Cathy's Art Diary

Fascinating online lecture for the National Gallery looking in detail at the role of the demonic in the works of Rubens. Art historian, Timothy Revell, lead us though a detailed argument around the influence of Frans Floris’s “Fall of the Rebel Angels” of 1554 which was in the cathedral in Antwerp and which Rubens would have known well on the composition of the latter artist. He also outlined the influence of Michelangelo and Durer on the work of both artists and how Floris in particular, showed a blending of Italian and Northern styles. He led us through Rubens’ “Last Judgement” of 1618, “St Michael Throwing out Lucifer and the Rebel Angels” of about 1622 and his “The Virgin as the Woman of the Apocalypse” from 1623-4, comparing the imagery to the Floris. He spent some time discussing a Bumble Bee in the latter picture and what it’s symbolism and links to Urban VIII might be. This talk had originally been advertised as “A Halloween Journey Thought the National Gallery Collectio...

A good edition of this print fair held annually at Woolwich Works. I always enjoy this show, not least because it is so close to home. I thought this year there was more curated areas and less dealers’ stands. There was a good cross section of work from very expensive works by the likes of Grayson Perry and Harland Miller to small works you could print yourself. There were also a nice range of demonstrations. Monoprints seemed to be very fashionable this year. Highlights included Nana Shiomi’s “Durer’s Law of Print Making - Two Rhinos”, as anyone who references Durer in a print is a winner with me, Hamish Macaulay’s tall seascapes and Kate Lewis’s pictures of flowers made up of words from newspapers. My favourites were the set of images of Venice by Peter Blake in his signature collage style. Closed 29 October 2023  

Moving exhibition at the Oxo Tower Gallery of photographs by teenagers from around the world. The show was a pop up from the charity Street Child who hosted photography workshops in five countries with 15-year-olds complimenting the charity’s education programmes in those countries. Most of the work followed that same theme of the role of education and what it meant to the teenagers. The participants mainly photographed their friends and family but I found the commentaries by the teenagers interesting. I was brought up short by a comment from a girl in Nepal “Those who haven’t received education are often victims of dowry.” Closed 29 October 2023  

Interesting exhibition at Bankside Gallery of recent work by members of the Royal Watercolour Society. This year’s theme was based around risk mainly thinking about the risk of working in watercolour itself, how it can go wrong but how those mistakes might get incorporated into the final piece. As ever with this gallery the hang was clever and brought works together well. I loved the first section of flower still-lives leading into gardens. Shout out pieces include John Newbury’s “Nine Bottles”, Sophie Knight’s large picture of one end of Blackfriars Bridge, John Duffin’s “Thames Bridges at Sundown” which I think I have seen before and Nancy Mains’ pictures of Cornwall. Closed 4 November 2023    

Interesting little exhibition at the Barbican celebrating the creation of an archive of the building. The show was a bit hidden away and small but it had some interesting pieces and an av display of the work they have done with Google Arts and   Culture to put the collection online, but I must admit I found it a bit clunky to use. I learnt that the rusticated effect on the concrete wasn’t the result of a poured mould but of workers pick hammering regular patterns on what had been planned to be a flat polished surface. You certainly looked at the piece of wall next to you differently. I also loved looking at a pair of builder’s shoes and the remains of his lunch which had been found at the lowest level of the building like an archaeological find which in guess it was. Evidently the display will keep changing, highlighting different stories and showcasing different objects so it’s well worth popping back. Closes 5 April 2024    

Thoughtful video installation in the Curve at the Barbican of works by poet, artist and filmmaker Julianknxx.   The work consisted of three interlocking videos. I found it really paid to walk to the last one and spend some time watching it, partly because it was the only area with seats. You did however find as you walked back that the imagery was repeatedly in then other works. I took away from it themes of memory, both individual and community based, I loved the use of choirs who I’ve realised since all sang the same refrain ‘We are what’s left of us’. This was balanced with beautiful film of different cities both European and African and contemporary dance. Closes 11 February 2024 Reviews Guardian Evening Standard

Lovely exhibition at the National Portrait Exhibition of portraits of members of the Windrush generation commissioned by Prince Charles. The works were shown in a small, very busy room which made it very difficult to see the pictures and impossible to read the labels. I will try to go back on a quieter day. I had seen the delightful and moving tv programme on the painting of the works which made it slightly easier to know what they were even when I was just glancing. As on the tv show my favourite was this picture of Alford Gardner, painted by Chloe Cox. I loved the hyper real detail in such a large picture. Closed 4 April 2024 Review Guardian

