It brought immediately to mind the classic novel Walden – or a life in the woods by David Thoreau. Back in the 1840′s, leaving civilisation behind – but not too far away – he experienced a life of subsistence whilst observing in minute detail the natural life around him. He inspired, so it is said, the conservation movement and National Park system of the United States as well as one of the most revered photo-books of all time – The Pond by John Gossage.

Like Hockney’s Wolds and Thoreau’s Walden this book is, at first, unremarkable. Simple black and white images record a vague path and some scruffy landscapes, casually photographed. It is only after a few pages that you realise that you are taking a walk with the author – one that ends at an unremarkable latter-day Walden. The tactic is also incidentally one that Hockney uses – many of his paintings place the spectator on a path/track/road in to the landscape and invite you to take an imaginary stroll. It may disappoint some, but it is a subtle and philosophical book, one that emphasises the importance of the observation of what is around you rather than the creation of beautiful images.

It struck me that the above artist, writer/philosopher and photographer all have in common a deep involvement with nature and its observation. Each record it in at least one different way, including Hockney’s embracing of one the latest technologies, the i-pad. 

So where does Marsh Lane come in? This is the lane beside my house where I walk my dog every day. It is unremarkable, muddy and flat with some scruffy hedges and farmland. Sometimes an unnamed local builder uses it to tip waste when he can’t be bothered to go to the council dump (we’ll get him one day). Inspired, I thought it was time to take a couple of photos – just using a blackberry this is from one morning a week ago. Here are my modest results – anyone can do it using perhaps an i-pad, i-phone or blackberry. No excuses, it’s your turn now!

Once we are past the excellent four seasons of Thixendale Trees of the central hall, inspired by Monet, the show is largely chronological. From some early student works (my preferred) that already show his prodigious talent, we move on to American landscapes that include the clever photographic joiner Pearblossom Highway. It is cleverer than I thought – did you realise that the right side of the picture is the drivers view, the left the passengers – all signs and instruction versus casual observation? No, neither did I.

 More, many more, landscapes follow – smaller watercolours and oils from direct observation, ‘tunnels’ of tracks and roads, Woldgate woods and the Arrival of Spring’. Perhaps too many, but undeniably showing his clarity of vision and clever observation. There is enough variation though: there are the changing viewpoints of the multi-canvas paintings that drag you right in to the landscapes; the almost surreal Hawthorn blossom paintings; clever i-pad drawings including the huge ‘how did he do that on an i-pad’ ones of Yosemite; the vivid colours of Woldgate woods where darkest winter is transformed by brilliant colours.

There is film too. Made with nine cameras Hockney’s converted vehicle trundles along country lanes whilst recording – Google street-view-like – whatever it passes, largely the landscape of course but litter, passing cars and occasional cyclist not excepted. Each film is shown side by side with another of the same location (both same and opposing views) in a different season. Here is nature in glorious close-up and it makes us look – hard, much harder than we expect. We look at the weeds and hedgerows in fine detail observing everything anew – this is Walden on wheels.  The films too reconcile his key themes – looking, time, memory, movement and change.

Of course one could be critical about some of the work. Personally I found The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate – the 32-canvas centrepiece of the exhibition – rather a disappointment and over-stylised, but really, who cares? This is wonderful exhibition from our greatest living artist and it should be celebrated that at 75 years of age Hockney has produced such a large and inspirational body of work. Forget Leonardo – this is the biggest show of the year. Whatever its flaws this is the must-see of a summer.

At the Royal Academy until 9 April 2012

Related articles

• Artist David Hockney returns to his English roots (ctv.ca)
• David Hockney’s landscapes: the wold is not enough (guardian.co.uk)
• Hockney goes back to nature (independent.co.uk)
• The wish from a dying friend that helped Hockney to love Britain again (dailymail.co.uk)
• David Hockney, national treasure (economist.com)

At the British Museum Perry has been given free rein to dig in to their vast collection and he has selected exceptionally well. Picking charming and quirky pieces – what else would we expect? – he celebrates the craftsmen and women who have made all those pieces that adorn the museum. Items cover two million years and feature diverse themes – you will find perhaps religious icons, grotesque masks, tiny reliquaries, strange totems, modern badges and pre-Columbian pots. There are inevitably plenty of phalluses, a bit of cross dressing, some sexual politics – all are linked by Perry’s own creations that are slipped in amongst them.

