Art – “Ernst Haas: Reconstructing London, Visions of the City after World War II” at Atlas Gallery in London
“It’s the different characters and backgrounds of these people: whether they be women, minorities, old or young, they’re all represented in these photographs that Haas has captured”
Kathlene Fox-Davies, art consultant and dealerPhotojournalist and pioneer of colour photography Ernst Haas photographed much of postwar London between 1949 and 1951. His “Speakers Corner” collection is a set of photographs that depicts this British institution, known for its devotion to free speech. Its colourful characters can be seen at Atlas Gallery in London’s Marylebone.
Listen now to this week’s art picks on ‘The Monocle Arts Review’
Books – ‘On The Move: A Life’ by Oliver Sacks
‘This is his most intimate and vulnerable book’
Parul Sehgal, editor of ‘The New York Times Book Review’.This autobiography of Oliver Sacks, a physician and professor of neurology at NYU, picks up from the end of his latest biography. It tells his story beginning with his youth in the 1950s, from his passion for motorbikes to his homosexuality, recounting his drug addiction in California and the discovery of a long-forgotten illness. This is his most personal book and an interesting read from this unconventional physician and writer.
Listen now to this week’s literary picks on ‘The Monocle Arts Review’
Film – ‘Man Up’ directed by Ben Palmer
“She’s got a lot of English mannerisms in this film, dealing with public transport in the way most of us would: when faced with someone who’s annoyingly reading out excerpts from their latest book, you ignore them; she’s got that perfectly nailed
Cassam Looch, entertainment and film journalist.Ben Palmer’s new film ‘Man Up’ tells the tale of a blind date gone wrong when Jack, played by Simon Pegg, mistakes a woman he meets at a train station for his date. This woman is Nancy, played by Lake Bell, and she goes along with the situation, pretending to be the woman Jack was hoping to meet. The result is a romp around a wintry London with plenty of excruciating British awkwardness.
Listen now to this week’s film picks on ‘The Monocle Arts Review’
Music – ‘From Kinshasa’ by Mbongwana Star
“That city produces some wonderful music, some of the most exciting, forward-thinking stuff on the planet”
Luke Turner, associate editor at the Quietus.Luke Turner, associate editor at the Quietus, had nothing but praise for Mbongwana Star on this week’s The Monocle Arts Review. The group hails from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has been winning the hearts of critics the world over with its debut album ‘From Kinshasa’. The group’s appeal is down to its ability to fuse African beats with western electronica; we dare you not to dance when this record kicks in.
Listen now to this week’s music picks on ‘The Monocle Arts Review’