Columns & Opinion

During the last few weeks, through the nation's media, we have witnessed the most amazing public engagement with an artwork that this country has ever experienced. The artwork is Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red by designer Tom Piper, in collaboration with ceramic artist Paul Cummins. The artwork sees 888,246 individual ceramic crafted poppies (each representing the lives of lost Allied troops in World War One) placed in the moat of The Tower of London to create a moving and thought-provoking installation. The installation has seen an incredible response, with the public flocking from far and wide to London…

In recent weeks we have heard the news of the attempted theft of a sculpture of Eric Morecambe from the sea front in Morecambe.  The thieves didn't get as far as pinching the statue as it was found near by, but they did cause considerable damage, with the only remaining piece on the plinth being a solo foot.  This kind of public art theft and mindless vandalism, sadly, isn't something new and even more sadly, it's something we have experienced in Blackpool numerous times. The targeting of public art for profit first hit my radar a few years ago when…

This month sees the charity Campaign For Drawing launch its annual drawing festival: The Big Draw, a focused month to encourage the nation to draw more, with events taking place up and down the country. With the rise of digital technology drawing has been on the decline for the last decade. In February 2012 we saw a six month surge in people drawing, sadly it was using a smart phone app called Draw Something which was a hybrid version of Pictionary. As the app lost its appeal, some moved on to more advanced design apps whilst others gave up the drawing…

Today is World Mental Health Day and this year's theme is'living with Schizophrenia.  The day is about highlighting awareness while creating understanding of mental health. There have often been strong links between creativity and mental illness.  In the world of art, the mention of mental health makes us think of the tragic tales of Vincent Van Gogh with his possible schizophrenia/bipolar outbursts, Salvador Dali's anxiety driven by doubt around sexual inadequates, or Edvard Munch with his 'Scream' which could be compared to his own breakdown and psychiatric therapy. In my years of study, I came across fellow art students who…

Some will say that the Illuminations are the greatest free light show in world. I would go one stage further to add that they are the most diverse illuminated sculptures on the planet. Often mocked just as much as they are loved, this six mile stretch of shimmering lights is just as iconic to Blackpool as our beloved Tower. And with a rich history embedded in design it has been nice in recent years for 'The Lights' to move into other realms of art. Love him or loath him there is no denying that having Laurence Llewelyn Bowen involved in…