I like to get in front of my subjects “en plein air” if I can. Even in my allotment pictures (which are partly from imagination) the core elements are taken from real allotments. Working on site you get so much more from what you are trying to capture, I also get to chat to passersby who feed into my work with their rich stories and conversation. For me working purely in the studio would be like painting through a letter box.
In regards to perspective, the early part of my career was drawing and airbrushing full 3D cutaways of fighters and ships for the MoD so I know a fair bit about getting perspective right if I need to.
Accurate perspective however is all well and good, although in creative terms it can only deliver so much. I tend to adjust and push things about until it feels right. If that means geometric perspective is abandoned then that’s fine. It’s all about the overall impression.
Mahé is the largest island in the Seychelles archipelago, in the Indian Ocean off East Africa. Its terrain is defined by white-sand beaches such as those in the popular resort area of Beau Vallon, and granite peaks including the rainforested Morne Seychellois. The island is also home to Victoria, Seychelles’ capital, known for Creole architecture and a colorful covered market with wares like fish, fruit and clothing.
Visiting Den Røde Cottage (pronounced “roll” = red) a historic building from 1844 which has been a restaurant for a few decades now. The 8 course dinner can be ordered together with 8 glasses of wine which almost doubles the price of the dinner bringing it up to 2500 DKK (335 EUR) but it is highly recommended since the wine complements each dish greatly and the wisely chosen wine selection itself gives a nice overview of the diversity of the taste of wine.
Den Røde Cottage is a Michelin Guide restaurant and is located 10 minutes outside of Copenhagen in a town called Klampenborg.
Crafted by James Stockwell Architect, Bunkeren could be the best modern house in the world. Considered more landscape than building, the concrete dwelling is a robust insertion within the surrounding natural context. Embedded into a rocky forest edge just south of Newcastle,
Video Timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Best Modern House in the World 00:40 – The Concept 01:30 – Designing for Family and the Landscape 02:09 – House Inspired by Danish Design 02:25 – Intimate Spaces 02:44 – Bunker within the Landscape 03:20 – Benefits of a Concrete Bunker House 04:20 – Bringing Natural Light into the House 04:55 – The Cellar 05:30 – Materiality 06:12 – Indoor-Outdoor Living 07:05 – Highlights of the House 07:28 – The Architect’s Favourite Part of the House
Bunkeren sits on the land of the Awabakal people. Externally, the building is reminiscent of the inspiring botanical garden that once occupied the location in the late 1800s; sprouting greenery covers the top of floating concrete platforms where, beneath, the internal spaces are held. A sense of architectural freedom is permitted by minimising necessary supporting columns and removing the need for load-bearing walls, lending structural significance and an impressive silhouette to what is considered the best modern house in the world.
A house tour of Bunkeren – named according to the Danish translation of ‘bunker’ – reveals the negotiated peaks and pitfalls of the bunker configuration. In materiality and position, the home expresses a reassuring invulnerability; partly shielded by the rocky landscape and comprised of concrete, Bunkeren can retain its structural integrity in the event of a bushfire or storm. Crafted by the architect to be low maintenance, the home does not require painting and cannot be eroded by mould or termites. The enveloping botanical element of the design supports the forest ecosystem and microclimates by interacting with natural species. James Stockwell Architect designs the interior to combat the limited natural light and ventilation associated with the architecture of a traditional bunker. Skylights and an internal garden draw light into the underground aspects of the home in an aesthetically engaging manner, whilst the elevated nature of the concrete platforms allows space for fresh air to travel through the dwelling. The interior design of Bunkeren contributes to its potential as the best modern house in the world. Whilst utilising the work of local artists, James Stockwell Architect also takes care to reflect the influence of Danish design culture in consideration of the homeowners’ lifestyle. In application of the Danish principle of proportion, all decoration is scaled to human level, emphasising the togetherness of the family unit. The design also champions the Danish furniture inherited by the homeowners. A restrained approach to styling sees each space defined by a sense of intimacy, with the absence of elaborate ornamentation establishing an unimposing, experientially gentle atmosphere. The most unique aspect of the home – through which James Stockwell Architects proposes Bunkeren as the best modern house in the world – is the cellar, situated at the lowest level. Inside the space, the rock into which the residence is settled within is left exposed, providing visual drama, natural tactility and a reflection of the external environment, blurring the line between the home and landscape. Warmed by the additional materials of wood, concrete and brass, the cellar exudes individuality. In 20 years, the foliage surrounding Bunkeren will have grown, until the building cannot be clearly distinguished from its natural context. It is this foresight that allows Bunkeren to be considered the best modern house in the world.
Rolling hills sit at the foot of jagged peaks. Cozy homes and warm food provide refuge from the harsh elements outside. Beautiful light paints the mountains before dark clouds wash them away. The European Alps are a place of striking linguistic, cultural, and visual duality- a duality I hope to capture here.
The American Institute of Architects has revealed the winners of the 2022 Housing Awards. The 14 projects span single-family, affordable housing, and specialized housing projects, and include new construction, renovations, and restorations.
We talk to Max Hollein, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, about the new plans for the museum’s wing of modern and contemporary art, including the appointment of the architect Frida Escobedo in place of David Chipperfield.
As The Art Newspaper is about to publish its annual museum attendance survey, showing that visitors are beginning slowly to return to museums after the height of the pandemic, we ask Hollein how the vision for the museum has changed following the events of the past two years. Plus, Aimee Dawson talks to the curator Sam Bardaouil about the exhibition Beirut and the Golden Sixties: A Manifesto of Fragility at the Gropius Bau in Berlin. And in this episode’s Work of the Week, as the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas, opens a major Meret Oppenheim survey, the show’s curator Natalie Dupecher discusses Oppenheim’s Surrealist object Ma gouvernante – My Nurse – Mein Kindermädchen (1936): a pair of white heels on a silver platter, trussed like a chicken.
The Art Newspaper’s visitor attendance survey is in the April print edition, and online next week at theartnewspaper.com, or on our app for iOS and Android, which you can get from the App Store or Google Play.
Beirut and the Golden Sixties: A Manifesto of Fragility, Gropius Bau, Berlin, until 12 June.
Meret Oppenheim: My Exhibition, Menil Collection, Houston, until 18 September; Museum of Modern Art, New York, 30 October-4 March 2023
Nice, capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department on the French Riviera, sits on the pebbly shores of the Baie des Anges. Founded by the Greeks and later a retreat for 19th-century European elite, the city has also long attracted artists. Former resident Henri Matisse is honored with a career-spanning collection of paintings at Musée Matisse. Musée Marc Chagall features some of its namesake’s major religious works.
Joe Biden heads to Poland to address Russia’s war on Ukraine. Plus: a look ahead to Malta’s parliamentary elections, top stories from the fashion world and Andrew Mueller’s unique assessment of what we’ve learned over the past seven days.
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