March 29, 2012
Filed under: Art events,Art News,Exhibitions — Alan @ 12:01 am
The Arts Newspaper has recently made the announcement at the Louvre Museum in Paris was the most visited art museum in the world in 2011. It estimated that throughout the year nearly Nine million people visited the museum, which is a significant increase on the figures from the previous year.
Second place is held by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum came in at third place. In fourth place was the National Gallery and fifth place was held by the Tate Modern, both museums located in London.
The list was first put together by the newspaper in 2007 and since this time it has always been led by the Louvre. The deputy editor of the newspaper, Javier Pes commented that, “The Louvre is so popular because it is the home of the Mona Lisa as well as numerous other remarkable pieces of art.”
Despite the global recession, more people than ever before are attending art galleries. This is despite many galleries having a budget cut as they look for ways to save money. Museums are having to rely on their great collections and putting them back on the shelves has proved an excellent low-cost alternative.
March 23, 2012
Filed under: Art events,Art News,Exhibitions — Alan @ 12:35 am
The UK is abuzz with anticipation of the Olympic Games, which is coming to the capital city this summer. It is not just bought that is going to be a very important part of the events and culture is also going to be an important element.
As well as watching Michael Phelps collect even more gold medals, people are going to be able to enjoy fantastic pieces of art in some of London’s best galleries.
Damien Hirst is having his first retrospective event which is taking place at the Tate Modern. This features over 70 of his pieces including one of his most famous, the shark in formaldehyde. Also included in the exhibition is the famous diamond skull which has been valued at over £50 million.
The director of the Tate galleries is Nicolas Serota and he has commented, “We think the Olympic Games is the perfect time for us to showcase British artists and we are delighted to be able to host Hirst’s retrospective event.”
Other cultural events that are taking place include the World Shakespeare Festival which is going to be the largest Shakespeare festival ever created. There are over 50 organisations from around the world involved in the event
March 21, 2012
Filed under: Art events,Art News,Exhibitions — Alan @ 11:12 am
North Devon offering the best of the UK's art scene
The landscape of North Devon has inspired hundreds of artists and writers from Ted Hughes to Damian Hirst to Henry Williamson. It is the beauty of the area that rampantly flows everywhere that often brings people to call North Devon their home.
This year the countryside is once again going to inspire art lovers and artists as it will be the site of some of the most hailed exhibitions of 202 including events that will feature Quentin Blake among others.
North Devon will also be part of the Cultural Olympiad as in October it will play host to a major mobile landscape when the public art project Nowhereisland is moored at Ilfracombe. http://nowhereisland.org/.
For the perfect art and crafts break in North Devon, you can find a comprehensive choice of luxurious holiday accommodation at www.northdevon.com.
A Discipline of the Mind: The Drawings of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham (March 16th April The Burton Art Gallery & Museum Bideford)
Fans of the St Ives School of Art will love this exhibition of the work of Wilhelmina Barns- Graham who is also considered to be one of the great twentieth century British artists and who was a contemporary of Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Patrick Heron. The drawings in this exhibition range from energy drawings inspired by the sea and currents to natural forms, rocks, trees, ice and landscapes.
A Discipline of the Mind exhibition “demonstrates Barns-Graham as one of the finest landscape draughtsman of her generation. Her drawings have an analytic dynamism and diverse stylistic verve that is utterly original and distinctive”….art critic and writer Mel Gooding.
For further information please contact Hannah Prothero Tel 01647 252017 or email Hannah@communicatingarts.co.uk http://www.burtonartgallery.co.uk/index.php
A perfect place to stay for art lovers wishing to explore what North Devon has to offer would be the beautifully and sympathetically restored Redland House at Instow. This Edwardian house was featured in the TV show “Fantasy Houses by the Sea” and it enjoys the most breath taking coastal views combined with luxurious interiors. Ideal for large groups as it sleeps 22. Short breaks are available, http://www.redlandhouse.co.uk/index.php
Quentin Blake Exhibition 26 May- 27 August RHS Rosemoor at Great Torrington
Quentin Blake is one of Britain’s best-loved, most successful illustrators and children’s authors. A former children’s laureate his distinctive illustrations have appeared in around 250 books including the drawings which featured in Roald Dahl’s celebrated children’s books. This summer, the famous RHS Rosemoor garden is giving visitors the chance to delight in the art of the man who brought to life characters such as Matilda, the BFG and Mister Magnolia.
