Poetry, stories and strange odds and ends from the desk of a writer
Utrillo’s life could not have been a more Bohemian one. For many the romantic concept of la vie bohème was living a life in Paris of the late-19th and early-20th century but far less dazzling in its reality. The son of Suzanne Valadon, a former circus performer turned artist model and avant garde artist Utrillo never knew his father. Rumours abound that it could have been anyone from Puvisde Chavannes to Renoir to Boissy...
Cleopatra Flesh by Jules Olitski Cleopatra Flesh1962Colour field PaintingSynthetic polymer paint on canvasThe Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA ‘Cleopatra Flesh’ is a stain painting, exemplifying Olitski’s early works as a member of the Colour Field movement. The artist poured diluted paint onto a large canvas to create its bold and simple composition. The … Continue reading Cleopatra Flesh by Jules Olitski
Birth by Kenneth Noland Birth1961Post-Painterly AbstractionOil on canvasSolomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA Noland focuses on the relational qualities of the three colours as well as contrasting the vibrant hard-edged rings with their neutral background rather than creating an illusion of depth for ‘Birth’. As the title suggests the circle is the universal symbol … Continue reading Birth by Kenneth Noland
Apple Harvest by Paul Sérusier Apple Harvest1891SynthesismOil on canvasPrivate Collection ‘Apple Harvest’ is a tripartite depiction of the progression of life. By using three panels, Sérusier has explicitly referred to the traditional structure of a triptych. Three different aspects of rural female life are represented; a woman nursing her child, women gathering apples, and women … Continue reading Apple Harvest by Paul Sérusier
https://youtu.be/X9qiGaD6dTc Balkan Baroque1997Performance ArtProjections, cow bones, copper sinks and tub filled with black water, bucket, soap, metal brush, white dress Abramović created ‘Balkan Baroque’ in response to the innumerable deaths that had taken place in the former Yugoslavia. Sitting on top of 1500 cow bones in a white dress for 4 days, for 6 hours … Continue reading Balkan Baroque by Marina Abramović
Fluids by Allan Kaprow Fluids1967Modern Photography30 walls of icePhotos and archives: Allan Kaprow Archives, the Getty Research Institute One of Kaprow’s most ambitious works, ‘Fluids’ involved the recruitment of groups of local residents to build huge ice structures in various locations within Pasadena, California. The concept of collective actions resulting in the inevitable melting of … Continue reading Fluids by Allan Kaprow
Kinetic art is the expression of the fascination with movement and describes a whole swathe of modern art from Impressionism to the present day. Works of art which move, or give the impression of movement – from mobile, mechanical sculpture to Op art paintings which trick the eye into seeing rotation or vibration ...
Ann Ford (Later Mrs. Philip Thicknesse) by Thomas Gainsborough Ann Ford (later Mrs. Philip Thicknesse)1760Grand Manner PortraitureOil on canvasCollection of Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA The first full-length portrait by Gainsborough after his move to Bath ‘An Ford’ was intended to demonstrate his excellence in portraiture to attract further commissioned work. The artist's attention … Continue reading Ann Ford (Later Mrs. Philip Thicknesse) by Thomas Gainsborough
Andy Warhol by Robert Mapplethorpe Andy Warhol1986Modern PhotographyGelatin Silver PrintThe Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, New York, USA Warhol’s bust is centered in a white halo-like circle around his head, placed within a black frame with Warhol wearing his trademark black turtleneck and blank stare. The cruciform shape recalls Mapplethorpe’s recurring Catholic motifs and the Catholic background … Continue reading Andy Warhol by Robert Mapplethorpe
Woman with Drapery by Henri Laurens Woman with Drapery1928Interwar ClassicismBronzeMuseum of Modern Art, New York, USA Showcasing both Laurens’ return to curvilinear forms and his interest in Classical themes ‘Woman with Drapery’ reinterprets the caryatid goddess in an avant-garde idiom. Appearing with a slight contrapposto Laurens’ woman has flowing locks and holds her discarded Grecian … Continue reading Woman with Drapery by Henri Laurens
Olitski was a painter, sculptor, and printmaker. He was instrumental in the development of the Colour Field school. Olitski stained his canvas surfaces in a technique that rejected the gestural brushwork of the Abstract Expressionist artist of the time. Olitski’s signature works eliminated the illusion of depth and any evidence of the artist’s touch, placing the emphasis on the materials used, the surface and the emotional strength of colour
18 Happenings in 6 Parts by Allan Kaprow 18 Happenings in 6 Parts1959HappeningsA gallery divided into three rooms, semi-transparent plastic sheets painted and collaged with references to Kaprow's earlier work, panels with words roughly painted, rows of plastic fruit, artist's hand-lettered instructions and programs, vintage posters, photographs, and videotapesPhotos and archives: Allan Kaprow Archives, The … Continue reading 18 Happenings in 6 Parts by Allan Kaprow
