Magdalena Abakanowicz: Every Tangle of Thread and Rope at Tate Modern, London, is a brief but powerful overview of the Polish artist’s category-defying woven sculptures known as Abakans, which she created in the 1960s and 70s. Made of thread and rope, their large-scale appearance envelops the viewer in a powerful forest of entities in theContinue reading “REVIEW | Magdalena Abakanowicz – Tate Modern, London”
Tag Archives: art history
THE BIG REVIEW | Raphael – National Gallery, London
For a concise review of The Credit Suisse Exhibition: RAPHAEL, please click here. The Early Umbrian Years Opening the National Gallery show is an elusive, faintly drawn portrait of a young boy whose features are generally believed to be that of a 15/16-year-old Raphael (British Museum, London). His eyes show an ambition and determination thatContinue reading “THE BIG REVIEW | Raphael – National Gallery, London”
THE BIG REVIEW | Titian: Love, Desire, Death – National Gallery, London
The reunion of Titian’s poesie paintings made for Prince Philip of Habsburg (future King Philip II of Spain) is a momentous occasion in the history of art. Created between 1551 and 1562, the series shows the elderly Titian’s artistic freedom at its height. Free to choose his subject matter and interpret them as he pleased,Continue reading “THE BIG REVIEW | Titian: Love, Desire, Death – National Gallery, London”
REVIEW | Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics – Barbican Centre, London
Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics at the Barbican Centre, London, is an inquisitive survey of one of the 20th century’s most intriguing feminist artists. And I honestly mean ‘feminist’ in the truest sense of the term, because she really does attempt to evenly balance the scales of male and female representation and power, while exploring theContinue reading “REVIEW | Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics – Barbican Centre, London”
REVIEW | Raphael – National Gallery, London
The Credit Suisse Exhibition: RAPHAEL at the National Gallery, London, is not your typical survey of the artist’s works. Instead, it is a silver sampling dish featuring every aspect of Raphael’s artistic personality. Consisting of a rigorously selected portion of autograph works, the exhibition succeeds in balancing some of the highlights of his career withContinue reading “REVIEW | Raphael – National Gallery, London”
REVIEW | Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul – Royal Academy of Arts, London
I’ve been struggling for days to write this review and I don’t know why. The short answer is that it’s an impressive exhibition. But it’s also more than that. It leaves an indelible impression on you. Consisting of works created almost exactly 100 years apart, I like to think Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch: TheContinue reading “REVIEW | Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul – Royal Academy of Arts, London”
Encountering the Past
In a chapter of Cynthia Freedland’s book, Portraits & Persons, the philosopher proposes that portraits are images of persons that fulfil one or more of the following features: Likenesses Psychological characterisations Proofs of presence or ‘contact’ Manifestations of a person’s ‘essence’ or ‘air’ Such criteria may seem obvious but, in practice, they are particularly difficultContinue reading “Encountering the Past”
#WhyArtHistoryMatters
The recent news concerning the axing of Art History at A-Level has received widespread criticism from teachers, students, and members of the general public alike. Each has made an attempt to defend the status of art history in education and its prosperous capability to help us understand society today. Here is my attempt.
MADDER – it’s all in the preparation
Two years ago the Griffin Gallery in West London launched its first Griffin Art Prize competition for UK-based artists who graduated within the past five years. The winner of the prize is awarded a six-month residency at the Griffin Gallery and Studios, resulting in a solo exhibition at the gallery with a published catalogue. TheyContinue reading “MADDER – it’s all in the preparation”
Louvre Abu Dhabi – a new collection awaits
The art world is about to get a little bit more exciting as the Louvre opens the doors to a new museum in Abu Dhabi in December 2015. The Louvre Abu Dhabi seeks to be a universal museum, embracing cross-cultural similarities instead of differences with its newly-bought collection. The Musée du Louvre’s Louvre Abu Dhabi:Continue reading “Louvre Abu Dhabi – a new collection awaits”
Nigel Ip | Visual Arts Writer & Art Historian 