DEFINING CONTEMPORARY ART - A BOOK, A VIDEO

25 years in 200 pivotal artworks

(by guest blogger Thomas K Brent)

In terms of contemporary art, people often feel lost. What makes a very great masterpiece of design? Why is usually this painting better than that just one? What will be the qualities people should be seeking? When can be an artist faking it? As a result people are always researching to sharpen the mind, to assist to produce a better see and expand the setting. That’s why people adore Defining Contemporary Art, a fresh book posted by Phaidon. Eight well known curators choose 200 pivotal artworks from the last 30 years along with explain why those performs changed the lifetime of art. Big surprise: even a few Belgian painters made your cut.

ROME - A MUSEUM, A FILM, A PIZZA

Going to Rome is in itself a very exciting occasion for me. Being with friends, visiting a museum, watching a good film, having a good pizza, made my going pretty special.

Musei Capitolini at Centrale Montemartini 

Situated on Via Ostiense on the left bank of the Tiber, opposite to the former General Markets, the Centrale Montemartini is an extraordinary example of an industrial building transformed into an exhibition space. It was originally the first public electricity plant in Rome, named after Giovanni Montemartini; now it is the second exhibition centre of the Musei Capitolini, and contains an outstanding collection of classical sculpture from the excavations carried out in Rome at the turn of the 19th century.

ART, MUSIC AND LITERATURE BASED COMMUNITIES

(by guest blogger Vanessa Gallo) 
People are driven by inspiration, ambitions and needs in life. It is the zeal and passion towards life that makes them aspire for many things in life. Different people have different interests and passions. Some may find satisfaction in art, some others may love music and certain others will be fond of reading literature. Many people will not be happy to read a book, watch a movie or listen to music. They may want people with similar interests to talk to. Every individual is unique with different view points and opinions.

People who are interested in art, music and literature have many advantages on the web. They can create communities online and share their thoughts regarding these topics. Many people love to join with people with similar or related interests. Artists have a relatively more flexible schedule and hence many art communities have appeared all over the world, especially in the United States. Gatlinburg Artists’ Community, John C. Campbell Folk School and Sedona are a few art communities of the United States. Gatlinburg community is located in Tennessee where most of the artists of the US live and work. All their studios are open to the public and the artists specialize in themes related to the Great Smoky Mountains. This community attracts many tourists.

ROME - HOGARTH, REYNOLDS, TURNER: BRITISH PAINTING AND THE RISE OF MODERNITY

Easter Holidays have been an occasion to catch up with things I love, like going to Rome, visiting friends and play the tourist. Besides walking around the city centre in sunny, stunning Rome and have a good time with my friends, I could visit an interesting exhibition promoted by Fondazione Roma: Hogarth, Reynolds, Turner - British painting and the Rise of Modernity. The Foundation presents a fascinating itinerary to discover the characteristics and originality of 18th century English art which has not been shown completely in Rome since 1966. The exhibition offers to the public a comprehensive overview of the social and artistic development that took place during the XVIII centruy in step with the hegemony gained by Great Britain at the historical, political and economic level.

ROME AGAIN - GOOD TIMES, OLD TREASURES AND NEW ACQUISITIONS

You know I live near Rome and that I love being a tourist from time to time in the city where I used to study at university. I love Rome also because I can meet very special friends there with whom I share several interests and little pleasures . They often help me to discover hidden treasures and interesting sites which make our capital surprisingly gem-set.  My latest trips to Rome were to see The Hobbit with my son and , not long before,  I had been there for the talk Juliet Gael gave at the Keats and Shelley Memorial House in Piazza di Spagna about her books on The Brontës  and The Shelleys (see my post)

Port Isaac - Cornwall

This time the occasion for going at the weekend was meeting my friends for a "premiere". No red carpet for my friend Louise 's film project based on our adventures in South - West England last summer , but lots of laughs and final applause. I can't translate the funny title she gave her work, I really can't. I can only admit the project was definitely entertaining and crammed of good memories and unforgettable moments. We laughed a lot watching and commenting  the images,  after we had appreciated our host  K/V 's delicious dinner and exchanged  little post-Christmas gifts.

ROME - EXHIBITIONS, FRIENDS AND ... A BIT OF HARRY (JASPER KENNEDY)

Journal of a long pleasant day

Palazzo delle Esposizioni - Rome

The weather forecast had announced a cool, cloudy, rainy spring day. Having planned to be out in Rome all day with students and colleagues first  and with friends once off service, I had chosen to wear my woolen grey picot, my jeans and my boots and made sure to remember my umbrella. So? It was an incredibly hot sunny day instead, almost summer! Quite the wrong start, wasn't it? Wrong clothes, at least. 

