Category: ART

Am I art? I don’t know: see inside the latest works by Queensland artist Michael Zavros

Updated: 18/10/2020

Sydney art gallery, Sullivan+Strumpf in Zetland have partnered with Michael Zavros to present something truly unique. A Guy Like Me is the latest body of work by Zavros, opening Thursday 15 October until 14 November. Best known for his beautifully realised award-winning paintings, this upcoming exhibition marks a detour into new and exciting territory, in which Michael introduces us to his avatar: a plastic mannequin modelled on himself but better – 6 foot 3, broader, more cut, a bit younger and a whole lot smoother. This fascinating creature, which Zavros refers to as “Dad” may also be a better human being, as the artist ponders the improvements that are possible in constructing art to imitate (and enhance) his very life itself. Captured in a series of sumptuously styled large-scale magazine-style photographs, Dad is perfectly at home stepping into Michael’s designer shoes. Head to the Sullivan+Strumpf website for more.

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

Tags: Art blog, Australian art, Sullivan Strumpf, Sydney art gallery, the f art, THE F Sullivan Strumpf

What’s happening at The Clock Hotel, Sydney: A light and booze party like no other

by James Banham

Posted: 24/09/2020

Bombay Sapphire gin and Sydney artist Sam Whiteside (director of Soft Centre), will for five weeks, take over The Clock Hotel on Crown Street, Sydney. Why? Because with Covid on the decline there, they can, but also, they wanted to put on a never-before-seen audio-visual art installation, to be paired with cocktail masterclasses and cinematic, live sound performances across multiple nights. From 15 October, the countdown’s on! See the flyer below.

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

Tags: Bombay Sapphire gin party, THE F art blog Sydney

Bring music back to your life after lockdown: The Philharmonia Orchestra is back

by James Banham

Updated: 16/11/2022

If you’ve been down – and who hasn’t – then, prepared to be brought well-and-truly all the way back up, thanks to a new initiative in London. The Philharmonia Orchestra from London’s Southbank Centre is, this season, bringing out programme for October and November 2020: six online performances in two strands, encompassing live-streamed concerts, pre-recorded performances and radio broadcasts, as the Orchestra continues to build out its new digital performance schedule. Called Philharmonia Sessions, they’re putting on a series of critically acclaimed free, pre-recorded digital performances, conceived and created especially for an online audience! It’ll continue with two new releases, following three films this summer that have reached six-figure audiences in the UK and around the world, and drawn critical acclaim. The next Philharmonia Sessions feature Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting Beethoven’s ballet score, The Creatures of Prometheus (24 November), in a dramatic format filmed at Battersea Arts Centre with Stephen Fry narrating a new script by Gerard McBurney. The project is adapted from the programme that Salonen would have opened with for the Philharmonia’s 2020/21 London Season. Jakub Hr?ša and cellist Alisa Weilerstein follow on 5 November, in an all-Dvo?ák programme featuring his Rondo and Silent Woods for cello and orchestra. Both Philharmonia Sessions will be premiered, free-to-view, on the Philharmonia’s YouTube channel. There’s more, too. Scroll on for the full listing or find more at the Philharmonia Orchestra website. LIVE STREAM: SANTTU-MATIAS ROUVALI – AMERICAN DREAMSMonday 26 October 2020, 7.30pm Santtu-Matias Rouvali – conductor COPLAND Appalachian SpringSTEVE REICH Music for Pieces of WoodPRICE Dances in the CanebrakesSTRAVINSKY Dumbarton Oaks Live streamed from Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, and then available on-demand. Streamed… Read More

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON, MUSIC

Tags: Bring music back to your life after lockdown: The Philharmonia Orchestra is back, Free music streaming, Free orchestra, London Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestra guide London, Philharmonia Orchestra THE F, The F London, Worlds best music guide

