Southbank Archives - Elena Bowes https://elenabowes.com/tag/southbank/ New York-London design & culture writer of a certain vintage looking for meaning and wholeness in life Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:02:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.4 https://i0.wp.com/elenabowes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/cropped-tile.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Southbank Archives - Elena Bowes https://elenabowes.com/tag/southbank/ 32 32 65186774 Make the Most of Balmy London- Outdoor Sculptures are Very In https://elenabowes.com/make-the-most-of-balmy-london-outdoor-sculptures-are-very-in/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=make-the-most-of-balmy-london-outdoor-sculptures-are-very-in Fri, 17 Oct 2014 12:49:28 +0000 http://elenabowes.com/?p=1649 Enjoy this unseasonably warm weekend weather by visiting London’s vast array of new outdoor installations, especially Frieze’s Sculpture Park which ends Sunday. From the Tower of London to the east to Kensington Gardens to the west, the poppies are redder and the grass is greener right here. Inspired by Charlotte Higgin’s terrific article in the...

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]]> Enjoy this unseasonably warm weekend weather by visiting London’s vast array of new outdoor installations, especially Frieze’s Sculpture Park which ends Sunday. From the Tower of London to the east to Kensington Gardens to the west, the poppies are redder and the grass is greener right here.

Inspired by Charlotte Higgin’s terrific article in the Guardian earlier this week as to why the Frieze Art Fair works in this uniquely civic-minded city, I decided to visit the art that is here for all to enjoy, namely the outdoor eye candy. Where to begin? At the top, of course, with the Queen.

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The Queen, Prince Phillip and I visited the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London yesterday (not together, sadly). Nearly a million ceramic red poppies have been filling up the moat outside the tower, paying tribute to the British and Colonials soldiers who died fighting in WWI a hundred years ago.  Unable to get a selfie of  Liz and me, I settled for a  more sweeping shot.

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From there I headed west to Southbank to admire a cherry red installation called Unstoppable Spirit. Spot the car?

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Designed by Italian artist Nino Mustica in collaboration with Land Rover, Unstoppable Spirit fuses art with automotive design. Not so practical for getting around town, but it sure is easy on the eye. Launched during Frieze Week, the sculpture takes off Sunday.

Then onto my favourite freebie, Frieze’s Sculpture Park where twenty works represented by Frieze and Frieze Masters exhibitors have been scattered throughout the manicured English Garden in divine Regent’s Park, a three minute walk from the fair.

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Here are just a couple to whet your appetite.

20141016_122820Small Lie by KAWS,  Galerie Perrotin

20141016_122236Pumpkins by Yayoi Kusama, Victoria Miro

Finally, cool off with an unruly mass of garden hoses at Fountain by French artist Bertrand Lavier. This is a brand new installation at the Serpentine’s Sackler Gallery.

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 October, 2014

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]]> 1649 Prisoners Make Art https://elenabowes.com/prisoners-make-art/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prisoners-make-art Tue, 22 Apr 2014 15:56:18 +0000 http://elenabowes.com/?p=215 Prisoners express themselves in “The Strength & Vulnerability Bunker”, a moving show organized by Southbank and the Koestler Trust. Anger, regret, sadness and longing manifest themselves in vivid color at the Southbank until December1. The work above is by Mark, HM Prison Stafford, Staffordshire. He also wrote the poem below. “Art is everywhere especially in...

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]]> Prisoners express themselves in “The Strength & Vulnerability Bunker”, a moving show organized by Southbank and the Koestler Trust. Anger, regret, sadness and longing manifest themselves in vivid color at the Southbank until December1. The work above is by Mark, HM Prison Stafford, Staffordshire. He also wrote the poem below.

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“Art is everywhere especially in prison,” says an exhibitor. Curator UK rapper Speech Debelle chose strength and vulnerability as themes. “I smiled when I saw the theme chosen by Speech Debelle because that is what First Hour is meant to represent, “ says Dean, the creator of the Papier Mache sculpture below. Prizes are awarded and entrants with promise get mentored.

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Fine Cell Work is another charitable group which teaches prisoners needlework to help rehabilitate and boost self esteem. Launched in the sixties by Lady Anne Tree, daughter-in-law of Nancy Lancaster who owned interior designer Colefax & Fowler, Fine Cell Work involves over 400 prisoners across Great Britain.  Designers such as Jasper Conran, William Yeoward, John Stefanidis and Kit Kemp have all commissioned their work, as has British artist Gavin Turk. The V&A, the National Gallery and Tate Modern have bought pieces.

October, 2013

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