Strom Varx: adding texture to image

Strom Varx's photos can be seen on his blog: http://stromvarx2.blogspot.com/

Theatre: Chekhov

One of Chekhov's classic is being modernized to produce the latest piece, "Three Sisters on Hope Street." The play, co-written by Liverpool writer Diane Samuels and actress/writer Tracy-Ann Oberman is showing at Everyman, Liverpool until February 16 and at the Hampstead Theatre, London until February 21.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-life-features/liverpool-arts/2008/01/25/theatre-three-sisters-on-hope-street-brings-classic-into-a-new-era-64375-20395875/

New band from Texas

Rolling Stone magazine calls the Texan trio, White Denim, the new "breaking artist." The group recorded their latest EP "Let's Talk About It" in a trailor. Their music is a blend of country, punk and soul. http://www.myspace.com/bopenglish

http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/breaking/2008/01/breaking-artist-white-denim.php

Ballet: Béjart

Paris will be spoiled with beautiful ballet nights.There will be three Stravinsky pragrams, "Igor et Nous," "L'Oiseau de feu" and "Le Sacre du printemps" showing from January 30 to February 4.

http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2008/01/25/03004-20080125ARTFIG00337-bejart-un-heritage-sous-une-bonne-etoile.php

Concert: The Teenagers

They are a trio fom Paris, who now lives in London. Their lyrics are catchy, funny and dirty and their sound will make you think of your teenage years. The group will play four shows in New York City the coming days: Wednesay, January 30th at the Mercury Lounge, Thursday, January 31st at the Hiro Ballroom, Saturday, February 2nd at the Cake Shop and afterward at Studio B. They will also perform at the Sheperds Bush Pavillion on February 9 and the Astoria on February 14 in London. The Paris show will be at La Maroquinerie on March 20. Their songs can be heard on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/theteenagers

http://music.guardian.co.uk/newbands/story/0,,2056848,00.html

Photo exhibition: Saul Leiter

A native of the industrial town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Saul Leiter had his first camera at the age of 12. Discovered in the 1990's, he made his living mainly with fashion shots, but his favorite subject is street scenes. 100 black and white and colour photographs taken in New York around the 1950's are on exhibition at the Fondation Cartier-Bresson in Paris until April 13.

http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2008/01/24/03004-20080124ARTFIG00550-l-autre-new-york-du-photographe-saul-leiter.php

Theatre: The Vertical Hour

David Hare's new play, "The Vertical Hour," is playing at the Royal Court Theatre in London until March 1. Indira Varma plays the role of Nadia Blye, a war-reporter turned professor who advocates humane intervention. The character, intellectual and complex, learns that you can not live life in hiding nor in flight from yourself.

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/drama/reviews/story/0,,2245380,00.html

The Dodos

San Francisco-natives Meric Long and Logan Kroeber make up the group, "The Dodos." Their music is worth discovering, which is experimental and folksy with a touch of traditional southern country music. Their latest album is titled "Visiter," released with Frenchkiss Records. http://www.myspace.com/thedodos

Cat Power

Cat Power, aka Chan Marshall, is making a comeback with a new covers album, "Jukebox," out now on Matador. She is performing tonight at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. Songs from her new album can be heard on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/catpower

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article3241273.ece

Exhibition: Juan Muñoz's sculpture

Spanish Juan Muñoz's sculptures are on exhibition at the Tate Modern in London until April 27. Muñoz, born in 1953, was a serious sculptor who was known for his plastic-looking grey figures chatting merrily to each other and glorified garden gnomes. He called himself a storyteller, he started from Minimalist roots and wandered towards a more baroque narrative art. One can described his sculptures "Goya-esque" with a touch of mystery and invention.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article3247794.ece

Rock to the tune of Scotland

Glaswegian singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald is making waves in the British music scene. Some of her songs can be heard on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/amymacdonald.

http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/story/0,,2247079,00.html

A photo session with Jimi

Gered Mankowitz is one of 18 photographers contributing to "A Life Through the Lens," an exhibition of Jimi Hendrix photographs, opening at Blink Gallery in London on 8 February.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;jsessionid=PXHULQ5QR03UHQFIQMGSFFOAVCBQWIV0?xml=/arts/2008/01/27/sv_jimihendrix.xml

A new sound for Richard Hawley

Valentine, from the album Lady’s Bridge, is released on Monday. Richard Hawley, former guitarist for the group Pulp, begins his nationwide tour at Hull City Hall, Hull, East Yorkshire in England next Saturday, February 2.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article3224626.ece

Theatre: Bergman revisited

"Scenes from a Marriage," written by Ingmar Bergman is playing at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry in London until February 2.

