38 years ago, Handsworth was inflamed with anger: cars were upturned, shops were burnt and looted, 35 people were either injured or hospitalised, and two […]
On Birmingham’s Public Art Trail
Leaning over to one side with two feet in the ground, and located at the heart of Birmingham, is the iconic ‘Iron:Man’ sculpture by Anthony […]
Art history needs ‘levelling up’, starting with Birmingham Surrealism
Birmingham Surrealists
May Morris: more than a famous father’s daughter
As writer-in-residence at the Birmingham & Midland Institute, my desk overlooks the red-bricked School of Art on Margaret Street. Typically, before I start to type, […]
Birmingham’s Sites of Surrealism
Six years ago, I moved from London to Birmingham. Since then, I have researched and written about the city’s art history, from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood […]
10 fun facts about art history for kids
From their strange habits to peculiar pets, here are 10 fun facts about art history for kids… Hands up, I admit it. I might be […]
6 Famous Artists Who Worked With Walt Disney
Since the 1930s, famous and talented artists have been behind the magic of Walt Disney’s films. In fact, Disney was a king of collaboration – […]
Elizabeth Siddal: More than a muse?
The most comprehensive exhibition of Elizabeth Siddal’s paintings and drawings for 30 years, Tate Britain’s ‘The Rossettis’ clearly aims to show this hugely important member […]
10 of the most famous Disney artists and the characters they created
Since the 1930s, talented artists have been behind the magic of Walt Disney. But, more often that not, we don’t know their names. So, here […]
Peter Doig: Illusions of Paradise
Since the 19th century, artists have mythologised the tropics, presenting them as sun-drenched sites of paradise onto which their own fantasies could be cast. All […]