Shelley’s Art Musings
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Shelley’s Art Musings: The complexities of illegal art
In my last article, I wrote about my personal views on street art, and how I saw this as art for the masses. I briefly touched on how the majority of street art and graffiti is illegal, with only the most well-known or outstanding artists becoming almost household names and their work being commissioned to adorn walls. In a twist of fate, a news story recently broke about the complexities of this type of art and the issues it can present in terms of ownership and copyright, which presents us with a really interesting question over what is right and fair in this arena. To give you an idea of…
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Shelley’s Art Musing: Street Art – an Art for the Masses
When people talk about art, what is the first thing you thinking of? Probably pictures hanging in galleries, or sculptures out of marble. You probably don’t automatically think of things like street art, as there is still a little bit of a stigma with some people around this type of art. It is often thought that art is an elitist subject, but street art brings itself to its audience, coming out of the galleries, becoming easily accessible and free to see. Some people will class anything they see painted on walls as graffiti, but there is a very distinct difference between graffiti and street art. The difference is intention. Graffiti…
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Hungary – Crying over its lost freedom?
Politics is always a hot topic. Not a day goes by without reports of something happening with high profile leaders or a controversial decision being made which can impact not only a country, but also those who are in allegiance with them and the people who live there, and for those that are outside of the country that is being reported on, it is so easy for us to judge what is happening, from a distance, without the real consideration or understanding of how it is impacting everyday lives. This is nothing new, and places will strive to give the right impression to their tourists. Hungary is no different, and…
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Shelley’s Art Musings: Anti Racism or Human Stupidity?
On the lively Parisian street of Rue Mouffetard there is a supermarket. Above this supermarket is a sign, which reads “Au Negre Joyeux” along with a fairly crudely painted picture of a black man and a white woman. This may stir up some feelings in you. We see a black man, dressed in what would have been deemed fine clothes, a napkin around his neck and holding aloft a wine carafe. There seems to be some controversy around the actions being taken in this painting with some saying that he is serving the white woman, and others pointing out that the woman is holding a tray. My interpretation of this…
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Shelley’s Art Musings – “Carolina” – Is it a Coming of Age or Voyeuristic Venture of a Sculpture?
Nestled in the Gabriel-Pierné Square in Paris, there is the Carolina statue created by Marcello Tommasi. This is a bronze statue, created in 1968, showing in detail a naked young girl. As you look at her, you may feel that she is stood rather awkwardly, her right arm turned at a difficult angle, her developing hips pushed slightly too far to one side and her face struck in an expression of distinct determination. You may also feel slightly unnerved that this statue, which is looking directly ahead, is clearly an early teenage girl and is showing her developing body so brazenly. Tommasi was an Italian painter and sculptor who died in…
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Scandals too risqué to be seen?
“Scandal – an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage.” Art it completely objective. It is to each and every viewer, something different. So aside from the cultural and political aspects of life, what is it that causes the audiences and critics to deem something scandalous? There are plenty of examples of art which has caused people to be up in arms, so that motivates these emotions in people. And why, when we accept that the visual world is objective, does it sometimes cause uproar of great proportion? When I think of a scandal, I think of something with action and consequence, there…
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Shelley’s Art Musing – “Cover up that bosom, which I can’t endure to look on”. (Tartuffe, Molière)
The Egon Schiele. The anniversary show is due to start in February 2018 with exhibits in Vienna, London, Hamburg and Cologne. It will display the main aspects of his work and his shunning of traditional art practices of his time, break taboos and exploring spirituality through his expressionist form. If you are unaware of Schiele’s work, he was an Austrian artist working in the early part of the 1900’s. His work is recognised for its raw intensity and sexuality. He produced many self portraits, some of which were nudes. The subjects of his work drawn with twisted body shapes and a unique line which made his work an early contender…
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Shelley’s Art Musings – The Follies of the ‘Sand’ Louvre, which acquired the Leonardo da Vinci painting at $450 million
It has been just under a month since we have seen the doors of the Louvre Abu Dhabi open with its fantastic structure, but the reception has been not quite so impressive. Visitors have remarked that there doesn’t seem to be enough content within the corridors of the venture to fulfil its monumental name. I am sure that this comes as quite a blow as the mammoth project has been fraught with controversy and delays. Throughout the build, concerns of the welfare of the migrant workers plagued its progress. They have left a bitter taste in the mouth of the museum, which is supposedly encompassing a “universal” approach to all…
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Shelley’s Art Musings: Are Artists above Human Condition?
Rodin said: “To any artist, worthy of the name, everything in nature is beautiful, because his eyes, fearlessly accepting all exterior truth, read there, as an open book all the inner truth.” In the art world, past and present, we have seen artists strive for perfection, using their own mental or physical afflictions to benefit their cause, seeking a consciousness which is all seeing. But does this mean that they can push boundaries too far and over step the mark at the detriment of themselves and others? Obviously, we are aware of how Van Gogh cut off an ear, and how Munch expressed his own personal anxieties through his paintings…
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Shelley’s Art Musings: Louvre Abu Dhabi: When Worlds Collide
When you think of the Louvre, the mind instantly goes to the iconic glass pyramid which we are all so familiar with, located in the centre of Paris. Housing some of the world’s greatest art works, it is the world’s largest art museum. In 2007, the creation of a second Louvre was announced. From then on, it has been eagerly watched as the project emerges. Ten years after the announcement and after several delays, the exciting news of the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi has arrived. The name “Louvre”, which is being ‘rented’ for a 30-year period for this museum, costs around £399 million to do so. On November…
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