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LONDON FOR FUN Newsletter: 15 May 2012 Issue No.216

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http://www.londonforfun.com
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1.) Top 10 London events
2.) Other Events, Theatre listings, Museums and Galleries
3.) How to unsubscribe

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1. Top 10 London events
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1 - Yayoi Kusama - The nine decades of Yayoi Kusama's life have taken her from rural Japan to the New York art scene to contemporary Tokyo, in a career in which she has continuously innovated and re-invented her style. Well-known for her repeating dot patterns, her art encompasses an astonishing variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, film, performance and immersive installation. It ranges from works on paper featuring intense semi-abstract imagery, to soft sculpture known as "Accumulations", to her "Infinity Net" paintings, made up of carefully repeated arcs of paint built up into large patterns. Since 1977 Kusama has lived voluntarily in a psychiatric institution, and much of her work has been marked with obsessiveness and a desire to escape from psychological trauma. In an attempt to share her experiences, she creates installations that immerse the viewer in her obsessively charged vision of endless dots and nets or infinitely mirrored space. Until 5 June. www.tate.org.uk/modern LAST CHANCE

2 - Turner Inspired: In the Light of Claude - Turner Inspired: In the Light of Claude is the most in-depth examination of Turner's experience of Claude's art to date. The exhibition includes oils, watercolours and sketchbooks and introduces visitors to the story of the Turner Bequest and its importance in the history of the National Gallery. The final room of the show exhibits archive material dedicated to this relationship. Until 5 June. www.nationalgallery.org.uk LAST CHANCE

3 - Picasso and Modern British Art - Picasso remains the twentieth century’s single most important artistic figure, a towering genius who changed the face of modern art. In a major new exhibition at Tate Britain, Picasso and Modern British Art explores his extensive legacy and influence on British art, how this played a role in the acceptance of modern art in Britain, alongside the fascinating story of Picasso’s lifelong connections to and affection for this country. It brings together over 150 spectacular artworks, with over 60 stunning Picassos including sublime paintings from the most remarkable moments in his career, such as Weeping Woman 1937 and The Three Dancers 1925. It offers the rare opportunity to see these celebrated artworks alongside seven of Picasso’s most brilliant British admirers, exploring the huge impact he had on their art: Duncan Grant, Wyndham Lewis, Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon, Graham Sutherland and David Hockney. Until 15 July. www.tate.org.uk

4 - Henry Moore - Late Large Forms - Moore’s oeuvre, emblematic of modern British sculpture, is informed by elements of the abstract, the surreal, the primitive, and the classical. His rolling corporeal forms are as accessible and familiar as they are distinctly avant-garde. Moore’s first solo sculpture exhibition was held in London in 1928; by the late 1940s he had become one of Britain’s most celebrated artists with a diverse oeuvre that encompassed drawings, graphics, textiles, and sculpture. In the following decades he continued to receive increasingly significant sculpture commissions, following a major retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1946 and winning the international prize at the Venice Biennale in 1948. His heightened success and fame provided him with the means to work increasingly in bronze rather than direct carving, thus achieving the monumental scale that he had always desired for his work. From 31 May until 18 August. www.gagosian.com

5 - Arthur Bispo do Rosario - The display brings together over 80 artworks ranging from sculptures, hand-embroidered banners and garments, showcasing the variety and creativity of Arthur Bispo do Rosario (1909-1989), one of Brazil’s most recognised artists. Admitted to a psychiatric hospital at the age of 29, Bispo’s creations were made in complete isolation from the art establishment. However his ‘outsider’ art has long been celebrated for its skill and imaginative approach to working with everyday, found materials. The work on show demonstrates his fascination for the reappropriation of objects such as buttons, bottles, paper, card and cutlery, which he manipulated to create elaborate sculptural pieces. From 13 August until 30 September. www.vam.ac.uk

