Whistler at the Fine Art Society shows an artist who was rightly considered thoroughly radical April 7, 2016 James McNeill Whistler is best known for his painterly concern for harmony of tones and mood, rather than overtly symbolic or moral content. This is famously evident in his Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1 of 1871, commonly known as Whistler’s Mother. What is less known is that he was also an extraordinary pioneer both [...]
New photography exhibition seeks out the implausible in the everyday April 7, 2016 Photographer Stephen Shore’s most striking work comes from his epic tour across 1970s America in search of what could be called the “extraordinary ordinary”. Many of his pictures depict the everyday life of Americans that, frozen in time, divorced from the mundanity of life, seem unbelievable. Badlands National (pictured) shows a tiny, unremarkable house, a [...]
Exhibitionism review: The Saatchi Gallery recreated Mick Jagger’s grotty old flat April 4, 2016 Saatchi Gallery | ★★★★★ A year before they set about irreversibly altering the course of music history globally and forever, The Rolling Stones ate baked beans straight out of the tin in a squalid Chelsea flat like mucky little dirtbags. Their festering hovel at 102 Edith Grove has been meticulously recreated as part of Exhibitionism, [...]
Artist focus: John Kørner’s land of milk and honey April 1, 2016 John Kørner is one of Denmark’s most recognisable contemporary artists, his semi-abstract works probing the ills of 21st century society, from poverty to sex work. Although he’s an accomplished sculptor, he’s best known for his vivid, ethereal, often wryly funny paintings: a man rifling through a skip in After Christmas; an old woman barfing against [...]
The Painkiller at Garrick Theatre starring Kenneth Branagh is a predictable but fun slapstick comedy April 1, 2016 The Painkiller | Garrick Theatre Kenneth Branagh and Rob Brydon bring star power to this funny but painfully anachronistic comedy. It tells the tale of a contract killer whose life is thrown into disarray when he is allocated a hotel room adjoining that of a lovelorn, suicidal photographer. It’s adapted from Le Contrat, a French [...]
Eddie the Eagle is a soaring success April 1, 2016 With hindsight, it’s a surprise Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards’ rise to fame wasn’t made into a film sooner. Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service) dons thick-rimmed glasses and a permanent gurn as the plucky Eddie, a young man obsessed with being an Olympian. He exploits a loophole in the rules to enter the 1988 Winter [...]
The absurdist brilliance of Franciszka & Stefan Themerson April 1, 2016 Polish husband and wife Franciszka and Stefan Themerson’s output is so varied, spanning so many types of media and so many artistic styles, that making sense of it all in one room is rather overwhelming. Along the first wall is a row of cabinets filled with illustrations, mostly for children’s books – one features a [...]
Les Blancs at National Theatre is a spectacular tour de force April 1, 2016 As you walk into the Lyttelton theatre for Les Blancs, you’re hit by a wall of incense so thick it stings your eyes. It's the first indication that this is a play that refuses to remain anchored to its dusty, sun-baked set, bleeding subtly off the stage, playing on your imagined version of Africa and setting it against the [...]
Why Batman V Superman is nowhere near as bad as everybody says March 22, 2016 Batman v Superman (12A) | Dir. Zack Snyder★★★★☆ Batman v Superman may contain two of the most bankable super heroes in existence, but don’t let that fool you: this is a huge bet by Warner Bros and DC Films. If this movie flops, it heaps an unbelievable amount of pressure on this summer’s upcoming villain-caper Suicide Squad. [...]
Disorder review: A suspenseful and paranoia-tinged thriller that pulls a few punches March 22, 2016 Disorder (12A) | Dir. Alice Winocour ★★★☆☆ Chunky hunk-man Matthias Schoenaerts is no stranger to punch-centric roles, having risen to fame for his part in Bullhead (a film about a man who injects himself with all manner of illegal punch-hormones) and Rust and Bone (a film about a man who could punch a fridge into [...]