Reviews Archive

Gabriel J. Shuldiner: The Poetry of Black — Raphy Sarkissian

“Can there be a more hypnotic colour than black?” is a question that impulsively arises when we encounter a work by Gabriel J. Shuldiner

A New York Gallery Field Trip February 2021 – Ilka Scobie

A wave of cautious optimism motivated me to hit the frigid downtown streets. Luckily, this gallery field trip coincided...

Lakwena Maciver: Review-Interview Hastings Contemporary – Revd Jonathan Evens

Born in 1986 to an English mother and a Ugandan father, Lakwena Maciver studied graphic design at the London College of Communications, graduating in...

Sean Scully: Geometry as Gesture as Perception – Raphy Sarkissian

A momentous exhibition staged at the Museum of Fine Arts—Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest, “Sean Scully: Passenger—A Retrospective” celebrates

Made in USA Ed Ruscha An American Perspective – Revd Jonathan Evens

Ed Ruscha: OKLA at Oklahoma Contemporary is the first exhibition to examine Ruscha's work within the context of those formative years in Oklahoma

Robert Smithson: The Archetypal Nature Of Things – Revd Jonathan Evens

Robert Smithson explores interests in cartography, geology, architectural ruins, prehistory, philosophy and religion.

Aliza Nisenbaum: Portraits That Subvert Traditions – Tate Liverpool Alice Lenkiewicz

Aliza Nisenbaum is a painter, living and working in New York. Describing herself as torn between wanting to be a social worker or a...

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye Lets The Paint Tell The Story – James Payne

Fly In League With The Night, at Tate Britain covers Lynette Yiadom-Boakye's work from her graduation in 2003 to the present day, with some...

Cosmic Patches And Quilts Five Exhibitions – Revd Jonathan Evans

‘Here as in Heaven’ is the title of Ndidi Emefiele’s current exhibition, a body of work representing the artist’s philosophical attempt to understand the...

Billy Childish: The Timeless Present – Neugerriemschneider Berlin – Edward Lucie-Smith

Billy Childish has been around a long time. He is not only an artist but a poet and a composer of music.

Tracey Emin / Edvard Munch Exploring The Inner Self – Edward Lucie-Smith

Tracey Emin is one of the two major survivors from the so-called YBA (Young British Artists) Group that made such a lot of noise...

Antony Gormley and Martin Gayford Present Visual Culture Throughout History – Edward Lucie-Smith

The big new Thames & Hudson book Shaping the World, by Antony Gormley and Martin Gayford, turns out to be a good deal better...

Joseph Wright of Derby A New Book By Matthew Craske – Edward Lucie-Smith

The new book on Joseph Wright of Derby by Matthew Craske is a massive tome. Published by the Paul Mellon Center for British Art,...

Maggi Hambling: Powerful Often Sinister Paintings – Edward Lucie-Smith

Now in her mid-70s. Maggi Hambling is a senior figure in British art. She doesn’t have much presence abroad

Zanele Muholi Explores A Black Queer And Trans South Africa – Sue Hubbard

"I am re-writing a Black Queer and Trans visual history of South Africa for the world to know of our existence, resistance and persistence"...

JMW Turner: Narrating A Modern World – Tate Britain – Edward Lucie-Smith

There can be no doubt that the new show devoted to Turner at Tate Britain is a meaty affair. The gallery is fortunate in...

Navigating Downtown NYC Galleries During A Pandemic Autumn 2020 – Ilka Scobie

As museums and galleries open to eager viewers, I took the easy way out and have only ventured to walking distance galleries. Luckily, this...

Bruce Nauman, Damien’s New Show And Painter Mark Edwards – London Autumn Exhibitions – Edward Lucie-Smith

In the midst of the chaos in the London art world caused by the current pandemic an artist occasionally shows up who seems serenely...

Everyday Heroes: Southbank Exhibition Celebrates Low-paid Key Workers

How to celebrate the continuing vital and sacrificial contribution of key workers during the Covid-19 pandemic? Clap for Carers united the nation early on...

Entwining Spiritualism And Art – Three Shows – Revd Jonathan Evens

Once upon a time in modernism, the interlacing of art and religion was rendered invisible. Art was not just for art’s sake but was...

Sin At The National Gallery Dreamsongs Colnaghi – Edward Lucie-Smith

In present circumstances, both public and private galleries have had to think hard about what is practical and within their reach to do. Sometimes...

Royal Academy’s Free Of Bombast Summer/ Winter Exhibition – Sue Hubbard

The Royal Academy Summer Show has an unbroken record. Still, this year, due to the pandemic, it’s being held in the winter rather than...

Artemisia Gentileschi Exhibition Opens At London’s National Gallery – Edward Lucie-Smith

The Artemisia Gentileschi exhibition has opened at the National Gallery at long last. It is accompanied by a handsome, fully illustrated hardcover catalogue. The...

Some Fresh Blood: New London Grads Saatchi Gallery – Edward Lucie-Smith

London Grads Now, the new show currently on view at the Saatchi Gallery, won't be with us for long. It is due to close...

Quentin Blake and Victor Pasmore A Discursive Conversational Piece – Jude Cowan Montague

Quentin Blake and Victor Pasmore Hastings Contemporary: I'm standing for the first time inside the Hastings Contemporary

Guston, Riley And Matisse Essential Autumn Book Releases

Three very colourful large format art books on Philip Guston, Bridget Riley and Henri Matisse have arrived this week.

Ai Weiwei A Disturbing History Of Bombs IWM Marina Vaizey

Ai Weiwei IWM: History of Bombs. Little Boy, Fat Man, Daisy Cutter, Snake Eye, Grand Slam, Tomahawk, Tsar Boba, are seemingly innocuous even childlike...

Wartime London Explored in Paintings – Marina Vaizey

London was never invaded, but London has been at war. The look of London during the Blitz and after is captured in this marvel...

Anish Kapoor Bringing Heaven To Earth – Houghton Hall – James Payne

"Anish Kapoor is a magician," says Lord Cholmondeley in his introduction to this exhibition. His ancestral seat, Houghton Hall is presenting the largest ever...

Revisiting the Decameron – Flowers Gallery Online – Edward Lucie-Smith

An online show called Revisiting the Decameron, curated by Laura Gascoigne, has recently gone up on the Flowers Gallery web-site. It runs until 9th...

Sean Scully: Rhythm, Restraint, Splendor – Raphy Sarkissian

Painting, sculpture, architecture: here is a triumvirate wherein painting and sculpture remain in commanding dialogue with architecture throughout the impressive output of Sean Scully,...

Zoobs Ansari – Elephant West – Edward Lucie-Smith

As this exhibition demonstrates, Zoobs Ansari’s work covers a lot of contemporary themes. On the one hand, there is the experience of the outsider,...