National Gallery London: Artemisia Gentileschi is back with more

by James Banham

Updated: 16/11/2022

The National Gallery London first announced the display of some work by the famed Italian female artist, Artemisia back in 2019 and now, she’s back again. At a time when female artists were not easily accepted, Artemisia Gentileschi was exceptional. Her career spanned more than 40 years and she gained fame and admiration across Europe, counting leading rulers among her patrons. She was the first woman to gain membership to the artists’ academy in Florence. Although Artemisia was greatly admired during her lifetime, she was essentially rediscovered in the 20th century. Certain elements of her biography – particularly her rape as a young woman and the torture she endured during the trial that followed – have sometimes overshadowed discussions about her artistic achievements, but today she is recognised as one of the most gifted painters of the Italian Baroque period. Her art and life continue to inspire novels, films, documentaries, musical and theatrical productions. The earliest work in the exhibition will be her first signed and dated work, Susannah and the Elders (1610, Kunstsammlungen Graf von Schönborn, Pommersfelden) painted when she was just 17. Artemisia returned to this subject throughout her career, approaching its story afresh with each retelling, and her last-known painting, of the same subject, dating from 42 years later, will also be included in the exhibition (Susannah and the Elders, 1652, Polo Museale dell’Emilia Romagna, Collezioni della Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna). Arranged chronologically and complete with supporting texts, documents and other gathered works, the exhibition is not one to miss. Book in advance at the… Read More

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Tags: Art guide London, Art London, National Gallery exhibitions, National Gallery tickets, THE F Artemisia Gentileschi exhibition, The F London, THE F National Gallery London

Queen Elizabeth opens her doors again: Visit the official royal residences

by James Banham

Updated: 16/11/2022

If Monarchy is your thing and taking a peek behind the walls of how they live is on your list of UK ‘must dos’, then get excited, because the Royal Collection Trust has some good news. The official residences of Her Majesty The Queen will reopen to the public from Thursday 23 July! After the good news about the UKs reversing of lockdown was released, the RCT has been ready to go with throwing open the doors to some prized locations, like: Windsor Castle the Palace of Holyroodhouse the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, and The Queen’s Galleries in London and Edinburgh You’ll need to wear masks and adhere to the Covid-19 rules as you peruse collections, peek behind doors and enjoy exhibitions, like: George IV: Art & Spectacle, which explores the life and collecting of arguably the most magnificent, and certainly the most flamboyant of British monarchs. Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace, 11 December 2020 – February 2022, which brings together some of the most important paintings in the Royal Collection from the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace. As well as Japan: Courts and Culture, originally due to open in June 2020, is now expected to open in Spring 2022 For more of what’s on and to buy tickets to the spaces, visit the RCT website here from 8 July.

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Tags: Buckingham Palace, Palace London, RCT, Royal Collection Trust, See inside Royal Collection

London’s Barbican is reopening after Coronavirus!

by James Banham

Posted: 01/07/2020

From 13 July, you’ll be able to return to London’s most central arts and entertainment precinct, the Barbican! From then, its Art Gallery and Conservatory will be open, followed by The Curve on Tuesday 11 August 2020. In line with government guidelines, new safety measures will be in place including operating at reduced capacity, timed entry slots to ensure a safe flow of visitors through the space, and tickets needing to be booked online at barbican.org.uk in advance of a visit. The reopening programme includes critically acclaimed exhibition Masculinities: Liberation through Photography; epic new installation A Countervailing Theory by artist Toyin Ojih Odutola; and the chance to explore the Barbican Conservatory. See more at the Barbican website and plan your visit! Usual safety measures are in place when the Barbican reopens will include social distancing, limited visitor capacity, one-way routes through the building, sanitisation points and regular cleaning.