Bright exhibition at Charleston Farmhouse of new works by British born South Asian artist Osman Yousefzada. The works ranged from drawings to textiles and the colour, particularly of the textiles, hit you after the more subdued Hockney drawings they were shown with. Evidently, they reimagine the working class migration experience but I’m not sure I’d have got that from them. However I did love their bold effect and the way they combined materials. Closes 10 March 2023  

Tender exhibition at Charleston Farmhouse of drawings by David Hockney from the 1960s and 70s. The drawings recorded everyday life from friends and lovers, through interiors and still-lives.   Most came from private collections so this was a lovely opportunity to see them. At first I was wondering why Charleston had chosen to show them then realised the subjects are similar to those of the Bloomsbury artists who worked at the house. They looked at the beauty in the ordinary. I loved the close, quiet observation of detail. I think my favourite was an interior and view through a window of the Grand Hotel, Vittel from 1 970 but I also loved this 1960s LA one.  

Delightful online lecture from ARTscapades looking at the city and art of Venice. The author Martin Gayford, wo has written a book of the same title as the talk, started with a photograph of the interior of San Zaccaria, which I know well, and set up the idea of it showing layers of time, the time it look to paint the walls and the great Bellini altarpiece, the time since, the time we take to look at it and the time it took to take the picture and that the city is like this too.    It was a novel way of looking at the art of the city. He had wonderful photos and mainly covered familiar paintings but he added a layer of thinking about the city itself and its architecture as a picture too. He also pointed out that a lot of histories of the city end with Napoleon whereas the city has continued to inspire artists and how with the Biennale it has become a centre of interchange for the contemporary art world. I can’t wait to read the book before the next trip to the city and ...

Delightful sculpture trail around London Bridge City of works by Gillie and Marc Art. The trail features wild animals interacting with their trademark figures of Dogman and Rabbitwoman from a rhino playing chess to a gorilla photographer. I’ve seen a few Gillie and Marc trails now and they are always fun. The trail is part of the broader ‘Love The Last’ project, a social movement driven by public art to raise awareness, funds and support for endangered animals across the world. This one is organised in conjunction with Zoological Society of London (ZSL). It’s on for a long time so do pop along and see it. There are two more works to appear in November. Closes 18 September 2024    

Interesting open air photographic display at London Bridge City organised by the United Nations Refugee Agency UK (UNHRC-UK) highlighting community projects that have welcomed refugees to the UK. It was a small selection of photographs on four display stands highlighting initiatives from a community choir in Greenwich, through a walking group on the South Downs and a wall climbing club in Liverpool. The web site has other moving stories of other groups and the effect they have had on peoples’ lives. An interesting read while having a wander in the area. Closed 9 November 2023 Project website  

Stunning exhibition at Eames Fine Art of woodcuts by Trevor Price. The seascapes in particular drew you from across the room with a high level of realism, but close up you could see the delicate hatching and wonderful texture in the white areas. I also liked the dense prints of trees. It was interesting to see a video in the show showing Price cutting and printing up a block. Closed 22 October 2023  

Baffling exhibition at White Cube Bermondsey of new work by Julie Mehretu. These were large, apparently abstract paintings which, according to the commentary, draw on subject matter from current affairs such as the war in Ukraine. I must admit I did not get that from them. It consisted of three sets of paintings, each with nine pictures. I liked the street art effect in which some colours sung out from the canvas as well as the innovative hang of one set in the round on aluminium frames. However I wasn’t moved by them and was left feeling I might be missing something. Closed 5 November 2023  

Charming exhibition   at the Fashion and Textile Museum looking at the history of clothing for boys. It’s a topic which doesn’t get covered very often and this show will be in two parts. The first looked at fashion until the 1920s for boys to wear dresses into the age of 3-6 and then to wear trousers or skeleton suits even though trousers were only worn by manual workers until the 1820s. The second part, which I’ll will definitely be going back to, will look at sailor suits. (21 December 2023 – 3 March 2024) The show was based on the collection of Alasdair Peebles which comprises over 1000 items. The suits were beautifully displayed with a background designed by Peebles and the main display was shown like a group of boys playing. All the outfits were in sepia colours which made it look like an artwork in its own right. There was also a smaller display with a boys, a suit for court dress and an ornate skeleton suit. Closed 16 December 2023

