A smooth blend of cultural happenings and infatuations.
Imagine a city filled with overwhelming stillness, where lone figures wait ambiguously in deserted diners, streets are lifeless and not a word is exchanged. This is no dystopian thriller but rather, how American realist Edward Hopper chose to capture the New York City of the 20th century – images at odds with the bustle and…
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Originally appeared on ACE Liverpool, 29.05.2014 Directed by Rachel Chavkin, Joseph Heller’s adaption of his own 1961 novel resurfaces upon the Playhouse stage, where the infamous paradox of Catch-22 dictates with warped validation. In this American air force squadron, “crazy” is thrown around by everyone and at anybody, yet none of the soldiers seem really…
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Originally appeared on ACE Magazine on 16/05/2014 Anya Reiss’ adaptation of Fank Wederkind’s 1891 play has the potential to liberate – that is, if you are so inclined to afford yourself a sense of liberation in the face of explicit masturbation, rape, S&M, suicide and fatally botched abortions. Despite its foray of anticipated gloom, there’s no…
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Originally published on Open Eye Gallery blog, 19/05/2014 Europe’s oldest Chinatown tells a slightly different story to that of its vibrant counterparts around the world; those alive and bustling with a supplanted Chinese way of life. Amble beneath its soaring gateway and you’ll find the Chinese street signs and restaurants set against an unexpectedly quiet…
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When Finninsh photographer Esko Männikkö won the Deutsch Börse Photography Prize in 2008, an article by the Guardian posed a significant question; “Will this bring wildlife photography into the mainstream?” It is interesting to reconsider such a query in light of this year’s Deutsche Börse finalist Jochen Lempert and his installation of black and white images of the natural world. Männikkö, a self-titled “photographer of fish,…
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Originally appeared on Open Eye Gallery, 04/05/2014 The tantalisingly broad criteria of the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize never fails to kindle an eclectic catalogue of artistic endeavours. This year brings together adolescent memories of reckless hedonism, war torn landscapes and an unobtrusive hummingbird in mid-flight. The works of the four shortlisted artists, on exhibition at The Photographers’ Gallery, have…
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A View from the Bridge is a pertinent redressing of ancient Greek tragedy, as it encounters the grit of modern day, kitchen-sink realism and fuses with the star-spangled allure of the American Dream. A genre no longer restricted to the realms of royalty and celestial figures, this is a tragedy reassigned to working-class American exploits.…
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