Grayson Perry is definitely an artist for our times and a champion for the mass media. I am looking forward to visiting the 2003 Turner Prize winner’s exhibition when I visit Bristol Art Gallery in the next few weeks to see The Art Club. Tapestry and glazed pottery are Perry’s specialist media and both exude…
Category: Comment
René Magritte and comparing Surreal Concepts in Modern and Medieval Art
Magritte’s surrealistic ideas of the mid twentieth century epitomise’s that period’s growing interrelationship between language and visual representation. It is my favourite and easiest example to see how philosophy’s obsession with language and truth filters into the visual arts. “This is not a pipe”, Magritte says but it clearly is… and then again it is…
A Venice Retrospective – Two Years Ago, Tintoretto, Titian & Bellini.
It is two years since I was in Venice for the autumn term studying medieval tombs and contemporary art. Pre pandemic it seemed a different time with the only things to worry about being floods and industrial action from the lecturers. Hey Ho – what’s new. But it did make me think about the wonderful…
Bridget Riley talks to Kirsty Walk about her art on television
Compton Verney in Warwickshire provided a very enjoyable visit three years ago, taking in Op Art and some wonderful works by Bridget Riley. Her works were also a very valuable artistic juxtaposition to the Barbara Hepworth retrospective we visited in Wakefield earlier this year. So it was a great delight finding her being interviewed by…
Bayeux Tapestry loan to UK in Jeopardy
The Bayeux Tapestry, one of the great works of romanesque art was due to come to the UK in 2022 as reported on this blog in January. It now looks like the loan will not take place as a condition survey revealed the extent of its damage is greater than believed. The original plan was…
Jeremy Barlow and his Contemporary Landscapes
Les Deux Garçons features in my current header painting. The painting has special memories of our time in Provence eating in this very fine restaurant in Aix. But also of meeting the artist at an exhibition at Broadway. He was also a regular exhibitor at The Llewelyn Alexander Gallery in London. Jeremy Barlow was a…
Another visit to Fotheringhay and its Royal History
We are back at Fotheringhay in Northamptonshire, where I wrote the post below in July 2018. This time I wanted to look at the painted pulpit given to the church by Edward IV in around 1475. I am becoming interested in English painted panels of this period. July 2018 post Sandy Denny, while with Fairport…
Sutton Hoo and an Anglo Saxon Ship Burial
Sutton Hoo, on the east coast of Suffolk high above the River Deben estuary must be one of the most important and fascinating archaeological sites in Britain. Our visit was one of the highlights of our East Anglian adventure. The site is mainly one of archaeological interest rather than art history as the gold, silver…
A Day Out with the Contemporary Treasures of Hereford Cathedral
Hereford is someway off the main tourist routes in Britain, but those intrepid enough to discover the city, will be richly rewarded, especially in the vicinity around the cathedral. Our visit last week was not our first and we skipped the two great attractions on this occasion. The Mappa Mundi is one of the great…
A Visit to Salisbury Cathedral in May this year as lockdown eased
Salisbury was our stopping off point last week on our way to the coast. The last visit before further relaxation of lockdown measures. It was strange to see the medieval town so empty and the cathedral closed. Still the City looked great bathed in Spring sunshine, unlike the last few days. Salisbury Cathedral is unique…
White Box Art Channel 