Drawing from Life 18+ only (contains nudity)

What goes on in a life drawing class? The participants gather with pads and pencils to draw the model. Our model is Alice. She stands. She sits. She lies down. She changes position in a variety of poses; for thirty seconds, for a minute, for three minutes as participants sketch her.

What are they thinking about as they sketch her? Who are they? There’s a hubbub of distorted voices off stage that she finds disturbing. Alice can’t hear their thoughts but, in the background, we hear hers. Songs that get on your nerves. Thoughts about the man of her dreams.

Alice is more that a body – a doll to be manipulated into a variety of shapes. She has a life inside that body that connects by threads to participants in the class’ volunteers for the audience who reveal a little bit about themselves.

In this intimate production, the audience are suppled with pads and pencils and asked to make sketches, spectate, or participate when invited. It’s a fascinating insight into what lies beneath the skin that challenges its audience to go deeper or even have a go themselves.

Reviewed by David Kerr

Find out more and buy ticketshere

1,154 words, 6 minutes read time.

The “Art of the Brick” LEGO exhibition is a captivating and imaginative display of creativity, showcasing the incredible works of artist Nathan Sawaya. Located at the Boiler House on Brick Lane in London, this exhibition features over 150 unique LEGO sculptures that are sure to inspire visitors of all ages.

Entering the exhibition, you are greeted with a variety of themed galleries, each containing original works and recreations of iconic art pieces. One of the standout pieces is a life-sized T-rex skeleton, constructed from thousands of LEGO bricks, which leaves visitors in awe of the sheer scale and detail. Another highlight is the recreation of famous artworks like Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s David, each meticulously crafted with LEGO bricks.

One of Sawaya’s most recognizable pieces is “Yellow,” created more than 10 years ago from 11,000 individual yellow bricks. It depicts a human figure ripping open its own chest, symbolizing Sawaya’s transition from the corporate world to the realm of art.

Nathan Sawaya’s personal story and motivations are woven throughout the exhibition, adding depth to the experience. His piece “Courage Within,” representing his transition from a lawyer to an artist, is particularly moving. The exhibition also includes interactive elements, such as a play area for children, making it a fun and educational outing for families.

Artistic Challenges and Innovations

Working with LEGO to produce art comes with several restrictions and challenges due to the nature of the material. For instance, thecolour palette of LEGO bricks is limited, making it challenging for artists to achieve the exact shades or gradients they envision. Although LEGO has expanded its colour range over the years, it still doesn’t cover the full spectrum that traditional art materials might offer. This limitation is evident in Sawaya’s recreation of Gustav Klimt’s famous painting “The Kiss.” The original artwork is renowned for its use of gold, but the LEGO version had to be made using yellow bricks, highlighting the constraints of the LEGO palette.

Thegeometric constraints of LEGO bricks, which are primarily rectangular and angular, make it difficult to create smooth curves or detailed organic shapes. Artists must work within the confines of the blocky, pixelated aesthetic that LEGO inherently provides. The circles produced in some Sawaya pieces are quite remarkable.

Additionally,structural stability is a significant concern, as large LEGO structures need careful engineering to ensure they don’t collapse. Some pieces in the exhibition had to have their scale altered to prevent them from collapsing under their own weight, requiring regeneration to ensure structural integrity. This was the case with Sawaya’s version of “Nike Of Samothrace” for example. As Sawaya’ explains:“For the brick replica version, I decided to reduce the scale of the sculpture to one third of the original The great wings that extend horizontally from the body of the sculpture proved to be a difficult engineering task, and I feared that their weight would topple the sculpture if I built it at the same time as the original.”

Working with LEGO to produce art comes with several restrictions and challenges due to the nature of the material. For instance, thecolour palette of LEGO bricks is limited, making it challenging for artists to achieve the exact shades or gradients they envision. Although LEGO has expanded its colour range over the years, it still doesn’t cover the full spectrum that traditional art materials might offer. This limitation is evident in Sawaya’s recreation of Gustav Klimt’s famous painting “The Kiss.” The original artwork is renowned for its use of gold, but the LEGO version had to be made using yellow bricks, highlighting the constraints of the LEGO palette.

Creating detailed artwork with LEGO often requires working on a large scale.Size and scale become a challenge as fine details can only be achieved with a high number of small bricks, making the artwork cumbersome and space-consuming. Procuring enough LEGO bricks in specific colours and sizes can also beexpensive and time-consuming, limiting an artist’s ability to experiment freely or produce large works without significant investment. Sawaya’s dinosaur is all the more impressive for this.