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Tags: Barbican Coronavirus, Barbican London, Barbican open, London coronavirus art galleries open, London galleries

Tour the National Gallery in London from your living room

by James Banham

Updated: 16/11/2022

Taking a curated look at the collection of one of the world’s greatest galleries is now free and easier than ever – because, you can do it from your living room. In a major new digital program, the Gallery is publishing videos here whereby art curators, professionals and experts take fans and would-be visitors through some of the world’s most beloved works. Now, you can join Dr. Francesca Whitlum-Cooper, the Gallery’s Associate Curator of Paintings 1600-1800, who talks about paintings from the Gallery’s collection that celebrate domestic activities such as playing music and card games. Among the works Dr Whitlum-Cooper discusses are Chardin’s The House of Cards, Manet’s Eva Gonzalès, Degas’s Combing the Hair (‘La Coiffure’) and Vermeer’s Young Woman Standing at a Virginal. But that’s not where it ends. As many people under lockdown are finding comfort in nature around their homes and in their gardens, another upcoming episode in the series looks at three expansive rural landscapes in the collection that take us from morning to night. As well as Rubens’s A View of Het Steen in the Early Morning and Corot’s The Four Times of Day; Night this talk includes that most treasured evocation of the British countryside, Constable’s The Hay Wain. A series of online tutorials on ‘slow looking’ develops the Gallery’s mindfulness programme by showing online visitors how to look at pictures in depth and explore hidden details. The first of these asks us to take a closer, slower look at Turner’s Rain Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway. It’s a great new digital age that means our favourite… Read More

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Dare to dream: See the best of European art from your couch

by James Banham

Updated: 16/11/2022

With lockdown in full force in most countries, getting your artistic rocks off is pretty limited to Netflix documentaries, doodling in your sketchbook or perusing the finest world’s collections from your living room. Thankfully, most of the world’s museums and galleries have taken to the lockdown with flair, digitising their collections for your own enjoyment in your undies. Le musée du Louvre, Paris We begin our online travels in the City of Light! Even if Paris has lost its status as the most visited city in the world in recent years, its museums remain immensely popular. The Louvre Museum is the world’s largest art and antiques museum, holding world famous pieces such as the Mona Lisa or the Victory of Samothrace, and is actually the most popular museum in Europe on Instagram, exceeding 4 million posts! louvre.fr State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg Next up, we fly east over Europe and land in St. Petersburg, the imperial capital of Russia for nearly two centuries, which is also home to the largest museum in the world in terms of exhibits. The State Hermitage collection comprises more than three million works of art and artefacts of world culture, all of which can be viewed virtually on their extensive online platform. hermitagemuseum.org British Museum, London London is a cultural hub just waiting to be explored, and what better way to dive into history than by using the resources on offer at the British Museum. Older than the United States itself, this museum contains one of the most important collections… Read More

Category: ART, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE

Learn to draw during COVID-19 lockdown with the National Gallery of Victoria

by James Banham

Updated: 16/11/2022

With the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic taking over the world, we’re in this for the long haul. So, why not learn to draw? Chances are you haven’t since high school, so, with plenty of time ahead of you and nothing but still life objects to focus on right in front of you, join some leading Australian artists in relearning how, all in collaboration with Melbourne’s greatest gallery, the NGV. They’re launching a new four-part virtual series for the Drop-by Drawing program, putting pencils back into the hands of many. At a safe distance. This virtual iteration of the program invites audiences to watch a video tutorial of a Drop-by Drawing class, which features tips and tricks on how to draw from some of Victoria’s most engaging contemporary artists. It features Victorian artists Minna Gilligan, Lily Mae Martin and Kenny Pittock giving a step-by-step guide on how to draw, whilst taking inspiration from some of their favourite artworks in the NGV Collection. It all comes in three parts, the first of which starts this weekend! Here’s a run-down… PART ONE: PRESENTED BY LILY MAE MARTIN ON NGV CHANNEL SUNDAY 5 APRIL The first virtual drawing class hosted by Lily Mae Martin, takes viewers into the NGV’s 19th Century European Paintings Gallerywhere she takes inspiration from the life-size marble sculpture Musidora, 1878 by Marshall Wood. Musidora was a mythological ancient Greek goddess, who inspired all forms of literature and the arts and is the striking centrepiece of the gallery. Martin encourages at-home participants to focus on simple drawing exercises, including observational drawing and mark making,… Read More

