In the visual arts world this week, The Arts Desk look at the paintings of Lowry, the street art that lies hidden beneath New York and the photographs of late great film director Ken Russell.
Hugely well known for his urban and industrial scenes of stylised pipe-cleaner people, LS Lowry is seen as very English, rather predictable and not at all edgy. This sizeable exhibition of 38 works from the Fifties and Sixties at one of the smaller London galleries, Richard Green, shows that Lowry has more complexity than he is credited with.
Dedicated to Charles Dickens's use of the supernatural, most memorably in 'A Christmas Carol', the British Library has compiled a small exhibition in its foyer in keeping with the many other forthcoming celebrations for Charles Dickens's 200th birthday next year. Dickens was fascinated by the subject of ghosts although he was not a believer in them himself. 'A Hankering After Ghosts: Dickens and the Supernatural' didn't acknowledge Dickens's insight in recognising that the real ghosts are within ourselves however, and was Judith Flanders' only real complaint.
A recent interview with film director Ken Russell was revisited in the light of his death this week, which presents an image gallery of photographs taken by Russell in the 1950s. The images are taken around war-torn London and show Russell's eye for the singular and penchant for the absurd, making use of comic staged scenes and props.
Jasper Rees risked arrest just by visiting the Underbelly Project, which is a clandestine street art installation that the public cannot access. Before the entrance to the site was blocked, Rees was given a guided tour of the artworks, which featured many big-name artists including Ron English, Faile and The London Police. This extraordinary protest against the commercialisation of the visual arts was a project too risky even for Banksy.
Hugely well known for his urban and industrial scenes of stylised pipe-cleaner people, LS Lowry is seen as very English, rather predictable and not at all edgy. This sizeable exhibition of 38 works from the Fifties and Sixties at one of the smaller London galleries, Richard Green, shows that Lowry has more complexity than he is credited with.
Dedicated to Charles Dickens's use of the supernatural, most memorably in 'A Christmas Carol', the British Library has compiled a small exhibition in its foyer in keeping with the many other forthcoming celebrations for Charles Dickens's 200th birthday next year. Dickens was fascinated by the subject of ghosts although he was not a believer in them himself. 'A Hankering After Ghosts: Dickens and the Supernatural' didn't acknowledge Dickens's insight in recognising that the real ghosts are within ourselves however, and was Judith Flanders' only real complaint.
A recent interview with film director Ken Russell was revisited in the light of his death this week, which presents an image gallery of photographs taken by Russell in the 1950s. The images are taken around war-torn London and show Russell's eye for the singular and penchant for the absurd, making use of comic staged scenes and props.
Jasper Rees risked arrest just by visiting the Underbelly Project, which is a clandestine street art installation that the public cannot access. Before the entrance to the site was blocked, Rees was given a guided tour of the artworks, which featured many big-name artists including Ron English, Faile and The London Police. This extraordinary protest against the commercialisation of the visual arts was a project too risky even for Banksy.
About the Author:
Steve Alexander is a writer with a passion for the visual arts world. For more information on visual arts in the UK, go to theartsdesk.com.
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