Thetexture and surface of LEGO bricks, which are uniformly glossy, limit the tactile variation that can be achieved compared to other art materials like paint, clay, or fabric. Artists may find it challenging to add depth and tactile variation to their pieces. Furthermore, there arelegality and copyright considerations when using LEGO for professional or commercial art. LEGO is a trademarked brand, and its products are protected by intellectual property laws, so artists must be careful about how they market and sell their LEGO art to avoid potential legal issues with the LEGO Group.

Assembly time is another significant constraint, as constructing detailed LEGO art can be very time-consuming. Each piece must be manually assembled, which can be a tedious process, especially for large or complex works.

Despite these restrictions, Sawaya has found creative ways to use LEGO bricks to produce impressive and innovative art pieces. The limitations can inspire unique approaches and problem-solving strategies, leading to distinctive and recognizable works of art.

The LEGO Legacy and Artistic Evolution

The LEGO Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark, was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. The name ‘LEGO’ is an abbreviation of the two Danish words “leg” and “godt,” meaning “play well.” The brick in its present form was launched in 1958, with its interlocking principle offering unlimited building possibilities.

The “Art of the Brick” exhibition has meticulously assembled more than a million LEGO bricks into an immersive experience in east London. Famous artworks, including the Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s David, have been reconstructed in LEGO, alongside a six-meter Tyrannosaurus Rex. Described as “the most elaborate display of LEGO art ever,” this touring show highlights Sawaya’s technical skill and creativity.

Dean West, an award-winning photographer, collaborated with Nathan Sawaya on the “Art of the Brick” exhibition, creating an innovative multimedia collection that combines LEGO sculptures with photography. This collaboration resulted in a series of striking images where LEGO art is seamlessly integrated into real-world scenes, blending the playful nature of LEGO with the sophistication of fine art photography.

Conclusion

Overall, “Art of the Brick” is a must-visit for LEGO enthusiasts and art lovers alike. It offers a unique perspective on what can be achieved with a simple toy, transforming it into a medium for artistic expression. Whether you’re marvelling at the intricate details of a sculpture or engaging in a guessing game about the number of bricks used, or just wondering how anyone could have so much patience in construction, this exhibition is sure to leave a lasting impression. The blend of artistic ingenuity and the nostalgic charm of LEGO makes this exhibition a memorable and inspiring experience for all.

Reviewed by Pat Harrington

You can buy tickets for “The Art of the Brick” exhibition in London through the official website here. Enjoy the amazing LEGO® art!

518 words, 3 minutes read time.

“Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970–1990” at Tate Britain is a ground-breaking exhibition that offers a transformative journey through the history of feminist movements in the United Kingdom. Spanning two decades, the exhibition celebrates the radical ideas, rebellious methods, and invaluable contributions of over 100 women artists who challenged societal norms amidst significant social, economic, and political change.

The exhibition contextualizes its narrative within the pivotal 1970 National Women’s Liberation Conference, from which emerged a rich tapestry of artistic expression. These artists harnessed their lived experiences to create powerful forms of art, spanning painting, photography, film, and performance, becoming a potent force for change. Central to the exhibition are fanzines and newsletters, grassroots publications that provided alternative platforms for expression. As an ex-fanzine producer, I was particularly drawn to the vibrant DIY culture of these publications, which served as vital tools for amplifying voices, challenging norms, and celebrating resilience.

Among the compelling artworks featured, “Mother and Child” by Maureen Scott (1970) stands out starkly, challenging the cosy view of motherhood. This piece, along with others, underscores the multifaceted nature of women’s experiences and the complexities inherent in societal expectations.

The early ’70s witnessed an explosion of creativity and experimentation, with artists shaping a movement that intersected with key events like the opening of the first women’s refuge and the emergence of the British Black Arts Movement. Despite their significant contributions, many of these artists were overlooked in dominant artistic narratives until now.

Divided into thematic rooms, the exhibition explores key issues such as the Women’s Liberation Movement, maternal and domestic experiences, punk and independent music, Greenham Common and the Peace Movement, and the visibility of Black and South Asian women artists. With over 630 artworks and archive items, including films and audio, visitors are immersed in a politically engaged community that reshaped British culture.

