Visual Arts

"What do you think an artist is? He’s a political being, constantly alive to heartrending, fiery, or happy events, to which he responds in every way. No, painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war, for attack and defense against the enemy."

Pablo Picasso

Wednesday, 26 June 2019 16:59

Rembrandt the outsider

Written by Dennis Broe

in Visual Arts

Dennis Broe reviews the recent Rembrandt exhibition at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Rembrandt the outsider? At first glance nothing could be further from the truth. Rembrandt is being feted throughout the Netherlands this year, the 350th anniversary of his death in 1669, with over 23 exhibitions celebrating not only his painting…

Rijksmuseum Caravaggio The Night Watch

Wednesday, 12 June 2019 19:19

Absurd colours for absurd people: an exhibition ridiculing the right wing, by Heidrun Thate

Written by Bianca Idelson

in Visual Arts

Bianca Idelson reviews an exhibition by Heidrun Thate at the Sacripante Gallery, in Rome. Heidrun Thate, born in Germany but living in France for more than twenty years, paints Hitler's figure - with constancy, refinement, and even obstinacy - in the colours of a deliberately exaggerated range of the most…

Trump Hitler EU elections

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Thursday, 16 May 2019 14:57

Gustave Courbet: the working class becomes the subject of art

in Visual Arts

Written by Jenny Farrell

On the 200th anniversay of Gustave Courbet's birth, Jenny Farrell looks at his revolutionary choice of theme and form, called 'socialist propaganda' by his critics A constant feature of any news programme in the capitalist world is “Business News” and reports from the stock markets. Those who toil to create…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Friday, 31 May 2019 14:22

Walter Wolfgang

in Visual Arts

Written by Anon

Walter Jakob Wolfgang, 23 June 1923 to 28 May 2019, was a German-born British socialist and peace activist. He was Vice-President and Vice Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament up to the time of his death, and a supporter of the Stop the War Coalition.

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Sunday, 19 May 2019 13:40

Against the day

in Visual Arts

Written by Narbi Price

Narbi Price introduces his new exhibition of paintings, set in Ashington and inspired by the Pitmen Painters. Image above: Untitled Wall Painting (Kwik Fit), acrylic on board, 50x70cm The idea for the exhibition and series of paintings entitled The Ashington Paintings (held at Woodhorn Museum in summer 2018), came through…

Ashington Group

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Tuesday, 14 May 2019 21:27

Tireless work: an image for May Day

in Visual Arts

Written by Friedrich Farshaad Razmjouie

Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. - Henry David Thoreau

Tuesday, 14 May 2019 21:22

Inequality: an image for May Day

Written by Friedrich Farshaad Razmjouie

in Visual Arts

In memory of Workers' Day, wishing all the best and prosperity for all hardworking people on our blue planet.

Sunday, 05 May 2019 08:43

There will be work for all! The story of a Chilean mural

Written by Tim Hollins

in Visual Arts

Tim Hollins presents the story of a Chilean mural. You can see the banner version at El Sueño Existe in Machynlleth, West Wales, in August During the Presidential election campaign in Chile in 1970, the tradition of painting murals on any and every available wall in towns and cities across…

Victor Jara

Friday, 19 April 2019 07:19

Leonardo da Vinci, the Mona Lisa and the dialectics of nature

Written by Jenny Farrell

in Visual Arts

Jenny Farrell presents the historical background and the art of Leonardo da Vinci, who died 500 years ago, on 2 May 1519. New trends in art do not only emerge when a new social order is consolidated. Rather, they begin within the old, arising along with the new social forces…

Sunday, 31 March 2019 14:40

Can we buy the marbles sir? A school trip to the British Museum

Written by Phil Brett

in Visual Arts

Phil Brett takes his primary school class for a dialectical trip round the British Museum I visit the British Museum fairly regularly. Of course, I'm not unique in that. Recent figures show that whilst it has lost its position as the UK's most popular attraction (to the Tate Modern, which…

Elgin Marbles decolonisation sackler trust