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/drama/reviews/story/0,,2242066,00.html

Explosive Yaze

"Sponge up," an exhibition of an offbeat painter Yaze (Yassine Mekhnache) is showing at the Galerie L.J. Beaubourg in Paris until February 6. Yaze's work is compared to that of Francis Bacon and Jackson Pollock. His paintings are full of energy, spontaneity and force where colours seemed to shatter on the canvas.

http://www.artpointfrance.info/article-15539055.html

Dance: "Insane in the Brain"

Swedish company Bounce will present the street dance called "Insane in the Brain." This will be a UK premiere of the dance version of Dale Wassermann's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," based on the novel by Ken Kesey. It features an eclectic pop soundtrack ranging from rap, jazz-funk, metal, Grieg and tango that accompanies the various high-octane dance moves. Bounce is an international collective based in Stockholm. The show will be performed in March at the Peacock Theatre in London.

Theatre: A man's world

"Land of the Dead/Helter Skelter," written by American playwright Neil LaBute, is showing at Bush Theatre, London W12 until February 16.

http://www.newstatesman.com/200801240035

Exhibition: "Allemagne, les Années Noires"

An exhibition of German Expressionist artists including Otto Dix, Max Beckman, George Grosz and Ludwig Meidner is showing at the Musee Maillol in Paris. The paintings are about the effects of the first world war (1914-1918) and the postwar years of the Weimar Republic leading to Hitler's rise to power in 1933. The exhibition is held until February 4.

http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=10424262

Jeremy Blake: suicidal art

Wild Choir: Cinematic Portraits by Jeremy Blake is showing through March 2, 2008 at the Corcoran Gallery of Art,
500 Seventeenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20006. Blake is known for his technique of mixing vivid-colored paintings with digital technology. The artist committed suicide by swimming out to sea off of New York's coast, shortly after his girlfriend's death. He also worked on the album "Sea Change" for innovative singer Beck.

http://www.corcoran.org/exhibitions/exhib_current.asp?Exhib_ID=189#

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/01/arts/design/01blake.html

A peek at "Eros au Secret" in Paris

The exhibition, "L'Enfer de la Bibliothèque, Eros au Secret" or "Hell at the Library, Eros in Secret," is showing at the Paris's National Library (Bibliothèque Nationale) until March 22. The show is a success and is much talked about in the British papers. Over 350 erotic artworks are on display.

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/world/Queue-la-la-French-flock.3691636.jp

GUSH, a band on the run...

Mathieu, Yan, Vincent and Xavier are their names. Straight from the Parisian suburd of Bougival, the rock group has been playing in London and Paris (La Fleche d'Or, Le ShowCase and Le Reservoir) the last few years. They will hold a concert at the La Boule Noire in Paris February 6 at 8 p.m. Songs from their EP compilation "Rocking for my children" can be heard on myspace music: http://www.myspace.com/wearegush

Theatre: "Almost an Evening"

"Almost an Evening," is a combination of three plays written by filmmaker Ethan Coen of the Coen Brothers. The plays, "Waiting," "Four Benches" and "Debate," are directed by Neil Pepe in collaboration with the Atlantic Theater Company production. The show lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes and is held at the Atlantic Stage 2 until February 10 in Chelsea, New York City.

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/theater/reviews/23brantley.html?ref=theater

Life of a rocker

Mark Oliver Everett or E, lead singer and guitarist for the rock group Eels, wrote an autobiography called "Things the Grandchildren Should Know." The book hit bookstores on January 17. Part of the book dealt with the deaths of his parents and sister. Everett's music is as somber and yet at the same time eye-opening as his book. Some of his songs include "Novocaine for the Soul" and "I'm Going to Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart." The group recently released two new albums on January 21 with Universal called Meet the Eels and Useless Trinkets.

http://www.newstatesman.com/200801170031

Topping the charts

There's a new kid in town and her name is Adele. The young and hyped 19-year-old placed herself second in the UK singles chart with her song, "Chasing Pavements." Adele (Adkins) has already won the hearts of fans winning the Brit Awards Critics Choice prize and was named the Sound of 2008 by the BBC poll. Her debut album titled "19" is to be released next week.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,2245947,00.html

Theatre

"Much Ado About Nothing," is playing at the Olivier Theatre in London until March 29.

