Keeping Tabs: Rejects to Wrexham
Skin, sculpture, scythes, swans
In a busy week, I’ve been vulnerable and talked on a panel about rejection, after spending the day on my first ever visit to Wrexham and Ty Pawb Gallery. I also enjoyed doing the rounds at the first-ever Islington Gallery Weekend, even on a hot day. This week I have:
We discuss the power of sculpture in Scotland as I interview Nicky Wilson of Jupiter Artland.
Skin, sculpture, scythes, swans and the power of drawing feature in my top five exhibitions this week
A sculpture that asks you to take a seat -- an interview with Mahtab Hussain
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.
We discuss the power of sculpture in Scotland as I interview Nicky Wilson of Jupiter Artland.
Skin, sculpture, scythes, swans and the power of drawing feature in my top five exhibitions this week.
Plus, catch up on my recent diary entries, interviews and more:
A sculpture that asks you to take a seat - an interview with Mahtab Hussain
A sweltering edition of my Diary of a London Art Critic, even hotter than usual.
Daniel Preece is the latest in a series of interviews with artists inspired by London.
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!
I’m a critical friend of UP projects, and they’ll be holding a symposium on regenerative art practice in Liverpool on 11 September, £15.
Tab’s Weeks Ahead
Highlighting my top events for the weeks ahead. Let me know if you'd like to join me!
My Saturday plans aren't fully fixed yet, but I will be attending the Nxt Gen Summer Party at Palmer Gallery. Saturday 19 July, 2-4pm - free. All are welcome to join me for the rest of my day (11am-5pm), just drop me a line (or DM me on Substack) and I'll share the full itinerary with you so you can drop in at any point throughout the day.
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.
HISTORICAL NOVEL: The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal is an enjoyable thriller about a woman trying to escape poverty by becoming an artist. At the same time, a creepy taxidermist is obsessed with her. Being set among the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood elevates it for me, and the world had me hooked. The links go to my online bookshop, and you can follow me on Goodreads here.
DOCUMENTARY SERIES: Formula 1: Drive to Survive is back for another series, reflecting on last year’s excellent championship, perfectly timed to coincide with the ongoing F1 season. I’m always amazed at the levels of access they get to the drivers, teams and important discussions. On Netflix.
SELF-HELP BOOK: The Book You Want Everyone You Love To Read (and maybe a few you don’t) by Philippa Perry is a calm and essential book on resolving conflicts in a productive and dignified manner. True to the title, it's a book everyone should read. I've heard all these ideas before, but this is a helpful refresher. The links go to my online bookshop, and you can follow me on Goodreads here.
Articles I’m Reading
I recommend interesting stories largely from outside the art world. If you fancy reading offline at another time, I recommend the app Instapaper.
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.
FOOD STORIES: The Hustle examines the failure of the Domino’s 30-minute delivery guarantee (8 mins) and asks is Domino’s pizza inflation-proof? (6 mins). CNN reports that a photographer visited McDonald’s in more than 55 countries. Here’s what he found (4 mins), Food & Wine answers How the Big Mac Became the Most Iconic Fast Food Menu Item (4 mins) and Mental Floss asks Why Did Ronald McDonald Disappear? (4 mins). The New York Times explains How Dubai Chocolate Took Over the World (3 mins), DW sets out why US chocolate tastes weird to the rest of the world (3 mins), Bon Appetit tells The Twisted History of Licorice, the Candy We Love to Hate (4 mins), The Hustle explains why everybody’s drinking milk again (8 mins) and BBC reports on 'Meat intolerance': Can our bodies forget how to digest flesh? (7 mins). Saveur warns The Climate Crisis Is Coming for Your Favorite Foods (6 mins), The Examiner uncovers that a scientist is paid to study maple syrup. He’s also paid to promote it (9 mins), Distillations magazine tells the history of the pursuit of the perfectly ripe fruit (8 mins). On a bizarre tangent, BBC writes about Spaghetti science: What pasta reveals about the Universe (9 mins).
SCAMS, CONSPIRACIES & MYSTERIES: The Big Think says Don’t waste time correcting misinformation. Instead, try the “bypassing technique” (3 mins), Fyre Festival Is Coming Back—And You Can Get a $1.1 Million Ticket. Sounds Fun, Right? (4 mins), Mental Floss recounts 7 Historical Figures Who Disappeared Without a Trace (6 mins) and BBC recounts the tragic case of our sister died because of our mum's cancer conspiracy theories, say brothers (10 mins). Vice has a bizarre interaction with the man who claims to be the world’s smartest man (13 mins) and Mother Jones decided to call Everyone in Jeffrey Epstein’s Little Black Book (50 mins). Switching to the world of fiction, The Independent lists the 31 most mind-blowing film twists of all time (7 mins) and shares 17 movies and TV shows that gave away the big twist early on – but nobody noticed (8 mins).
GLOBAL TRADE: In The Future That Never Came, Slate recounts how the promise of cheap goods after 2000 led to a drop in quality (29 mins). Royalty Exchange looks into the bizarre case of People Becoming Millionaires Off Listerine Royalties (9 mins), Wired says Airbnb Is in Midlife Crisis Mode (15 mins), The Verge says a new cold war is brewing over rare earth minerals (10 mins), Grist examines the weirdest ways scientists are mining for critical minerals, from water to weeds (13 mins), Reuters reports that small businesses tried Made in the USA. It was too expensive for their customers (5 mins), and NPR explains why a war in the Middle East hasn't sparked an oil crisis (5 mins).