However, sweating a bit all the way around the three exhibitions we had in our schedule, I enjoyed what I saw and what I heard all the the same until my quick lunch with my three nice colleagues. Our students were free to choose where to have lunch by themselves, wherever they wished, but nearby. MacDonald's? Yes, of course.

We met them again at 3.30 in the afternoon when the temperatures was even hotter and when our time together was almost over. Once they were all in the coach,  I left for the rest of my Roman adventure ... well... not exactly an adventure, but more a longed-for break in  my usual routine. 

Before going on with my journal, some news from the official site about the exhibitions we visited in the morning at Palazzo delle Esposizioni. 

ROME - TWO DAYS, ONE EXHIBITION, A MUSEUM, A WALK AROUND THE CITY CENTRE, SOME SHOPPING, ... AND FRIENDS!

Have I ever told you how much I love being in Rome with my friends? Ehm... perhaps  once or twice. But may I say it again?  Yes? OK, thanks a lot for your patience! 

Being on holiday,  I had the opportunity to spend once again a couple of days with my friends in Rome: walking around the city centre nose up to the beauty all over, doing some shopping,  visiting a stunning photographic exhibition in a new centre and a museum in one of Rome ancient noble palaces, pleasantly chatting and having dinner all together, rewatching an episode from one of our favourite TV series. 

I'm not writing about everything we did,  but only about the exhibition and the museum we visited. I hope you don't mind and I'm sure you won't have any difficuty in figuring out the fun we had together.

LONDON. THE IMPRESSIONISTS. LEONARDO.

Waldemar Januszczak

I was in London last summer when BBC2  broadcast a series of documentaries about the Impressionists. I couldn't watch them then but I took note. I had to find them. Well, I did it and I've finally seen the whole series.

In the four episodes,  Art writer Waldemar Januszczak explores the revolutionary achievements of the Impressionists: The Impressionists: Painting and Revolution, The Great Outdoors, The Gang of Four, Painting the People. 

M THE MAN WHO BECAME CARAVAGGIO BY PETER ROBB - BOOK REVIEW

I read an Italian translation of this biography by Australian author Peter Robb, "M L'Enigma Caravaggio", which I bought in Rome in one of my recent errands with friends around the capital. Honestly,  I thought it was a fictionalized biography, instead, it is a biographical work based on a thourough research and a great deal of documents. I've always been attracted by the dark, violent, realistic paintings of the man called Caravaggio from the name of the town he was brought up in. What make them so special is how the light breaks into the darkness often revealing shocking realistic portraits of human sufferings, pains, sorrow and violence. 

The entire existence of Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio, is still today a highly fascinating enigma. Thanks to his sensitiveness  and to his accurate researches based on first-hand documents, Peter Robb brings back to life both the man and the artist in the 527 pages of this book, and he does that  with great, powerful tragicality. He dares  word his own hypothesis on the inexplicable facts in Michelangelo Merisi's life, such as his final disappearance. Nobody knows where, when and, especially, how he died.

MARRIAGE A LA MODE

I  was looking for visual materials to support my lessons on Samuel Richardson 's work to my fourth year students -we are reading from Pamela and Clarissa as well as listening/watching bits from adaptations of the latter (if you want, have a look here) - when I bumped into this interesting series of pictures. Isn't marriage between nobility and commoners, one of the topics of these days? Well, apart from that, these images are precious to visualize the social context of the literary works I'm working on.
So, what I want to share with you is this series of paintings by William Hogarth (1697 - 1764) which I thought could be perfectly linked to our discussion of Richardson's work at school and of some interest for you readers of Fly High!

DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI, EDWARD BURNE-JONES AND THE MYTH OF ITALY

Rome,  March 5th - Outside the GNAM

Another beautiful weekend spent in Rome with friends, another occasion to visit stunning landmarks , art exhibitions and bookshops.  After I watched the TV series Desperate Romantics, I started seeing the Brotherhood of the Pre-Raphaelites as a bunch of fascinating, lively, rebellious young artists and my appreciation for their achievements has increased. This is why I didn't want to miss this DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI- EDWARD BURNE-JONES AND THE MYTH OF ITALY IN THE VICTORIAN AGE.  It was an occasion to see Pre-raphaelite paintings here in Italy. A museum dedicated to the art of the Pre-Raphalite Brotherhood is Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery.

