THE CULTURE CLIFF

(abseil at your peril!)

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Here are links to sites I’ve found useful for artists I’m interested in. There’s a random splash of other stuff including video clips (some documentaries) on the visual arts, music and comedy.

(*See disclaimer
and ‘not for profit apology’.)

 

A mind-bogglingly expansive site on the works of Honoré Daumier (slightly difficult to use if you don’t know what you’re looking for, but rewards blundering...)

 

http://www.daumier.
org

 

 

 

 

The late Professor Richard L. Gregory’s work on the psychology of seeing is a must for anyone in the visual arts. Often astonishing (and entertaining) in their own right, his demos (and writings) continue to open our eyes to why we see stuff the way we do.

 

http://www.richard
gregory.org/

 

 

Bacon vid here

 

 

A good site for the works of Egon Schiele

http://www.egon-schiele.net/

 

 

With more swagger (and stagger) than Caravaggio, Francis Bacon on the South Bank Show ITV (1985) In vino veritas! Joking aside, insightful and sincere from an artist (then) with nothing to prove.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freud vid here

An interview with Lucian Freud

 

 

 

 

An eye-opener for anyone interested in contemporary painting, with fascinating videos of Gerhard Richter’s work (including one on works from his exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in 2009.)

http://www.gerhard-richter.com/

 

‘Lightning Coach Tours’ If you really want to understand the meaning of ‘beyond the fringe’, you could do worse than check out Marty Feldman. Here he is as always, quite literally in a field of his very own...

 

 

 

Feldman vid here

 

 

The Science Museum in South Kensington is a great place to visit for getting a sense of perspective on human endeavour and creativity. There’s the new ‘Who Am I?’ gallery on the theme of identity and some thought-provoking art...

 

http://www.science
museum.org.uk/
smap/art_on_display.
aspx#1

 

 

The Royal College of Art – if you’re interested in studying art or just want to keep your finger on the pulse of visual art, design and communication, you might find this site helpful.

 
http://www.rca.ac.uk/

 

 

 

 

Dury vid here

Oiii-oi! It’s diamond geezer, Ian Dury and the Blockheads in a BBC docu. Why not sit back and ‘mourn his decline with some Thunderbird wine’ (or a nice cup of tea)? Wreckless Eric’s (he of ‘Gordon is a Moron’ fame) description of the band is priceless.

 

 

 

 

A great way to see pix of top art (including contemporary stuff) that you won’t see in galleries.

For instance, to see paintings, just browse the on-line catalogues for forthcoming sales. (Don’t feel obliged to buy anything, mind.)

http://www.christies.com/

http://www.sothebys.
com

 

If you have to go, please watch this first.
Ta, ta..!

 

 

Cook vid here

 

 

Sir Alan, one day, will all business be conducted this way?

 

Snakeskin oil for lovers of contemporary art at Channel Tate. (Ahem! Actually, it’s pretty enjoyable with lots of very informative clips.)

http://channel.
tate.org.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sugar vid here

Of course, if you don’t want to be fired by Sir Alan, you could always resign instead. Here’s how to do it in style (accompanied by judicious use of trombones and steaming kettle). Intro to cult TV series The Prisoner.

 

 

Prisoner vid here

 

 

The Victoria & Albert Museum — a veritable treasure trove of global art and design and a reminder that in spite of our planet’s finite resources, culturally at least, it knows no bounds (or bounders, for that matter c.f. Tipoo’s Tiger).

http://www.vam.ac.uk/

 

 

*Disclaimer and ‘Apology’

 

This page is not for profit but simply so that (say) students of some of my classes can share what I believe might be of benefit to their studies.

 

If there are any objections, I will respectfully remove the offending link immediately.

 

nicholas@ferenczy.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Stuck for your next DVD film fix? Then you might like to check out the British Film Institute’s top 100 British films. (Though how they can justify The Wicker Man at number 93 I can’t fathom!)

http://www.bfi.org.uk/

 

 

Berger vid here

 

 

 

 

Beatles vid here

 

John Berger’s Ways of Seeing BBC 1972 – ripping yarns and flairs with attitude (or is it the other way round)...

 

 

 

Another good South Bank Show, this time on The Beatles and: The Making of Sgt Pepper. (1992) (Limited recording facilities: George Martin’s idea of the Fab Four? Never let technology cramp your style.)

 

Here’s a sound place
to get a flavour for British
(and other) art from the
20th and 21st centuries.

http://www.
marlborough
fineart.com

 

 

 

Wyatt vid here

Shipbuilding by Robert Wyatt – this fragile beauty was always a favourite of mine – I bought the single when it first came out back in the bad old days of the Iron Maiden (and all who sailed in her)! It had a lovely cover – a detail from Stanley Spencer’s ‘Shipbuilding on the Clyde’.

 

 

 

 

This is a visual note to myself as much as anything to remember this artist’s work and how drawings made from people (mostly portraits) can be processed and presented within film. Again, the theme of identity is often strong. Great stuff...

http:www.dryden
goodwin.com

 

 

 

 

Tommy Cooper (being for the benefit of the T.C. Appreciation Society) (poor quality visuals but sounds good enough) Rock on, Tommy!

 

 

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Dream on vid

 

 

Cooper vid here

 

 

The power of TV. In a way it sums up a bit of where I’m trying to go with the ‘screens’ theme in my own paintings.

(The theme tune is even better than I remember it. Does it stir any memories
in you..?) Dream On..!

 

 

Such passion for fake plastic trees...

 

 

 

 

When it comes to pattern, shape and form, the natural world can provide endless inspiration to the artist. Take a gander at this lot and pretty soon you’ll realize there’s nothing new under the Sun! c.f. shape and pattern in the artifacts of the nearby V & A Museum.

 

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/

 

 

Radiohead vid here

 

 

 

Crawford vid here

Randy Crawford, Street Life (For no particular reason other than that it’ll make you feel good!)

 

 

 

 

And for similar reasons...Minnie Riperton, Lovin’ You (1975) (a slightly different treatment of her original but still great).

 

 

 

Bowie vid here

 

 

 

Riperton vid here

 

Super nostalgia trip into the creation of music by David Bowie and his band round the time of Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust (69-72), with modest, down-to-earth (and all the more fascinating for it) contributions from drummer Mick Woodmansey and bassist Trevor Bolder.

 

 

 

 

Visuals by Clarke Green set to Tom Waits’ Circus.

 

Waits vid here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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