Duchamp, Cage and the Art of Chess
When Duchamp returned to Paris in 1923, following his time at the helm of the New York art scene, it soon became clear his concentrations had turned away from art as he devoted his life to his other love – the game of chess.
Chess had been an ever present motif throughout Duchamp’s work so his decision to dedicate himself to the 8x8 board was by no means an admission that he was turning his back on art. Famously quoted as saying “all artists are not chess players - all chess players are artists”, Duchamp’s passion and talent for chess offered a new way of communicating with other artists through the strategies and symbolism of chess. And it was a language that John Cage was also keen to learn…
We spoke to Raymond Keene, chess grandmaster and chess correspondent for The Times and Sunday Times and artist and chess player, Barry Martin about Duchamp as a chess master and how learning chess allowed his followers to “suck in the Duchampian aura”.
The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier
From his theatrical couture catwalks, stunning costumes for the stage and screen and ‘that’ bra, Jean Paul Gaultier has earned his place in fashion history.
In April 2014, Gaultier brings his unique style to the Barbican Art Gallery in the first major exhibition devoted to his work: ‘The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk’.
To help us through the wait until this highly anticipated exhibition, we visited the famed French couturier in his Paris studio to talk about why he is so excited to be coming to London.
Read more about ‘The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk’ on the website.