The exhibition highlights significant moments like the Grunwick Strike, where mostly female immigrant workers fought for trade union recognition and equal pay, echoing broader struggles across the nation. Through the lens of a Bermondsey metal box factory, visitors gain insights into the everyday challenges faced by female workers, underscoring the significance of legislative measures like the Equal Pay Act of 1975.

But “Women in Revolt!” extends beyond individual narratives, embracing the broader spectrum of feminist movements that reshaped Britain. From the Wages For Housework campaign to Reclaim the Night marches, activists contributed to pivotal changes for women, leaving an indelible mark on society.

As visitors navigate through the exhibition, they are invited to reflect on the progress made and the ongoing journey towards a more just and equitable society. “Women in Revolt!” celebrates the unwavering resilience of those who challenged the status quo, weaving together stories of work, family, and activism in a vibrant tapestry of empowerment and change.

Women in Revolt! Art and Activism in the UK 1970-1990 is at Tate Britain, London, until 7 April 2024. It will then transfer to National Galleries Scotland: Modern, Edinburgh, 25 May 2024 to 26 January 2025 and the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, 7 March to 1 June 2025

By Patrick Harrington

The Metropolitan Arts Centre (The MAC) is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a major exhibition of eight astonishingly life-like sculptures from the acclaimed Australian sculptor, Ron Mueck. This is quite a coup for the MAC as this is the first exhibition of any of Mueck’s works in the island of Ireland.

Mueck produces these works of art using a variety of materials: silicone, polyethylene, styrene, synthetic hair, fibreglass, steel, wood, and fabric. The result is mind-blowing; you keep expecting the figures to come to life.

How does Mueck do it? Visitors can find out some of his secrets by watching a short film, running on a loop in the Sunken Gallery,Still Life: Ron Mueck at Work. They can see how some of his best pieces are put together. There are some comically macabre scenes involving outsized sculpted body parts in unexpected places. A photographic display in the back room off the Upper Gallery shows large photographs of some of the MAC exhibits in preparation.

The main space in the Upper Gallery is dominated byIn Bed, (2005), which features a giant woman sitting up in a huge bed. This certainly gets the visitor’s attention. To her right is a small work on a pedestal of a woman carrying two heavy bags of shopping, simply calledWoman with Shopping, (2013). She has a little baby tucked into the neck of her coat. This woman has not had an easy life. She’s burdened by looking after her child and the weight of the two shopping bags. Her face is drawn and careworn. Mueck captures this woman’s travails perfectly.

The remaining piece in the Upper Gallery is another heavily burdened woman,Woman with Sticks (2009). This two-thirds-scale woman is naked, carrying a huge bundle of sticks that is either too awkward or too heavy to carry. She’s not a classical beauty. She has curves and folds in her skin. Every hair and fold is visible. She’s bent backward. You can see the pain in her eyes. The sticks are probably scratching her. Why? Is she being punished? Is she a slave? We don’t know.

The Tall Gallery featuresYouth, (2009-11). This small piece depicts a barefoot young man lifting his bloodstained tee-shirt to examine a bloody stabbing injury. Despite its small scale, every detail is clear; a look of disbelief, surprise, and concern on the young man’s face, the bloodstained tee-shirt, the deep injury, and the beltless low-slung jeans exposing his underwear. Was he in the wrong place at the wrong time or another victim of gang violence? We can only speculate.

Mother and Child (2003) has to be for this reviewer the most startling feature of the Ron Mueck exhibition. A newborn child rests on the belly of its exhausted mother. This moment of bonding is captured in amazing detail; the mum’s sheen of sweat on her forehead and body, her lank hair tied back in a rough ponytail, the unwashed child resting on her belly, while the uncut umbilical cord extends back into her vagina. The mum’s eyebrows and pubic hairs – and even her toenails – are faithfully reproduced at approximated half-scale.

After this image of new life coming into the world, the visitor encountersDead Dad (1996-7) in the adjoining room; a shocking naked half-scale figure lying prone on the floor. This is based on Mueck’s own late father. He lies dead on a slab, pale and bloodless. Again, Mueck captures every hair in fine detail, whether on the face, the arms, and legs, or the pubic area. After seeing the mother and baby next door, this is a somewhat sobering reminder of the fate that will inevitably come our way, ‘in the midst of life, we are in death’ as the Book of Common Prayer would have it.

Finally,Dark Place (2018) is a huge disembodied man’s head. He stares out at visitors with a baleful glare. It’s quite unsettling to stand in front of it for more than a few seconds.

