Rowley Gallery Blog
A short trailer for Smashed by Gandini Juggling.
A mesmerising mix of circus and theatre, inspired by the work of Pina Bausch, “Smashed” is a series of nostalgic filmic scenes exploring conflict, lost love and quaint afternoon tea.
Another version, filmed outdoors, was featured here in an earlier Frames Of Reference blog post. Continue reading “Smashed”
The Christmas full moon got me thinking lunatic thoughts and I remembered this wonderful piece by Pina Bausch for Tanztheater Wuppertal.
Vollmond, meaning full moon or high tide, is among Pina’s most revered works and has been making waves, literally, since its creation in 2006… The full moon highlights our humanity and how we get thrown into emotional highs and lows. Pina’s dancer-actors ride this roller coaster throughout Vollmond, showing vulnerability and strength, detachment and desire, collapse and vitality. It’s visceral. It’s deeply relatable. There is no one story to this show, it’s a glimpse into the lives of a handful of intertwined individuals. Vollmond is a work you can return to and always come out of with a new perspective. Continue reading “Vollmond”
I first heard this song on the radio a dozen years ago and I was captivated by it. It’s been echoing in my head ever since. It sounded extraordinary and more beautiful than anything I’d ever heard before. I was sure they said it was by Tomás Méndez but I couldn’t find him on iTunes or anywhere. Then by chance I found this video a few days ago and I can’t stop playing it. I’ve now got the album too so I can sing along when I’m alone in the car, and I sound just like Caetano Veloso! Continue reading “Cucurrucucú Paloma”
I was looking for more Bobby McFerrin and I found this. He was performing in Burghausen in 2002 at a concert where he duetted with surprise partners, some more successfully than others. This was the highlight. I’d not heard from Maria João since 2000 but I was glad to be reminded. She’s lovely and maybe a little bit crazy with a wonderful elastic voice. Continue reading “Dois Duetos”
Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale, using audience participation, at the event “Notes & Neurons: In Search of the Common Chorus”. Continue reading “Pentatonic Scale”
I found this video at Open Culture and couldn’t resist sharing it here.
Since 1999, the French juggling group Les Objets Volants (The Flying Objects) have been entertaining audiences worldwide. Beyond juggling, their shows incorporate elements of theater, visual arts and even mathematics. And the group takes special pride in exploring new ways of handling and manipulating everyday objects. Which brings us to the performance above. There you can see Les Objets Volants perform Bach’s Prélude N°1. (which more typically sounds something like this) on “boomwhackers,” those hollow, color-coded, plastic percussion tubes, which are tuned to different musical pitches. Recorded last March, the clip is an outtake from a Les Objets Volants show called “Liaison Carbone,” which explores concepts in physics. Enjoy.
Here’s a lovely thing, a Jonny Hannah video from Yorkshire Sculpture Park:
Visitors are invited to take a stroll down Main Street in Hannah’s vintage-inspired homage to the independent trader, until 28 February 2016. Transforming YSP Centre, the exhibition features three pop-up shops made entirely from the artist’s 2D and 3D artworks, all of which are available to buy. Navigate Main Street using Hannah’s traditional hand-painted signs suspended above the YSP Centre concourse; natter with the owner of the Record Store; and nip to The Hand and Heart junk shop to pick up anything your heart desires!
Further details at Yorkshire Sculpture Park and see more of Jonny’s work at The Rowley Gallery.
Beijing Silvermine is a unique photographic portrait of the capital and the life of its inhabitants following the Cultural Revolution. It covers a period of 20 years, from 1985, namely when silver film started being used massively in China, to 2005, when digital photography started taking over. These 20 years are those of China’s economic opening, when people started prospering, travelling, consuming, having fun. instagram.com/beijing_silvermine
Last summer, on the 10th of August, we made our first visit to Florence. We drove there without satnav and without a hitch, the roads were clear, no hold-ups and we left the car with a parking attendant in a super-efficient underground car park. It was all going surprisingly smoothly, until we hit the streets and joined the procession of pilgrims to the birthplace of the Renaissance. Continue reading “Florence At First Sight”
The Tedeschi Trucks Band at the Lockn’ Festival in Arrington, Virginia two months ago performing a tribute to Joe Cocker, featuring songs from his classic live album Mad Dogs & Englishmen, with a little help from their friends, original Mad Dogs: Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge and Claudia Lennear.
The Tedeschi Trucks Band are appearing tonight at the O2. For a reminder of their last visit to London see our earlier post – Mavis, Susan & Derek.