The Oceania exhibition that is now on at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris originated at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The RA has a number of videos in English online in connection with the exhibition that are excellent for class work on the topic. It would work well with Shine Bright … Continue reading “Oceania Through Videos”
To commemorate the 75th anniversary the D-Day landings, the Mémorial de Caen is hosting a touring exhibition dedicated to Norman Rockwell’s depictions of President Roosevelt’s vision of a post-war future. Franklin D. Roosevelt first formulated the “Four Freedoms” in 1941 for his State of the Union speech: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from … Continue reading “Save the Date: Rockwell in Caen”
Andy Warhol remains one of the most famous and iconic American artists. He contributed to bridge the gap and blur the boundaries between pop culture and fine arts and his work is a wonderful way in into American 20th century history, culture, and values. Some thirty years after his death, the New York Whitney Museum … Continue reading “Andy Warhol: From A to Z”
Grayson Perry is one of the best-known contemporary artists in the U.K, a documentary filmmaker and often a walking work of art. His exhibition “Vanity, Identity, Sexuality” at the Monnaie de Paris gives an overview of his art, which questions British society and politics, and male identity. As well as his original speciality, ceramics, it … Continue reading “One-Man Show”
Back at the beginning of the school year, we launched three pupil competitions. The A1+ level competition was to write a 50-word text about a special image, like “The People’s Portrait” we featured in September. We were absolutely inundated with replies for the three competitions, which we are slowly working through. Please apologise to your … Continue reading “Pupils’ Portrait Winners”
It’s become a cliché to describe a celebrity as an iconic figure but a new exhibition about Michael Jackson takes the word “iconic” in a more literal sense. Michael Jackson: On the Wall looks at how the visual artists depicted and idolised one of the biggest music stars of his, or any, time. Jackson was … Continue reading “Michael Jackson: On the Wall”
With the midterm elections approaching, the U.S.A. is being inundated with political advertising. But a group of artists wants to take back the country’s billboards for non-partisan, thought-provoking messages. Following a crowdfunding campaign they are putting up messages on billboards in all 50 states. For Freedoms was created in 2016 by artists Hank Willis Thomas … Continue reading “Billboards for Citizens”
Jean-Michel Basquiat, one of the most remarkable American painters of his generation is the subject of an exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, from October 3, 2018 to January 14, 2019. From 1980 to 1988, Jean-Michel Basquiat managed to impose his underground style in the streets of New York, a city where hip-hop, graffiti and … Continue reading “Basquiat by Vuitton”
The People’s Portrait is in fact two portraits of Queen Elizabeth II made up of a collage of images sent in by the general public. People were asked to send in a photo and short description or anecdote. We have an A1+-level Ready-to-Use Resource about the portraits for you to introduce the topic to your … Continue reading “Pupils’ Portrait Competition”
How can you portray a nation of 60 million people? The 100 winning “portraits of Britain” gazing down at passers by in streets, shopping centres, stations and airports across the country are as diverse as the population: different ages, colours, activities, locations, culture and clothing combine to mirror the observers. Portrait of Britain is the … Continue reading “Portrait of Britain”