Learning about art / culture suggestions etc

[Artsuggestions2022]

I’m nearly 50, very regular MN user but changed for this.
I went to see a Van gough exhibition today - oh my god it was like a whole new world opened up to me. I loved it.

I realise it has opened a void I always knew was there (don’t worry I wasn’t screaming in the Sistine Chapel 😜).

I work full time in a demanding job, I’m a single parent and two demanding SEN children (they don’t necessarily have the same desire to visit museums).

What would you recommend? I’m south west.

I want to explore the feeling I had today of learning and the feelings the paintings evoked in me but don’t know where to start.

any ideas? I’m dyslexic but I want to learn.

There are lots of good TV programmes about art and culture on BBC4 (and therefore the iPlayer too). Frustratingly, I can’t think of any specific titles of the top of my head, but just have a look and see what takes your fancy.

”The Art that made us” on iplayer is interesting. Guessing you’re in Bristol, I’m quite a bit further south but in my area th3 university public arts programme is a good place to look for events and exhibitions, also the museum websites. Get on the mailing list for everything and see as much as you can!

There are often some interesting free online art courses on Future Learn. They are currently offering a course on women artists since 1900. Open Learn, the free courses from the Open University also have courses about art & artists.

That’s yes I’m Bristol based. Iplayer Is a good idea. Bbc and I’d heard of future learn

Do you ever get a child free weekend? Visiting the galleries in London would be amazing for you, they are massive have some amazing work and it's all free.

Also Facebook has loads of art groups, Renaissance, impressionist, modern art etc just for sharing and talking about.

The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, amazing!!

Are there local galleries near you?

Try Andrew Marr on channel 5, his series on paintings is really brilliant.
Listen To ‘the great women artists’ podcast on Spotify too.
And if you can watch Matthew Collings series from the 80s ‘This is Modern art’ in your tube, enjoy that too.

Sorry the 90s

In your tube - on YouTube !

Yes to the iPlayer suggestion. Art that made us is greatim watching one a night at the Mo and really enjoying it. There is another show on there called Andy Warhol's America which I learned loads from. It was about Andy Warhol but also a lot of American art history too. Another one was called art and nature I think which went through man's relationship to nature expressed through art I loved it.
Also Bristol has a great artistic tradition the museum is great with lots of visiting shows ( I used to visit my sister at uni there). The uni do shows too.
As you're in Bristol maybe you can take the kids for a walk around to see the Banksy artwork in the city there's loads!

The National Gallery channel on YouTube has members of gallery staff talking about specific paintings.

And visit as many exhibitions and galleries as you can, to work out what artists and styles you particularly like, so you can read up when you get home.

Theatre! OMG, go to live theatre. It will feed your soul.

Another vote for The art that made us.

An option with reluctant children is to go to the free permanent collections in museums and focus on one room or one piece.

Radio 4 also had some amazing art programmes that were linked to Google images of famous artworks- I'll have a look -

• ok the programmes i was thinking of were called Moving Pictures but they don't seem to be available any more. The one I looked at did link through to the Metropolitan Museum of Art website in New York which had lots more about the painting.

Sister Wendy's story of painting is a wonderful book. Takes you through the ages and goes through all the art styles from the beginning through until the 1990's. Really easy to understand how art evolved and helps appreciate different styles even if they're not to your taste. The book is now out of print but you can get a second hand copy on Amazon for less than a fiver. And for that price it's a bargain!

free virtual tours? here's one lot but google free virtual museum tours for more
www.tasteofhome.com/article/free-virtual-tours/

Some years ago David Dimbleby did a BBC series called A Picture of Britain, showing how artists have depicted the British landscape over the years. He visits a different region in each episode. It's available on YouTube. It's informative but not too demanding - you can chill out with it after a day at work.

As you're based in Bristol, you've got lots of culture on your doorstep. Visit the City Museum at the top of Park Street, which has some fantastic galleries of art, plus plenty of modern art too. It's also got the Grayson Perry Art Club exhibition as well. The Anolfini and the M-Shed also have art worth exploring. If also recommend a trip to the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath to see more traditional art (also free).