The exhibition features five groups of pictures, including the Green Ship and You’re Only Young Twice and the team at Rosemoor will be recreating Quentin Blake’s famous Green Ship in the garden for children to clamber on and to recreate their own special version of the story.
For further press information please contact Heather Eales RHS Rosemoor 01805 626815 heathereales@rhs.org.uk or please visit http://www.rhs.org.uk/rosemoor
For visits to Rosemoor then Millbrook Cottages offers a wide range of award winning luxurious accommodation on a 32-acre estate at High Bickington at Umberleigh and would be the ideal location for those who like to enjoy the fine things in life. Artistic and romantic couples will love Millbrook’s Rose Cottage, which is brand new for 2012. A boutique cottage, shabby chic interiors with a copper bath for two and a hot tub. Gourmets can order a private chef service, hampers or breakfast boxes or champagne on arrival. This picturesque thatched cottage sleeps up to 4 people and it is situated in High Bickington Village, close to the Millbrook Estate.
http://www.millbrookcottages.co.uk/
Broomhill National Sculpture Prize 2012
The Broomhill Art Hotel, Sculpture Garden and Gallery near Barnstaple offers an annual £15,000 prize to offer a platform for young and emerging artists to showcase their creative work within medium and outdoor sculpture. The competition is open to UK based sculptures in their last year or within ten years of graduation from a recognised school of art willing to submit their contemporary work before a distinguished panel of judges.
http://www.broomhillart.co.uk/national-sculpture-prize/
For more information please contact; Rinus Van de Sande, Broomhill Art Hotel, Barnstaple 01271 850262. info@broomhillart.co.uk
If you wish to stay at this unique art hotel and explore the wonderful sculpture garden then
Bed and Breakfast costs £75 for a double room, or £50 single room, Sun-Thurs. Free admission to the sculpture garden. Special offers and mini breaks available. Find out more at www.northdevon.com or www.broomhillart.co.uk
Appledore Visual Arts Festival 7-10 June
The beautiful fishing village of Appledore on the banks of the Rivers Taw and Torridge near Bideford has played host to an annual arts festival since 1997 and Landmarks is the theme of the 2012 festival. The programme of events include talks events, workshops often staged in yurts on the quayside at Appledore which enjoys glorious views over the estuary and out towards the Atlantic Ocean. http://www.appledorearts.org/index.htm Please contact appledorearts@gmail.com
To make the most of those stunning views over the estuary then stay at the Gaiety, which offers six, 5-star luxury self catering apartments in what was a former Fisherman’s Mission and the old Gaiety Cinema. Stunning waterside location and private moorings for guests who want to head out on the estuary to spot birds or even Dolphins.
http://www.appledoreholidays.co.uk/
Art Trek 7-22 July Venues across North Devon
Some of the UK’s leading artists will be opening their studio doors to allow visitors a unique glimpse into their creative world. Artists, crafters and designers working across a range of disciplines from painting, sculpture, print-making, textiles ceramic to multi-media and photography will welcome visitors into their workshops, homes and studios Ceramicist Roger Cockram and painter Colin Allbrook will be taking part in this year’s event. Colin works in both oils and watercolours and through the use of light and colour depicts the life and cultural activity of North Devon. Colin has won the prestigious Turner Watercolour Award as well as the Rowland Hilder Award for landscape painting at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour exhibition.
Roger Cockram was one of the first ceramicists to be invited to take part in Bonham’s Contemporary Craft auctions in London. Roger will take visitors on a mini-guided tour of his work from un-worked clay through to the finished glazed piece at his Chittlehampton Pottery and Gallery.
