Upward and onward we go on our sensational journey through Barcelona,
sampling its myriad exquisite delights – in glorious sunshine from stunning scenery
and amazing architecture to gastronomic pleasures and fabulous art.

Montjuic, in particular is a spectacular vantage point from which to view the city. It has a wealth of art galleries and museums, too, including the Fundacio Joan Miro.

The bizarre art, sculpture, and imagery of Miro is quite amazing, and the garden roof terrace is a stunning location within the unusual retro-bauhaus-style building where some of his colourful sculptures are presented.  Fundació Joan Miró

Many of the buildings in Montjuic were designed for the 1929 International

Exhibition, and the 1992 Olympics were held on its southern slopes.

We managed to reach the heady heights of Montjuic via cable car all the way to Castell de Montjuic overlooking the Mediterranean on one side and the city far below on the other. A magnificent place.

Our, ‘more on-the-ground’ experiences included a visit to the renowned Bar Mut.
a quality, but unassuming bar-café on the upper edges of the Eixample, close to the Avinguda Diagonal.

The Spanish word ‘Simpatico’ sums up this brilliant bar, where an original interior of old hydraulic tiles and a white marble-topped bar snaking around the room combines with a jazz-tinged soundtrack to create a winning atmosphere.

Most Spanish bars provide some kind of ’tasties’, and this one is no exception: plates of seafood, rice dishes, and excellent tinned conservas complement the 200-plus wines in the glass-fronted vitrina.
A highly popular establishment, so when we arrived we were lucky to find a perfect central spot on high stools at the bar where we could take in the vista, and gaze at all the city locals at luncheon.

My wife, Lucy, much to her slight horror, noticed that most of the sea creatures on the menu were still wriggling about under curved glass vitrina on the bar!

We had and excellent meal in extremely convivial, casual, but quality surroundings.

The Old Town, traversed by the city’s most famous avenue. La Rambla, is one of the most extensive medieval city centres in Europe. The Barri Gotic contains the cathedral and a maze of streets and squares. Across from the Via Laietana, the El Born neighbourhood is dominated by the Santa Maria del Mar church and is replete with 14th -century mansions.

The seemingly decadent, narrow, and graffitty-ridden streets ooze a nostalgia of empire past, but this area is becoming a trendier and more revitalized place with new, young businesses and apartments being developed and renovated.

The fabulous Museu Picasso is one of the many special attractions of this area.

This very popular museum is housed in five adjoining medieval palaces on Carrer Montcada: Berenguer d’Aguilar, Baro de Castellet, Mec, Mauri and Finestres. The museum opened in 1963 showing works donated by Jaime Sabartes, a friend of Picasso.
There are over 3000 of his pieces from the early period of his art. Fascinating!   The Picasso Museum, Barcelona

Barcelona is a fun, exciting place with plenty to catch the eye around every corner.

We will certainly be making plans for another visit in the future, and can heartily recommend the place to all – Adéu!

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The Pure Art Gallery

I can truly and seriously recommend this journey. The wonderful and exciting, Barcelona, really needs no great introduction – it is a fantastic place!

It is well-written by persons more adept than myself that there are few places so redolent with history, few so boldly modern, than Barcelona. Animated and inspired, it is a city that sparkles as much at night-time as in the full light of day. It is famous for its main avenue, La Rambla, for its bars, its museums and its enthusiasm for life.

Our family voyage started from our base in the medieval hill village of Perreux, and as my previous blog editorials have explained, we purposely took 2 days to travel to Barcelona, the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia – stopping off at Carcassonne, Figueres, and Cadaques.

It was a very hot and sunny period during this July when we eventually arrived during
late evening at our well-chosen accommodation – The Hotel Jazz.
Absolutely perfectly placed in the heart of the city, 5 minutes walk from the famous La Rambla, and complete with very convenient under ground car parking, where we were very happy to leave our car untouched and undriven for the next 4 days!

A glassy ultra-modern hotel near the Plaça de Catalunya, offering better than its 3-star rating would suggest..