A promo pic from BBC Desperate Romantics (2009)

KATE PERUGINI, DICKENS'S ARTIST DAUGHTER

Surfing the Net for my classes on Dickens these days , I've bumped into several beautiful Victorian /Edwardian paintings signed by a Dickens (or with a beautiful Dickens portrayed ) which I didn't expect. This does not mean I  discovered old Charles's talent for Art and Painting but that I found out he had a daughter who was a painter: KATE DICKENS PERUGINI. (1839 -1929) Here she is in a painting by John Everett Millais, one of the Pre-Raphaelites.

In 1880 Sir John Everett Millais painted her in one of his "most striking portraits",  but he had previously used her as a model for his painting The Black Brunswicker (1860) (below)

CLAUDE & CAMILLE. A NOVEL OF MONET

You know how much I love Monet's art and also his own personal history - his and his friends' , the other well-known Impressionists. I wrote about that on various occasions (HERE and HERE, for instance) . This is why I'm so happy and honoured to have Stephanie Cowell as my guest. She loves Monet at least as much as I do and has dedicated to him her latest book, "Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet". 

 

AFTER LONDON, ROME!

I know, I  live at one-hour-drive distance from Rome. What's so special in being there, then? To me it is very special. Each time. And each time I discover more. Each time I realize I have still so much to learn .

I love being in Rome as a tourist (because more often it happens I'm there on errands which are job related)  and it has happened again in these latest days, thanks to my very special friend, K./V . who lives  there and hosts me each time I need a brief escape from ... my hermitage in the mountains.

I stayed there for a couple of days and we had a "bellyfull of art, sightseeing, wandering about the centre alleys and the picturesque landmarks, museums and exhibitions. Do you want to have a look at some of my  photos? Not work of arts,  but my own shots of breathtaking emotions.

ST PETER'S FROM CASTEL SANT' ANGELO 

The Mole Adriana, now called Castel Sant'Angelo, was originally built between 123 and 139 AD as the monumental grave of the Roman Emperor Adrianoand was used as a tomb by the imperial families up until the death of the Emperor Caracalla (217 AD). From what remains it is possilbe to imagine the original aspect of the "Mole", which became, later on, a  true fortress. The name Castel Sant'Angelo dates back to the late 6th century when under Pope Gregory the Great it was renamed because of the legendary miracolous apparition of the Archangel atop the Mausoleum, putting an end to the terrible epidemy of plague.

In 1527 Rome was invaded and occupied by troops led by Charles V (Sack of Rome) and, on that occasion, Pope Clement VII fled in safetyf, from the Vatican to the fortress, through the famous "Passetto", a passageway which starts from Saint Mark's bastion and runs on top of the wall that encircles the Vatican). Castel Sant'Angelo has been used as one of the impressive locations in  Dan Brown 's novel "Angels and Demons" as well as in  the movie based on it, but it was also one of the settings of Tosca by Giacomo Puccini. By the way, I saw all the settings of Tosca in my Roman errands these days: The Church of Sant'Andrea della Valle (act 1), Palazzo Farnese (act 2) and, of course, Castel Sant'Angelo (act 3) where Cavaradossi, imprisoned by Scarpia and overwhelmed by memories of Tosca,  sings "E lucevan le stelle".  

Can you see? Once in Rome you can't avoid a bellyfull of art! But thinking of more profane bellyfulls, I ate delicious food, too. We had lunch in a  famous trattoria near Via del Corso and,  at night, K./V. prepared  a very  exotic meal just for me, one of  Jamie Olivier's recipes, cous-cous and salmon. Have you ever heard about it? Maybe. Ehm... anyhow, it was tasty! It was my first try but ... I want to make it myself. soon It is rapid and delicious.

Among my firsts, I went walking along Via Margutta for the first time: iti s a small street looking southward toward The Spanish Steps  which in the 1950s, after the film Roman Holiday ,  became an exclusive road, and a residence of many famous people, like film director Federico Fellini and which is now a place with many art galleries and fashionable restaurants.  I visited Galleria Borghese for the first time, which I had longed to see for so long and never had been able to before, and which hosts one of the most stunning collections of the world (have a look at the link!) and, only until 13th February, an exhibition of Lucas Cranach's works, Cranach, The Other Renaissance. 

Finally I saw the Trevi Fountain from the inside for the first time, have you ever tried? It's curious to see the always crowded square and the fountain from the windows at its back. As evocative as observing someone you know very well from a hidden corner and a completely new perspective. Curious, indeed.

