Mythic Time / Tens of Thousands of Rememberings by Lina Iris Victor. And what a fascinating exhibition at the Sir John Soane’s Museum this is. A celebration of African culture, mingled with inspiration from the astonishing collection of ancient artefacts assembled by Sir John Soane and housed in his idiosyncratic home in Lincoln’s Inn Field, London.
It’s always great to see the Graduate Show at City & Guilds of London Art School. I try to get down to Kennington every June to see what everyone’s been up up and this year I was not disappointed. There’s some great art on show.
Say the name Henry VIII and what comes next? Yes, his SIX wives. They’ve been a ‘sextet’ of historical women for centuries and the subject of books, films, plays and, currently, the musical SIX. But what was each woman like? The curators of this magnificent show at the National Portrait Gallery have sought out the main portraits which exist of each woman and surrounded them, in their own gallery, with images of people, places and events which were important in their lives. It’s fabulous.
The 2024 Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy in London is full of weird and wonderful art made from a huge variety of materials.
NOW YOU SEE US: Women artists in Britain 1520-1920. What a fabulous show this is at Tate Britain. We all know that, for centuries, women were not accepted as professional artists, but there were a few exceptions who earned their livings through art. It’s great to see the work of many unfamiliar female artists on show. The talent is breathtaking.
Expressionists and the artists who formed the Blue Rider movement in Germany in the early 1900s are having a moment at Tate Modern with a thrilling new exhibition of works by Kandinsky, Münter, Mark Klee and many others.
Compare and contrast: Julia Margaret Cameron and Francesca Woodman. I have to say, I was familiar with the first, and not the second, but a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery has changed that. The two women, working 100 years apart, both concentrated on portraiture and the notion of dreaminess in photography. It’s a whimsical and interesting show.
Jason and the Adventure of 254. You have to come to this joyous exhibition at the Wellcome Collection to understand the title. And once you enter the world of artist Jason Wilsher-Mills you are quickly immersed in a very personal and affectionate history of his extraordinary life.
Paper Places 