Absolutely perfectly placed in the heart of the city, 5 minutes walk from the famous La Rambla, and complete with very convenient under ground car parking, where we were very happy to leave our car untouched and undriven for the next 4 days!

Plus a bonus of a rooftop swimming pool, complete with sun deck, lounge bar, and pool-side service – truly remarkable for a 3-star establishment. And we got a junior suite thrown in for our reservation of 4 nights rather than just 3 !

I can thoroughly recommend this place, but expect prices may go up next year for such an amazing quality.

After dropping off our bags we were out on the streets, and after a short wander down La Rambla, we found our first of many Tapas bars. It did not take us long to settle into the lifestyle of this fascinating city..

There is, of course, no shortage of information about Barcelona available on the internet and elsewhere, so you certainly do not need a major run-down on this great city from me.

However, we definitely covered alot of ‘ground’ while we were there for our 4-night stay.

La Rambla, goes without saying really, and is a ’must’ for a wander, so is Port Vell (Barcelona’s marina) and all the restaurants along the quai-side, great for alfresco dining and watching the world go by while you sip chilled beer.

Our 9 year old son definitely appreciated all the big boats on show, along with a visit to L’aquarium Barcelona ( an excellent place for 2 or 3 hours).

We did a lot of walking, and used taxis quite a few times rather than the very crowded tourist buses – it was exceedingly hot and sunny, but very enjoyable with plenty to see .

You are surrounded by art and architecture everywhere – both ancient and modern. Despite its obvious contemporary flavour there is an ‘old empire’ feel about the place which adds to its excitement.
Antoni Gaudi  pervades virtually the whole of the city’s culture, and you cannot miss visiting most of the key places, such as the phenomenal Sagrada Familia (a temple and Cathedral combined).

We also found time to visit the basement area where there is a fascinating detailed history of the architectural and construction over the last 130 years or more.

An incredible place, an amazing ‘work in progress’!

In the Eixample area Casa Milà and Casa Batlló can easily be viewed while you appreciate the upmarket shops and cafes of the Quadrat d’Or (Gold Quarter)

Further afield on a hillside above Barcelona there is the wonderful and magical, Parc Güell. The layout of this park, originally commissioned in 1910 by a rich industrialist, Eusebio Güell, but never finally completed, is loosely based on the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delhi, and Gaudi makes ingenious use of the contours to create arcades and viaducts of natural stone. The most striking features of the park, however, are those covered with ‘trencadis’ – mosaics made up of broken tiles – which are largely the work of the architect Josep Maria Jujol.

There is a huge collection of Gaudi’s work to see, but you need to be selective on a short visit. We had other artists and creators to see, including a visit to the Museu Picasso, and the Fundació Joan Miró.

I will cover these visits, and more, in my next Barcelona blog. Well, you can’t cover such a wondrous place, and such a fantastic family visit, in just one editorial piece !

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A delightful stop-over in Carcassonne, and then onward (or, I should say, downward) towards Barcelona. Conveniently enroute with just a slight, but pleasant detour, and you are in Figueres, Dali’s birthplace, hometown, and the impressive grand homage and dedication to his life and art in the incredible form of the surrealistically magnificent Dali Theatre Musée. An absolute ‘must-see’ if you are travelling in the vicinity. Truly remarkable !!

Just a few kilometres further on, and a careful drive over some exceptionally impressive, rocky, and stunningly beautiful hillsides (reminiscent of some of the landscapes in Dali’s famous paintings), you eventually wind down to the simple white buildings and seascape of Cadaqués – the sleepy fishing village and house (Casa Dali) where Dali and his wife, Gala, spent most of their time together (almost 60 years !), and where he conceived, created and produced most of his renowned works. The house is fascinating and bizarre, of course, and in a beautiful setting overlooking the bay, and with beautiful gardens.

But first, Figueres and the magnificent Dali Theatre-Musée.

The Dalí Theatre-Museum is, without doubt, one of the historical milestones that has left the greatest mark on the character of Figueres.  It is situated in the old municipal theatre, and has become one of the main cultural places to see in the city.

