I’ve just got back from Krakow where I mainly ate pork, cabbage and grilled smoked cheese with jam on it. I’d been warned (by locals) that Krakow was a pretty rubbish place to see contemporary art, but amidst the ridiculously decorated churches and houses of fin-de-siècle symbolist nutjobs (also very good), we found some. As [...]
The problem with a 1p Banksy
On Friday I had the dubious pleasure of attending what sounded like a rather unbelievable event: a 1p Banksy ‘auction’. Everybody who emailed the organisers in time was allocated a number, and once they got through the absolutely horrendous queues at the Carnaby Street ‘secret location’ (which was Kingly Court, by the way) they were [...]
Getting on the Twitter train…
Neil Gaiman, Bobby Baker, David Lynch, the V & A, Tate, and Yoko Ono are twitter addicts. Its growing popularity means that you can stalk your favourite artist without getting arrested! Catch their thought of the day, hour, thought or minute (twittering from your phone) and catch things little gems like Ono’s messages of peace [...]
The Campaign For Real Noise: Manifesto Part 1
Real Noises are the noises of the everyday that are naturally mighty and musical. They are noises that are not produced electronically, nor recorded then reproduced through speakers. They are noises which do not come from an instrument that has been master crafted to produce exact, measured and pure sounds, nor from a Blue Peter [...]
I’m gutted I’m missing this
It’s that time of year: the Urban Scrawl at Muse gallery, Portobello Road, with the wonderful Nik Ill and a cohort of fabulous others. I can’t go to the opening evening (which is tonight!) due to various rather unfair reasons relating to a massive pile of work… but you should! Take a look at this: [...]
The new Angel of the North: Horse of the South?
Mark Wallinger’s obsession with animals is to be taken to the largest scale possible as he builds a £2m horse in Ebbsfleet. The thorough-bred British horse will jut out of the new community being built there, looming over the Eurostar and the A2. Wallinger says, ‘There was some very tough competition and I am honoured [...]
Duplicity
As I’m a fraternal twin, the idea of duplicity has always appealed to me. Happily enough, that happens to be the very theme of this week’s compendium from Wordsmith’s ‘Word of the day’ e-mails. Today’s word is ‘diptych: a work of art hinged on two panels, such as a painting or carving. From Latin diptycha, [...]
Free art
I was wandering the North Laines of Brighton this weekend, and came across something rather unusual. You know how art is rather expensive to buy? Well, apart from that stuff that’s on the streets, but you can’t take that home. Or can you?? Just outside popular watering hole the Mash Tun were propped up some [...]