Category: ART, CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, MELBOURNE

Tags: Drawing classes, learn to draw, national gallery victoria, ngv, online drawing classes

London: Freddie Mercury's kimono is coming to the V&A

by James Banham

Posted: 17/02/2020

It was 2018 that saw the release of Bohemian Rhapsody, the movie of band Queen and its larger-than-life lead man, Freddie Mercury. And now in 2020, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is bringing him back again by putting his famed kimono on display as part of a larger exhibition. The major fashion exhibition, Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk will open this month on 29 February and bring to the public an array of kimonos, the ultimate symbol of Japan. Why Freddie’s, though? In the mid-1970s he sometimes wore boldly patterned kimono onstage, challenging the norms of gender and sexuality. This personal kimono however is more delicate in its design and overtly feminine, revealing that gender fluidity extended to his private life. For more about the exhibition and to score your tickets, head to the V&A website.

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

Tags: freddie mercury, Freddie Mercury kimono, Kimono exhibition, V&A

ARTS & CULTURE

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Experience break dancing like never before this MAy

24/04/2024

By James Banham

Get ready to experience the ultimate celebration of hip hop culture, innovation, and artistry at Breakin’ Convention 2024. An international festival of Hip Hop dance theatre, it’ll be taking over Sadler’s Wells in Islington this coming May Bank Holiday. Enthusiastically helmed by the visionary UK hip hop maker and Breakin’ Convention Artistic Director Jonzi D, this festival has become a beacon for fans and creators of hip hop from around the globe. The excitement is palpable as we gear up for two days packed with jaw-dropping performances, interactive workshops, and live music that promise to electrify the Sadler’s Wells venues on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 May. With an extraordinary lineup featuring international sensations like Femme Fatale (USA), Sons of Wind (France), and Jinjo crew (South Korea), alongside groundbreaking UK acts such as TRAPLORD, Boy Blue, and When Time Was New, this festival is set to showcase the dynamic and diverse world of hip hop dance theatre. Attendees of all ages can look forward to a vast array of activities including spectacular dance performances, bespoke graffiti workshops, freestyle sessions, and even live DJs sessions that guarantee to keep the energy high and the spirit of hip hop alive throughout the entire building. Not to mention, the festival coincides with the historic moment of breaking becoming an official Olympic sport at the Paris Olympics, adding an extra layer of exhilaration to the festivities. Beyond the performances, Breakin’ Convention 2024 invites audiences to engage directly with the hip hop community through unique events such as the Tiny… Read More

Opera Australia orchestrates a new era with Matthieu Arama as Concertmaster

24/04/2024

By James Banham

In a move that marks a significant milestone in its illustrious history, Opera Australia has announced the appointment of the renowned French violinist Matthieu Arama as the new Concertmaster of the Opera Australia Orchestra (OAO). This announcement follows an exhaustive global search, culminating in Mr. Arama’s selection, a testament to his extraordinary talent and leadership abilities. Set to join the OAO in August of this year, Arama brings with him a wealth of experience as the current Concertmaster of the Opéra National de Bordeaux, coupled with an impressive track record of performances with some of the world’s most distinguished conductors. View this post on Instagram A post shared by matthieu arama (@matthieu_arama) Arama’s role will be pivotal in steering the OAO towards achieving artistic brilliance across its broad annual repertoire, which spans over 250 opera, ballet, musical theatre, and concert performances for Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet. His recent engagements as Guest Concertmaster for Opera Australia on iconic productions such as La Traviata and Swan Lake, alongside The Australian Ballet, and a solo recital featuring opera and ballet excerpts, underscore his extraordinary versatility and musicianship. The enthusiasm within the OAO is palpable, with Acting Concertmaster Huy-Nguen Bui expressing excitement over welcoming Arama to the helm. “The OAO is excited to welcome an exceptional violinist and musician as our new Concertmaster. We look forward to reaching the highest levels of music-making through Mr. Arama’s artistic leadership,” said Bui. This sentiment is echoed by Opera Australia’s CEO Fiona Allan, Artistic Director Jo Davies, The Australian Ballet’s… Read More