Untitled #92 by Cindy Sherman Untitled #921985PhotographyColour PhotographMetro Pictures, New York, USA This photograph is part of Sherman’s later Disasters and Fairy Tales series and depicts Sherman as a damsel in distress. She fearfully looks away from the camera as she crouches on the ground with wetted hair and a tensed position she seems to … Continue reading Untitled #92 by Cindy Sherman
Untitled by William Eggleston Untitled1960-65Modern PhotographySilver gelatin printEggleston Trust, Memphis, Tennessee, USA Eggleston’s career began at a time when black and white photography was beginning to be accepted as an art form. In this untitled shot he captures a scene in a convenience store with a boy leaning against stocked shelves next to a chilled … Continue reading Untitled by William Eggleston
Delaware Water Gap by George Inness Delaware Water Gap1857NaturalismOil on CanvasThe National Gallery, London, UK ‘Delaware Water Gap’ depicts the emergence of the North American steam train network, however, the prominence of the locomotive is diminished. On the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the foreground rocks and grasses are shadowed by the cover of … Continue reading Delaware Water Gap by George Inness
Tête de jeune fillette by Henri Laurens Tête de jeune fillette1920CubismLimestoneTate, London, UK An appearance of smooth, organic and abstracted mutations of the materials themselves Laurens’s various sculptures of female heads are similar to the heads by Constantin Brancusi. And like Brancusi the artist turned to non-Western sources for inspiration, notably African masks. The artist … Continue reading Tête de jeune fillette by Henri Laurens
Kaprow was a painter, assemblagist and he is considered a pioneer in establishing the concepts of performance art. In the late 1950s and 1960s he was involved in the development of the ‘Happening’ and the ‘Environment’ and their theory...
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. El Greco was a nickname giving reference to his Greek origins, but he normally signed his paintings in his birth name, Doménikos Theotokópoulos,,,
Self-Portrait 'Les Miserables' by Paul Gauguin Self-Portrait 'Les Miserables'1888Post-ImpressionismOil on canvasVan Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands Before his departure to Aries in 1888. Gauguin and Vincent van Gough exchanged examples of their work, including several self-portraits. ‘Self Portrait ‘Les Miserables’’ was among the paintings sent to Van Gough. Gauguin includes a full-profile likeness of the fictional … Continue reading Self-Portrait ‘Les Miserables’ by Paul Gauguin
Laurens was a sculptor and illustrator. Mostly associated with pre-war Cubism he indulged in a wide range of artistic practices. After the war he saw the Cubist movement as too dogmatic and his work acceded to the formal and thematic influences of Classical sculpture...
Baby by Allan Kaprow Baby1957Action PaintingPaper, metal foil, pieces of carpet, oil and plastic paint, chalk, linen on hardboardMuseum Moderner Kunst Ludwig Vienna, Austria An action collage, ‘Baby’ is made from randomly assembled objects contrasted with cut-up pieces of Kaprow’s paintings. The formal arrangement of the works elements into vertical stripes is the only coherent … Continue reading Baby by Allan Kaprow
Reanimation by Joan Jonas Reanimation2010Media and PerformanceVideo Installation with PerformanceMuseum of Modern Art, New York, USA In ‘Reanimation’ Jonas brings together many of the elements of multi-layered materials and meanings she has explored throughout her work. In spirit holding a mirror to our multi-faceted brains, ‘Reanimation’ comprises of four video screens displaying snow peaks and … Continue reading Reanimation by Joan Jonas
Woman with a Mandolin by Henri Laurens Woman with a Mandolin1919CubismUnglazed cast earthenwareSmart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, USA A woman with a mandolin was a common theme and subject among the Cubist painters and sculptors. Laurens used a combination of sharp and curved planar units, blurring the boundaries between the female and the … Continue reading Woman with a Mandolin by Henri Laurens
Self Portrait, Head Between Hands by Claude Cahun Self Portrait, Head Between Hands1920Identity Politics, PhotographyPhotographic print A striking photograph, ‘Self-Portrait, Head Between Hands’ depicts how Cahun has transitioned from their childhood and teenage female identity to the gender-neutral persona. A shaved scalp replaces the long hair effectively stripping away the social traditions of the alluring … Continue reading Self Portrait, Head Between Hands by Claude Cahun
An Avenue of Trees, Forest of l'Isle-Adam by Théodore Rousseau An Avenue of Trees, Forest of l'Isle-Adam1849RealismOil on canvasMusée d'Orsay, Paris, France Successfully ascending to the higher echelons of the art world, Rousseau returned to the vertical portrait of landscape with his painting ‘The Avenue of Trees, Forest of l’Isle-Adam. His earlier vertical works had … Continue reading An Avenue of Trees, Forest of l’Isle-Adam by Théodore Rousseau
