Category Archives: Art

Bear Necessities

Posted on May 23, 2013 by

This picture – drawn by my daughter – melted my heart and sums up my week. It captures the beguiling mix of sleepiness, size and sheer cuddliness of the Giant Panda. Like the °0° koala, there is nothing in nature … Continue reading →

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Life as Art

Posted on February 17, 2013 by

I always used to be big on objectivity – getting to what’s factually and actually right. But I’m much less obsessed with the ‘objective’ these days. The (at times painful) discovery of my working and family life is that, with … Continue reading →

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Writing

Posted on January 27, 2013 by

Is there a better thing than writing? While I’m not with the 20th century British philosophers who said language is all there is, I am with Aquinas. He’d say that, along with body and soul, language is a defining part … Continue reading →

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A Titian

Posted on November 15, 2012 by

‘A Titian’ I exclaimed today at work and I didn’t need a handkerchief. Presented with two cover designs for a research publication, for me, there was a clear winner. Not the one with a complex assembly of people, the one … Continue reading →

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Arts and Draughts

Posted on October 27, 2012 by

I found myself talking Art – with a nice bloke I’ve never met before – in the pub this week. It was at a leaving do for my other half. Neither of us look like gallery buffs. But a happy … Continue reading →

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Sport as Life

Posted on June 24, 2012 by

The thesis: truly great sporting skill and self-expression come best when not too structured, not too investigated, not too explored. The counter: nearly-great performance is helped by study, stats, practice and heightened professionalism. Stimulated by a cricket ground conversation with … Continue reading →

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In the Balance

Posted on May 20, 2012 by

Why is it we feel a little cheated by art made of everyday objects? Is it because we value the materials as well as the labour? Talking to a Sri Lankan clothing entrepreneur this week, I discovered that in modern … Continue reading →

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Flights of Fancy

Posted on May 19, 2012 by

I found myself in a back room at the British Museum this week, looking at pen and ink drawings. I took a couple of photos of simple but stunning sketches by Picasso and Rembrandt. As a child, I remember being … Continue reading →

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Powerpoint like an Egyptian

Posted on April 18, 2012 by

Why did ancient Egyptians have two left feet? Ernst Gombrich provides a fascinating answer in ‘The Story of Art’ – to make sure you had two good feet in the afterlife. The art of the Pharoahs’ is in some senses … Continue reading →

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Art and Artists

Posted on April 11, 2012 by

I’ve started E.H. Gombrich’s ‘The Story of Art’ which was recommended by one friend and came up in conversation with another today. Gombrich says there is really no ‘Art’, only artists and what they create. A lot of what what … Continue reading →

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