How Government Cuts are Impacting Arts Education
There is a painting of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden hanging on the wall of a gallery; both are naked, save for a fig leaf. A small girl of about two or three years stares up intently at it, her hands crossed behind her back as she leans forward, nose first. Suddenly, she breaks into loud giggles which turn into peals of laughter. Everyone in the room turns around to see this small child shaking with barely suppressed hilarity at the figures’ nakedness. Adam and Eve, Luc
In Absentia: Body Politics in the Absence of Human Form
“When you look at the imprint of our image, it is us that you will see,” Saint Symeon said to a disciple in response to a priest asking that his ill son remain in the saint’s presence. He refused the request and deflected divine power onto a clay token bearing his imprinted image, diverting attention from his person and instead instilling an ambiguous divine power within the object. Since antiquity, traces of a human figure transferred onto an object have carried enormous w
The Absence of Polygnotos
Hellenistic art is defined by our academic fetishization of names. The summation of our Grecian canon relies much on the shadowy and, if you believe contemporary academics, non-existent figure of Homer. But from Homer, Phidias and Praxiteles carved, and Exekias and Kleitas painted. Of course, each name we have is defined by an adjacent absence. It seems aptly poetic – as all ancient Greek anecdotes appear to be – that the holy grail, the glittering cup that is Greek fresco pa
Don’t Panic! Who do you think you are kidding Mr Rees-Mogg?
Firstly, let me take up where I left off last week. You may remember that last Friday it appeared that Mrs May was about to be toppled by members of her own party, with pantomime villain Jacob Rees-Mogg as ringleader. Well by the early stages of this week it became clear that Moggy’s little coup had failed – he cried havoc and let slip the dogs of war only to fall well short of the 48 MPs’ letters needed to bring about a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister. How def
The Importance of Ambitious Political Rhetoric: The West Wing, Season One - A Review
It is not often one is able to decipher why we are drawn to the things we are, but in cases like this, it is less important to consider why and more so to accept their relevance in the context of our present situations. I was recently introduced to a show that premiered in 1999: The West Wing. A now seemingly ancient narrative, what with the incredible pace of both politics and television, I was struck by its poignance and startling relevance to the current political climate.
Brexagedon: “The Revolution is Eating its Children”
On Thursday this week, a senior Conservative Party source told the BBC’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, that “the revolution is eating its children.” And with that summed up some of the most dramatic days in British politics so far this year. To get to the root of this we must go back to the beginning of the week when rumours spread through Westminster that the interminable charade of the Brexit negotiation may have been about to reach a conclusion. This was indeed the c
Cosmically Curated: November Art 'Scopes
Art and culture in London can be overwhelming, especially during Scorpio season when we all have the feels ~~ Find your sign below and let the stars guide your way! Aries This is a good month for travel and personal freedom. Get in touch with your deeper self at Jane Ward’s ‘The Reconstructed Romantic’ showing at the James Freeman Gallery until 24th November. Ward’s collages juxtapose landscapes from across the world, wetting your wanderlust and transporting you to the subli
A Hidden Gem: Alvar Aalto's Stolar Chair
This week I moved into the Courtauld library. Not literally, although the number of hours I’ve spent tucked away in its nooks and crannies totalled up to considerably more than the time spent at home. If it weren’t for looming essay deadlines, however, I wouldn’t have had the chance to absorb and appreciate our star chair this week: Alvar Alto’s Stolar. Stolar, Alvar Aalto, 1935 Artek I always notice this chair when entering or exiting the library, making sure to express my
Ride or Die: Skateboarding the National Gallery
From the standpoint of the mirror I discover my absence from the place where I am since I see myself over there. – Michel Foucault, Des Espace Autres, March 1967 One Sunday afternoon, I joined a motley group of skaters on an impromptu race through central London. After sprinting Waterloo Bridge against the traffic (cruising by Somerset House and Duchy on the way), we embarked on a meandering path through Covent Garden towards our final destination, Trafalgar Square. By the
The US Midterm Elections: A Blue Wave but Trump's still standing
Yes, that’s right everybody, we’re only just at the halfway point of Trump’s first (and hopefully only) term in office. And that means it’s midterm election time, when all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and one third of the Senate seats are up for grabs. Alongside this, 36 state Governors were on the ballot as well as many positions in local government. Although these votes might not be as headline grabbing as the presidential election, they’re still highly sign