Visual Art

Visual Arts

"What do you think an artist is? He’s a political being, constantly alive to heartrending, fiery, or happy events, to which he responds in every way. No, painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war, for attack and defense against the enemy."

Pablo Picasso

Monday, 20 August 2018 12:23

Al Nakba: Disaster

Written by Adam Shehada

in Visual Arts

Adam Shehada introduces one of his artworks. This drawing is called Al Nakba, which is the Arabic for Disaster. I drew it from a photograph, using pencil and charcoals on paper, My intention is to express the long history of steadfastness and suffering implied in the old Palestinian woman's wrinkles,…

Palestine

Monday, 23 July 2018 15:22

The Pity of War

Written by David Betteridge

in Visual Arts

David Betteridge visits an arts hub in Clydebank, where he views and reviews a beautiful and disturbing mosaic by Owen McGuigan. “My subject is War, and the pity of War. The poetry is in the pity.” Wilfred Owen wrote these often quoted words in a preface intended for his one…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Tuesday, 03 July 2018 16:23

Victims of Capitalism: Art in the Wake of World War One

in Visual Arts

Written by Christine Lindey

Christine Lindey reviews a new exhibition at Tate Britain, called Aftermath: Art in the Wake of World War One. It includes powerful, angry and sorrowful anti-war and anti-capitalist paintings, and some rarely shown, politically committed realism rooted in a socialist understanding of the capitalist greed which fuelled the carnage. An…

Aftermath Nash Grosz Dix

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Wednesday, 20 June 2018 11:08

The American Ruling Class

in Visual Arts

Written by Stephanie McMillan

Trump Administration US Congress Republicans Democrats

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Tuesday, 15 May 2018 10:20

Photos of a divided society

in Visual Arts

Written by Sanjiv Sachdev

Sanjiv Sachdev reviews Another Kind of Life, Photography on the Margins at the Barbican Art Gallery. Photographer Mary Ellen Mark’s comment that she is “…interested in people who aren’t the lucky ones, who maybe have a tougher time surviving, and telling their story” could be the motif for this entire exhibition.…

K2_PUBLISHED_ON Saturday, 14 April 2018 18:19

John Heartfield: satirist, anti-fascist and fearless communist

in Visual Arts

Written by Jenny Farrell

Jenny Farrell salutes John Heartfield, the creator of political photomontage, who died fifty years ago. John Heartfield is one of the most important European artists. He works in a field which he created himself, the field of photomontage. Through this new form of art, he exercises social criticism. Steadfastly on…

Hitler Spanish Civil War

Wednesday, 04 April 2018 15:23

Art, politics, anti-semitism and anti-Corbynism

Written by Nick Wright

in Visual Arts

Nick Wright discusses, art, anti-semitism, and anti-Corbynism. Labour is weathering a co-ordinated campaign which combines criticism of Corbyn's policies and persona with an intensified drive to brand any criticism of the murderous policies pursued by Israel's rulers with anti-semitism. I was once branded an antisemite. It was the during the…

jeremy corbyn antisemitism diego rivera zionism seder

Tuesday, 03 April 2018 13:37

Yes we can! The role of artists and art galleries in changing the world

Written by Helen Pheby

in Visual Arts

Helen Pheby discusses the role of artists and cultural institutions in helping to change the world. On 20 February 2018, the UN World Day of Social Justice, around 50 people from different walks of life gathered together at Yorkshire Sculpture Park for an open discussion as to whether artists, cultural…

YSP

Saturday, 31 March 2018 12:47

Karl Marx, tickled and honoured

Written by John Green

in Visual Arts

John Green introduces some Karl Marx bicentenary cartoons and caricatures. 5 May 2018 marks the bicentenary of the birth of Karl Marx. To commemorate this the Ken Sprague Fund organised an international cartoon and caricature competition which drew over 150 entries from artists around the world. Ken Sprague was one…

Ken Sprague Fund Guardian