Designed by Dali, himself, it holds an important exhibition, which, through numerous works, allows you to take a trip through his life and artistic career -  the man considered a master of Surrealism. The site was extended with the Torre Galatea, where the artistic genius died.

Another two museums complete Figueres’ wide cultural offer: the Catalan Toy Museum, which exhibits an interesting collection of toys from different periods and the Empordà Museum, where you can penetrate the history and art of the county.

All this will contribute to uncovering a town with a deep Catalan nature, as demonstrated by its being the home of the sardana, the typical Catalan dance.

The excellent location of Figueres enables you to make interesting trips throughout the county.

On the coast are picturesque places like Colera, a seaside village which has beautiful beaches like Garvet and Els Morts; Llançà, with a lively marina; Cadaqués, home of the Salvador Dalí House-Museum, and Port de la Selva, where the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes is located.

To the south of Cap de Creus is Roses, which preserves remains of the ancient Greek colony of Rhode, and Castelló d’Empuries, where the church of Santa María (10th C.) is outstanding.

This part of the Costa Brava has large protected areas. In the Gulf of Roses is the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park, an important ecological reserve and refuge for water birds. For its part, the Cap de Creus Natural Park is an excellent place from a natural point of view and a clear example of the appearance of the Costa Brava.

The cuisine of Figueres combines raw materials from the sea and the mountains. From the nearby coast come fish, which are served boiled, baked, grilled or in sauce. Other recipes, like chicken or rabbit with spiny lobster and beef with vegetables, wild mushrooms or fruits, are also typical. To accompany these, you can choose any of the excellent wines and cavas labelled under the Ampurdán-Costa Brava Denomination of Origin.

Cadaques and Casa Dali

It was cactus hot when we reached Cadaques, after an incredible winding drive up an over the craggy hillside of multi-coloured rocks and olives growing out of the burnt earth. This was certainly Dali’s country. You could feel the presence of the man. Memories of his desolate and paranoic-surrealistic landscapes flooded into my brain. I was in Dali’s realm, at last!

At the head of Cadaqués bay rises the network of narrow cobbled streets and white houses making up the old town.

Above the outline of the town, the image of the church of Santa María, a carefully restored church with a white façade, stands out, housing a magnificent Baroque style reredos. Modernist architecture, for its part, has left its distinctive imprint on some of the most notable buildings in the town, like the Casa Serinyena.

During the first decades of the 20th century, the town became an important European cultural centre. Many leading artists, like Picasso, Chagall and Klein, found their particular source of inspiration in this beautiful corner of the province of Gerona.

However, it was Salvador Dalí who gave Cadaqués international fame. The artistic genius spent long periods here during his childhood as well as establishing his home there.

His house-musuem, beside Port Lligat bay, to the north of the town, enables you to get to know part of the extensive work of this master of Surrealism.

The wide cultural offerance of Cadaqués ranges from its many museums and art galleries, like the Municipal Art Museum, which exhibits works by artists who maintained close links with Cadaqués, or the Perrot-Moore Museum, which brings together works of European graphic art, without forgetting the now traditional International Music Festival, which is held annually in the church of Santa María.

There is no doubt that in the very early days of Dali’s life the little fishing village of Cadaques was incredibly remote (it still is, in some sense) and a very small, traditional, isolated place. Dali and his wife Gala lived here together for over 50 years. Now it is still white buildings and pleasant, despite more tourism.

Their house, made up of a series fishing huts, renovated and converted over a number of years, is also surprisingly very simple, but stunning, and although there is a typical Daliesque quirkiness to the place it also has a very homely ‘feel’, and a woman’s ‘touch’ is ever-present.

There is plenty to feast the eyes, and a permeating playfulness which is pure Dali in most of the rooms. The gardens and swimming pool areas have a definite surrealistic personality, and Dali’s presence can really be felt everywhere.

