Visual & Decorative Arts Blog

Reviews for the new film Mr. Turner are out, and the general consensus is that this film is just as great as Turner's original paintings. Timothy Spall's performance even won him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival, and a lot of people are saying that his portrayal of J.M.W. Turner could even win him an Oscar. Robbie Collins, of The Telegraph, says, 'His repertoire of grunts alone comfortably extends past a hundred, and you wonder if perhaps Spall went Method for the role, living for years in a sty until he got the voice, posture and smell just right. But beyond the troughfuls of fun tics, Spall makes Turner tenderly and totally human, which has the effect of making his artistic talents seem even more God-given.'

Last night the second episode of Grayson Perry's TV series 'Who Are You?' broadcast on Channel 4. The series follows Perry as he talks to individuals with unique lives, unearthing the stories behind them and the challenges they face. So far we have seen him interview disgraced politician Chris Hune, A Celebrity Big Brother contestant, a White-British convert to Islam, a pair of same sex parents and more.

Ever since Britney Spears used Josephine Wall’s paintings on her website in 2005, Josephine has been one of the most popular fantasy artists in the world. Her paintings depict everything from the Zodiac to goddesses from different world mythologies to well known stories and fables, and with Halloween right around the corner, there is no better time to celebrate the creator of this beautiful imagery of these mythological figures.

In Shoreditch right now, you can visit The Art of the Brick. This unique exhibition hosts a variety of artwork consisting of over 1 million Lego bricks and 80 pieces of art. The exhibition has received mixed reviews far, with some reviewers lauding Nathan Sawaya's art as an excellent blend of classic art and contemporary playthings (great for children interested in art), with others outlining the pointlessness of the whole project (rubbish for art connoisseurs). A re-occurrent question certainly seems to be, 'Well, why?'.

On Thursday, a new exhibition on visionary artist, craftsman and activist William Morris opens at the National Portrait Gallery. It is exciting for its angle – rather than focus purely on the work for which he is probably best known (his understandably popular and beautiful wallpaper and textile designs), it will take a thoughtful look at his life, ideas and legacy, 'through portraits, personal items and fascinating objects'. It will explore his passionate belief in the democracy and availability of beauty – an 'art for the people' – alongside the work of his contemporaries (Rossetti, Burne-Jones) and those he inspired for decades to come (from courageously openly gay philosopher Edward Carpenter, and sculptor and typeface designer Eric Gill, to the artists of the 1951 Festival of Britain and post-war designers such as Terence Conran).

The incredible Banksy is based in the UK and is now known as a director, political activist and painter, as well as of course, a graffiti artist. His incredible dark humour mixed with his stark political images have featured on walls, bridges, pavements and even livestock all around the world.

Being that the centennial anniversary of World War I is quickly approaching, many museums are creating exhibitions to honour the globe-changing event. The Imperial War Museum in particular has put together the biggest exhibition of British First World War art in history, and there are masterpieces of art that have made huge impacts in both of its sections: Truth and Memory.

With the Late Turner: Painting Set Free exhibition about to start at Tate Britain, showcasing the 'Painter of light' in a new and fascinating way, one doesn't have to reach deep to find enthusiasm for these beautiful paintings, depicting every kind of landscape, in all variants of light. I for one, cannot wait to visit the show.