Cathy's Art Diary

Fabulous installation piece at the Fabrica Gallery in Brighton by Janet Cardiff. It was part of the Brighton Festival and involved 40 speakers each playing one of the parts in Spem in Alium, a motel for 40 voices by Thomas Tallis. This was such a magical experience. The first time it played through when I was there I just sat and listened with my eyes shut to the amazing blend of sound. It was so relaxing. The next 2 times I walked round listening to the individuals voices and delighted in how different speakers came in an out of the arrangement. It was wonderful to hear a voice to come in unexpectedly behind you. I also liked the fact that the talk before the performance was recorded too so as you walked round you heard quiet snippets of conversation. As I sing in a choir I recognised the conversation as true choir speak!

Superb exhibition at the Brighton Royal Pavilion and Art Galleries of the early work of Duncan Bell and Vanessa Bell. It was full of old friends such as Duncan’s ‘The Bathers’ which hit you afresh as you walked in. However there were also some super pictures which I had not seen before. Paintings were hung well together to create a dialogue, such as pictures by both artists of a camp site. I think this period saw the product of most of the artists’ best work so it was good to see a such a concentrated examination of it. There was a lovely video to go with the exhibition which just lasts about 6 minutes and comes at the end so it does not distract from the pictures. Reviews Times

Small exhibition at Charleston Farmhouse of works by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell which look at drawing the body. Most of the pictures are life studies of nudes. The notes covered not only how the pictures were done but also often who the models were and how the artists found them. It also included a few pictures by Vanessa of her children. This was the first exhibition of work drawn from thousands of sketches, sketchbooks and paintings that make up the Angelica Garnett Gift to Charleston and I look forward to many more exhibitions of this quality from the collection.

Nice exhibition at the National Gallery of work by Bridget Riley. There was a great use of colour which meant the black and white ones seem to be about lack of colour. The display included a series based on same shapes in different combination of the same colours included one painted directly on wall with a temporary passing quality. Reviews Sunday Times Guardian Daily Telegraph Evening Standard

Small display at the National Gallery of works by Jan de Beer to compliment the Gossaert exhbtion. De Beer broke with traditional Netherlandish artists like Gosseart using expressive figures in architectural spaces. The exhibition includes a analysis of altar piece debating if it was for a female, scholarly patron because of the female saints and use of books. There were beautiful female saints in ornate clothes. The exhibition also included lovely drawings.

Small exhibition at the National Gallery of works by George Bellows and the Aschan Group, a group of American artists from the early 20th century who looked at the modern world. When you first saw pictures from the door they strike you as landscapes but many are urban pictures of New York. “Blue Snow, The Battery” was an amazing snowscape with the city forming the hills in the background across the river. I thought Bellows came out as the best artist and the exhibition has a slight feel of the Scottish Colourists. Reviews Daily Telegraph Independent