For the first time, visitors will be able to see an artist showing their work in a newly restored gypsy caravan located near Atherington with the stunning backdrop of the Taw Valley.
Art enthusiasts are being encouraged to go green for Art Trek by visiting the many studios by bike. Anyone who cycles and visits more than 3 studios will have a loyalty card signed and entered into a prize draw to win an original piece of art or a cycling accessory. The prize draw celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Tarka Trail which was inspired by Tarka the Otter book by Henry Williamson. For further information contact Stella Levy 01769 540602
stella@widgerystudios.com
http://www.northdevonarts.co.uk/
Libbear Barton would be the ideal base for large groups or families wishing to enjoy the artistic delights of North Devon. Choose from a large Georgian farmhouse which sleeps 14 or one of three sumptuous cottages on a glorious 40 acre Devon estate at Shebbear near Beaworthy.
http://www.libbearbarton.co.uk/
Nowhereisland Ilfracombe October 2012
Nowhereisland is a public art project conceived by the artist Alex Hartley. It is one of 12 arts projects across the UK, funded by the Arts Council of England which will form part of the cultural Olympiad in summer 2012.
Imagine an Arctic island traveling south- a landscape on the move. After leaving Norway, the island enters international waters and is declared an island nation: Nowhereisland. The island will travel around the coast of South West England and it is due to arrive at Ilfacombe’s historic harbour during the town’s annual festival, Sea Ilfracombe in October. Schools are using Nowhereisland as a catalyst for teaching on citizenship, geography and politics over the coming months and two students from Ifracombe Arts College have been contributing ideas to the project and following their trip to the Artic last year with the Nowhereisland team.
Student hosts will be working with the wider community to devise welcome and farewell events and produce activities for the project. http://nowhereisland.org/
Art fans and gourmets will no doubt “hot-foot it” to Damian Hirst’s restaurant the Quay at Ilfracombe, http://11thequay.co.uk/ but they may like to relax and enjoy the chic style at the boutique Hampton’s Hotel in the town. Interior design courses are also available at the hotel.
http://www.thehamptonshotel.com/
March 3, 2012
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 10:45 am
New guide to Anglesey Arts Weeks
Anglesey Arts Weeks Guide
Open Studios and Galleries Weeks: 31 March – 15 April 2012
The biggest number of free events on Anglesey launches this week with the publication of the new 2012 Open Studios and Galleries Weeks Guide. This year a record number of 55 artists and 8 galleries invite you to visit for free, and look, discuss and experience the art created by Anglesey Art Forum Members.
This is the ninth year that the Open Studios and Galleries Weeks are taking place over the Easter holiday period, from Saturday 31 March to Sunday 15 April. “Get hold of a Guide and plan your visit, you will be amazed at the variety of art and locations you can experience. You will get a chance to meet and talk with the artist, often over a cup of tea, and gain a unique glimpse of the artistic process. There is never any pressure to buy, just a warm invitation to meet the artist and have a chat,” said Mike Gould, Chair of the voluntary Anglesey Art Forum Committee
A wide variety of art is represented by painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, installation artists, potters, ceramicists, jewellers and craftworkers at venues all over the Island, including; studios, chapels, barns, sheds, galleries and artists’ homes. Residents and visitors alike are promised a warm welcome at all studios and galleries.
“We have arranged two exhibitions, with at least one piece of work from each participant, at the Ucheldre Centre, Holyhead and the David Hughes Centre, Beaumaris. This would be a good place to start your artistic adventure as you can view an artist’s work and plan to visit to their studio, using the Guide to find locations and opening times,” said Mike.
The 48-page Guide contains Anglesey Art Forum member profiles, event listings and a map to help you plan your route. The free colour Guide is widely distributed to local libraries, schools, tourist information centres, hotels, shops and galleries. A downloadable PDF copy is available at www.angleseyartsforum.org or contact Heather at the Ucheldre Centre 01407 763361 for your copy.