Vision After the Sermon (Jacob's Fight with the Angel) by Paul Gauguin Vision After the Sermon (Jacob's Fight with the Angel)1888Synthetism, CloisonnismOil on canvasNational Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland Representing a significant move away from the subject matter of Impressionism, Vision after the Sermon is a rural biblical scene of women praying while envisioning an … Continue reading Vision After the Sermon (Jacob’s Fight with the Angel) by Paul Gauguin
Petunia No.2 by Georgia O'Keeffe Petunia No.21924Early American ModernismOil on canvasGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA One of O’Keeffe’s first large scale paintings of a flower, Petunia No. 2 demonstrates the beginning of her exploration into the theme that would become a mark of her career. To place the emphasis on the flower’s … Continue reading Petunia No.2 by Georgia O’Keeffe
Rhythm 01974Performance Art72 objects including a feather, pen, book, saw, honey, band-aid, salt, rose, gun, bullet, paint, whip, coat and scissors ‘I am the object. During this period I take full responsibility’ was the description with which Abramovic invited spectators to use any of 72 objects on her body in any they wanted completely giving … Continue reading Rhythm 0 by Marina Abramovic
Unprinted II by Angus Fairhurst Unprinted ii2005-06Conceptual ArtPhoto-etching on paperTate Collection, UK A set of three photo etchings showing silhouettes of women superimposed on top of each other against layered backgrounds of abstract colour the Unprinted series seemingly contain both indoors and outdoors with few recognisable elements outside of the women’s bodies. Derived from magazines … Continue reading Unprinted ii by Angus Fairhurst
View of Toledo by El Greco View of Toledo1599MannerismOil on canvasMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA ‘View of Toledo’ portrays the city where El Greco spent most of his life. A dramatic landscape, with vibrant vegetation in the foreground and the gathering of clouds announcing a storm in the background, the city is depicted … Continue reading View of Toledo by El Greco
Nudes in the Forest by Fernand Léger Nudes in the Forest1909-10CubismOil on canvasKröller-Muller State Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands Nudes in the Forest was exhibited at the 1911 Salon des Indépendants and is considered Léger’s first major work, showing his break from Impressionism to Cubism. The influence of Paul Cézanne can be seen in Léger’s focus on … Continue reading Nudes in the Forest by Fernand Léger
Peace and Plenty by George Inness Peace and Plenty1865TonalismOil on canvasThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA Peace and Plenty exemplifies Inness’ continuing battle with artistic traditions and norms promoted by the Hudson River School. A lush and large canvas, Inness favoured the pastoral over the grandiose rendering the painting in soft brushstrokes of … Continue reading Peace and Plenty by George Inness
Underdone Overdone paintings by Angus Fairhurst Underdone/Overdone paintings1998Conceptual ArtAcrylic silk-screen on panelsVarious collections Based on black-and-white photographs of the thickets in Epping Forest, Underdone/Overdone is a thirty painting series in primary colours. Beginning with the image of crossing trees, Fairhurst overlaid woodland images at random and in a variety of combinations over the sequence of … Continue reading Underdone/Overdone paintings by Angus Fairhurst
Maria Bicknell by John Constable, 1816. Oil on canvas. Tate, London, UK Maria Bicknell1816RomanticismOil on canvasTate Britain, London, UK Painted three months before their marriage, Constable kept this portrait of his fiancée with him. It is said to be a remarkable likeness of Maria and the fine detail to Maria’s face contrasts with the loose … Continue reading Maria Bicknell by John Constable
The Assumption of the Virgin by Titian The Assumption of the Virgin1516-18Renaissance, MannerismOil on boardBasilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice, Italy On a cloud surrounded by putti, Mary forms the focal point of the composition of this depiction of the ascension of the Virgin into heaven. Her eyes gaze upward to the god … Continue reading The Assumption of the Virgin by Titian
The Artist's Wife and His Setter Dog by Thomas Eakins The Artist's Wife and His Setter Dog1884-89RealismOil on canvasCollection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, USA Eakin’s wife, Susan, is posed in a blue dress sitting in a chair staring out at the viewer with a red -haired dog lying ta … Continue reading The Artist’s Wife and His Setter Dog by Thomas Eakins
Niagara by George Inness Niagara1889NaturalismOil on canvasSmithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., USA A bold work symbolising a stylistic departure for Inness. Niagara is a return to the themes of the great American landscapists, but unlike Frederic Church’s mesmeric hypernaturalism of the Niagara Falls, Inness expresses the power and noise of the falls through expressive … Continue reading Niagara by George Inness
Lackawanna Valley by George Inness Lackawanna Valley1855TonalismOil on canvasThe National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., USA One of Inness’s earliest works, Lackawanna Valley was produced when he was still a struggling young artist for the first president of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad. He was paid $75 for the composition of a mixture of … Continue reading Lackawanna Valley by George Inness
