All posts filed under: Art Exhibitions

Paris trip 2014: Day 1

I am officially back from Paris, and what an amazing time I had! Although we were only there for two full days, we managed to pack a lot of things to do within the time that was available to us. The only thing to note about Paris in February is how cold it is! The weather wasn’t quite amazing, yet that did not dampen our spirits! (Pardon the pun about the rainy whether…) Wednesday was the first ‘official’ day of our trip here in Paris. We were very lucky to be given a late start that morning, which meant that we got the chance to do some exploring of the city before we got to grips with the Virgin Mary in Paris. I headed to the Sainte-Chapelle as I am currently researching/writing about it for my dissertation! It was great to get back in there this morning – I absolutely love it, and if you haven’t been you must! I always have a very transcendental experience whenever I enter the chapel. Below are a few …

Landed in Paris

So after what seems a long day of travelling, we have finally arrived safe and sound in Paris. After heading on an early 9am train to London, we then departed via Eurostar to the French capital. This was my first time of using the Eurostar, and it was much quicker than I had anticipated. Once we got to the hostel, and after we had unpacked our belongings, we met with our two tutors and headed out to the Montmartre area for a lovely dinner with both the groups. I just love Paris, there’s so much to see, and it seems every street you walk down offers you a new and different glimpse of Paris. We headed to the Moulin Rouge after of food, and lets just say that we saw some sights that are youngsters should not be seeing! Tomorrow ‘The Virgin’s Places’ are off to Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Lourve. But I’m hoping to have the time to quickly go to the Sainte-Chapelle, which is in between these two places. I cannot wait to …

Valentine’s day arty treat

As it’s Valentine’s day, I have decided to repost a piece that I published this time last year for the student-run magazine, HardZine. These are some of the most ‘Romantic’ paintings that I enjoy, if you can think of some others that you believe should be on here then post it in the comments section! Whether Valentine’s day is a day to enjoy with one’s significant other, or just a commercial creation conjured up by corporate conspiracy to make money; there is no denying the impact that it has on our society. How love is visually represented is wide and varied; from traditional depictions of couples sharing a moment of intimacy by embracing and being intertwined almost as one, through the written form, to the tragedy of a doomed romance. From Renaissance paintings to Contemporary Art, love is an emotion universally explored and understood. To celebrate the day we have come up with our favourite paintings, sculptures and artwork that represent the notion of ‘love’. Where does one start when describing and commenting about this …

Day 1 Paris Trip

So today is the first day of our trip to Paris, and what a great day it has been! This morning the ‘Death and Deovtion’ group ventured to the amazing Saint Denis church. There we explored and analysed the stained glass, the tombs of various French Kings and Queens and the crypt! After spending the morning there, we took the metro and emerged on the isle which houses Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle. In Notre-Dame we went around the treasury,  looking at the various reliquaries that the church possesses and then we had the rest of the day off! Tomorrow we will go to Chartres Cathedral, which I’m really looking forward to! It’s great to be seeing all these places in person, especially because I’ve been studying them for the last 4 weeks. It seems even stranger seeing as I only come to Paris about 3 months ago – since coming to the same places again, I’ve noticed just how much more I can see in the various buildings since doing my course. Posted from …

‘SUMM’: Joe Clark and Steven Dickie – The Norman Rea Gallery, University of York

Tonight is the opening of the latest exhibition to be held at The Norman Rea Gallery. For the next two weeks (7th October – 18th October), the gallery will be displaying the works of Joe Clark and Steven Dickie. This show aims to approach the idea of the individual pitted against the various media formats that increasingly make up the world. As a society we both embrace them and are suspicious of them.  Steven Dickie is preoccupied with knowledge in an absolute sense, and Joe Clark with a kind of spiritual or haptic knowledge. Both use a distinct grammar of symbolism as a cipher for their concerns: super-imposing an abstruse language onto media types and processes. For those not acquainted  with The Norman Rea Gallery, it is a university campus art space (located in Derwent College) that promotes the work of both students and professional artists, practicing in a huge range of media. The gallery is run entirely by students for the enjoyment of the whole of campus and the wider university community. What is great about The Norman …

Paris awaits

Three weeks today, myself and my fellow students on the ‘Death and Devotion’ module will be travelling to Paris for the week, and I cannot wait! I was lucky enough to go to Paris in the summer with my family, and going again with the department will be an incredibly enriching experience. We will be heading to Sainte-Chapelle, Notre Dame Cathedral, St Denis and venturing out to explore Chartres Cathedral. I have never been to St Denis or Chartres, so it will be great to experience some new, as well as familiar sites.