Podcast: Antony Gormley: Art, religion, and the battle for culture

Antony Gormley spoke at length in a podcast recently. It included some of the most intelligent and articulate points about art and culture that I've heard in a very long time. Particularly since programmes about art history disappeared along with BBC4 original programming.

One of the reasons I'm highlighting it because I've listened to Gormley speak at length about his art, drawing and the processes he used in person a long time ago - but I still remember how impressed I was with him and his thoughts at the time (see the end for more about this encounter - and my blog post with quotable quotes plus my sketch of Gormley's head)

PODCAST: Antony Gormley: Art, religion, and the battle for culture

This is:

• an Apple Podcast link to Antony Gormley: Art, religion, and the battle for culture 
• the Global Player link to the same podcast

Can Britain remain a cultural superpower post-Brexit? How does religion and philosophy inform creativity? How can we prevent arts from being cut from curriculums?

• The podcast show you can find it on is LEADING which is hosted by "Alistair and Rory" (they've left their surnames off the blurb so I will too!) - but don't let that worry you. There is remarkably little politics about it for those who are more used to their "The Rest is Politics" podcast.

TALK: Antony Gormley on Drawing (21st January 2008)

'Drawing what you can't see'

pen and ink in Moleskine sketchbook

copyright Katherine Tyrrell

This is my blog post Antony Gormley on drawing - at the Jerwood. It includes some soundbites which I kept writing down as he was talking as he is so articulate and incisive! Here's a couple

"Drawing is like thinking out loud"

"Drawing is a form of explanation. It's a notation of a journey"

I drew Antony Gormley - and made notes - while he gave a Gallery Talk to a small audience at the Jerwood Space.  The exhibition was about the relationship between sculpture and drawing. 

Three artists, for whom drawing is a major part of their professional practice have been invited to give Gallery talks during the course of the exhibition and Antony Gormley gave the first of these last night - "Drawing From & Drawing Out".

I had a partial view of him so drew what I could see until I got a better view - hence the starts which never finished! 

I've been told in the past I draw like I'm sculpting - which is a pretty accurate way of describing what I think I'm doing when drawing heads.

10th Anniversary Prize Commission for Landscape Artist of the Year

One of the artists who has applied for the next series of Landscape Artist of the Year - by the deadline for entries of 3rd May 2024 - will win a £10,000 commission.

Last week Sky Arts announced the organisation which will receive the commission and the  location of the 10th Anniversary Prize Commission for the next series of Landscape Artist of the Year has been announced.

• The Courtauld Gallery will be the recipient of the £10,000 Prize Commission - meaning the winner will have their commission painting hung in the Courtauld. (You can see online versions of paintings in the Courtauld Collection - but always best to visit to see the real thing and appreciate its impact)
• The location for the Commission will be the South of France

Following in the footsteps of famous painters like Monet, Cezanne and Van Gogh, the winning artist will travel to the south of France to create a work inspired by one of the most famous coastlines in the word.

At this point I'll just insert my sketch of Monet's painting of Antibes in the 'old' Courtauld Gallery!

My sketch of Monet's painting of Antibes in the Courtauld Gallery

plus Cezanne's landscape painting of Mont St. Victoire - also in the Courtauld

The Montagne Saint-Victoire (c.1887) by Paul Cezanne (1839-1906)

oil on canvas

Samuel Courtauld Trust: Courtauld Gift 1932

I've also tried drawing the landscape in the south of France like Van Gogh and have certainly visited a number of places which he drew - and a number of places where he drew from.

If you want to get more insight into what that Commission trip might involve - just take a look at this article for Architectural Digest - An Art Lover’s Road Trip Through the South of France. I've done all of it apart from the last bit - and it is a location which provides masses of inspiration. 

Applications close on Friday 3rd May and the filming starts in June.
You can read more about how to enter via my blog post Call for Entries: Landscape Artist of the Year Series Ten

RBA Rising Stars at the ROSL and three prizewinners!

Rising Stars are those whose profile is in the ascendent!

 
RBA RISING STARS is an exhibition which showcases the extraordinary talent of 41 artists, aged 18-35, including those shortlisted for the Rome Scholarship offered by the Royal Society of British Artists

This post looks at:

• the RBA Rome Scholarship - and what an amazing prize it is
• the RBA Rising Stars Exhibition at the Royal Overseas League in London - which opened yesterday and continues until 7th July 2024.
• the RomeScholarship prizewinners and awards ceremony
• how the Rome Scholarship winner is determined
• Artists selected for the RBA Rising Stars exhibition
• Exhibition details

I'm also uploading images of the artwork in the exhibition to an album on my Facebook Page and will insert a link here when it has been published

I highly recommend a visit to the exhibition for all those interested in applying for the 2025 Rome Scholarship!

