Paco de Lucía

I’m out of the frame for a while. Whilst I’m away I’m leaving Paco in charge. This is some of the most suprising and exciting music ever invented. It’s diverting and engaging and definitely worth a look. He begins solo, then he’s joined by cajón, fingersnaps and handclaps, then voices and eventually a whole band of virtuosos, including a great flamenco dancer. The concert culminates in a dynamic duet finale with Al Di Meola. ¡Olé!

Frames of reference

The Sky At Snape

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SNAP HQ, a cor-ten steel shed at Snape Maltings, nerve centre of the SNAP visual arts programme for this year’s Aldeburgh Festival, directing our gaze towards the great Suffolk sky. Continue reading “The Sky At Snape”

Frames of reference

Wells & Mells

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Cathedral Green at Wells, the eternal stone partnered with an inflated upstart. We arrived just in time for the Somerset Schools Folk Dance Festival, a ceilidh for more than 2,000 primary school children, all stepping and skipping and turning circles on the green. Continue reading “Wells & Mells”

Frames of reference

Beetle, Crayfish & Mussel

Tansy Beetle

Two new prints just arrived from Beatrice Forshall, both drypoints printed from multiple plates in small editions and hand-coloured, which means they’re short-lived and not designed for mass production. It’s a form that suits the content, since these are images of endangered species. This tansy beetle is just a detail; for the complete picture, and Bea’s thoughts on the subject, please see below. Continue reading “Beetle, Crayfish & Mussel”

Frames of reference

Mike McInnerney At Kensington Place

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We recently installed a green wall at Kensington Place. Mike McInnerney is the seventh artist to occupy their Art Wall and he’s filled it with a fantastic forest of trees. Continue reading “Mike McInnerney At Kensington Place”

Frames of reference

For Charlie Haden

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I first knew Charlie Haden from his Liberation Music Orchestra in 1970. It still stands as my favourite album. I later discovered his work with Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Carla Bley, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Alice Coltrane, Bill Frisell, Geri Allen… He stood as a signpost to some of the best music of the past 50 years. His death last Friday from post-polio syndrome is a sad loss of a truly great artist. There’s a beautiful reminder of him here, but the best way to know Charlie is to listen to his music…

Charlie Haden: Song For Ché

Frames of reference

Mondrian In Amsterdam

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Whilst I was preparing the Malevich In Amsterdam post I kept uncovering photos of Mondrian paintings from last year in Amsterdam. There are presently exhibitions in Margate and Liverpool marking seventy years since his death, so it seemed appropriate to post some of those photos here, in memory of Mondrian in Amsterdam. Continue reading “Mondrian In Amsterdam”

Frames of reference