Cathy's Art Diary

Talk at the Charleston Festival on colour by Julian Bell and Frances Spalding. This was a fascinating talk which began with each of them talking about their recent books. Julian Bell’s is called “Mirror of the World : a new history of art” and Frances’s in “John Piper, Myfanwy Piper: Lives in Art”. They then discussed the nature of colour and what it’s role has been in 20th art. They looked at how the start of the century had seen earth colours but as the century progressed the use of colour came over from France. The question an answer session was really interesting with questions on how fashion influences colour in art and the role of light.

Small exhibition at Charleston Farmhouse of photographs by Nigel Shafran. Oh dear I can see what he was doing but I’m not sure it was worth doing! These were photographs of his kitchen compost bin over 2 years. As a group they said something but I’m not sure any of the works would stand on their own.

Nice exhibition at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery of works owned by Bobby and Natalie Bevan and kept at their home Boxted House. I loved the fact it was arranged in rooms with the pictures in the same groupings as they were in in the house. Both Bobby’s parents had been artists and his father was a member of the Camden Town Group so their works featured heavily. Bobby also collected works on paper and there was a super room of these. As the title suggests there was a Sickert, a few Gertlers, a Ginner and Cedric Morris.

The newest public art work to be put on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square is a model of HMS Victory in a bottle with African inspired batik sails by Yinka Shonibare. I went up to see it on the day it was unveiled and it’s great! The shape and size fit the plinth well and it is lovely to have some colour in that space. From a distance it is sometimes difficult to see the ship for the reflections on the bottle and having read some of the reviews it is a shame it is hard to see the wonderful detail on the ship from below. However all in all it is a wonderful addition to the Square and I look forward to seeing it every day on my way form work to Charring Cross. Reviews Times Guardian Daily Telegraph Independent

Small exhibition at Cornerstone in Didcot of works by local artist Chris Perrett. The works were mainly landscapes in bright colours. I particularly liked the seascapes and the contrast between cliff and sea.

Small exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum of pictures of elephants from India dating from 1570 to 1750. The pictures range from portraits of favourite animals to elephant fights and hunts. I liked the pictures of named elephants because without this picture they’d have been forgotten! I loved a finely drawn black one called Khushi Khan. Incidentally this was my first trip to the refurbished Ashmolean which had been my local gallery as a child, and it looks fabulous. I love the wall of 18th busts and the casts in the atrium which you can see from very floor.

After last years obsession with The Plinthe I apologise that now that I’ve become addicted to Elephant Parade! This consists of 250 brightly painted life-size elephants located over central London to raise awareness of a conservation campaign which spotlights the urgent crisis faced by the endangered Asian elephant. I’ll report back each week with photos of what I’ve seen.

Nice exhibition of Paul Nash landscapes at Dulwich Picture Gallery . I had forgotten how abstract Paul Nash’s work is but I liked it and your eye quickly got use to the oddities. I loved a photo of a ploughed field next to a painting of a similar field called ‘Earth Sea’. I went on Bank Holiday Monday and it was great to see the gallery so busy! Reviews Guardian Daily Telegraph Independent Evening Standard

Exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery as a sister to the current Michelangelo exhibition. This looks at how other Renaissance artists were responded to Michelangelo’s work both by copying it and by its influence. I loved a seated boy by Pontormo in the pose of one of the figures on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Also some sketches by Tinteretto of bronze models he bought of the figures on the Medici tombs.

Wonderful intelligent exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery focusing on a presentation drawing called “The Dream” by Michelangelo for Tommaso de Cavaliera. It brings together a number of drawings done for Tommaso alongside leters between him and the artist. It also had different versions of the drawings and sketches for them. It was an amazing chance to see these works together. It also included drawings of the Resurrection done at the same time by Michelangelo and works which copied or were influenced by him Reviews Times Guardian Daily Telegraph Independent Evening Standard

Contemporary graphic art fair at Somerset House . I enjoyed the section upstairs looking which features the work of design studios. They gave a real idea of the work of these companies. I also liked the fact that there were people working and showing off the techniques. There was one lady doing very fine paper cut-outs. The selling exhibition downstairs was very expensive. Id id go round wondering of they were joking!

Small exhibition of works from the Flemming Collection , the largest collection of Scottish art in private hands at Somerset House . The exhibition focuses on scenes of city life both real and imagined and range from historic to contemporary works. There were four pictures by the colourist Peploe including a self portrait. There was a striking Jack Vettriano of a party scene. My favourite was a modern picture of Bristol station by Nina Murdoch which imagined going through it as speed. A really dynamic picture.