Poetry review – TOOK MY WAY DOWN, LIKE A MESSENGER, TO THE DEEP: Edmund Prestwich admires the intricacy of Linda France’s sonnet sequence linking the paintings of Leonora Carrington with the experience of lockdown
art
The Weight of Being. Review by Barbara Lewis. “Life is hard, that’s why no one survives” is the title of a work by Middlesborough-born artist Gordon Dalton.
Ultimately, even art is not a cure, but it can console, give meaning and even extend our lives. It’s true for us all to varying degrees.
Poetry review – FABRICS, FANCIES & FENS: Caroline Maldonado considers a diverse but consistently accessible collection by Gerald Killingworth
Poetry review – THE LEFT-HANDED SNIPER: John Forth commends Alan Dixon’s ability to be outrageously funny while never losing sight of the possible presence of tragedy
Unseen Photography from the 19th Century. Review by Barbara Lewis. Belgium, which declared independence in 1830, became a forerunner in photographic identification and is home to the oldest preserved mugshots, dating from 1843. As well as using photography to catch criminals, Belgium led the way in putting the technique to arguably criminal uses, including pornography and the wider abuse of power, which sadly finds an echo in today’s AI image manipulation.
Quarantaine. Review by Barbara Lewis. Flanders in its golden age produced the painters Van Eyck and Memling. Around six centuries on, the work of Belgian conceptual artist Honoré δ’O, at first sight bears no relation to his aesthetic forebears.
Gwen John: Art and Life in London and Paris. Review by Barbara Lewis. As curators and art historians work to redistribute glory that men historically monopolised, Pallant House Gallery’s latest major exhibition devotes itself to extracting Welsh-born artist Gwen John from beneath the shadow of her more worldly brother Augustus John.
TEXTUS: Nancy Mattson visits a richly rewarding exhibition of text and textiles at the Torriano Meeting House
Poetry review – GRACE NOTES: Nancy Charley‘s new collection is wide-ranging and sometimes surprising but is built round a strong central theme
HOLDING A POSE: John Lucas comments on an intriguing essay by Anthony Rudolf on the role of the artist’s model
Paula Rego: Crivelli’s Garden. Review by Graham Buchan. Two years ago Tate Britain mounted a major retrospective of Paula Rego’s work and it was a great exhibition. Now the National Gallery shows a single piece of Rego’s work, albeit a big one: Crivelli’s Garden is nearly ten metres wide and two metres high.
The Goldfinch, Birds, Art and Us. review by Barbara Lewis. Following a fit of remorse after a poor sparrow was killed because she caused 3.5 million dominoes that had been lined up for World Domino Day to topple over, the “Domino Sparrow”, minus the wing that was shot off, is immortalised and on display in the National History Museum in Rotterdam.
By Barbara Lewis • added recently on London Grip, art, books, ecology, exhibitions • Tags: art, Barbara Lewis, books, ecology, exhibitions