It is a wonderful place, and reflects their long marital relationship – Dali and his muse, Gala. It was a privilege to enter their personal domain, and, to be fair, somewhat of an intrusion. But I loved it all ! Particularly his studio with his multitude of objects, artist’s paraphernalia, paint brushes, and where one of his last unfinished paintings still sits on his easel. His chair in position, as he always preferred painting sitting down. A poignant reminder of his ongoing creativity, but also his, and our own, mortality.

Probably not suited to everyone, but I certainly recommend a visit. The whole area has a wholesomeness about it, and, of course, if you are into Dali you are definitely enjoying and experiencing his own beloved landscape, rocks, sea, and Spanish traditionalism.

www.salvador-dali.org

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The Pure Art Gallery

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So, we begin by arriving in Saddleworth ‘hot foot’ from our wanderings around the pastures of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, and the brilliant Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Saddleworth

Saddleworth lies to the west of the principal Pennine watershed.  Historically, a Township in the Agbrigg Wapentake of the West Riding of Yorkshire; Saddleworth was, however, a Chapelry within the parish of Rochdale until 1869 when it achieved parish status.  Although still part of the historic County of Yorkshire, Saddleworth is now part of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham.

]]> http://blog.purefrancenow.com/purefrancenow/part-6-our-man-from-the-roannais-in-david-hockneys-england/feed/ 0 http://blog.purefrancenow.com/fun/part-5-our-man-from-the-roannais-at-chatsworth-and-the-yorkshire-sculpture-park-by-brian-franklin/ http://blog.purefrancenow.com/fun/part-5-our-man-from-the-roannais-at-chatsworth-and-the-yorkshire-sculpture-park-by-brian-franklin/#comments Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:47:51 +0000 purefrancenow http://blog.purefrancenow.com/?p=1742 Here we go again, I’m afraid, continuing our saga about our travels through England. This time combining country life with bourgeois, aristocratic history and contemporary sculptural art – all set in some of the most stunning countryside in England!

Yes, I took our French man from his own beautiful Roannais region in the Rhone-Alpes to ‘taste’ some of the wonders of Derbyshire and Yorkshire by visiting the truly amazing Chatsworth House, and then, on the following day, walking around the brilliant and ‘bizarre’ Yorkshire Sculpture Park – all quite an eye opener for our very good friend, Jean-Marc!

Chatsworth House and Park

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, Peak District. Home of the Dukes of Devonshire.

Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, in the Peak District. Is the home of the Dukes of Devonshire, the Cavendish Family.

First built by Bess of Hardwick. Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned here.

The greatest house of the Peak District, set in a very large country park.

When you drive across the surrounding park and see Chatsworth House for the first time, a sumptuous pile of yellow stone surrounded by gardens, fronted by the River Derwent and backed by a tree-covered hillside, it fairly takes your breath away. It is not hard to see why this is the premier tourist attraction of the area.

The original house here was the work of Sir William Cavendish and his third wife Bess of Hardwick in the mid 16th Century. Sir William was a Crown Commissioner responsible for dissolving monasteries and his reward was a gift of land here. Sir William died in 1557 with the house partly constructed and Bess completed a house with a central courtyard and four corner towers, facing east towards the hillside. No trace of this can now be seen, but the modern house retains many of the Elizabethan interior walls and the Huntingtower on the hill above the house dates from the 1580s.

The first Duke rebuilt Chatsworth in Classical style between 1686 and 1707, using an obscure Dutch architect called William Talman. He later fired Talman and the house was completed by Thomas Archer.

The Library and North Wing were added by the 6th Duke between 1790 and 1858, the work of Wyatville, and the stables and bridges over the River Derwent were added in the 18th century by Paine. The park was landscaped by the 4th Duke (1720-1764), who engaged ‘Capability’ Brown to reshape the formal garden into the more natural one you see today.

The 6th Duke engaged Joseph Paxton as the head gardener at the age of 23, resulting in the enrichment of the gardens and the creation of the Emperor Fountain (to impress the Czar of Russia when he visited) as well as the Great Conservatory. Paxton worked at Chatsworth the rest of his life, staying for 32 years. The house and gardens have remained little changed since this time, the only major exception being the demolition of the Great Conservatory and its replacement by a maze.