Admission to the Ron Mueck exhibition is free. Mueck’s talent for reproducing every aspect of human life and death in both smaller-than-life and larger-than-life scales is incomparable. If you’re in Belfast before 20^th November do check it out. Just note that the MAC is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Review and photographs by David Kerr

Stealing History : Art Theft, Looting, and Other Crimes Against our Cultural Heritage Colleen Margaret Clarke and Eli Jacob Szydlo

Stealing History concisely addresses an area of criminal justice studies which has historically been inadequately represented, thus filling a void in the literature. Well-sourced, this book is an excellent primary or supplemental text, which as a discourse views art theft as a crime perceived by authorities as less important than other more violent crimes. Art and cultural crime ranks third largest in criminal enterprise worldwide, and, the author of this book attempts to break down why crimes of this nature matter. Furthermore, she delineates which steps law enforcement should consider to prevent it in the future.

Cultural crimes include appropriating objects found in museums and private displays, but also objects which represent cultural identity and national history. Historically, heads of state have looted freely while empire building. Various leaders from Great Britain were guilty of this, as well as, Napoleon, Hitler, and more recently ISIL/ISIS, by systematically destroying cultural sites, churches, collections, both public and private, and looting archaeological digs to eradicate any evidence of a culture they want to absorb and oppress, as well as a means to raise money to support their cause. They use it to destroy the hopes of those who grew up with these cultural artifacts as a part of their history and identity. Soul destroying and very calculated, so that they might assimilate the community into their more extremist world view, it is done to prevent the culture from re-emerging.

UNESCO considers the intentional destruction of cultural heritage, not just a crime, but a war crime. Clarke’s main point is that in order for law enforcement and governments to prevent these types of crime, they must first understand what it is they are fighting. She feels many do not respect the severity of this type of crime and classifying it as an art crime means justice is not accorded to the history, culture, intellect, and scholarly works which are being annihilated.

While the US views these as property crimes, Clarke feels they should rather be viewed as cultural crimes or war crimes, which is how the United Nations perceives them. Stealing History addresses the question of priority. The US is the largest market for illegal and illicit artwork globally; and Clarke appeals for more preventative steps by law enforcement, in addition to instituting better security to meet international standards as a step towards reducing these crimes.

She makes the point that destruction of important buildings and monuments are used to shock us, therefore why doesn’t destruction of art and cultural artifacts elicit the same response? A society’s culture is depicted by its art, and history has chronicled primordial cultures through the discoveries of remnants of more ancient societies. Why then, is more reverence given to archaeology than to art? Clarke relates that it is difficult to separate culture from art, a defining factor in a society’s self-identification.

Clarke discusses how damaging it is to a culture to destroy the provenance of historical artifacts by removing them from where they were found, furthermore, not only are pieces damaged by careless thieves, but they are taken out of context; therefore we lose the history connected to the culture of origination. Looting is fairly common in third world countries, and according to Interpol, hundreds of sites have been looted; between 60 and 90 percent of tombs and other archaeological sites. This, Clarke relates is due to lack of government control, as well as opportunistic looting in war zones and poorer economies where government control might be inhibited.

During WWI and WWII works of art in Europe were stolen by invading forces, including Gustav Klimt’s Woman in Gold which was renamed from the original Adele Bloch-Blauer to hide its origin. Since the onset of the war, targeted families were removed from their homes and anything of value was taken and documented by the German military, done to such a scale that it was impossible to document the extent of it. Van Eyck’s Ghent Alter piece of 1482 was taken twice by Germany; once during WWI, when the Treaty of Versailles forced its return and again in WWII. These painted panels have been targeted at least thirteen times, from theft to destruction to censoring. Prior to WWI the victor of a war could plunder without much recourse, however during this period the international art community began to discuss cultural preservation and its protections during times of war, with a focus on monuments.

Sometimes stolen art is bartered back to its owner as a ransom, fetching a better price than selling on the black market, and evading the chance that the work might be recognized and reported. Ransoming is far safer and more profitable for these thieves. While few cases exist of a thief stealing a piece of art merely to enhance their own personal collection exist, Frenchman Stephane Breitwieser stole 239 pieces of art worth $ 1.4b. Unfortunately, he stored the stash at his mother’s and upon his arrest; she shredded the works with scissors, before grinding them in the garbage disposal. Many thieves damage art in the process of stealing it, while, others duplicate the work and then sell the original. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London actually has a display of such forged works of art, over a 100 such pieces.

