Two of the 20th Century’s greatest artistic mavericks and showmen are paired together in a show which reconsiders the overlooked interests and connections between the two men. The Art Channel looks in detail at six key works exhibited in the show to learn more about their ideas and methods and why they have been so influential on younger generations of artists. The film includes a contribution from Professor Dawn Ades, co-curator of the exhibition.
Working for almost fifty years in natural landscapes and the materials found within them, Richard Long has made a series of site specific sculptures for the garden and park of Houghton Hall in Norfolk in an exhibition called ‘Earth Sky’. In this film Grace and Joshua visit the exhibition to find out how Long builds his sculptures and how they respond to this historic house and garden. In these directly honest and simple sculptures Long addresses ideas of history, time, geology and ecology.
The Art Channel walks through an exhibition at Tate Britain showing 60 years of art by David Hockney. From his earliest experiments in painting, Hockney develops a naturalism that explores the experience of looking at the world. This first film analyses six key paintings from the first half of his career. Ever curious and observant, Hockney is constantly testing the possibility of art to represent and understand friends, places, objects and architecture. We look closely at several key works to explain Hockney’s legacy and achievement.
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.
From architectural installations to works on paper, Do Ho Suh explores memory, travel and identity in an exhibition titled ‘Passage/s’. Using brightly coloured and transparent polyester mesh hung on steel frames, Do Ho Suh erects a series of linking architectural ‘hubs’ which resemble disregarded domestic spaces like hallways and entrances. He is also showing new ‘drawings’ produced by melting gelatine models into absorbent paper.
My hope for this blog is to write forthright but still informed pieces that may spur debate and provide some entertainment. In childhood my father would describe me as ‘opinionated’, a term I would wear with defiant pride. Sometimes this tendency to take a firm postion has landed me in trouble even to the point of provoking a surprisingly hostile response. I don’t aim to be needlessly offensive but simply want to use this forum to make a case, build some arguments and engage a readership.
Five Senses 