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Black Art Matters
Since the discovery of African art at the end of the nineteenth century during the colonial expositions it has been a limitless source of inspiration for artists who, over time, have perpetually recreated these artworks.
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The Fascinating Halloween
Halloween is around the corner and an art books on Halloween is wonderful to bring on the spooky and the creepy. Let’s light some candles, grab yourself a warm blanket, take on an art book and get ready for the scariest night of the year. It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain. The Celtic festival of Samhain is of major influence, which marked the end of summer and the harvest. Bonfires were lit, often to provide light for those bringing in livestock from the fields or mountains to be slaughtered for winter. On this day, the Celts believe…
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Spotlight on Felix Vallotton (1865-1925)
Exhibition: Felix Vallotton – Painter of disquiet Date: 29th October to 26th January 2020 Venue: At The Met Fifth Avenue The text below is the excerpt of the book Félix Vallotton, written by Nathalia Brodskaïa, published by Parkstone International. That very strange Vallotton – that was how Thadée Natanson, the publisher of La Revue Blanche magazine, referred to the friend of his youth. In fact, Félix Vallotton did not bare his soul immediately, even to close friends. In the artistic milieu of Paris to which they both belonged, there were no ordinary people, but even among them, Vallotton stood out as being a most unusual individual. The reasons lay not…
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Ebooks – A vehicle of cultural transmission in Africa
“The civilization of the twentieth century cannot be universal except by being a dynamic synthesis of all the cultural values of all civilizations. It will be monstrous unless it is seasoned with the salt of negritude, for it will be without the savour of humanity.” Leopold Sedar Senghor READING IN AFRICA When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground.” Until recently, African history, culture and traditions were conveyed more through speech than in writing— the transmission of oral literature from one generation to the next lies at the heart of culture and memory. Very often, local languages act as vehicles for the transmission of unique forms of…
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A Byzantine Secret worth Billions
There is no doubt that the Byzantines have bequeathed us a culturally rich, and, at times, mysterious, legacy. Emperors came and went, but tradition and culture were passed down, leaving aspects of Byzantine history which yet linger, in legend or Eastern Orthodoxy, even to this day. Legend, you may ask? Certainly! Greek fire: a Byzantine invention (despite the misnomer). What proved to be a fearful weapon against their enemies also served as hazardous for Byzantium’s own forces, so it was eventually disregarded, and the secrets of its alchemy have been lost to us.
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…With one, we cannot have the other
Art of the Middle East is facing the same fate as the museums, works of art, and buildings that stood before World War II and, more recently, the Arab Spring. The Pearl Monument, formerly of Bahrain, was torn down by the Bahraini government last year because it was a point of interest for protestors. The Taliban has destroyed Buddhist art in Afghanistan, most specifically the Buddhas of Bamiyan in 2001. Already, works from Pakistan have been delayed in joining their counterparts in exhibitions, while important Egyptian pieces were left behind altogether amidst its revolution. When will it end? When will the selfish pursuits of some stop affecting cultural preservation and…
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