Keeping Tabs: Art above and below ground
Art that I've bought and written about
Another hectic week was dominated by the ING Discerning Eye exhibition, where I’m a trustee. I spent most of my week there for all the openings and the prize giving - including my purchase prize. I’m biased but there are plenty of great works at affordable prices - until 24 November, free to visit.
In other news, I have:
We speak to the head of Art on the Underground on the podcast
I spoke to Stephen Harwood about painting the grittier side of London
A quick soundbite from me on the Picasso exhibition at The British Museum
Thanks as always for keeping tabs on me, and have a great week ahead.
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Tab’s World
My latest articles and events for your reading pleasure.
I’ve got 5 painting-heavy exhibitions to see this week on FAD - lots to see this Autumn.
In our latest podcast episode, we speak to the head of Art on the Underground and the importance of art on the transport network.
Plus, catch up on the latest Substack posts:
I speak to Stephen Harwood about painting the grittier side of London
The first in a new Artists Inspired by London series - kicking off with Luke Walker
Click below to see all the subscription options, and a big thank you to everybody who’s supporting the newsletter already - couldn’t do it without you!
Tab’s Weeks Ahead
Highlighting my top events for the weeks ahead. Let me know if you'd like to join me!
As a trustee of ING Discerning Eye, I encourage you to visit the exhibition. There’s still time to visit and snap up a bargain and see hundreds of great works. Until 24 November, free.
I’ll be at the preview of Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, let me know if you’ll be there too. Wednesday 20 November, 6-9pm - ticketed.
My Saturday rounds will take a little break as I have family plans on the 23rd and I’ll be in Bilbao on 30 November - let me know if you have any recommendations as it’s my first time in Bilbao. Normal service will resume on 7 December.
Please join us at the ArtCan Christmas Quiz. It’s always a fun night, with great people and prizes. If you want to be on my table just make a note in the booking and the team will make it happen. Shameless brag - we were the winning table last year. 2 December, 6.30-11pm, £27.
The Wider Arts
Here are my top picks of culture that may be enjoyed from the comfort of your home. Paid subscribers have access to my full back catalogue of recommendations.
COMEDY SERIES: Derry Girls follows a group of girls and one boy navigating school in Northern Ireland towards the end of The Troubles. It’s hilarious, the characters are great and it has a cracking soundtrack. On Channel 4 & Netflix.
ACTION FILMS: Rebel Ridge starts with a Black ex-military man having his cash taken by corrupt police officers in a sleepy town in the US, and he gets involved in an ever-escalating stand-off with local police. I’ve not seen the lead in a film before but he carries the film well, even if the final third becomes overly complex. On Netflix. If you prefer something lighter then Brad Pitt and George Clooney have great chemistry in Wolfs as two rival fixers who end up having to work the same job, on Apple TV.
THRILLER (NOVEL): The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley is an enjoyable page-turner whodunnit where a group of old friends go to a remote getaway and it keeps you guessing who has been murdered and by whom until the end. I also enjoyed The Guest List by the same author. The links go through to my online bookshop and you can follow me on Goodreads here.
Articles I’m Reading
Interesting stories that I recommend, largely from beyond the art world. If you fancy reading offline at another time, I recommend the app Pocket.
This is a selection of articles I found thought-provoking in one way or another; opinions expressed in the articles don’t necessarily reflect my views or those of Londonist. Paid subscribers have access to my full back catalogue of recommendations.
TELEVISION: Mental Floss examines The Strange Saga of the Real-Life Simpsons House in Nevada (12 minutes), BBC looks back at the 'banned' Star Trek episode that promised a united Ireland, and The Guardian reports on Baby Reindeer in court: the two words that might have saved Netflix $170m worth of grief (4 minutes). Switching to how we watch TV, The New York Times explains How Everyone Got Lost in Netflix’s Endless Library (23 minutes), CNET shows us how to Stream Netflix's Hidden Halloween Gems With This Hack (6 minutes) and The Ringer explains the rise of ending explainers (12 minutes). Switching to behind the camera The Guardian writes on The life and tragic death of John Balson: how a true crime producer documented his own rising horror (23 minutes) and The New York Times says Feel Good TV Is Great. But Lonely TV Gives Us What We Need (8 minutes).
TRANSPORT: CNN highlights 18 of the world’s best metro systems, The Londoner suggests it's time to scrap the tube zones (10 minutes), Mental Floss asks Why Is Row 13 Missing on So Many Airplanes? (2 minutes) and Afar asks When Is It OK to Move to an Empty Airplane Seat—and When Is It Not? (3 minutes). On the water, City AM asks How Uber boats came to rule the river (5 minutes), Thousands of shipping containers have been lost at sea. What happens when they burst open? Asks AP (11 minutes) and Afar says This Is Where Cruise Ships Go to Die. Meet the Man Saving Them (11 minutes). Over to electric vehicles, BBC shows us Planes, trains and monster diggers: The vehicles pushing the limits of electric power (7 minutes), in a satirical piece SF Gate says I drove a Cybertruck around SF because I am a smart, cool alpha male and Rolling Stone reports I Took a Ride in a ‘Self-Driving’ Tesla and Never Once Felt Safe (11 minutes). On cars in general, the Washington Post looks into the rise in road rage in the US (17 minutes) and in bizarre news from AP, Insurers say bear that damaged luxury cars was actually a person in a costume.
HUMANITY’S STORY: Our ancient animal ancestors had tails. Why don’t we? Asks AP (2 minutes), Smithsonian is Rewriting the Story of Ötzi the Iceman (4 minutes), The Conversations writes about War in the Time of Neanderthals: How Our Species Battled for Supremacy for Over 100,000 Years (4 minutes) and Scientific American tells of Our 14,400-Year-Old Relationship with Bread (7 minutes). Mental Floss shows us 6 of the World’s Oldest Diseases (6 minutes) and Noema says Viruses Play A Leading Role In Humanity’s Story, And Not As A Villain (15 minutes).