That's all from my latest Roman Holiday!

Till next one, hope it'll be soon. Thanks, V. xxx MG

VISITING THE VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM

London 28 December, 2010

Misty murky London from the 8th floor

We woke up in a foggy, rainy, cold  London this morning. It was less cold then yesterday though. Our first goal was the Victoria and Albert Museum. We spent the whole morning there till 1.30 p.m.

I didn't expect such an amazing, astonishing variety and quantity of exhibitions and collections, though I had read and studied about the British Empire and Prince Albert's Great Exhibition (1851) . First thoughts that came to my mind in front of  the luxurious show off were pages from Dickens and Gaskell about poor people starving or having to witness, helplessly,  their children's starvation, however, I could but be amazed and feel admiration for such supreme achievements of the Royals of the time. To compensate the awkward feeling I had to be honest and think that  it was during Queen Victoria's reign that England began a stunning  process of reformation and progress.

 You can find so many interesting things inside this huge museum that you can't see them all and carefully in a few hours: from lots of statues to numerous paintings, from ordinary life utensiles to very precious ancient jewels, from common objects and fabrics  from distant colonies to very British collections.

I particularly liked the fashion and furniture items from different ages. Look at these beautiful dresses, for instance...

Chintz costumes, a fabric coming from India. At the beginning it was used by humble people then it became  fashionable both among  rich men  for gowns and among fashionable noble  women for their dresses in the 17th century, especially after Willam and Mary ascended the throne  in 1690. It was in fact a successful  Dutch fashion trend they brought into the English court.

This was James II's attire on the day of his marriage

Male fashion in th 17th century

A rococo dress (1740-45)

Loving period drama I was enchanted  at the sight of these beautiful clothes above . Gorgeous dress that last one, isn't it? But how could they possibly pass through a door? Well, it was necessary for the wearer to go sideways. No other way. Anyhow, this embroidered silk dress was impressive.
My husband and son had fun  trying to make the Byron cravat and the Gordian knot while I was wandering about.
I also saw  a dress and pottery from the Regency Era and a wonderful book case full of precious volumes from the 18th century. There was not much from my beloved Jane Austen's time  but the little I found was very beautiful.
Dating back to the 18th century there was also a portrait of the Garricks and pieces of the luxurious furniture in their house. David  Garrick was a very famous  actor, playwright and theatre manager  at the time of Jane Austen. Dr Johnson wrote he lived as a prince more than as an actor.

18th century library

The Garricks

The bed from the Garricks' London house

A dress in the Regency neoclassic style

 As you can imagine, I've got so many pictures from the Victoria and Albert Museum  that I could go on for long still. But  I'll add just  one more, ok? A painting of the Queen and Prince Albert inaugurating the  1851 Great Exhibition,  from which most of the items I've seen today come from. The location was the Glass Palace in Hyde Park that  was  destroyed by a fire later on.

My pictures are not perfect, I know. However they are my memories of these days full of good emotions and positive sensations. I love concretely seeing history with my own eyes after reading about it so much. That is what I did today in this immense museum.
The afternoon was dedicated to shopping and entirely spent in the crowded central streets. Finally, exhausted for the endless wanderings, I had time to finish watching BBC1 Upstairs, Downstairs. The third and final episode was on tonight and I was lucky enough to watch the whole series here in London. Brilliant costume drama. I loved it. It deserves a proper space and a proper review on Fly High, doesn't it? Till very soon from London or home. Hugs. MG

DREAMING OF BEING THERE, IN PARIS WITH ... MONET!

I was reading an article from The New York Times, "Shimmering Reflections of Monet Are Revisited" by Michael Kimmelman and since it is a brilliant review, I wanted to share it with you. I don't remember if I have ever told you how much I've always loved Monet, Renoir and all the Impressionists. If I hadn't, I have just done it. My first avatar on blogspot was one of my favourite paintings ever. I always go and admire it each time I'm in London and can visit the National Gallery. Here it is above.

I was saying about this excellent review of the huge exhibition of Monet's works at the Grand Palais in Paris , 22 September 2010 - 24 January 2011.

See the official site. 

I just agree with every word in this article and started dreaming of being there in Paris in order to be able to admire the 160 paintings showed at the Grand Palais.

" The exhibition is ravishing - Kimmelman states - Monet the populist decorator of candle-in Chianti-bottle bistros and collegedormitories is modernism's prettiest painter, but not an especially heavy weight thinker or troublemaker.