Excellent exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum looking at the role of textiles in propaganda. It was the sort of show where you go not realising the subject is a thing then get drawn in. It was really well explained with some fascinating objects. From them pointing out that the earliest known use of textiles for propaganda is the Bayeux Tapestry I was hooked! I’m not sure I’d have called all the issues propaganda, some were more commemorative such as dresses to mark the late Queen’s coronation and some of the Second World War items, but I guess it depends on your view point. The show made good use of scarves, which my mother collected, and showed them alongside dresses, prints, textile samples and fans.   I was a bit surprised to be warned about sensitive content before going in. This turned out to be discussion of conflict, Fascism and colonialism. I had to look it up afterwards to see what I might have been offended or triggered by! At little bit OTT I feel. Cl...

Witty exhibition   at Eames Fine Art of prints by Mychael Barratt. I love Barrett’s dog prints, where he produces prints in the style of famous artists inserting extra dogs, and this show had a few of these but it also had other clever works set in London. I spent ages looking at a tube map with clever vignettes for the names of stations from famous people who lived there to puns. I found myself laughing out loud. I loved his lockdown piece, a take on the Ghent Altarpiece featuring the people and buildings of Soho. My favourite was this take on Bruegel’s “Four Seasons” set in London parks. I have to use the Greenwich one to illustrate this. Closed 19 November 2023  

Colourful, fun installation on The Tide at the O2 by Ian Davenport. The work, on the staircase, looked like paint poured down the stairs in parallel lines which then pooled at the bottom. It was bright and brought colour and life to the area. I must admit I’d not come across this former Turner Prize nominee before so looked up his work which is often similar and ranges from wall paintings where the paint appears to run down the canvas to other staircases. Having said that I found an exhibition of his work a week or so later which I will blog soon.   No end date given  

Gentle installation on The Tide at the O2 by Marwan Kaabour. A series of poems and quotes about rivers, in all the languages spoken in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, are printed in bright colours on the glass facades of the raised levels of The Tide. They are printed against graphic fragments from nautical charts. The whole thing reflects the proximity of the River Thames which you can see through it from various angels. Kaabour sees water as “a space of promise, inspiration, and possibility” as well as a way of addressing global issues such as climate change and migration. The whole thing is an interesting way of reinterpreting this space. No end date given.

Vast and fascinating exhibition at Somerset House of African contemporary art. I had wrongly assumed this would be a small show in the galleries around the courtyard of Somerset House but its spread into all areas of the modern Embankment galleries at the back as well. As I’d only set aside the afternoon for it I had rush a bit to get round it all. There was an amazing selection of work presented by selling galleries. Obviously, a lot of the work addressed colonial and environmental issues. Sadly I have lost the notes I made at the time so this review is a bit patchy. I did pick up postcards from stalls I particularly liked but not all of them had them so I may have forgotten some work I like. I do still have a card from Athenkois Kwinana who paints beautiful self-portraits highlighting her Albinism and Vivien Kohler who used found ceramic plates which she tweaked, my favourite being a classical blue and white plate of Olaudah Equiano. A couple of works I remember, but whose a...

Monumental exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery of sculptural work by Georg Baselitz. I only knew of Baselitz’s work as a painter so I was intrigued to see sculptures and I wasn’t disappointed.   I was stunned by the fact that each work was made from a single piece of wood. Many of them included rings of wood around another structure which was impressive. I loved the way the surface had similar marks to his paintings. My favourite room had four huge works two of which showed groups of people which were arrange in very tender poses. The works were surrounded by the drawings which were part of their creative process. Closes 7 January 2024 Review Times  

Delightful structure at the Serpentine Gallery by Lina Ghotmeh. I must say as I walked up to the pavilion I was a bit disappointed as it was quite flat although I did note that it was the same height as the tree canopy that surrounded it. This year it worked best from inside where the finish to the woodwork was beautiful. I loved the crescent shaped tables and lovely stools which evidently reflected the Mediterranean idea of families eating together. Sadly there were only four of us there when I was there so it didn’t stimulate the conversations that it was meant to start. I would also say that a better food selection than coffee in cardboard cups and a few croissants weren’t in the   spirit. I wish I had gone earlier in the season when the weather was better to get the full effect of the light coming through the lattice walls but I did enjoy it even on a dull day. Closed 29 October 2023 Reviews Times Guardian Telegraph Evening Standard    