The Guide lists artists in a circular geographic order and the galleries/events by date order. Directions to the different locations are included; just follow the events’ black on white logo signs (as seen here) to help you find your way. “You see our signs all over the island every Easter. This year I encourage you to get a Guide and meet the artist or visit the gallery at the end of the arrow,” said Mike.
A fresh initiative this year has been financial support through the North Wales Open Studios Network project (working in co-operation with Cadwyn Clwyd and Helfa Gelf Art Trail), which has received funding through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
“We are extremely grateful to our funders without whom this year’s Anglesey Arts Weeks would not have been possible. We are also supported by the Arts Council of Wales, Isle of Anglesey County Council, and Menter Môn,” said Mike.
Additions and unavoidable alterations to the Guide will be posted on the www.angleseyartsforum.org website.
The Arts Forum exists to promote all forms of art on Anglesey and is hosting the Anglesey Performing Arts Weeks from Friday 19 October to Sunday 4 November 2012. If you wish to perform and promote an event during these weeks, or become a member of the Forum
February 20, 2012
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 6:35 pm
Entries need for Weston Park fine art open competition
The Weston Park Art Gallery is giving young artists the chance to showcase their works and enter them into a prestigious competition that is to form the basis of a forthcoming exhibition in the estate’s art gallery.
Every month there is an exhibition at Weston Park by an acclaimed artist, from both the UK and overseas, except for August when the space is dedicated to their Fine Art Open Competition.
This gives new, young talent to opportunity of gaining priceless public exposure. This exhibition will be made up of those who have made the shortlist for the prize of £2000.
Gareth Williams, Curator to the Weston Park Foundation, comments: “Weston Park houses an art collection of international importance including works from Constable, Stubbs and Van Dyck, and as an educational charity we believe that an important part of our role is about fostering and nurturing new talent. One of the most valuable parts of this project is that it gives artists the chance to see their work hang in a professional gallery.”
Weston Park is located just off the A5 on the Shropshire / Staffordshire boarder. This will be the second Fine Art Open Competition that it has organised, with last year’s event attracting more than 150 entries and more than 2,000 visitors.
Entries cost £15.00 per piece and the deadline is Friday June 29th 2012. For further details please visit www.weston-park.com/granaryopen to download an entry form.
February 15, 2012
Filed under: Art events,Unusual Art — Alan @ 9:18 am
A new exhibition is going to be taking place at the Tate Britain and is going to detail what effect Picasso had on the British art scene.
The exhibition is called Picasso and Modern British Art, and features over 60 pieces of art by the artist and many other pieces that have been inspired by his work from such leading British artists as David Hockney and Henry Moore.
The show is also displaying seven works by Francis Bacon which he painted before 1944. There are only nine such works in existence because the artist made an attempt to destroy all of the work he did before this date. Bacon was directly inspired by Picasso during the 1920s and he gave up his job of interior design to become a painter after seeing the artist’s work.
The exhibition is curated by Chris Stephens who commented, “Some of the paintings by Bacon that are on display are just a few of those that escaped his destructive grasp. The reason he wanted to destroy them is because he saw them as being too much like the works of Picasso and despite the artist disowning them they are very sophisticated pieces of art.”
These early paintings show a great relation to the work Bacon created later in his life, with definite elements of the sinister interiors and the crucified figures that he is known for. These paintings are shown alongside some of his later works including the Three Studies. Many people regard this as one of the best paintings of the 20th century. Mr Stevens continued, “To have all of these paintings together in one place is an amazing achievement.”
Picasso grew up in a house that was fascinated by English culture and his father was especially known for this. The exhibition details the relationship the painter had with the United Kingdom and it was not always an easy one.
Winston Churchill once commented that he would like to give the artist a kick in the rear. Another artist once described a Picasso work as, “A piece of paper that seems to have some ink accidentally upset on it and he has tried to wipe it off with a pair of shoes.”