6 - Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 - Displayed over two floors,Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 will feature more than sixty designs for social events such as private parties, royal balls, state occasions and opening nights. The exhibition will cover over sixty years of a strong British design tradition that continues to flourish. Eveningwear from the V&A’s vast collection, by designers including Victor Stiebel, Zandra Rhodes, Jonathan Saunders and Hussein Chalayan, will be on show alongside dresses fresh from the catwalk shows of Alexander McQueen, Giles Deacon, Erdem and Jenny Packham. A selection of royal ballgowns will be on display, including a Norman Hartnell gown designed for Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Princess Diana’s ‘Elvis Dress’ designed by Catherine Walker and gowns worn by today’s young royals. Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 will also include dresses worn by actresses and celebrities including Elizabeth Hurley, Bianca Jagger and Sandra Bullock, and a stunning metallic leather dress created especially for the exhibition by innovative designer Gareth Pugh. From 19 May 2012 until 6 January 2013. www.vam.ac.uk

7 - Peter Schaufuss Ballet - Sleeping Beauty - Sleeping Beauty, Tchaikovsky's second and most romantic ballet, premiered in St Petersberg in 1890. Since its premiere there have been countless tradtional productions and some modern versions. The traditional emphasis is on dancing and technique; in the modern, psychological interpretation usually comes to the fore, focusing on the struggle between good and evil and a young girl's transition from child to woman. Danish superstar Alban Lendorf dances all performances of Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. Irek Mukhamedov, once entitled “best dancer in the world”, will be performing alongside the sensational 22-year-old Danish superstar, Alan Lendorf. 24th, 26th and 28th July. www.eno.org

8 - Lucian Freud Portraits - Lucian Freud (1922 – 2011) was one of the most important and influential artists of his generation. Paintings of people were central to his work and this major exhibition, spanning over seventy years, is the first to focus on his portraiture. Produced in close collaboration with the late Lucian Freud, the exhibition concentrates on particular periods and groups of sitters which illustrate Freud's stylistic development and technical virtuosity. Insightful paintings of the artist's lovers, friends and family, referred to by the artist as the 'people in my life', will demonstrate the psychological drama and unrelenting observational intensity of his work. Featuring over 100 works from museums and private collections throughout the world, some of which have never been seen before, this is an unmissible opportunity to experience the work of one of the world's greatest artists. www.npg.org.uk

9 - Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 - Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 brings together a group of specially commissioned works by contemporary artists, poets, choreographers and composers in response to three of Titian’s paintings – Diana and Actaeon, The Death of Actaeon and Diana and Callisto – all inspired by Ovid’s poem Metamorphoses. British contemporary artists Chris Ofili, Conrad Shawcross and Mark Wallinger will design sets for three new ballets at the Royal Opera House. The National Gallery exhibition will showcase their preparatory studies and trace the development of their designs from inception to completion. Renowned choreographers Wayne McGregor, William Tuckett and Christopher Wheeldon will collaborate with the artists to generate new ballets with original music commissioned from leading British composers. In celebration of this occasion, every member of the ballet’s company – over 100 dancers – will participate in the project. A special performance at the Royal Opera House on the 16 July 2012 will be simultaneously relayed to the public on a large screen in Trafalgar Square. From 11 July until 23 September. www.nationalgallery.org.uk

10 - Disney Fantasia - Live in Concert - Enjoy Disney’s groundbreaking marriage of symphonic music and animation. These high definition screenings, accompanied by the live performance of some of the most memorable classical music ever composed, will be brought to life by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by John Mauceri. A selection of the magnificent repertoire from the original 1940 version of Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 including Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue will be performed live while iconic moments from Disney's stunning footage, including Mickey Mouse as he dabbles in magic in Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice and the mythical unicorns and winged horses that accompany Beethoven's 'Pastoral' Symphony, are shown on the big screen. 21 October. www.royalalberthall.com

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2. Other Events, Theatre listings, Museums and Galleries:

Events listing:
http://www.londonforfun.com/events-in-London.htm

Theatre listings:
http://www.londonforfun.com/London-theatres.htm

Museum listing:
http://www.londonforfun.com/London-museums.htm

Galleries listings:
http://www.londonforfun.com/galleries-in-London.htm

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