President of the RBA, Mick Davies begins the prizegiving at
RBA Rising Stars Exhibition held in the central foyer and stairwell
at the Royal Overseas League HQ in London.

RBA Rome Scholarship

The Rome Scholarship is:

• a prize of £5,000
• a return flight to Rome in September 2024
• Four weeks accommodation at Sala Uno, a highly prestigious gallery and international arts centre in the heart of Rome - Staying in a self-contained apartment, situated within a wonderful and extensive walled garden in the grounds of the gallery
• Studio space which will be available within the galler; and
• 2 meals per day at a local restaurant.

The prize is sponsored by Huaicun Zhang who is an Honorary Member of the RBA.

Huaicun Zhang, sponsor of the Rome Scholarship and prizes 
with Mick Davies, President of the Royal Society of British Artists

This competition is open to artists who live, work or study in the UK and who are aged 35 years or under.

RBA Rising Stars Exhibition at the Royal Overseas League

The RISING STARS 2024 exhibition has opened

• Venue: at the Royal Overseas League, 
• Address: 6 Park Pl, St. James's, London SW1A 1LR
• Dates: until July 7 2024
• Hours: 

The exhibition comprises one artwork from 41 artists.

At the end of this post you can find out more about what else ROSL offers to artists.

RBA Rome Scholarship Prizewinners

On Tuesday night, at the Private View for the Exhibition, the names of the three artists who have been shortlisted for the Rome Scholarship were announced.

This is the process used to progress applications to an awards ceremony and the award of the Rome Scholarship.

PRISM Textile Exhibition at The Art Pavilion - featuring Lynne Chapman

Last Friday I visited "Edgelands" on its opening day at at The Art Pavilion in Mile End Park, Clinton Road, E3 4QY. I was there because I've been following Lynne Chapman for years - and I very much wanted to see her dress "Ruby".

Lynne Chapman with "Ruby"
the dress she created which records the experience of having 
Aphantasia - which means being unable to have visual memories of events in her life

Edgelands is the 2024 Exhibition of Prism Textiles. 

Our international exhibiting group brings together a diverse group of selected textile artists showcasing high-quality fine art textile practice and craftsmanship from around the world. Exhibiting as a group since 1998, we currently have 70 artists participating within PRISM Textiles, working together to challenge the common misconceptions surrounding textiles as an art form.

 

You can find 

• details on venue, dates, hours and FREE workshops at the end of this post.
• details of the member artists who are exhibiting with Prism in the link to the website

The Edgelands exhibition comprises:

• work by international textile artists
• a commitment to push the boundaries of textile art
• use of a diverse range of materials and techniques
• showcases fine art textiles at a very level. 

It's certainly the best textile art exhibition I've ever been to.  I found aspects of it to be very positively 3D and sculptural. It left me wondering why more textile artists don't enter their work into more conventional art exhibitions which accept 3D artwork.

I've uploaded my pics of the exhibition to an album on Facebook 

- and you can see more about it there. See Edgelands by Prism Textiles

Lynne Chapman

I went to the exhibition only because I've known Lynne Chapman and followed her work for many years. (She also has past lives in Illustration (as a picture book illustrator) and Urban Sketching and specific websites for each of these. I initially encountered her work via the urban sketching). 

She now paints fabrics and draws with stitches and tells stories through textiles. 

Beyond Realism: Figurative Art in Spain and China

I spotted an amazing reel on Miriam Escofet's Instagram account about the opening of Beyond Realism: Figurative Art in Spain and China

I highly recommend you watch it for:

• the wonderful paintings - she has done an absolutely marvellous video of the exhibition!
• the amazing gallery in the Royal Palace in Madrid in which it's being exhibited
• the music which just transports you to Spain!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Miriam Escofet RP (@miriam.escofet.artist)

About "Beyond Realism: Figurative Art in Spain and China"

 

The above includes an image of the painting by Miriam Escofet included in the exhibition.

The works presented here demonstrate the remarkable achievements of Chinese and Spanish painters over the past half-century, coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This dual significance serves two important purposes: in a complex international environment, it promotes mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples; and it provides an opportunity for painters from both countries to exchange ideas and skills, fostering the prosperity of artistic culture in both nations.

The exhibition is on from 13 April to 26 May 2024. Hours are:

• Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm (last access 6 pm)
• Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm (last access 3 pm)

The exhibition page also includes 

• photographs of sections of the exhibition
• lists of the names of the Spanish artists and the Chinese artists

It almost makes me want to book a ticket! 

Note: I've written about Miriam Escofet a number of times on this blog - see various posts highlighted below

• Portrait of the Queen by Miriam Escofet
• VIDEO Interview with Miriam Escofet, BP Portrait Award Winner 2018
• Miriam Escofet wins BP Portrait Award 2018

This is Miriam's website http://www.miriamescofet.com/
and her Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/MiriamEscofetArtist/