Many famous people have come to Chatsworth, some to stay and others to live there. Among the most famous are Mary Queen of Scots, who was here as a guest and prisoner of Bess of Hardwick and her fourth husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury, between 1573 and 1582. Another was Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who lived here in a famous ‘menage a trois’ with the 5th Duke and Lady Elizabeth Foster in the late 18th century.

The house itself is magnificent, if a little overwhelming, while the gardens are a treat, and the surrounding park is a superb area of open space with fine scenery, woods and views of the house and surrounding area – an excellent place for relatively gentle walks.

It is also possible to visit the farmyard behind the house, where typical farm animals can be seen in context; with milking demonstrations and other insights into life on a farm for both the people and the animals. Next to the farmyard there is a small adventure playground. Great for a day with family at anytime of the year !

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park

The stunning landscape of this park was designed over 200 years ago as a private pleasure ground.
Much thought was given to the planting of thousands of imported exotic trees, to the modelling of hills and valleys, and the use of water and architectural features.
Split up in the late 1940s, the estate has, in recent years, been brought together by YSP, providing open access and an integrated landscape management plan.

For the last 30 years, they have used the landscape, vistas and other features to site a range of fascinating exhibitions, commissions and installations.
They also take care to preserve the spirit of the design of the historic landscape as the estate is restored and protected the for the public and for future generations.
Managing the estate is a massive task which includes working with farmers, foresters, gardeners and artists.
The installation of exhibitions in the open air requires special skills, as does the restoration of planting schemes and drystone walling.
Feilden Clegg Bradley have skilfully created exquisite architecture, which sits sensitively within the landscape.
The new Underground Gallery, cut into the hillside of the Bothy Garden, provides three galleries which are ideal for the display of sculpture.
Beyond the gardens and Underground Gallery are rolling fields, lakes and broad countryside: all are changed dramatically by passing time and seasons.

Brooding skies; bright, frosty mornings; languid summer afternoons; smoky autumn mists – each evokes different sensory experiences of landscape and art.

The Underground Gallery builds on these unique surroundings for art: a context that challenges and inspires their visitors and every artist that works with YSP.

A wondrous place, and one that most definitely deserves a visit !

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Chatsworth House

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The Pure Art Gallery

Part 6  of ‘Our Man from the Roannais in England’ series will continue very, very soon with Saddleworth, Ilkley, and the Art of ‘David Hockney at Saltaire.

It is an impressive collection of his text-based paintings, dadaist sculptures and large installations.

Well worth a visit!

Situated within Lyon’s Cité Internationale, by the banks of the Rhone and near the park Tete d’Or, the Musée d’Art Contemporain is at the heart of a scenic and pleasant area within the boundaries of France’s remarkable second city.

In 1984, when the museum was located within the Musée des Beaux Arts de Lyon, a particular interest in the production of art works began.

These works, new project for the artist or continuation of an earlier concept, were produced in the museum, for the museum, in direct collaboration with the artist and became a part of the museum’s collection.

This gave an opportunity to artists to experiment with form, idea and dimension, and to create work in harmony with the space itself.

The museum’s politics of production imposed upon the architect to create an interieur space which could be entirely modified, in order to cater for the demands of the numerous artists using the space as well as the diverse exhibition spaces designed by the curators.

Ben Vautier

Ben Vautier (born on July 18, 1935 in Naples, Italy), also known simply as Ben, is a French artist.
Vautier lives and works in Nice, where he ran a record shop called Magazin between 1958 and 1973.

He discovered Yves Klein and the Nouveau Réalisme in the 1950s, but he became quickly interested in the French dada artist Marcel Duchamp, the music of John Cage and joined the Fluxus artistic movement in the 1960s.

In 1959, Vautier founded the journal Ben Dieu. In 1960, he had his first one-man show, Rien et tout in Laboratoire 32.

