Black Country Type is an ongoing photographic project by Tom Hicks. I first came across him on Instagram: like many artists Tom uses social media to share and exhibit his images, with both a local[…]
Continue reading …
Category: Birmingham
Restaurant review | New York-style Negronis, Seafood & Steaks at Jailbird
I’ve been to Birmingham’s Jailbird twice in two weeks: it must be a good sign. Opened just a few weeks ago, it presents itself as a ‘New York seafood & steak restaurant and cocktail lounge’.[…]
Continue reading …
Art history | Conroy Maddox: Bohemian of Balsall Heath
Conroy Maddox, is one of the most important figures in the history of British Surrealism, and the key founder of the Birmingham Surrealists. Coming across Surrealism by chance (which seems fitting for a movement which[…]
Continue reading …
Interview | Meet Ed Isaacs, the Black Country’s urban sketcher
I first came across the work of Ed Isaacs on Instagram, and immediately fell in love with his unique and calligraphic sketching style. Paul Klee famously said that ‘Drawing is taking a line for a[…]
Continue reading …
Art event | Reclaim Photography Festival | 3 May – 26 June
The third international Reclaim Photography Festival, Reclaiming Our Future, is coming back to the West Midlands from Thursday 3 May to Tuesday 26 June 2018. Reclaim Photography Festival offers an annual programme of free displays,[…]
Continue reading …
Artists in focus | Meet 3 Birmingham artists challenging climate change
A growing number of artists have begun to explore issues relating to climate change and its effects, using their artwork to stimulate debate and create a call to action. While scientists can struggle to communicate[…]
Continue reading …
BE Festival @ The REP | Volunteering & host opportunities
BE FESTIVAL is back! Once again the festival – which turns the notion of conventional theatre upside down – is looking for volunteers and hosts. The festival has some fantastic opportunities to get involved and,[…]
Continue reading …
Creative café culture | Birmingham’s most bohemian coffee shops
If you’re like me, you need a strong cappuccino, sometimes two, to wake up. When I get writer’s block, I also find that my flat is the worst place for inspiration. Instead, I prefer to[…]
Continue reading …
Art History | Emmy Bridgwater: Surrealist swans & strange lands
Swans, ravens, hybrid bird-women: these are the creatures of Emmy Bridgwater’s enigmatic, Surrealist artworks. Bridgwater (1906 – 1999) was one of the five founding members of the Birmingham Surrealist Group. However, her influence and connections[…]
Continue reading …
Interview | Meet Danny Howes: Portrait Artist of the Year Finalist 2018
Danny Howes is one of Birmingham’s best realist painters. His large-scale canvases document contemporary life and people from the region, reflecting the vibrant, diverse and multi-cultural city in which we live. I first saw Danny’s[…]
Continue reading …