http://www.newstatesman.com/200801100030

I put a spell on you

An exhibition called "The Age of Enchantment: Beardsley, Dulac and their Contemporaries 1890-1930" is showing at the Dulwich Picture Gallery until February 17 in London. The collection, consisting of British fantasy illustrations of scandal, deviance and decadence, is the first of such exhibition in Britain.

http://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/exhibitions/default.aspx

Rockin' on the Seine

The Seine will soon be "the place to be and be seen" with the new "Docks en Seine" project. The new site will include spaces for fashion shows of new creative designers, music concerts, innovative exhibitions and theatrical events. The 12,000 meters squared building, redesigned by Architects Dominique Jakob and Brendan Macfarlane, is situated along the Seine between the Pont de Bercy and the Pont d'Austerlitz in the 13th district of Paris. The project, financed by the Caisse des Depots et Consignations (a financial institution that funds public service activities) and the City of Paris, will dedicate a space for the Institut Francais de la Mode (IFM) and be opened to the public in Autumn of this year. The site promises to be a creative entity that may surpass the existing art and cultural venues already in place.

Opera: Giuseppe Verdi

Russian soprano Anna Netrebko is stirring excitement for Opera fans. Giuseppe Verdi's "La traviata," is showing at the Royal Opera House in Convent Garden in London until February 14.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;jsessionid=XS3GKQASVDZIPQFIQMFSFFWAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/arts/2008/01/16/bttrav116.xml

Up for a game of hide-and-seek?

L'eclaireur Music will hold their fourth "UnDEScent" night on February 14. The theme night, "Cache-Cache," which means Hide-and-Seek in English will consist of a grim musical comedy with a twist of black humor. The play is written and directed by French director Nicolas Engel and played by Juliette Laurent. The story, set in a macabre atmosphere, is about a young schizophrenic woman who arrives in a big city and finds herself in a maid's room playing hide-and-seek with her imaginary friends, her memories and the reality around her. The storytelling is accompanied by piano music played by Raphael Callandreau. The party is private and has limited entry. For more information, contact music@leclaireur.com.

News from Paris

TWICE, a Danish-French duo, Andreas Eriksen and Margot Poirier, will perform in Paris at the "La Fleche d'Or" on the 30th of January at 8 p.m. The pop rock band signed with the new music label L'eclaireur Music in December 2007 and recorded their first EP compilation of five songs in Brussels. The duo will participate in a "Are You Loaded Party" theme night along with three other groups. For more information, contact music@leclaireur.com.

The Russians are coming...

After bouts of mediatised disputes and political tension between Moscow and London, the exhibition "From Russia: French and Russian Master Paintings 1870-1925 from Moscow and St. Petersburg," will at last see the light of day. Artworks from four different museums in Moscow and St. Petersburg will be shown at the London Royal Academy of Arts starting from the 26th of January to the 18th of April. The exhibition will include paintings by great artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Kuzma Petrov-Vodkin, Paul Gauguin, Marc Chagall, Valentin Serov and Mikhail Vrubel.

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/from-russia/about-the-exhibition,500,AR.html

Artist on the block

English controversial and enigmatic graffiti artist, Banksy, dedicates his art to the Palestinian cause in Israel. He has made several trips to the West Bank and painted diverse satirical pieces on the Separation Wall. His earlier works can be found on the streets of London, Bristol and other cities around the world.

http://www.newstatesman.com/200801170028

Ballet

The three-act ballet, "La Bayadere," is a story about an Indian temple dancer's eternal love for a soldier. The Kirov Ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre is showing at the Kennedy Center Opera House until January 27 in Washington D.C.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/01/18/ST2008011802569.html

Exhibitions

The National Portrait Gallery in London presents "Pop Art Portraits." Art works by British and American artists such as Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Peter Blake, Richard Hamiltion and others from the 1950's to the 1960's are on display. The show is on until the 20th of January.



http://www.npg.org.uk/popart/popart_home.htm


"Renaissance Siena: Art for a City," an exhibition of Renaissance art during the last century of the Sienese Republic by artists such as Domenico Beccafumi, Francesco di Giorgio, Matteo di Giovanni and other contemporaries is showing at the National Gallery in London. The exhibition is held until the 13th of January.

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/renaissancesiena/default.htm

Opera: Natalie Dessay

Natalie Dessay, the enchanted French opera singer released a new album titled "Italian Opera Arias" with Virgin Classics this month and will be performing at the Barbican in London on the 26th of January.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/opera/article3192244.ece

Ballet

Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake is currently playing at the London Coliseum until the 19th of January.

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/dance/reviews/story/0,,2238262,00.html

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/dance/article3160629.ece