The James McNeill Whistler exhibition at Tate Britain is big, probably a bit too big, but it's packed with beautiful pictures and it's not in the least bit boring. That's not surprising as Whistler led a colourful life, never shying from controversy and confrontation -- notably pursuing a high-profile libel case against John Ruskin -- and he produced art that was groundbreaking, hugely influential and enormously atmospheric. Including, of course, probably one of the most recognisable paintings in art history, that of his mother in profile, dressed in black. It's in this show, and we'll be taking a look at it shortly. But we start in Whistler's studio, where the artist has painted himself at work, palette and brush in his hands, and looking out directly at us, the viewers. This is the first picture you see in the show, and we're told that for Whistler, the studio was a place for public performance, as well as making art. So here he is, making a statemen...
The camera takes centre stage in London this month, starting at Tate Modern on June 13 with Capturing the Moment , a show that aims to explore the relationship between painting and photography through work by artists including Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Gerhard Richter. No rush: It's on until January 28. Missed the National Portrait Gallery? It reopens after refurbishment on June 22 with Yevonde: Life and Colour , exploring the career of the pioneering London woman photographer who was an early user of colour film in the 1930s. "Be original or die," she said, and you can see just how original she was until September 15. Despite Yevonde, the early 60s in Britain still seemed to happen in black-and-white, and here's the chance to view the biggest cultural phenomenon of the decade through the lens of one of the four young Liverpudlians who were conquering the world. Paul McCartney, Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm is on at the NPG from June 28 ...