It wasn’t until 1970 that the United Nations took an official stance on these types of crimes forming UNESCO and as of 2011; these guidelines for awareness and prevention of cultural crimes have been ratified by up to 190 nations. The fault in this convention is that it is not retroactive and crimes committed before the signing of the convention are exempt.

Clarke covers the following topics: media’s portrayal of art crime; history of art and related crimes; cultural differences between the US and Europe and their effect on art crimes; looting and archeological sites, economic impacts, police demands, scrutiny and the future; security and policing globally; and growth of and prevention of art crime. A concise and interesting read with thoughtful suggestions aimed at prevention of future art and cultural crimes in an evolving world. Clarke writes an interesting chapter on police scrutiny discussing how things have changed since 9/11 with local law enforcement having to respond as the first line of defense against terrorism, and indicating why art crime is so far down the priority list as it is lumped in with property crimes and why logistically, it just cannot be given the attention it deserves. One solution, she writes is to educate local forces on the idea that art crime is generally not local, but global, connected to antiquity theft, fraud and terrorism within international criminal organizations, thereby changing the perceptions of these types of crimes.

Author Colleen Clarke, PhD. has been director of the Law Enforcement Program at MSU, and formerly a police officer at Thunder Bay PD. She has contributed to Encyclopedia of Street Crime in America (Sage, 2013) and The Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Wiley, 2013). She has written for the National Social Science Journal, International Journal of Police Strategies & Management and Law Enforcement Executive FORUM. Co-author Eli J. Szydlo received his background in law enforcement from his undergraduate studies at MSU, and previously studied at the Kansas City Art Institute, encountering the field of art crimes.

Reviewed by Rosdaughr

Published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 176 • 978-1-4422-6079-5 • Hardback • April 2017 • $36.00 • (£24.95)

Click on image to buy this book

By Robin DuttThis work is a major new monograph on the pair who met at the St. Martin’s School of Art in 1967 while studying Sculpture. The two artists became inseparable, living and working together in their home in London’s East End. 

 My favourite Gilbert and George work,Cocky Patriot from 1980 wasn’t included in this book. It’s large black and white photograph of a young man flanked by two Union Flags.The young man with an erection visible through his trousers is presented as a homoerotic subject. The period was the heyday of the National Front, which was (with notable exceptions!) homophobic. To me it sums up both their mischievous, wind-up element combined with a social comment. There is always ambivalence. How are we to react to this image which seems intended to both attract and repel?

 Another of my favourite images is present in the book,Militant from 1986. It’s similar in a way toCocky Patriot but depicting ‘Left’ rather than ‘Right’. It’s interesting to compare our reactions to the two.

 Gilbert & George have never shied away from dealing with issues:

 “Gilbert & George through their career have moved from issues of race, hate, love, sex, nudity, neo-coprophilia, youthquake tremors and so many obsessions besides.” (p.12)

 Underlying much of their work is a desire to understand why we are so unhappy in our modern, developed world. Their answer could be summed up in one word: conformity:“the supposed need to conform so as not to confound anyone else, to merge, to meet, to be indistinguishable and so ‘safer’. Gilbert and George believe passionately that changing accepted norms and outmoded values and views may free people to think in a way which liberates entirely.”(p.19)

 They have clearly thought about freedom a great deal:

 “In the minds of Gilbert & George, freedom is not just the obvious ability to do just as one desires. Interestingly and logically, it is also the ability not to have to do anything. They stress the element of choice; one does not have to believe, to work, to declare one’s sexuality.” (p.38)

 The book gives a great insight into the working practises of the artists. As someone who has dabbled in graphic design I was fascinated by their use of grids:

 “All colours, all shapes, all patterns are held ‘in place’ by a constant grid which of course divides the image into regular sections but which also acts as support and segment frames and also throws the brightly coloured images which often become symbols, almost in relief. Technically it is impossible to produce their vast imagery without division but this technical reality does not seem to overshadow the creativity of the outcome. They have used the grid in their earliest drawing works too. The grid has come to be their trademark. It istheir trademark. It istheir formula.”(p.14)  

The grids give the appearance of stained glass images so it’s no surprise that they’ve worked in this medium. Much of their art would grace large buildings (but perhaps, given the subject matter, not Cathedrals!) beautifully.

 Gilbert and George by Robin Dutt is worth buying just for the question and answer section and the beautiful (if sometimes shocking and controversial) images alone but the opinions of the author also add great insight.

 Reviewed by Pat Harrington