He is also active in Mail-Art and is mostly known for his text-based paintings; an example of the latter is his work “L’art est inutile. Rentrez chez vous” (Art is Useless, Go Home).
He has long defended the rights of minorities in all countries, and he has been influenced by the theories of François Fontan about ethnism. For example, he has defended the Occitan language (south of France), which is on the verge of extinction because speakers are shifting to French.

Anti-art is a loosely-used term applied to an array of concepts and attitudes that reject prior definitions of art and question art in general.

Anti-art tends to conduct this questioning and rejection from the vantage point of art. The term is associated with the Dada movement and is generally accepted as attributable to Marcel Duchamp pre-World War I.

Fluxus Movement 1960-1965
The Fluxus movement emerged in New York in the 60′s, moving to Europe, and eventually to Japan.

The movement encompassed a new aesthetic that had already appeared on three continents. That aesthetic encompasses a reductive gesturality, part Dada, part Bauhaus and part Zen, and presumes that all media and all artistic disciplines are fair game for combination and fusion. Fluxus presaged avant-garde developments over the last 40 years.
Fluxus objects and performances are characterized by minimalist but often expansive gestures based in scientific, philosophical, sociological, or other extra-artistic ideas and leavened with burlesque.
Yoko Ono is the best-known individual associated with Fluxus, but many artists have associated themselves with Fluxus since its emergence. In the ’60s, when the Fluxus movement was most active, artists all over the globe worked in concert with a spontaneously generated but carefully maintained Fluxus network.

Since then, Fluxus has endured not so much as a movement but as a sensibility–a way of fusing certain radical social attitudes with ever–evolving aesthetic practices.

Initially received as little more than an international network of pranksters, the admittedly playful artists of Fluxus were, and remain, a network of radical visionaries who have sought to change political and social, as well as aesthetic, perception.

Musée d’art Contemporain, Lyon

The Pure Art Gallery

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Sunshine, travels and wonderful discoveries, good food and drink, and all part of an exceptional visit to England, accompanied by a very good French friend from the Roannais -  Jean-Marc Dublé.

Jean-Marc is a most congenial fellow – bon vivant, creative intellectual, and painter, and with an open-mindedness to all things international, including British!

This is primarily a pictorial log of our journey through some of the most beautiful and interesting parts of England. A special voyage of discovery for both Jean-Marc and ourselves through  parts of England which can certainly be regarded as being quintessentially English – a real treat!

We started our sojourn in London with a 2 night stay in the heart of the City.

After a long, warm, sunny walk through the iconic streets of the city, and catching numerous taxis to various points of interest.

From the historic Saint Catherine’s Dock over the famous Tower Bridge for some great views of the River Thames.

The marvellous Saint Paul’s Cathedral, designed by genius architect,  Christopher Wren, was still an amazng sight, and its interior always a stunning experience.

We then headed to the southside of the Thames via the famous Millenium Bridge and to the new Globe Theatre for a bit of Shakespearian history.

After an informative lecture tour by one of the Globes resident actors we needed some good London sustenance  – a superb traditional English lunch at the Swan Inn, part of the Globe theatre complex, and with beautiful views over the Thames – an excellent restaurant location, and particularly high quality cuisine.

We then visited the Tate Modern which is very conveniently placed next door. An ideal opportunity to satisfy our artistic taste buds, especially Jean-Marc’s.

Tate Modern is just a stunning edifice of a building, and an absolutely ideal, colossal space for showing off amazing, large-scale contemporary art with startling panache and impact.

A perfect use of an old power station!

Mesmerised by all the art we left Tate Modern and its thought-provoking images to more tranquil and less intellectual territory. and gradually meandered our way back to our city hotel ready for our special early Sunday morning excursion to the Royal Academy of Arts  where there was a special Van Gogh exhibition covering his art and letters.

Simply mind-blowing, and quite emotional. Definitely one of the best experiences of the week-end.

We spent almost 3 hours at the exhibition, and then went off to Covent Garden for a spot of lunch at ‘Tuttons’.