Lauren Brincat When Do I Breathe 2024. Performer Jasmin Lancaster. Photographer Zan Wimberley. Courtesy of the artist

Public performance in Randwick Sydney by artist Lauren Brincat

22/04/2024

By James Banham

This week, the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct will experience an exceptional infusion of art and community spirit through a public performance by the celebrated multidisciplinary artist Lauren Brincat. Scheduled for one-night only, on Wednesday, 24 April 2024, Brincat’s performance marks the launch of the new Laneway Art Program. This initiative, commissioned by the Randwick Health & Innovation Precinct and supported by Transport for NSW’s Safer Cities program, seeks to enhance perceptions of safety for women, girls, and gender diverse people navigating the streets and laneways of the Precinct. Brincat, along with Rochelle Haley, another leading Australian artist, has been entrusted with the mission to improve night-time connectivity and comfort within the precinct through performance-based and site-specific artwork. Both artists have engaged directly with health workers in the area to shape their projects, aiming to make the public spaces more welcoming and to strengthen the sense of community, safety, and inclusiveness across the site. The artwork, titled When do I breathe?, is an ambitious collaboration with sound artist Evelyn Ida Morris, UNSW Choral Director Sonia Maddock, and choreographer Charmene Yap. It invites the public to actively participate in shaping new paths across the precinct, offering a unique experience that encompasses three activation sites within the UNSW Kensington and the hospital precinct. The performance, beginning at 5:00 pm on the UNSW Scientia Lawn, is a reflection on the interconnectedness of local communities, especially those separated by differing work shifts and daily rhythms. Aiming to reclaim public space through collective action, When do I breathe? presents an… Read More

Good news for National Gallery London: Eva Gonzalès piece acquired

22/04/2024

By James Banham

On the occasion of the artist’s 177th birthday on Friday 19th April, the National Gallery has acquired La Psyché (The Full-length Mirror), about 1869-70, by Eva Gonzalès (1849-1883) thanks to three generous legacy gifts from Mrs Martha Doris Bailey, Miss Gillian Cleaver, and Ms Sheila Mary Holmes, and the National Gallery Trust. This is the first acquisition by the Gallery of a work by Gonzalès and the second acquisition of its Bicentenary year. La Psyché has not been seen in public for over seventy years and joins only one other painting by her in a UK public collection, The Donkey Ride, about 1880?2, at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Gonzalès is the 20th female artist represented in the National Gallery Collection, marking a significant addition. The story of Gonzalès’s reputation, during and after her life, reflects some of the reasons why women artists are not well represented in the National Gallery. These include being offered fewer opportunities in life and the lack of interest shown, consciously or not, in works by women artists by collectors of the era and onwards, from whose acquisitions the National Gallery’s own collection was assembled. During her lifetime Gonzalès was an established artist who exhibited multiple times to acclaim at the official Paris Salon. She was the only official pupil of Edouard Manet (1832-83), with whom she studied from 1869. Gonzalès likely painted La Psyché around the same time that Manet was painting his portrait of her, Eva Gonzalès (1870). That work, in the Gallery collection, was the focal point of the recent exhibition, Discover Manet & Eva… Read More

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Shooshfest: Australia’s first ever silent short film competition

17/04/2024

By James Banham

Australia’s Shooshfest, an inaugural silent short film competition, invites diverse creators to innovate in storytelling sans speech. Promising an immersive experience, it will connect with audiences, honour silent film and catalyse cinematic culture.