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Showing posts with label firstsite. Show all posts
Showing posts with label firstsite. Show all posts

Friday, 31 October 2025

Artlyst - Into Abstraction Meaning Connection And Hope Firstsite

My latest review for Artlyst is on ‘Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape’ at Firstsite Gallery:

'Spirituality was a major source of inspiration for many in this period. Nash shared a Christian Science practitioner with Hepworth and Ben Nicholson. Sue Hubbard has noted that Hepworth produced her first ‘pierced’ sculpture ‘at the height of her commitment to a religion that denied the reality of material existence’. Piercing her compositions, as here with ‘Mincarlo, Three Curves with Strings’, ‘allowed her to sculpt not only with matter but with space’, to elide the formal with the spiritual. Christianity informed the work of both Sutherland (a Roman Catholic) and Piper (an Anglican), as it had earlier for Constable. Both Sutherland and Piper were inspired by the spiritual landscapes of The Ancients, particularly Samuel Palmer. They went on to receive major ecclesiastical commissions, as also did Hepworth, Heron and Moore. The access to emotion and atmosphere that Abstraction offers was particularly well-suited to spiritual engagement.'

For more on the spirituality of these artists and of abstraction see here, here, here, here, here, here and here. 

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -
Monthly diary articles -
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Mumford and Sons (With Hozier) - Rubber Band Man.

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Posted by Jonathan Evens at 08:32 0 comments
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Tuesday, 30 September 2025

Artlyst - The Art Diary October 2025

My latest Art Diary for Artlyst features exhibitions by several artists whose work I have championed through essays and exhibitions, as well as solo and group shows that explore environmental, social, and spiritual concerns. Read on for news of exhibitions by Michael Landy, Ana Maria Pacheco, Robert Smithson, and Suzanne Treister, among others, together with shows at Compton Verney, Firstsite, Pallant House, and the Engelundsamlingen in Vrå:

'‘Everyday Wonder to Revelation’ at Clare Hall, Cambridge, is an exhibition providing a rare opportunity to see paintings by Caine. These paintings delve into the core Neo-Platonist idea of the oneness of the world, the nodus mundi. We see this in his depictions of everyday objects, such as rugs, mopheads, carpets, and bundles of cloth. Although his subject matter is humble, the intricate depth of his draughtsmanship reveals unity and cohesion. We see it too in his expansive and luminous landscapes. When Caine blends his perceptions of space and shimmering light in the landscape with his exploration of the core in everyday things, he presents us with a vision of worlds beyond. His images invite us to step through a veil into barely imagined possibilities. Through his exploration of the small, the infinite beckons; through his exploration of the wonder of the everyday, revelation becomes possible.

In the essay I wrote for the exhibition catalogue, I note that: “Without reference to standard religious iconography and with a primary focus on landscape, still life, and portraits, Caine imbued and infused his work with spiritual reflection and with spirituality itself. That he did so in ways that allow those who do not share his beliefs to enthusiastically embrace and appreciate his work for their many other compelling qualities is a testament both to Caine’s skill as an artist and the subtlety of his understanding of the connection between earth and heaven.”'

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -
Monthly diary articles -

Articles/Reviews -

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Kevin Morby - O Behold.
Posted by Jonathan Evens at 21:19 0 comments
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Monday, 30 June 2025

Artlyst: The Art Diary July 2025

My July Art Diary for Artlyst has been published today. The July Art Diary begins with exhibitions in and reflection on ecclesiastical buildings, through the Liverpool Biennial and the Waterloo Festival. Moments from the wide-ranging engagement between religion and art are featured in exhibitions at the Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Waddesdon Manor, and the Art Institute of Chicago, among others. Reflection on the place of myth in the human story can be found in exhibitions at the Parsonage Gallery and the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza. At the same time, ‘Worldbuilding and Wonder’ explores the experience of people with autism about the concept at Firstsite Gallery:

'The late Terry Fyffe was also an artist who dedicated himself to the pursuit of creative expression and spiritual exploration. A new website dedicated to his life, art and legacy has recently been launched. Designed as a resource for artists, curators, collectors, students, and art enthusiasts, this site offers a comprehensive insight into his prolific career and extraordinary body of work.

Fyffe built a remarkable career over four decades, predominantly based in London. He described his style as “figurative, expressionist painting, about the struggle for self-realisation.” Daniel Farson wrote that: “Ffyffe is a true painter in the classical tradition. A fluent draughtsman, he understands the challenge of paint and twists it to his advantage.” ...

I was fortunate to exhibit at St Stephen Walbrook an exhibition that brought together the last works that Fyffe was working on before this profound change combined with his new work depicting the beauty of the hidden world of nature and the inner world of the mind. It was his last major exhibition and one that was particularly satisfying for him.'

For more on Terry Ffyffe see here, here, here, here, and here. For more on Pablo Bronstein see here. For more on Paul Thek see here and here. For more on Paula Rego see here and here.

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -

Monthly diary articles -

Articles/Reviews -
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David Ackles - I've Been Loved.
Posted by Jonathan Evens at 21:43 0 comments
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