In 1920 a show of his work raised only £90 in sales, although the most expensive piece he had created was priced nearly £800. The fact that none of the paintings sold demonstrates just how much Britain was closed off to contemporary art at the time.
It was not until the 1940s that the international reputation of Picasso was secured in the UK with the very popular, although controversial, show that took place at the V&A. The show that is taking place at the Tate concludes with various pieces of art by Hockney which are seen as a response to works by Picasso.
The show also contains two drawings created by Hockney that depict him with Picasso in imaginary situations. In one of them they are sitting across from each other at a table.
January 31, 2012
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 3:00 pm
The Great White South is a brand new exhibition of rare photographs taken by Herbert G Ponting, the official photographer who accompanied Scott of the Antarctic on his epic journey. These prints have been taken from negatives dating back to 1913. This is the largest collection of the original carbon prints from Ponting that have been seen together is almost 100 years, and were last seen in public in 1913.
Avid collectors will have the chance to buy these incredibly rare prints and they range in value from £12,000 to £27,000. A new and limited edition collection of 48 contemporary reprints from Ponting’s own personal collection will also be available. They will be published in an exclusive portfolio and priced at £25,000, with individual prints starting at £800.
The exhibition will also include Captain Scott’s lost photographs, which Scott took himself on is ill fated trip to the South Pole. The Atlas Gallery in Marylebone is the place to come and these amazing pictures, which Ponting lifted from his own negative in 1913, the year after Robert Falcon Scott 1910-1912′s expedition ended. A total of over 50 images will be displayed, and a preview of them can be found athttp://bit.ly/atlasgallery
The unique selling exhibition - The Great White South - will offer collectors the opportunity to purchase these valuable antique Carbon Print Photographs, which range in price from £12,000 – £27,000 [Full Price list below].
The original 1913 carbon prints on display, which are in exceptional condition, have not been exhibited publicly for nearly 100 years, and many remain in their original Edwardian frames. The ATLAS Gallery show is the largest exhibition of Ponting’s original Polar photographic prints assembled since first being displayed at the Fine Art Exhibitions between 1913 and 1915.
Herbert G. Ponting (1870-1935) was already one of the most renowned and accomplished photographers of his day when he was recruited as a ‘camera-artist’ to document Scott’s attempt to reach the pole. A highly experienced travel photographer, his photographs of Japan, Burma and China – taken before his journey to Antarctica – are still highly sought after by collectors today. Among his most collectable and rarest works are his photographs of the Antarctic, taken during the Terra Nova Expedition.
The ATLAS Gallery’s selling exhibition is from the collection of antique photography collector Richard Kossow, who started collecting Ponting’s polar photographs over 25 years ago. Kossow, a Literary Dealer, had his interest in Ponting’s photography sparked through his research into the diaries and memoirs of the Edwardian Polar explorers. After finding many of Ponting’s original prints in appalling states of decay, he devoted his collecting towards finding Ponting’s best-preserved original photographs, wherever possible in their original frames. These museum-quality works are exclusively represented by the ATLAS Gallery.
Ponting’s extraordinary visual record of thePolar regionsare considered to be of huge scientific and visual significance. His extraordinary technical and compositional talents captured images of the previously uncharted continent of unparalleled quality, which are still among some of the finest ever taken of the Antarctic. Ponting was the very first professional still and movie photographer to go to a polar region, and was the first movie cameraman to use his camera for naturalist studies. The photographs are also of considerable artistic note, displaying both the typically painterly compositions indicative to Edwardian photography, but also highly innovative, almost modernist perspectives on the polar landscape, demonstrating Ponting as a creative and pioneering photographer.
Additional works exhibited at the Great White South Exhibition:
Limited Edition Platinum Print Portfolio
In addition to the collection of the original carbon prints produced in 1913, there will also be a new limited edition collection of 48 platinum prints, published in a special portfolio in association with the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, available for purchase. Handmade from Ponting’s original negatives, the prints will be exhibited with specially commissioned essays by experts including author and explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, which provide a fascinating insight into the incredible story behind these remarkable photographs. The platinum print portfolios are priced at £25,000 for the complete portfolio with individual prints from around £800.