Second Binding1964Conceptual Art, Feminist ArtCheesecloth stuffed with rags and newspaper, dye, and aluminium foil on canvasJewish Museum, New York, USA An early sculptural work composed of a mass of wrapped, bulbous, stuffed forms dyed black, orange, red, brown and yellow, Second Binding, appears organic and fleshy. One of several sculptural creations created by Ukeles while … Continue reading Second Binding by Mierle Laderman Ukeles
Self Portrait1936PortraitureGraphite on paperCollection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, USA Self Portrait depicts Tanning looks out at the viewer in a reflective pose in a to the Surrealist drawing that shows her technical skills and attention to detail. An isolated study of the eye is an interesting aspect of the … Continue reading Self Portrait by Dorothea Tanning
Madonna and Child with Saint Martina and Saint Agnes by El Greco Madonna and Child with Saint Martina and Saint Agnes1597-99MannerismOil on canvasThe National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., USA A depiction of Mary and the infant Christ seated on clouds in heaven, Madonna and Child with Saint Martina and Saint Agnes is a large-scale … Continue reading Madonna and Child with Saint Martina and Saint Agnes by El Greco
Homage to Cézanne1900Post-ImpressionismOil on canvasMusée d'Orsay, Paris, France Set in the shop of Ambroise Vallard, an art dealer, a group of artists and painters discuss a seminal work by Cézanne, Still Life with a Fruit-Dish (1850). The painting is intended as a tribute to Cézanne, an artist from an older generation to the painter. Denis … Continue reading Homage to Cézanne by Maurice Denis
Peasants Dancing by Natalia Goncharova Peasants Dancing1910 - 11Neo-PrimitiveOil on canvasNational Gallery of Art, Sydney Australia Peasants Dancing depicts two men and women dancing a Khorovod on the green earth with a backdrop of a dark blue sky. The painting is one of The Vintage composition in Nine Parts depicting the grape harvest. The series … Continue reading Peasants Dancing by Natalia Goncharova
https://youtu.be/0VEHsUlJiBw Rest Energy1980Performance ArtBow and arrow At only four minutes and ten seconds long, Rest Energy is so highly intense that reveals the fragility of the line between life and death. Facing each other, Ulay aims an arrow on a tensioned bow just inches from Abramovic’s heart. Small microphones placed on their chests make their … Continue reading Rest Energy by Marina Abramovic
La Toilette1884-86ImpressionismPastel on paperPushkin Museum, Moscow, Russia Somewhat typical of Degas’ myriad of nudes, and typical of the stylistics that made his body of work controversial, La Toilette demonstrates Degas’ tendency to capture the figure from behind, revealing only a fragment of the figure suggesting the whole. The placement of the subject in shallow space … Continue reading La Toilette by Edgar Degas
Guangzhou Opera House by Zaha Hadid Guangzhou Opera House2003-10StarchitectureGuangzhou, China Hadid’s first project in China, the Guangzhou Opera House was a result of her success in a design competition. A 1800-seat theatre, 400-seat multifunctional hall, rehearsal rooms, and an entrance hall are contained in the structure of folded glass and polished granite. Hadid likened the … Continue reading Guangzhou Opera House by Zaha Hadid
Pére Ubu by Dora Maar Père Ubu1936SurrealismGelatin silver printMetropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA One of the most iconic photographs of the Surrealist movement, Père Ubu attained fame after its inclusion at the London International Surrealist Exhibition. It is a somewhat bizarre and disquieting figure taking up the entire plane of the picture. An … Continue reading Père Ubu by Dora Maar
Hole by Robert Indiana Hole1960Neo-DadaGesso, oil, wood, and iron wheels on woodPrivate Collection A free-standing sculpture, ‘Hole’ is composed of a wooden rectangular column almost four feet in height; a wooden rod protrudes from ear the base and iron wheels are at both the right and left face of the column. Two arrows, one red … Continue reading Hole by Robert Indiana
Odyssey by Cai Guo-Qiang Odyssey2010Conceptual ArtGunpowder on paper, mounted on wood as 42 panel screensTing Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Arts of China Gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA At 3 metres high and 50 metres long, Odyssey stretches across four walls of a room. Cai drew inspiration from the classical Chinese … Continue reading Odyssey by Cai Guo-Qiang
Forest of Fontainebleau by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot Forest of Fontainebleau1846NeoclassicismOil on canvasMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA Corot’s tranquil depiction of the Forest of Fontainebleau is complete with bovine inhabitants and a cowherd in the distance as he leads the herd to water. At first glance the painting appears to have been composed on location, but … Continue reading Forest of Fontainebleau by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
About the Jez of It 