Jumping from culture to culture, leaping through time – and purpose – objects are juxtaposed to great effect. The biggest shock perhaps is that it is virtually seamless. The old and new mingle as if created at least by the same souls or spirits, if not the selfsame hand. Untold millennia of craft merges in to one fascinating, witty and often moving exhibition. The show culminates with the celebratory cast-iron ‘tomb’ which in the form of a boat carries a flint hand axe (the oldest artefact in the museum) as well as vials of blood sweat and tears, and sails ever onward. We emerge with feeling of connection with the past – a glorious celebration of human creativity and cultural diversity. 

At the British Museum until 19 February 2012.

Grayson Perry is represented by Victoria Miro.

Related articles

• Grayson Perry: The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman at the British Museum (telegraph.co.uk)
• Studio visit with artist Grayson Perry (lostateminor.com)
• Making connections (britishmuseum.org)
• Grayson Perry: the Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman – review (guardian.co.uk)
• VIDEO: Grayson Perry’s ode to craftsmen (bbc.co.uk)

So why have we never heard of them in the UK? I guess that they have long been rather unfashionable. After all, over in Europe in the first half of the 20th century it was the flowering of the avant-garde – more new ‘-isms’ than you could shake a stick at and certainly more that you could keep track of and understand. Meanwhile over in Canada a bunch of, largely, European exiles were seemingly style-wise stuck at the *rse end of the previous century. They painted in plein air using a style that combined various aspects of the impressionists and post impressionists –  a bit of Seurat here, Cezanne there and Monet over here. 

They did however also bring something more – from the symbolists, Northern Europeans like Munch and others like Hodler. More awe of nature, respect for the sublime and a touch of religion no doubt. Painting from the early 1910′s and inspired by Thomson, a loosely connected group formed in 1920, and although they drifted apart in the early 1930′s they had by then between them created a distinguishable ‘Canadian’ style which undeniably reflects the wildernes and open space of the country. The gallery promotes this exhibition as a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to see these works in the UK. It may well be. 

The exhibition closes this weekend on the 8th of January (don’t complain – I did warn you it was on its was some 6 months ago) and, unless you are a City or United fan watching the Manchester derby, I cannot think of many better things to do than pop down to the Dulwich picture gallery to pass a dull and grey winter day.

Read a more comprehensive history and review from the Standard’s Brian Sewell here.

The Dulwich Picture gallery until 8 January 2012.

Related articles

• Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven, Dulwich Picture Gallery: review (telegraph.co.uk)
• In praise of … Canada’s Group of Seven | Editorial (guardian.co.uk)
• U.K. art show recalls pivotal moment in Canadian culture (vancouversun.com)
• Painting Canadian art world-class (theglobeandmail.com)

Here are three very different artists that have taken key roles within the mass media as representatives of the contemporary art world. Their ‘notoriety’ has been neatly pigeonholed by the press. Tracey Emin for her raw and sexual autobiographical work, the unmade bed, the ‘how can this be art’ tabloid diatribe. She is the bad girl made good. Damien Hirst for his blatant money-making approach and mass-produced work – symbol of the commercialisation of art. The bad boy made rich. Banksy for his anonymous (despite the fact that everyone knows who he is – it’s just that nobody wants to spoil the game) gallery ‘interventions’ and graffiti. The naughty boy turned film producer.

The board of the Royal Academy has just appointed Emin as Professor of Drawing. Although she has been quite cosy with the RA for some years her appointment is a surprise to me. After all she is famously inclusive with her attitude to method –  she paints, draws, embroiders, sculpts, etches, assembles, works in neon and much more. She told us for her Hayward solo show that her work ‘is about words’. Her drawing is OK – if you like repeated drawings of Emin masturbating. Actually I am being overly critical – her drawing is quite good but hardly the stuff of RA professorship. This is an appointment that smacks of some combination of internal/external politics, inclusivity (she is the first female professor in RA history) and media attention.

