May Arts Newsletter
Finally, on the 17th of this month public galleries and museums can open to the public again. Before you go, check to see if you need to book a slot. There are plenty of fabulous exhibitions opening/restarting too, some ideas below to get you started.
I have been busy in my studio and back life drawing with an actual model (whoop!). I have also started a screen printing course, if the results are good enough I will share some results in the coming months.
The Royal Academy opens again on 18th May with the well matched Tracey Emin/Edvard Munch exhibition. I’m not the biggest Munch fan (I think he got lucky on one painting) but I have heard fantastic things about this show. RA until 1 Aug
Opening on 23rd May is ipad lockdown work from David Hockney‘s Normandy outpost. This is likely to be very popular so book now if you’d like to see it. RA until 26Sep
The Tate Galleries have lots to choose from, my top picks:
The Making of Rodin is the first exhibition to focus on the use of plaster in his work. It looks at Rodin’s artistic process and how plaster was used both for practical and stylistic purposes. I’m really looking forward to this one. Tate Modern until 21 Nov
Turner’s Modern Britain explores how his work reacts to the industrial revolution and the politics of the day. Whilst other artists ignored change, Turner embraced it. Tate Britain until 12 Sept.
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye is known for her enigmatic portraits of fictitious people. This show has around 80 of her paintings made between 2003 and now. Thought provoking. Tate Britain until 31 May.
Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser is an immersive and theatrical show about the aesthetic evolution of Alice in Wonderland and, frankly, I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to see this. Spanning art, film, photography, fashion, performance this is an ambitious exhibition but if anyone can pull it off, the V&A can. One for the whole family.
V&A 22 May-31 Dec
Eileen Agar: Angel of Anarchy is the retrospective of the British Surrealist painter/ sculptor/ collage maker. She partied and worked with all the big names of mid century European art. If you haven’t come across her before, you have a treat in store. Whitechapel Gallery 19 May – 29 Aug
New arty TV
Brand new on Amazon Prime is Leonardo, an imagined back story to da Vinci’s early life in Renaissance Florence. On paper this big budget drama is tailor made for me (art on telly, tick; historical drama, tick; Aiden Poldark Turner, tick) however unfortunately it doesn’t make the mark. I have only watched 2 episodes so will give it another chance but something seriously exciting needs to happen in episode 3…
I love your apple blossom painting, the yellow background works a treat. I had started watching Leonardo too…I think I have got as far as you too. I think I was put off by the modernisation of some of the scenarios, like Leonardo meeting Caterina in the tavern for a chat. I am pretty sure that “resepectable” (I know that she’s some rich lord’s mistress) women would not pop not along to the tavern like that! I will probably carry on with it though.