After the ‘buzz’ of Covent Garden another type of ‘buzz’ was experienced as we all had a flight on the huge London Eye with spectacular views of the city. Jean-Marc’s vertigo was under control, so he enjoyed the ride tremendously. Great Fun!!

Our magical London visit, however, did not end there, and like all good tourists we also ‘did’ Buckingham Palace and visited the Queen!! A sunny stroll through the Palace gardens past Horse Guards Parade to the symbolic Trafalgar Square, just to remind Jean-Marc of the battle won over the French by our great Admiral of the Seas – Lord Nelson!!

Back to our City-based hotel to rest our somewhat weary legs for a short relax and some cool refreshment. In the evening we jumped into a taxi to Jamie Oliver’s ‘Fifteen’ restaurant where we had an absolutely delightful evening of exceptional food, and very attentive and charming service.

Definitely to be recommended.

Take a look at their website: Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Restaurant, London

To be fair we had done so much in such a short 2-day period it felt like a week! Jean- Marc was very happy!

Tate Modern, London

The Royal Academy of Arts, London

Covent Garden, London

The London Eye

Part 2 of  “Our Man from the Roannais” series will follow shortly, amongst the famous towers and spires of Oxford, including a visit to the Wye Valley, and the Cotswolds.

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Mike Ford, featured in the Pure Art Gallery, has 4 winning images in ‘Shot Up North 2009 – 2010′

‘Shot Up North’, and the “SUN Awards” celebrate and reward the best commercial photography in the UK regions, working in the disciplines of Advertising, Design, Fashion or Editorial.

Mike has also recently produced a new photo-image book called ‘Miceal’s Eyes’ – take a look, it’s good!

Mike Ford found his artistic passion and vision when a career change took him from Yorkshire to London in the 1970′s. For five years he travelled the world as assistant to the celebrated fashion photographer Robert Belton, and Mike regards this time as an awakening – his stimulus to produce striking commercial images.

He has also become a grandad and has celebrated the birth of his new grandson, Oscar, with some excellent, creative photographic imagery – congratulations, Mike!

Mike has exhibited at the Geras Tousignant Gallery and Spectrum in San Francisco, USA, and numerous galleries close to his home in France.

He has recently completed a major show in Dubai. Exhibitions are also planned for London and Australia in 2009.

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The Pure Art Gallery

Jean Villevieille – Multiples
December 09, 2009 – March 06, 2010

Artists :
Atelier Jean Villevieille
Claude Viallat,
Patrick Saytour, .
Ivan Messac,
Robert Janitz,
Daniel Dezeuze,
Franck Chalendard.

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Claude Viallat ©

Viallat Claude, born in Nîmes in 1936, is a contemporary french painter. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Montpellier from 1955 to 1959, then at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1962-63, in Raymond Legueult’s workshop.

In 1966, Claude Viallat adopts a process based on fingerprints, which shall enter into a critical
radical of the lyrical abstraction and geometric (in technique called All-over).

A neutral form is repeated on a free canvas without frame determining the composition of the work. In 1969, he was a founder member of Supports / Surfaces.
In addition to the growing success of its exhibitions in France (at the Pompidou Center in 1982) and abroad (Venice Biennale in 1988), he devoted himself to his work as a teacher in the following art schools: Nice, Limoges, Marseille, Nimes (where he was director for many years), then Paris at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris.

Bernard Ceysson Gallery, Saint Etienne

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The Pure Art Gallery

The remarkable design and photographic talent of Stéphane Archambault strikes again! His recently published ‘L’esprit’ magazine is the third in an ongoing yearly series visually extolling the many virtues of the Côte Roannaise through his very perceptive eyes.

A triumph of creativity which captures the essence of this beautiful part of the Rhône-Alpes in France.

In this excellently produced new issue there are, again, many varied editorial pieces covering successful local  businesses, restaurants, amazing art and architecture, individual artists and artisans, stunning chateaux, medieval villages and their history, gardens and surrounding countryside idylls…. plus much more!

For only 5 euros, it’s a steal!

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