Subterms
‘I believe in the future resolution’, Andre Breton wrote in 1924, of ‘dream and reality…into a kind of absolute reality, a surreality.’ His declaration helped to inspire a century’s worth of artistic expeditions into the subconscious, though we are no closer today to achieving the ‘resolution’ he so confidently foresaw. Photography, which is often regarded […] More
There are some very interesting photography exhibitions in New York’s private galleries this month. Here are five you should get to before they close – and don’t forget ‘Dream States’, a wide-ranging display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (reviewed here). ‘Mark Cohen: Closer’Danziger Gallery (until 11 June) A native of Wilkes-Barre, a rural town […] More
It is both the glory and the tragedy of architecture that it requires a client – with means – to make it a reality. Without money, and a commission, an architectural design must remain on paper. As such, of course, it can be both beautiful and inspiring – Piranesi, J.M. Gandy, Sant’Elia – but for […] More
‘It’s showtime!’ said one exhibitor to his neighbour, as he broke off mid-conversation to attend to his own stand. The preview of the second edition of Photo London suggests that the fair is still defining itself – and the sense of expectation (and a sense of not quite knowing what to expect) on the part […] More
Every man to-day realizes his need of sun,’ insisted Le Corbusier in Towards a New Architecture, ‘of warmth, of pure air and clean floors…’ The modern movement in architecture was obsessed with health and hygiene. New methods of construction could raise buildings up above the dirty damp ground into clean fresh air; wide glass windows […] More
Recalling the effect of reading Pugin in his youth, George Gilbert Scott (1811–78) recounted that ‘every aspiration of my heart had become medieval’. Paradoxically, however, for the architect renowned as the most prolific progenitor of the 19th-century Gothic Revival, Scott insisted, ‘I am no medievalist. I do not advocate the styles of the middle ages […] More
Zaha Hadid, who has died aged 65, was the most successful female architect of her generation. Regardless of gender, she was one of the most important British architects of the past 100 years. She had won every significant international honour architecture can offer – including the Pritzker, the RIBA’s Royal Gold Medal, the Praemium Imperiale […] More
