Stepping away from biography, style and the chronology of ‘isms’ that preoccupies most art history, Grovier tells a new story in which we learn from the artworks, not just about them. He discovered that every truly great work is hardwired with an underappreciated detail that ignites it from deep within. It wasnt that the prison was rat and disease infested but that many detained there were sent to be executed. Murderers mixed with fraudsters, thieves and those found guilty of crimes that would cause a disinterested shoulder shrug today. Unsatisfied with traditional interpretations of masterpieces, which are so often interested only in learning about art, and not from it, Kelly Grovier combed the surface of revered works from the Terracotta Army to Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits, in a quest to find the key to their lasting power to move and delight us. Until 1902 when it was closed, for 700 years the most fearful place in Britain was Newgate Prison. We take their greatness for granted our eyes have become near-obsolete. This selection from the famous calendar chronicles the exploits of infamous criminals such as Captain Kidd and Dick Turpin, who were held in Newgate prison. The Story of Newgate - Londons Most Notorious Prison. What makes great art great? Why do some works pulse in the imagination, generation after generation, century after century? From Botticelli’s Birth of Venus to Picasso’s Guernica, some paintings and sculptures have become so famous, so much a part of who we are, that we no longer really look at them. The gaol by Kelly Grovier, Jun 01, 2009, John Murray Publishers edition, paperback. A new way of appreciating art that puts the artwork front and centre, brought to us by one of the freshest and most exciting voices in cultural criticism.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |