“The Shape of Things” at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester

"The Shape of Things" at Pallant House explores a genre that has the ability to unlock the hidden beauty and expressive force of everyday objects. As someone who grew up near Morandi's studio, for me this is by no means a minor genre. If anything, as this superbly curated exhibition demonstrates, still lives are a timeless and ever relevant mirror of society that is both intimate and universal.

Striking a delicate balance between formal simplicity and emotional complexity, still lives represent the artistic triumph of the mundane over the epic. Flowers, vases, garments, foods, plants, domestic landscapes - they all have the narrative potential and emotional depth to resonate, provoke thoughts and inspire.

This is an ambitious and engaging survey that includes the work of over 100 artists working in a variety of media ranging from painting to photography, from textile (a personal favourite) to ceramics, with each medium offering its unique perspective.

Congratulations and my gratitude to Melanie Vandenbrouck, chief curator of this gem of a museum, who took time out of her busy schedule to show me around. À la prochaine!

#theshapeofthings #britishstilllife #stilllife #pallanthouse #chichester #artblog #beyondthecanvasblog

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia

I'm one day late due to work commitments, but I very much wanted to mark this occasion by showcasing a painting by Martin Wong (1946-1999) that has been haunting me ever since I saw it at the excellent 'Malicious Mischief' exhibition at the Camden Art Centre last year. There is something incredibly intimate and poignant about this picture where Wong depicts his parents smiling hopefully behind their laundry's door. The painting oozes a palpable affection for his hard-working immigrant family and a definite pride for his heritage.

Wong, whose work set a new auction record earlier this week, was an openly gay mixed-race man. His almost obsessive depictions of brick walls symbolises the resilient spirit of the marginalised communities he painted. He infused these brick walls with personal and cultural symbols, including graffiti, signs, and hand gestures, transforming ordinary urban facades into profound statements about identity, sexuality and social justice.

In 1994, after being diagnoses with HIV, Wong returned to San Francisco to his parents’ home where he continued to paint up to the day of his death from AIDS-related complications five years later.

#martinwong #queerartist #IDAHOBIT #LGBTQIA+ #loveislove #artblog #blogger #beyondthecanvasblog

Martin Wong

Chinese Laundry: A Portrait of the Artist’s Parents, 1984

© Martin Wong Foundation

Anselm Kiefer at Palazzo Ducale, Venice

Go early, go alone. This could be my motto for many things, but it becomes particularly fitting when I'm on my arty trips. And, for the sake of transparency, full disclaimer required: I am a lifelong Anselm Kiefer adept and, as such, chances are I will struggle to write anything remotely insightful or objective.

In this case, going early meant that I could experience a good couple of minutes of blissful solitude in the Sala dello Scrutinio, a place of great symbolic importance for Venice as that is where the Doges were elected. In art experience time, and given how shamefully fast I tend to consume everything, that is a considerable length of time. I had seen photos of this installation, and I am no stranger to the magnificence of Palazzo Ducale, but my jaw did drop, and my soul was definitely stirred.

Apart from scale, the one thing that always gets me with Kiefer is his anxious and masterful use of texture, combined with the incorporation of materials like straw, metal wires, fabric and resin. Although I think these paintings were arranged to engage closely with the existing decorative scheme of the hall, to me this is a complete takeover, a full kieferification of the environment. What is shared and palpable is the reflection on universal themes and millennial myths, the idea of the cultural and human passage between East and West. But what ultimately really stayed with me is the representation of the darkness of our times.

In the words of the great Ben Street (you should read everything he writes, by the way), Kiefer's monumental work is hammy, there is no doubt about that. It is however also incredibly thoughtful and well-researched. Kiefer is someone who famously immerses himself in history and who moves respectfully, if forcefully, in the spaces he operates in.

So there, I did warn you nothing insightful was going to come out of this post. I'm just going to let the images do the talking. Go see this if you can, it's on until October 29th, and join me in the blind ecstasy that is being a fully paid-up member of the Kiefer cult.

#anselmkiefer #installation #painting #palazzoducale #venezia #venice #venicebiennale #biennaledivenezia #artblog #beyondthecanvasblog

Anselm Kiefer

Questi scritti, quando verranno bruciati, daranno finalmente un po’ di luce (These writings, when burned, will finally cast a little light, 2022)

Palazzo Ducale, Venezia

© Anselm Kiefer