The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott
The exhibition will also feature the Lost Photographs of Captain Scott, taken by Scott himself during his tragic march to the Pole and first exhibited at the ATLAS Gallery in November 2011. Throughout his polar trek, and in the face extreme arctic weather conditions, Scott – trained by Ponting – captured some breathtaking polar panoramas as well as photographing the explorers themselves, documenting some of the most poignant and emotive records of the fateful expedition.
The collection of images, of which the works on display are modern limited edition reproductions of the original prints, chronicling the first part of Scott’s Antarctic journey, were thought lost for almost 70 years because the negatives had been misplaced and the prints were in private hands. When the collection resurfaced at a New York auction in 2001, they were bought by Richard Kossow who had planned to sell them on until they were bought by the Scott Polar Research Institute with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the British Nation.
Ben Burdett, Founder and Managing Director of the ATLAS Gallery said: “Ponting’s photography of the Antarctic had a tremendous impact when it was first displayed at the Fine Art Exhibitions in 1913 that is often difficult for a contemporary audience to fully understand. There was a huge outpouring of national grief for the loss of Captain Scott and his party, and Ponting’s images of the expedition became a focal point for the general public to see for themselves where Scott’s remarkable story played out.
“The original show was also a pivotal moment in the history of photographic curation. The Fine Art Exhibitions were the biggest selling exhibition of photography ever staged at that time, and the scale of the photographic prints surpassed any previously displayed in public.
“The quality of preservation we see in the collection we have today adds to the value of these unique artefacts, and we are extremely excited to be hosting this selling exhibition at the ATLAS Gallery.”
Richard Kossow, assembler of the Ponting Collection said: “The history of exploration in the Antarctic is fascinating, but, until the advent of Herbert Ponting, poorly represented in its photographic documentation. Most photographic records from the “Heroic Age” of Antarctic expeditions are of frustratingly low quality, which is why I was initially drawn to the exceptional calibre of Ponting’s photographs.
“Aside from their scientific importance, the beauty and creativity of their compositions make them amongst some of the most captivating travel photography ever taken. As Naomi Rosenblum said in her World History of Photography,“it is not surprising that some of Herbert Ponting’s images from Scott’s Terra Nova expedition should recall the freshness of vision that characterised the first views of the western American wilderness”. When considering the challenges to photography in the extreme Antarctic climate, their power and genius are even more impressive.
“I have committed 25 years to searching out the best-preserved prints the first showing at the 1913-14 Fine Arts Society’s Exhibitions of Ponting’s Terra Nova photographs and am delighted to be presenting this fine collection at the ATLAS Gallery”.
Captain Scott’s ill-fated polar trek remains imprinted in the public consciousness as the venture in which Scott was beaten to the South Pole by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen, only to perish during his return journey, along with four other members of the polar party.
The ATLAS Gallery’s exhibition will mark the centenary of the death of Captain Scott and his men, as well as the National Service of Commemoration in honour of Scott, which will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral, 29 March 2012.
January 20, 2012
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 3:51 pm
The London Art Fair is Britain’s first, and largest, exhibition of contemporary modern art in all its forms.This year the Art Fair, taking place from 18-22 January at the Business Design Centre in Islington, features works from 120 major galleries in the UK. It includes an entry by Scream for the first time, and the major attraction here is the pop art of Pakpoom Silaphan, a Thai native with a strong bond to England.
Silaphan uses a ‘canvas’ of tin or enamel advertising signs juxtaposed with portraits of artists and others whose work has influenced his own art. It’s a sort of connective tissue between the visual media and an eclectic series of high-profile human figures such as John Lennon, Andy Warhol, Barack Obama, Che Guevara, John-Michel Basquist and the Queen.
