Louise Bourgeois, the French – American artist who died in 2010 at the age of 98, was pure punk. She was best known for her casts of clothes, bodies and meat, but also her incredible large-scale sculptures, like the 30 foot tall spider called ‘Maman’. The reason for its title was that she adored herContinue reading “In Praise of Louise Bourgeois”
Category Archives: Art
Goodbye Dr. Bonnie Greer
Bonnie Greer, who has passed away after a short illness at seventy seven years old, was a courageous writer, playwright and broadcaster. She could often be found on ‘Question Time’ squaring up to right-wing bigots like Lawrence Fox and Nick Griffin. She was never bolshy, quiet and measured but outspoken. We are lesser without thisContinue reading “Goodbye Dr. Bonnie Greer”
T Shirt Day 2026
Do the Kardashian family or Justin Bieber really like metal? I can’t imagine either Kim, Justin or many of these other vain, moneyed celebs actually listening to metal, let alone going to their gigs, but at the risk of sounding like a gatekeeper, I will say it’s up to them. This led to Steve Lamacq,Continue reading “T Shirt Day 2026”
Farewell, Polka Dot Queen 🎨
Id been thinking a lot about the great Yayoi Kusama lately, about how indefatigable she was. Now she’s passed away at the age of 97 and I wished I’d written about her sooner. The Polka Dot Queen is dead. She represented modernity in art like few others, painting garish polka dots and pumpkins onto prettyContinue reading “Farewell, Polka Dot Queen 🎨”
Kate Bush’s Influences
Pics of Kate Bush: John Carder Bush J W Waterhouse, ‘The Lady of Shallot’. Kate Bush was always upfront in her literary and artistic influences. She essayed The Brontes of course, but also Tennyson, Shakespeare and John William Waterhouse. Her Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic was unique in a time of punk, prog and so on, but theContinue reading “Kate Bush’s Influences”
Christine Borland: In Memoriam
Rest in peace , Christine Borland. Another wonderful artist gone too soon.
David Hockney Was Art, David Hockney Is Art
David Hockney , who died yesterday at the age of 88, was proof positive that you didn’t have to come from Paris or London to be an Innovator in the art world. Born in Bradford , he made art with a photographer’s eye for detail, but a painter’s delicate, experimental touch. His famous approach toContinue reading “David Hockney Was Art, David Hockney Is Art”
The Great Performance Debate
Commedia Dell’arte Dr Gareth K Vile, great friend of mine and brilliant thinker, recently ruminated on the great Scottish theatre debate, because some critics hadn’t been invited to the musical version of ‘One Day’ : is it dying? I can’t speak to a broader academic discourse, as I’m a university dropout, and not a doctorContinue reading “The Great Performance Debate”
Keep It Live
There’s nothing like seeing artists playing live. The energy, that electricity that can’t be replicated elsewhere is one of my favourite experiences in life. New artists are passionate and give their all. At the moment, though, I’m recovering from hip replacement surgery, so unable to see music like I used to. This town has noContinue reading “Keep It Live”
No Burns Night Here
Robert Burns is supposedly our National Bard, held in great esteem all over Scotland, but I’m having none of it. Bad enough that much of his work is doggerel (although Tam O’ Shanter is decent enough storytelling in its own way) but also, the man was allegedly a prick who raped his pregnant wife JeanContinue reading “No Burns Night Here”
