There is life in the old portrait yet! A visit to the Laing Art Gallery’s reframing of the ‘Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award Show 2025’

There is life in the old portrait yet! A visit to the Laing Art Gallery’s reframing of the ‘Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award Show 2025‘ This blog follows on from yesterday’s which reported a visit to The Hatton Gallery to see their new exhibition Lines of Action (see it at this link). The day-trip … More There is life in the old portrait yet! A visit to the Laing Art Gallery’s reframing of the ‘Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award Show 2025’

Reframing your Lines of Action: Is Art a way a doing this?

Reframing is defined simply enough in a mental health page at this link. Here’;s the opening. For me, the power in it lies in the avoidance of the oft used but poor term ‘positive reframing’, which assumes that negativity is only and merely a mindset and not a reality in the external factors of people’s … More Reframing your Lines of Action: Is Art a way a doing this?

I learned to see imagery, as must be the necessity in all images offered to you. Here is a test case: How do you see children flying kites?

The Kite in Time Space: describing the flying of kites in Gaza’s Great Return March of the spring of 2018 Ahmed Almaouq, explains that kites became and ‘opportunity to express defiance, even through [only symbolic ways’ citing Ramzy Baroud, going on to say himself that they became this kind of symbol because, ‘unlike the Palestinians … More I learned to see imagery, as must be the necessity in all images offered to you. Here is a test case: How do you see children flying kites?

Did Thomas Carlyle ever say: ‘Tennyson was a man solitary and sad, dwelling in an element of gloom, carrying a bit of chaos about him’.

Alfred Tennyson and Thomas Carlyle in a good representayion of the walled garden to 5 Cheyne Road the home of Thomas and Jane Carlyle., now visitable as ‘Carlyles’s House’ Thomas Carlyle, so little read today, was thought a Sage by those of his own time, and whether the quotation given above (from the usual dodgy … More Did Thomas Carlyle ever say: ‘Tennyson was a man solitary and sad, dwelling in an element of gloom, carrying a bit of chaos about him’.

The mind desires an idol and the hand confirms its birth in ticks.

My title contains a rewriting of a passage from John Calvin which elaborates his idea that the problem with humankind was an unruly mind forever looking beyond the uncertainty, from their perspective not His, of the invisible of God and his predestined plan to a palpable, tangible and visible reassurance of His presence. Mortals are … More The mind desires an idol and the hand confirms its birth in ticks.

Space and time under the stress of oppressive power.

In Theories of Space and Time,the North American poet, Natasha Trethewey, translates human experience of Space and time over a lifetime, with an emphasis on ‘home’ as a starting point for journeys in life development, and hence also experience  of time and space. Here is the poem: You can get there from here, thoughthere’s no going … More Space and time under the stress of oppressive power.

Can we measure the quality of witness to the processes and events of attempted genocide? Two new books that test that idea and challenge the horror.

Can we measure the quality of witness to the processes and events of attempted genocide? Two new books that test that idea and challenge the horror. Tayseer Abu Odeh and Sherah Bloor (Trans. & Eds) & Jorie Graham (Guest ed.). [2026] You Must Live: New Poetry from Palestine Penguin Books Ltd.. Ahmed Alnaouq and Pam … More Can we measure the quality of witness to the processes and events of attempted genocide? Two new books that test that idea and challenge the horror.

Let’s pretend we can get in the mind (or guts) of great artists, and consider how Anish Kapoor might translate the question, ‘What’s a time you followed your gut and it turned out to be exactly right?’ This is a blog preparing to see his new exhibition at the Hayward Gallery.

Let’s pretend we can get in the mind of great artists, and consider how Anish Kapoor might translate the question, ‘What’s a time you followed your gut and it turned out to be exactly right?’ This is a blog preparing to see his new exhibition at the Hayward Gallery. Following your gut to their source: … More Let’s pretend we can get in the mind (or guts) of great artists, and consider how Anish Kapoor might translate the question, ‘What’s a time you followed your gut and it turned out to be exactly right?’ This is a blog preparing to see his new exhibition at the Hayward Gallery.

I used to believe theatre was about an actor playing a role. In preparation for Simon Stone’s ‘Oresteia’.

I suppose I am determined not to prepare in some small way for things I see on theatre. This is another installment of the preparation for my July 8-9th trip, for which the schedule again is thus, together with the surrounding commentary from an earlier blog on another event (the whole is at this link): … More I used to believe theatre was about an actor playing a role. In preparation for Simon Stone’s ‘Oresteia’.

The best advice is to be aware of and distrust the impulse, or the advice of others, that you be always in control of what you say and do, for it too often means that you surrender yourself to the controlling ideologies of the status quo, which is, often as not, embodied by that which demands your self-control. I think I learned this from Adam Nicolson’s characterisation of Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his ‘The Making of Poetry’ (2019)

The best advice is to be aware of and distrust the impulse, or the advice of others, that you be always in control of what you say and do, for it too often means that you surrender yourself to the controlling ideologies of the status quo, which is, often as not, embodied by that which … More The best advice is to be aware of and distrust the impulse, or the advice of others, that you be always in control of what you say and do, for it too often means that you surrender yourself to the controlling ideologies of the status quo, which is, often as not, embodied by that which demands your self-control. I think I learned this from Adam Nicolson’s characterisation of Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his ‘The Making of Poetry’ (2019)

I don’t believe in tips for life, let alone top ones, and am circumspect about success as a thing to be realised. Consider Wordsworth as he must have felt in Alfoxden in 1797.

I don’t believe in tips for life, let alone top ones, and am circumspect about success as a thing to be realised. Consider Wordsworth as he must have felt in Alfoxden in 1797. Wordsworth in Darkness by Tom Hammick from Adam Nicholson (2019) The Making of Poetry: Coleridge,  the Wordsworths and Their Year of Marvels … More I don’t believe in tips for life, let alone top ones, and am circumspect about success as a thing to be realised. Consider Wordsworth as he must have felt in Alfoxden in 1797.