Art in Birmingham

My job often takes me to different parts of the country, different cities and landscapes- this can be a bloody nightmare with all the traveling, the long days and the nights away from home. But it can also be wonderful as I get the opportunity to see new places and visit new things.

At the last minute I was asked to attend a meeting in Birmingham today, starting quite early but potentially finishing before 4 pm. Obviously I could have got a train straight home, getting in at about 6.30 pm, or I could do something in the city and get home a bit later – my train ticket was valid for any time.

Unlike some, I didn’t take the time to visit the Christmas market (I don’t have the money and I hate shopping anyway), but John had mentioned that Birmingham art gallery has a very good collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

And he wasn’t wrong, there are some amazing paintings on display. I’m only sorry that I couldn’t spend the time studying them.

As is my usual when visiting a gallery or museum, I bought a small notepad knowing that I’d want to take note of the paintings that I like. But with the wonder of the internet I can now show you some of the paintings I particularly liked. I’m glad I took John’s advice and visited the gallery.

Henry Wallis (1830-1916) The Death of Chatterton 1855-56

John Byam Liston-Shaw (1872-1919) Boer War 1900-1901
‘Last summer green things were greener, brambles fewer, the blue sky bluer’
(extract from ‘A Bird Song’ by Christina Rossetti)

Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) Lady Windsor 1893-95
Burne-Jones’ only full-length portrait, this is probably my favourite.

Another favourite artist

Tonight I’ve been wandering around the internet looking at some of my favourite artists’ websites – it’s been a while since I did this, and I thought I’d share some with you.

Years ago when I was still at school I did a French exchange to Annecy, as is my way I spent a lot of time in bookshops – it didn’t matter that my French was (and remains) terrible, the French are very good at graphic novels which I love.

I happened across Enki Bilal and I’ve been a fan ever since. The first book I bought was in French (La Femme peige – The woman trap) and it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve managed to get some in English (the Nikpol Trilogy).

There is something about the dystopia portrayed in many of the stories, it really speaks to me – don’t ask me why!

One thing I will say is that I’ve always wanted blue hair!!

Brilliant

This illustration is by Tom Gauld, I absolutely love his artwork. Go to his website – buy stuff – you must!!

In a room full of fog

Antony Gormley is one of my favourite sculptors (along with Andy Goldsworthy), and so the chance to see a number of his new works at The Hayward Gallery in London was too good to miss.

Charlie in the office booked for a small group of us to visit (thanks Charlie), mainly to go inside the installation called ‘blind light’ – basically a glass room filled with fog. As you walk into the doorway within a couple of seconds the doorway is completely lost in the fog, and you can barely see your hand in front of you.

Gormley 2
Originally uploaded by TabascoKid.

I understand that a lot of people feel really disorientated, lost and don’t like it at all; but I really liked it and didn’t feel lost at all as I seemed to always know which direction the door was. But the feeling was really interesting, and people seemed to loom out of the fog at you!

The other works are great too, Event Horizon has over 30 casts of his body on the tops of buildings across the nearby area of London; and then there was the Allotment II which I saw at Baltic in Gateshead a couple of years ago.

Antony Gormley -Allotment (1997)
Originally uploaded by puffin11uk.

If you visit make sure you go in Blind Light, but upstairs there is another room that you can go in – but only 2 at a time so you’ll need to queue for it. My favourite piece has to be ‘Mother’s Pride III’, made from pieces of bread.

Bitten bread.JPG
Originally uploaded by Millieh.