Capturing the Moment

When is a great show actually a mediocre exhibition? When the bulk of the works on show come from a private exhibition and you’re trying to hang a theme around it, like Capturing The Moment at Tate Modern. Its ends up feeling contrived so I left the exhibition thrilled to have seen some amazing works…

A World in Common – Contemporary African Photography

I recently had the opportunity to see this wonderful show at the Tate as part of our V&A away day. Drawing on the work of 36 African photographic artists, it looks at how the continent is examined and portrayed through their camera lenses, and is a stark reminder that for the majority of the time…

Yayoi Kusama Infinity Rooms

I first saw the work of Yayoi Kusama in person when I visited her show at the Victoria Miro Gallery in 2016. That show encompassed her Infinity Rooms, plus a collection of her paintings and sculptures. The current show at TATE Modern shows two Infinity Rooms, plus photographs and films encompassing her career. The first…

Magdalena Abakanowicz

As a break from writing about our Indian extravaganza, I thought I’d document the wonderful exhibition that we went to see with Mum at Tate Modern before she headed back to St Andrews. ‘Magdalena Abakanowicz: Every Tangle of Thread and Rope’ is an amazing immersive show which documents the unique works of this artist. ‘In…

Maria Bartuszová

I love it when galleries put on shows of artists who have perhaps been forgotten or whom deserve to be better known to the general public, rather than the rarified strata of the art world. The Tate is particularly good at highlighting artists, such as Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, and bringing their work to a…

Hew Locke: The Procession

‘The Procession‘ is a new piece of work commissioned this year by the Tate, for the wonderful neo-classical Duveen Galleries forming the central spine of Tate Britain. Hew Locke follows fellow artists such as  Anthea Hamilton(2018), Cerith Wyn Evans (2017), Phyllida Barlow (2014), Fiona Banner (2010), Martin Creed (2008), Mark Wallinger (2007) and Mona Hatoum (2000). Locke’s work is layered with many allusions and reference points but…

Cornelia Parker at Tate Britain

I first experience the work of Cornelia Parker as part of the 1997 Turner Prize exhibition at Tate Britain, where I was mesmerised by her installation ‘Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View‘. 25 years later the Tate have a wonderful retrospective of Parker’s work and some of her major installations, including the piece that was…

Dora Maar at Tate Modern

This is the last weekend to see the wonderful show at the Tate looking at the work of Dora Maar. The most comprehensive retrospective of her work ever staged, it examines her entire career – influential photomontages, street photography, her painting and her role as Picasso’s muse. During the 30’s Maar worked as a professional…

Frank Bowling

It’s always a pleasure to discover an artist whom you are unfamiliar with, and Frank Bowling is just that man. It is almost criminal that a painter whose work is as vibrant and joyous should have remained a relative unknown for so long, especially since he was a contemporary of R B Kitae and David…

Dorothea Tanning

‘Women artists. There is no such thing—or person. It’s just as much a contradiction in terms as “man artist” or “elephant artist.” You may be a woman and you may be an artist; but the one is a given and the other is you.’ Dorothea Tanning, 1990 As I have previously written, with specific reference…

Anni Albers at Tate Modern

It is fair to say that history has not been kind to women involved in 20th Century art and design. Architects and designers such as Eileen Gray are now lauded as pioneers and yet the first time her name was mentioned on the radio was announcing her death. The women who were involved in the…

Connor and the Kabakovs

Yesterday I took Connor, who is staying with us from South Africa, to Tate Modern. He is about to start his 4th year studying Fine Art at Wits University, Johannesburg. A student led effort to ‘decolonialise’ the University and it’s culture has been laudable, but this idea seems to have also resulted in the near…