In this film we focus on three works made by James Turrell and Rachel Whiteread at Houghton Hall. Turrell is an artist primarily using artificial and natural light to explore optical sensations and symbolic associations. At Houghton Turrell has installed one of his luminescent ‘Shallow Space Constructions’ and one of his viewing chambers from the ‘Skylight Series’. Whiteread adopts a process of casting to investigate time, function and memory in ordinary objects and structures. She has made a sculpture by casting a hut on the Houghton estate, part of a new series she calls ‘shy sculptures’ for their modest, utilitarian origins.
The Art Channel visits a curated exhibition of artworks by Louise Bourgeois and Yayoi Kusama addressing the subconscious, memory and trauma. Two of the most significant female artists of the past 75 years, Bourgeois and Kusama battled for recognition and opportunities for artistic self-expression. Experiencing troubled childhoods and family strife, each artist made art to address their fears and to find equilibrium in adult life.
The review takes place on The Art Channel on YouTube. Each week I post reviews of Modern and Contemporary Art exhibitions in discussion with Grace Adam.
Tate Modern is now showing a large range of work made by the South African and Dutch painter, Marlene Dumas. Often using a technique that disperses diluted ink and paint, her paintings are created by using found photographs rather than life models, producing images rich in mood and psychological insight.
The Institute of Sexology at the Wellcome Collection reviewed on The Art Channel with Grace Adam.
Exhibiting artworks alongside scientific artefacts, The Institute of Sexology explores how human sexuality became a field of scientific research. It shows how several brave individuals used pioneering research to end the stigma, repression and ignorance surrounding the body and sex. In the exhibition, historic objects and records illustrate the achievements of Sigmund Freud, Marie Stopes and Alfred Kinsey among others, interspersed with artworks that take a more imaginative interpretation. The exhibition runs until September 2015 at London’s Wellcome Collection on Euston Road.
Five Senses 