Hirst meanwhile, as commercial as ever, will next month be showing his entire output of spot paintings at 11 Gagosian galleries worldwide when over 300 variations of the painting series that he first produced in 1988 will be shown. He announced them finished in 2008 but (his ‘factory’) continues production, currently working on a painting that contains two million spots. I hope you can contain your excitement – just one of these appalling ‘paintings’ is enough for me. Yawn.

Up in Liverpool, just in time for Christmas, the Walker has announced the permanent loan of a piece by Banksy. Entitled Cardinal Sin an 18th Century replica stone bust has had its face sawn off and glued on is a selection of bathroom tiles. The resulting ‘pixellated’ portrait is a very neat comment on the abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church and its on-going cover-up.

The one significant piece of news? Whilst Emin has become part of the establishment and Hirst regurgitates his poorest work (easiest to make?) only Banksy – who I have had mixed feelings about to date – produces something of worth. Further this is his best work to date by far – away from quaint political slogans and clever graffiti he has made a Museum quality work. As he says “The statue? I guess you could call it a Christmas present. “At this time of year it’s easy to forget the true meaning of Christianity – the lies, the corruption, the abuse.” Brilliant. Re-spect.

[ps - apologies for a prolonged absence in December - moving house!]

Related articles

• Hirst connects dots across New York, Paris, London and more (travelnews.britishairways.com)
• Tracey Emin appointed as RA’s Professor of Drawing (telegraph.co.uk)

Vitali’s stock in trade is the overexposed and washed-out image of over-populated locations. Beaches feature prominently as have discos and parties, whilst the current exhibition features coastal scenes. All are blown up in to a large-scale – typically about six feet high and more across – mounted under plexiglass to heighten a feeling of plastic unreality.

Talking briefly with Vitali at the exhibition it was interesting to hear that he started this theme of work following his despair at the Italian political scene when Berlusconi came to power. He decided to photograph the people of Italy to see if he could find any insight in to the way that they think. The mundane and everyday moments in locations of beauty such as beached appealed to him.

Despite many of the images seeming to feature almost uninhabited landscapes he confirmed that his images are still always about people. It is their interaction with the landscape and not the location itself which is most important. I loved his Firiplaka Red Yellow Diptych - a multicoloured cliff-face with a few figures walking the water’s edge at its base. It was an image he waited and waited for and only as the waves lapped over the top of the tall platform, from which he takes his high viewpoint shots, did he finally get the composition he wanted. In the end it was his favourite image in the show.

I personally prefer his earlier – even more washed-out – images but here is a top photographer close to his peak and it is worth stopping by for a look. Works are expensive – £30k or so, increasing towards the ends of the editions of six – but will surely hold their value.

Departing I snapped a final image and just as I did so a figure walked through the frame – it was Vitali himself, so I add the image below. Perhaps he would approve – after all he could be just another anonymous Italian in a beautiful coastal landscape….

At Brancolini Grimaldi until 28 January 2012

Related articles

• Massimo Vitali: The seaside snapper who’s making waves (independent.co.uk)
• Massimo Vitali’s Photographs in Home Interiors (apartmenttherapy.com)
• Crowded Coast Photography – Massimo Vitali’s Beach Shoot Exposes Seasides Packed With People (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)
• Massimo Vitali, Lucca, Italy | Feature Shoot (ambravernuccio.wordpress.com)

Amongst the collateral events which take place alongside the official biennale of the Giardini and Arsenale are literally dozens of assorted National, gallery and artist pavilions. House in a variety palaces, attics or semi-derelict houses they are a fascinating addition to the, relatively, big name and big money offerings of the main event. It is very much a hit and miss affair but there are always gems which appear amongst the largely uninspiring exhibits from the likes of Central Asia, Andorra and Iran.

This years outstanding ‘Collateral’ (the biennale’s word, not mine) pavilion was for me the Iraqi Wounded Water (Acqua Ferita) exhibition. Tucked away in a side road behind the Arsenale it occupies a small run-down canal-side property. Six artists have combined to produce a consistently high quality of work. All have drawn strongly upon the recent sad history of the country to produce powerful and meaningful work.

