Rowley Gallery Blog
Swimming With The Fishes is one of Christopher Corr’s many new paintings for the Art Wall at Kensington Place. They’re bright and colourful, optimistic and uplifting pictures of a piscine* paradise (*fishy in English, swimming pool in French). Continue reading “Christopher Corr At Kensington Place”
Churaumi Aquarium, Okinawa. This is the main tank, the second largest in the world with 7,500 cubic metres of water. It is called the Kuroshio Sea and is home to whale sharks, manta rays and lots more. The video is courtesy of Chris Barnes and the music is Waterways by Ludovico Einaudi.
A musical interlude from Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Luminescent Orchestrii: Knockin’.
Jean Giono wrote this classic tale in 1953. It tells of a shepherd’s singlehanded reforestation of a desolate valley near Digne-les-Bains in Provence by slowly and devotedly planting acorns. Many who first read it thought it a true story. The author described it as an allegory intended to encourage the planting of trees. This enchanting animated film was made in 1987 by Frédéric Back and it is narrated by Christopher Plummer. Giono’s story may perhaps have influenced Joseph Beuys – 7000 Oaks.
This is probably one of the most famous lavender fields in all of France. It is cultivated by the monks of the Abbaye de Sénanque and blooms in early summer. By the time we got here it was all over. We hadn’t intended to come but the road from Venasque to Gordes was closed at Sénanque and we could go no further, so we turned around in the car park. That was the nearest we got. Continue reading “Three French Abbeys”
A dress of pills by Susie Freeman & Pharmacopoeia highlighting the increasing incidence of diabetes. Continue reading “Femme Vitale”
Myddleton House was named after Hugh Myddleton who built the New River, an aqueduct carrying fresh water into London. Over the years its course has changed but originally in 1613 it flowed through here, beneath these iron railings marking an earlier bridge. Continue reading “New River, Blue River”
In France in early August we’d been too late to see the famous Luberon lavender, but back in England it’s not harvested until September. We went down to Banstead in Surrey to visit Mayfield’s lavender farm. The flowers bloomed in the late August sunshine and the fragrant fields buzzed with intoxicated bees and butterflies and other lavender enthusiasts. Continue reading “Banstead Wood & Mayfield”
This was the antithesis of Château la Coste. The Palais des Papes in Avignon is the biggest Gothic palace in the world and the most visited monument in France. It is huge and noisy and crowded. There are signs and notices everywhere telling you where to go, what to look at, what to photograph, what not to photograph. Continue reading “Palais Des Papes”