What impressed me about this collection was the colouring and the amazing embroidery and embellishment. The semi-precious stones and tarnished metal convey an established opulence that is very much an antidote to all the brightness of technological development. I love technology but you can’t beat a bit of historical interpretation every now and again. I’m […]
One-minute blog of interesting things
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As a working contemporary artist I visit many exhibitions and shows, but sometimes it is the things I see that are part of daily life that capture my interest. My one-minute blog of interesting things reflects the fact that although we are increasingly time-poor, there is creativity all around us. Email me at info@carolinebanks.co.uk with your name and email to receive a weekly post that only takes 1 minute to read.
Shadow Catchers – photography without a camera
Many of us have played with the simple exposure of objects onto photographic paper but this exhibition opened my eyes to the immense possibilities of camera-less photography. I find this concept of using light and paper terribly romantic. Light is something all artists and designers use at some point or another but these five creators […]
Merchant and Mills – couture from home
This new company has recently been set up to encourage women to make clothing again but in a highly finished way. The notions are pure looking and beautifully packaged in a traditional haberdasher style. It is a similar concept to Labour & Wait but more focussed. You can make the garments yourself. This is style rather than […]
Happy Table
Another new business with a very good idea: personalised placemats that you can change around at will. And they’re not just for children either. www.happytable.co.uk
Diaghilev & the Ballets Russes
Still on for another few weeks this exhibition was much more comprehensive than expected and certainly inspirational in the colouring and design. I was staggered to learn that The Rite of Spring, one of their most famous ballets was only actually performed 9 times. The costumes were all handpainted on quite heavy cotton and wool, making movement difficult […]
Christmas windows at Fortnum & Mason
The department store Christmas displays are always worth seeing. Fortnum and Mason rarely disappoint and this year’s Piccadilly windows are a glory of deconstructed classical paintings inspired by the National Gallery. I’m not sure you can tell that this is a 3D construction including real objects from the photo: I like the fact that they have […]
Christmas shopping
Now that it’s December I feel OK talking about Christmas. I was horrified in September to see a Christmas tree in a restaurant: my friend couldn’t understand the pointing and gabbling of ” Aargh, look, look!”. She thought perhaps that I’d spotted a celebrity but I’m not quite that pathetic. Anyway, back to Christmas and gift […]
Debbie Smyth – drawing with thread
Debbie Smyth is worth watching for her pin and thread drawings. Her graduation show memorably included pylons stretching over several screens. At Origin back in October she included smaller pieces more easily integrated into a domestic setting. Her depictions of often ignored everyday objects such as the supermarket trolley imbue them with unexpected poetry. The varied density of thread gives ambiguity to […]
Is there a new trend for urban topiary?
A few weeks ago I posted images of a topiary elephant from a front garden in North London. I’ve now spotted another topiary piece, again in a front garden and again in North London. Is this a trend? It isn’t really something you can produce overnight so either I’ve been extremely unobservant or there is a secret topiary […]
Bronzino in Florence
I normally only write about people and events based in London or Paris but this exhibition from a recent visit to Florence is simply too wonderful to leave out. Bronzino lived in the 16th century and worked for the Medicis, principally Cosimo I, amongst others. His skill for versimilitude was one of the characteristics of his work, something quite […]