Ahmed Alsoudani is the biggest name. His recent successful exhibition at Haunch of Venison cementing his reputation. Untitled  2011 with a tortured and broken figure above a similarly tortured Arabic motif is the stand-out work here.

Others include Adel Adibin with a clever video of two suited businessman fighting with fluorescent tube light-sabres. Walid Siti rips a hole in a giant copy of an Iraqi banknote to bring to life the featured beauty spot – now tainted. Ali Asaf creates his own version of the Narcissus myth Narciso - he observes not the reflection of himself but detritus of the city as it drifts beneath his gaze.

Azid Nanakeli and Halim al Karim also feature. All deserve a bright and successful future after this excellent collaboration.

Related articles

• Making waves (bbc.co.uk)
• Installation Art that Explores Living Spaces The 2011 Venice Biennale (apartmenttherapy.com)
• ahmed alsoudani at the haunch of venison (akickupthearts.wordpress.com)

No blogs for therefore for the next week (I know I could blog from here but….) and will send an update when Im back. Hope you dont miss me too much!

Ciao 

Related articles

• VIDEO: Venice Biennale: Art meets politics (bbc.co.uk)
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I recently visited his studio where, despite being well in to his seventies, he had been up since 6.30 am working in the darkroom (he still does much of his own printing). This despite the fact that by now he should of course be able to hang up his lenses for good and have a very comfortable living from his back catalogue. Still working every day – “otherwise I’d get bored stiff” – his latest work has not actually involved photography but painting.

Paint is of course a departure from his usual work but, no doubt encouraged by his good mate Damien Hirst, he fancied trying his hand at something different. And different it certainly is. The exhibition is called Hitler killed the Duck - a title derived from the bombing of his local cinema when he was a child. The works in the show are split between expressionistic – if one could call it that – canvases that variously feature Mickey Mouse, warplanes, Donald Duck and Hitler with daubed graffiti such as 1942 WAS A BAD YEAR, WANTED or WOT, and inspired by these childhood experiences. The remainder take one of his iconic photographs as a starting point for some overpainting.

The former do not really work and some might be unkind and say that perhaps he should not have bothered – but hey, its David Bailey, if he wants to try it why not? In any case am sure he would say something like ‘f*** ‘em – who cares?’ As for the photographic-based pieces they are actually work very well, perhaps due to the sthrength of the original images.

In Red Warhol, Jack Nicholson and Noel Gallagher the original photographs featuring the thoughtful, bad and mad respectively are tightly cropped with the black and white or sepia images still visible through or inside the painted background.

It is not great art – but here is one of Britains iconic photographers having some fun and what the the hell, why not take a look.

David Bailey Hitler Killed the Duck is on at Scream until the 12 November 2011

Related articles

• ‘Hitler Killed the Duck’: New paintings by David Bailey (dangerousminds.net)
• Photographer David Bailey’s muse claims she never got a penny (telegraph.co.uk)

His first UK exhibition has just opened at the Haunch of Venison and you can bet that it has already been sold out. The works, mostly medium to large-scale, are certainly striking. Starting from energetic charcoal drawings, which often remain in unpainted areas, his figurative works feature distorted and intertwined bodies or body parts, in a more or less tangled mass together with assorted, barely identifiable objects like clothing, foam, tubes and pieces of concrete. Flashes of vivid, bright colour combine with more painterly sections and charcoal drawing.

The paintings naturally relate to his, and his compatriots, experience of conflict in his homeland. Without expressly depicting war they however clearly reflect the effect and experience of war upon the people who live under its shadow. Pain and suffering is clearly visible via the tortured and broken bodies. The wide spaces of the fine new Haunch of Venison Gallery allows a calm and reflective viewing. These are hugely impressive and very powerful paintings in a striking setting.

Haunch of Venison until 26 November 2011

Related articles

• Ahmed Alsoudani: Iraq to London, via New York and Venice (independent.co.uk)
• adrian ghenie at haunch of venison (akickupthearts.wordpress.com)