Summer is setting in on the African continent, while the Northern part of the world spends snowy days getting ready for the Christmas holidays. In Cape Town, the start of December means the beginning of a summer season, filled with higher tourist inflows and lots of activities in the local art market. Nel Gallery steps into the season with an opening of its annual Summer Salon, offering new names, exciting discoveries, and lucrative art deals.
Category Archives: Art & Culture
December is a festive season filled with fun, present selection, and the excitement of Christmas celebrations. An art connoisseur’s schedule is also tightly packed before holidays, with galleries and museums opening festive exhibitions for holiday pastimes. If you’re a fan of abstract impressionist art, here is a list of the best December events featuring paintings by the talented contemporary artist Vian Borchert.
Art is not always about beauty and aesthetics; in many cases, it is also a gateway to the artist’s sacred spiritual world. This is exactly the case for Natalia Revoniuk, a Ukrainian artist known for her energy art created in different styles. Revoniuk’s works serve as a bridge between the physical and the spiritual, giving her artistic legacy a unique emotional impact felt far beyond the visual narratives.
Ilya Repin’s painting of Ivan the Terrible and his son Ivan is one of the brightest examples of controversial and unsettling Russian art. The image of Ivan the Terrible, a cruel tyrant and a desperate father in one person, is memorable and dramatic, leaving a long-lasting emotional impression on viewers. Yet, the painting’s notoriety doesn’t stem solely from its dramatic depiction of a tragic event; its symbolism and meaning have gone far beyond.
Jeff Koons is widely famous as a contemporary sculptor with a unique visual style. Some art lovers describe Koons as a master of spectacle; others associate him with cultural provocation. Yet, though the artist definitely falls for kitsch, with his balloon dogs and stainless-steel inflatables symbolizing lightness and unlimited creativity, the backstage of creative production is still meticulous and precise.
What comes to an art lover’s mind when they think about Sandro Botticelli? This world-famous Renaissance painter has left a trace in global art legacy with images of ethereal beauty and dreamlike characters. His paintings have flowing lines and hide numerous philosophical ideas and cultural references that may escape the viewer’s gaze at first. Here is a brief guide to Botticelli’s symbolism that many might have missed.
Vincent van Gogh created over 30 self-portraits throughout his career, each with a unique and emotional color palette. Their careful evaluation shows that the genius artist managed to employ the principles of expressive color long before these concepts were described in modern psychology and the study of color. Here is a brief tour of color choices as another symbolic element in van Gogh’s self-portraits, serving as a diary of the artist’s turbulent emotional profile and creative journey.
There’s hardly anyone in the world who knows nothing about Banksy art. Banksy has been securing a top place in the global rating of street artists due to a unique combination of factors. These include the power and intrigue of anonymity, the artist’s strong and timely social, political, and environmental commentary, and his distinct visual style. Here is a glimpse of Banksy’s secret formula of global fame.