This show helps restore something of hisoriginal status. More than just familiar Impressionists, he comes across as a painter of strange and elusive probity, of memory and reflection, as an artist seeking not just to simulate sun, rain and snow, but states of mind as well. In part he did this by returning again and again to certain sites and motifs, often completing pictures in his studio, based on what he remembered.

Monet churned out 2,000 works, but his best paintings thwart the problem of their own endless reproduction by being , well, irreproducible. You just can grasp the bejeweled, darkling purple and pink light emanating from his moody reveries of Venice except by standing before them. They are views steeped in a kind of exquisite sadness.

The article goes on with remarkable thoughts about Monet's uniqueness:

"What makes these pictures look so modern is mostly the aspiration to render the intangible - to make millions of material facts immaterial and unshackle them from time. Giverny was both his Eden and object lesson. There, Monet could see the daily transcience of things saved from oblivion only by memory and by art".

Monet at the Grand Palais - Paris

Monet showed us "places that already existed in our imagination", as Marcel Proust said, "as if waiting to be discovered and that now bid for our affection" .

I'm sure there are those among you who are waiting for ... their favourite Claude Monet (see picture on the left). No, I know, it's not a painting. That's young Claude Monet,  as he is in the eyes of those who saw BBC The Impressionists 2006 . If you , like me,  appreciated Richard Armitage's interpretation of the painter's difficult years in the 1870s, when horrified Parisians perceived his art as "leprous", you'll have already recognized him...If instead you haven't but you love Monet and the Impressionists you should see this 3-part series. It's another  great costume drama by BBC.

P.S. Is there anybody there giggling and thinking my love for Monet only came after my interest for handsome British actor, Richard Armitage? I can assure you my love for Monet and his art dates back to my school years,  while my interest for Richard Armitage only came later and lately. So , no need to giggle out there! That's just  fortuitous ... just like  my love for Mrs Gaskell's novels and his being Mr Thornton. I swear it!

Back to Kimmelman's review  and Monet exhibition in Paris ,  I wanted to add : what about a trip to Paris before January 24th 2011? I'm ready! I'd love to be in Paris with Monet! (No double meaning ... meant!) ;-)

PICTURES FROM MY ROMAN WEEKEND

(Trinità dei Monti - Friday afternoon - August 6th)

I’ve been away for a couple of days, in Rome. The big city is not a familiar environment to me, since I live among hills and mountains, woods and a beautiful river. But having such an enriching, exciting place at 1-hour- drive distance becomes a wonderful occasion for unforgettable trips. I can’t do this – meaning leave family duties and escape to freedom – too frequently but any time I manage to it is an invigorating , motivating experience.

So, let’s sum up what I did : Shakespeare’s Molto Rumore per Nulla ( Much Ado about Nothing) at Rome Globe Theatre  (on the right) on Thursday night; on Friday,  at the National Library in the morning,  leafing through useful and interesting books/articles,  and being a tourist,  shopping and sightseeing,  in the afternoon; on Saturday,  visit to a stunning museum and … back home in the afternoon.

(Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza - Friday afternoon- August 6th)

I’ve already written something about the show at Rome Globe Theatre (HERE). I wanted to add something about the Museo Nazionale Romano dedicated. It is one of the World’s most complete exhibitions of ancient art kept in the 19th century Palazzo Massimo alle Terme – formerly a Jesuit college – near Termini Station.

The great bronze statues of the “Pugile”(The Boxer) and of the “Principe ellenistico” (The Hellenistic Prince) particularly stand out.

(Principe Ellenistico)

On the ground floor that surrounds the courtyard the halls exhibit Greek originals found in Rome and examples of iconography and portraits that range from the Republican to the Imperial age, such as the famous statue of Augusto Pontefice ( Augustus Pontifex) .

The next floor offers the ancient Salone dei Capolavori del Museo delle Terme with the Discobolo Lancillotti, the splendid Fanciulla d’Anzio (Maiden from Anzio) and the sensual Ermafrodito dormiente (sleeping hermaphrodite).

(Discobolo Lancillotti)

(Fanciulla d'Anzio)

(Ermafrodito dormiente)

On the second floor , the complex frescoes, stuccos and mosaics are also particularly worthy. The marvellous paintings of Villa di Livia and the suggestively restructured painted rooms of the Farnesina constitute an effective testimony of the decoration of the rich Roman domus.

Visit the official site of Palazzo Massimo alle Terme