Rowley Gallery Blog
This is weird. Straightaway Kensington rooftops then a glimpse through a window, as if I’d seen it before. These people are familiar. We see them on the street, in the newsagent, in those boots sometimes, shuffling. Why the hawk? A Peregrine Falcon? Keen eyes and full of energy. I had no idea this film existed until I stumbled upon it today, so now I will share it. Continue reading “For Lucian Freud”
On a recent visit to the Wallace Collection I was lucky enough to get to see inside the lecture theatre on the lower ground floor, where they display some of their historic collection of picture frames. Many of them original frames for paintings on the floors above, now exhibited in new frames. Continue reading “Wallace Collection Frames”
See more by Jonny Hannah at The Rowley Gallery.
Phoebe and Lydia Lake are artists. They’re also identical twins, which means they know a thing or two about symmetry. So last year, when they were 20 years old, the Tate Britain decided to film their first encounter with one of the museum’s most famous holdings, The Cholmondley Ladies, painted sometime around 1600-1610 by an unknown artist. An inscription describes the ladies as members of the Cholmondley family (pronounced “Chumley”) who were born on the same day, married on the same day and “brought to bed” (gave birth) on the same day. Continue reading “Seeing Double”
A group of paintings by John Hubbard made during the 1960s will be exhibited at the New Art Centre near Salisbury, from 4 February until 15 April. His work from this time, though based on landscape, was essentialy dealing with atmosphere and the movement of light, rather than any specific feature of the landscape. He quotes Turner’s words, saying he was trying to consider “every part as receiving and emitting rays to every surrounding surface”. Continue reading “Paintings From The 1960s”
Today I passed by the Wellcome Collection on Euston Road in London and noticed a banner advertising Mexican Miracle Paintings, an exhibition that opened in October 2011. I don’t know why I’d not seen it before. I pass by here frequently. It looks like a great exhibition. Continue reading “Mexican Miracle Paintings”
I woke last Friday morning to the gentle sounds of James Naughtie and Evan Davis and the amazing story of a cape of golden cloth woven from the silk of over a million spiders. Like something worthy of Jason and the Argonauts. The silk was harvested from female Golden Orb Spiders by 80 people over seven years in the highlands of Madagascar. The cape, together with a four metre long scarf, is being exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum. You can see more pictures and listen again to the story here on the Today programme website. Continue reading “Golden Spider Silk”
This is a beautifully made short film about a kinetic sculpture by Chris Burden that took four years to build. It was filmed in his studio prior to being installed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where it opened last Saturday. It’s a wonderfully choreographed vision of modern city travel. Continue reading “Metropolis II”
This is The Rowley Gallery in 1933. Business must have been good. It had expanded from a single shop at 140 to double the size at 140-142 Church Street, and the facade had been rebuilt featuring a carved frieze by Frank Brangwyn depicting life size sawyers, painters and carpenters. Continue reading “Brangwyn’s Frieze”
Backstage at the Civic Opera House, Chicago. Wilco, Nick Lowe and Mavis Staples rehearse a classic song by The Band in this inspired dressing room performance. It first appeared on Wilco’s website on 6th January. It is so full of love and good humour, it’s too good to miss. I want to give Mavis a hug!