switch House.
Continue reading
It is always a treat to stumble across a new artist, especially one who has a fascinating life story to amplify your interest in their work. Maria Merian is a perfect example of this, a little known botanical artist from the 17th century who changed what we know about the life cycle of the butterfly through her exquisite art.
Continue reading
The Royal Collection is the British Royal Family’s art collection and is one of the largest and most important in the world. This holds so many pieces that only a fraction can be on display at any one time in the royal palaces across the UK. The Queen’s Gallery holds exhibitions throughout the year, curated to show a different range of these precious works.
Continue reading
The Olympic Park in east London is really called the Queen Elizabeth Park as the area moves on from the Olympics but I’m sure most people, including me, will carry on calling it the Olympic Park as it holds such happy memories of the London Games of 2012. Continue reading
That big question – what is art? I’ve been to thousands of art exhibitions and galleries, taken tens of art courses and I still have no real answer to that question but I don’t think I’m alone in this dilemma. Is it in the eye of the beholder? Like beauty, there is usually some agreement on what is and what is not but there is also space for the quirky one-offs. Continue reading