In this exhibition his latest sculpture appears; an aluminum representation of a paper plane that stands seven feet tall, called ‘The Identified Flying Object’. It appears to be made from the painting ‘Whaam’ by Lichtenstein, and uses that well-known work instead of the artist’s portrait to create his (Silaphan’s) distinctive imagery.
The sculpture was the inspiration for another aspect of Silaphan’s art that’s on show, in this case a series of paper planes in a ‘cut-out-and-keep’ format. In co-operation with Stylist Magazine, the artist created five designs that can be downloaded from the magazine’s website, printed and folded to make paper airplanes. Collectors who bring all five of the planes to Scream’s stand at the Fair will get a certificate of authentication.
Pakpoom Silaphan says of his art that it is a way to “. . .see everything as a symbol and symbolise everything”. To him, the airplane is a symbol of ambition and progress; as with art in general, the viewer draws his or her own inferences and conclusions.
December 15, 2011
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 8:26 am
One of the most prestigious art honours in the world is the Turner prize this week the ceremony where the awards are given is being held outside London. This is only the second time in nearly 30 years that the ceremony has been held outside the capital city and is being held in Gateshead. Mario Testino, the photographer, is giving the prize this year.
Many people have welcomed the move at the award ceremony outside the capital as it helps people remember that the award is a national recognition and not just focused on artists living in London. The Independent recently published a story saying, “The Turner prize is normally awarded at the Tate Britain and it is a good idea to move outside of the capital city to a more interesting location.”
The artist who receives the award will garner an almost celebrity like status and they will also receive a prize of £25,000. There are four nominees for this year’s Turner prize including Martin Boyce, George Shaw, Karla Black and Hillary Lloyd.
Currently the favourite for the award is Mr Boyce but Mr Shaw is a close second favourite. Shaw is the only painter from this year’s nominees and he is known for painting crumbling buildings in urban landscapes. His images are small but incredibly detailed.
The other two nominees are quite a way behind the two favourites according to bookmakers. Lloyd created a room of video and mixes technology with art wonderfully. Black created a fragile installation which involved curtains made of cellophane. Many people have seen this as a very competitive year for art and the prize is highly sought after.
December 9, 2011
Filed under: Art events — Alan @ 9:10 am
A recent announcement has been made that will mean London will be hosting one of the biggest arts festivals that has ever taken place. The event will be taking place during the 12 weeks that the Olympics is hosted and will turn the city into a cultural extravaganza. Event organisers have said that the festival next year will rival the Festival of Britain that was held in 1951.
The event will begin on the same day as the Olympic Games, July 27, and all across the nation bells will be rung to mark its onset. Martin Creed, has designed a special artwork to be used at the opening ceremony of the Games which many are expecting to be particularly spectacular.
The cultural show will include what is regarded as the most ambitious Shakespeare play ever to be staged and there will also be music festivals that do not charge people for entry. Other events will be taking place in the city and there will be 10 million tickets given away at no charge.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has recently said, “We want to create a unique event like no other in the Olympics and this arts Festival is a way to ensure this. It is going to be an exhilarating moment in the history of the capital city.”
The chairman of the Royal Opera house is Tony Hall and he is responsible for the cultural festival that is running alongside the Olympics. He has recently said, “We are planning for London to be an explosion of cultural activity. We are hoping to create something that the nation will be able to celebrate in a time when people are feeling down because of the state of the economy. We want to give people something to celebrate and something to be proud of.”
Theatre, music, art, poetry, and dance will all form part of the programme and many people think that the proposition for it to be held was one of the reasons why London was awarded the Olympic bid. Initially many people were very sceptical about the programme and thought that it would not be possible to create a very unique experience however, now that announcements have been made detailing the project, many people have a renewed faith.
At the opening of the games, the mass bell-ringing will be taking place and this is where every member of the public is encouraged to ring a bell as loudly and as fast as possible for 3 minutes, all at the same time. If you don’t have a bell then there is a mobile application you can download that will simulate a bell-ringing.
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