The Central Library on College Green is a pretty wonderful building to visit even before you look at the extensive collection of books. Plus it's right next to Bristol Cathedral, so you can get an architectural fix at the same time! Basically, be a tourist in your own wonderful city.

If you have BBC I - Player, you can immerse yourself in loads of theatre and fine drama. Also keep an eye on BBC2, BBC4 and Sky Arts.

Great idea for a thread OP. How wonderful to think you have all this to explore. Hope you enjoy.

I also came on to recommend Sister Wendy. Her TV series and book taught me so much about art. A brilliant introduction.

There’s a Twitter account I follow called Brindille who posts art of all types on a regular basis. I like looking at them, then following up with an internet search to find out more if I like them. not just paintings, but also stuff like this.
twitter.com/brindille_/status/1489985211031040008?s=21 It’s in French, but there’s a translate option.

There's a brilliant phone app called Dailyart. Every day you tap into the app and see a new painting, together with a couple of paragraphs about the painting and the artist's life.

I'm very into painting, but I've come across so many artists who I've never heard of and found that I love their art. Today it's a stunning painting of oriental poppies in a vase by Jessica Hayllar, who, according to the paragraphs, was a British artist who was knocked down by a carriage in 1900, and concentrated on flower painting in her final years. I've never heard of her before. I've just looked her up on google and her stuff is gorgeous.

It would be useful to know a little more about your usual habits, OP - so as not to suggest things that seem obvious.

I mean, do you go to the theatre? Opera - contemporary as well as traditional? Visit cathedrals? Attend Evensong (even if not religious)? Have you sung in a choir, acted in plays, been involved in any type of art or craft making? Do you write? Read a wide variety of literature? Listen to Radio 3 or 4? Maybe you’re more into Science exhibitions or geographical exploration or archaeology or costume museums …

But if you just want a list of great galleries this thread can probably provide hundreds!

I’m particularly fond of:

Christ Church Picture Gallery, Oxford. Indescribably glorious.

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (2 buildings, actual heaven.)

The Whitworth Gallery, Manchester. (As much for the building and setting as the art.)

The Barber Institute, Birmingham. Astonishing concentration of great work in a relatively small space.

The ‘Another Place’ sculptures on Crosby Beach, Liverpool. If you can take your children, on a warm but blustery day, you’ll have the best time ever.

I suppose I don’t have any idea so each of these are very appreciated and loving the suggestions.

I was always told I was too stupid to understand art/ music / theatre etc so I believed it. Despite having a degree and pHD and numerous other qualifications I believed it. My upbringing was traumatic and recent counselling over the period of the last 12 months and now opened up - what do I really like and enjoy apart from work - it stumped me - I had no idea. I’ve been no contact with my highly abusive parents for a couple of years and my life is changing. I have animals horses etc but my parents disapproved but I pushed back on that. I went on a pottery course and painted my first picture and was pretty shocked at 50 that I can actually do these things and I found them enjoyable.

I never have any child free time but they are happy to come depending on what it is. I went on a painting day with eldest and the instructor said to me what was I doing - I replied sitting in my car. And she said no you aren’t - sit and paint - a bit like in friends when the two dance teacher says you dance a dance class!

I had a panic attack and then with loads of encouragement started to paint and an hour later I had something amazing and my kids were like ‘wow mummy you can paint - you didn’t tell us’ and I was like I didn’t know.

it’s been step by step but the Van Gough made me think - it was like a hard rock opened and I just thought I want this I want to learn about this. It fundamentally changed me and I want to learn more. Some I’m sure I will hate but I’ve spent 5 decades of being told - you’re too stupid to appreciate art and culture and learning that I’m not.

Thats a really beautiful post. You've got enough on your plate really but I bet a diary/blog of your experiences and what you learn would be a thing you'd enjoy and maybe publish one day.

There's a daily art app you can put on your phone.