Beautiful and thoughtful exhibition at the Hayward Gallery by Amol K Patil. Patil works in Mumbai and Amsterdam and in this installation he explores the current situation of workers and casteism as well as the relationship between the body and the urban environment. Hands and feet represent the tools of labour and small-sculptures were displayed on stands mimicking the office furniture of colonial administration. They are shown with delicate drawings and objects from his family archive.   I loved these beautiful works with small hands and feet emerging from them. They made a point but subtlety and were lovely objects in their own right. My favourite was this line up of tiny figures, each about 4 cm high and the group stretching for over a metre which reminded me of the little plastic figures you got as a child which you had to separate from each other and their molding. Closed 19 November 2023  

Delightful exhibition at the Oxo Tower Gallery of photographs of leopards organised by Remembering Wildlife. This show supported the eighth book in this organisation’s series to raise money for the conservation of wildlife. This one focuses on leopards and including some stunning images. I loved the pictures of black leopards by Sharon Wild and Will Burrard-Lucas. You have to look very closely to see the beautiful markings in their coats. My favourite picture was of a leopard leaping between trees by June Adley which had captured the cat mid-flight. Close 15 October 2023

Impressive and beautiful installation at Tate Modern by El Anatsui. Speaking to ideas of trade, slavery and colonialism, the meaning is fairly obvious from looking but there are also good, simple explanations of the three works or acts as Anatsui calls them. The three pieces fill the space and work from every angle. Make sure you walk round them and look for the sweet spot where the middle disjointed work becomes the Earth.   I like the sense that there is craft behind the work as well as being monumental! I’ll be back to see it again. Closes 14 April 2024 Reviews Guardian Telegraph Evening Standard  

Fascinating online lecture from London Art Week looking at the discovery of a painting by Artemisia Gentileschi in the Royal Collection. The talk brought together those involved in the rediscovery and experts on Artemisia to discuss how the painting was identified and why it is an important rediscovery. Niko Munz, Christchurch College Oxford, described how, while working as part of a project to catalogue and trace works owned by Charles I , he flicked through some files of royal pictures and found an old catalogue sheet from 1862 which had a dull photograph of the work linking the work to Charles and mentioning Artemesia. He then checked old inventories which showed it had hung in Henrietta Maria’s rooms and might have been part of a design to prompt the Catholic faith. Adelaide Izal, conservator for the Royal Collection, then took us though the historical and technical evidence from confirming that it did date from the period when Artemisia was in England, that it was painted i...

Fascinating online lecture from the National Gallery focusing on the work of the conservation department. Larry Keith, Head of Conservation, talked to us from the studio using Poussin’s “Cephalus and Aurora” from the 1630s which he is working on at the moment as an example for the points he was making. He took us though the history of conservation at the gallery and some early controversies. I was amused to hear of a Parliamentary select committee getting involved in the 1850s which I can’t imagine happening now. We looked at the issues that can occur using this painting to discuss the effect of darkening varnish, how colours change and what to do about tears as this work was damaged by falling slate when it was in storage in the Second World War. He talked about how works are chosen for conservation and the principles by which the gallery works using materials that can be reversed if future generations change their minds about the treatment of a picture.

Fascinating online lecture from the Victoria and Albert Museum looking at Peter Brathwaite’s lockdown project recreating portraits of black figures. Brathwaite is an opera singer who in lockdown took up the Getty Challenge to recreate portraits using objects around the house. He decided to look at black figures and produced an image a day for 50 days which he has now published in a book “A Story in Three Acts”. I had seen some of their works in a street exhibition on King’s College so was intrigued to hear him talking about them and to see more. He was interviewed by Jenny Gaschke, the coordinator of a display at the museum at the moment called “Between Two Worlds” for which he has produced the image shown here. He explained how making the images led him to research not only the people shown but also his own family history.   He talked about the bias in archives, not only in their content but also in the racist language to search them because of when they were created and cata...

Intriguing online lecture from the National Gallery examining the presence or lack of presence of Black figures in two Titian paintings. The talk was given by Rosy Akalawu-Ellman, an artists and student who had started he BA a few days before. She had been on the gallery’s Articulations scheme to encourage public speaking skills to young people. She talked about Black History Month and some of the problems she thinks it raises in that it can concentrate on suffering and liberation and put Black people in a white context and she discussed some of the philosophers being this. For me the more interesting section of the talk looked at the Black figure to the far righthand side of Titian’s “Diana and Actaeon”. Is she a maid or an allegorical figure? Why is she the only clothes female in the work? She talked about the trend for Black models across Europe but particularly in cosmopolitan Venice. She then looked at “Perseus and Andromeda”, in the same series of paintings for Philip II, ...

Fun sculpture trail around Covent Garden of decorated gorillas. You know I love a sculpture trail and I found this by chance while having a wander through Covent Garden. It is in aid of Tusk which supports conservation projects in Africa. I managed 8 works of the 15 in about an hour and hope to get back to find some more on the other side of the market. They are decorated by artists and celebrities. My favourite was Frankie outside the opera house by John and Jen Cleese.   Closed 14 October 2023    

Colourful installation on the Strand outside Somerset House by Simone Brewster. The work had been part of London Design Week which I’d missed and commented on the future of the cork industry. I must admit I’m not sure how other than that the large sculptures were covered in coloured cork. The blurb said that “the future of the cork oak forest will be secured by four key traits: upright expression, drought resistance, regenerative growth and biodiversity conservation.” Each work was meant to reflect one of these traits but I don’t really understand that link. Still the works looked great in the space! Closed 8 October 2023  

Interesting exhibition at Somerset House looking at Black British fashion since the 1970s. Curated by Black Orientated Legacy Development Agency (BOLD) the show sets fashion by Black British designers against the history of Black life and culture in Britain over the same years. I would have liked to see a bit more explanation of some of the exhibits and why they were there such as a large format magazine called Kaleidoscope. I would have also liked a bit more emphasis on the designers and less in the history. I was interested to see that a lot of the work was from this year and loved these Doc Martens designed for the show. I loved a room of clothes but again would have alter appreciated a bit more narrative. It was a stylist show with imaginative presentation, such as the nightlife section being set in a nail bar, but a bit more narrative would have improved the experience and knowledge I came away with. Closes 7 January 2023

Strange installation at the National Gallery by this year’s artist in residence, Céline Condorelli. The work was in room 31 with French 17th century works including the Poussins. A carpet replaces the usual museum benches and a diaphanous curtain is draped over the skylight. Through the floor vents there is a soundscape of snippets from Trafalgar Square. It’s all very nice but I’m not sure I understand what it’s about. The commentary says that it   “invites to us to become aware of our own way of seeing, to pay attention to the space and materials of the National Gallery, how we behave in it and how it is connected to the world outside.” I think I need an online talk on it to hear more from the artist on this one. Closes 7 January 2023 Review Guardian

Interesting exhibition at the National Gallery of six panels of Andrea Mantegna’s “Triumph of Caesar” fresco cycle. The works are on loan from the Royal Collection while their gallery at Hampton Court is being refurbished. They were bought from the Gonzaga family of Mantua by Charles I in 1629. For this show the six panels have been beautifully reframed by the National Gallery Framing Department. It was a lovely touch to show a cast of the bust from Mantegna’s tomb and Ruben’s sketch for “A Roman Triumph” based   on two of the panels which he saw in situ in Mantua. It’s always great to see this lively and theatrical piece and setting it in a new context makes you look at it with fresh eyes. Closes 2026 Review Guardian  

Superb exhibition at the National Gallery on Frans Hals. This was a beautifully hung show with an excellent commentary which was cleverly written in places. It was well paced with space to Iook at the works. The whole effect was like walking into a jolly party and you wanted to sink down and chat with the sitters in the portraits. The faces were fresh and honest and I became slightly obsessed by ruffs and lace collars. My favourite pieces were the group portraits either of militia companies or family groups. I was astonished that the Rijksmuseum had lent “The Meagre Company”. I also loved the husband and wife pendant pictures which had been reunited. My favourite hang was the double portrait of Isaac Massa and Beatrix van der Laen, also from the Rijksmuseum, shown with two other portraits of Massa. Beware I have a number of lectures and courses on Hals and the Dutch Golden Age so you’ll be hearing lots more about him from me! Closes 21 January 2023 Reviews Times Guar...