Monuments to motherhood, cinematic dreams and a ‘wild beast’ – the week in art
Exhibition of the week
Hannah Perry: Manual Labour
A spectacular multimedia approach goes with introspective themes as Perry explores motherhood, class and gender.
• Baltic, Gateshead, until 16 March
Also showing
John Stezaker: Spell
New works by this surrealistic, reality-bending British artist obsessed with cinematic dreams.
• The Approach, London, until 28 September
André Derain and the Stage
Designs for theatre by the French modern great who started out as a dangerous “wild beast” but became a disciplined classicist.
• Cassius&Co, London, opens 12 September
Spit
Emmanuel Awuni and Divine Southgate-Smith collaborate on a show that straddles media and continents.
• Public Gallery, London, from 12 September until 12 October
Standing Ground
Frank Bowling, Raksha Patel and more look at the landscapes of modern Britain.
• Thames-Side Studios Gallery, London, 7-22 September
Image of the week
Amid a global movement to return artworks to their countries of origin, about 750 pieces by predominantly Black Brazilian artists are being donated to a museum in Bahia after being exhibited across the US and Canada for 30 years. Read more here.
What we learned
Antony Gormley joined the fight against the destruction of a historic site
The great photographer Alec Soth went back to art school
Pioneering artist Futura 2000 celebrated five decades of groundbreaking work
Scent designer Tasha Marks can make you smell anything, from hell to your grandparents
US army archive images blend fashion with firepower
Award-winning artist Teresita Fernández is reinventing landscape art
A new exhibition offered compelling proof that objects do talk …
Masterpiece of the week
The Wood Gatherer, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, c. 1865-70
Born in the 18th century, Corot lived into the age of Manet and the impressionists. His fascination has to do with this sense of existing out of time, between worlds. This late painting by him is magically archaic. It creates a greenish, silverish pastoral dreamscape where nothing happens – give or take some wood being gathered. Yet in the stillness he suggests so much. There are even hints of the photographic age in the way the trees are silhouetted against the sleepy light. Corot is ultimately a storyteller: he conjures here a lonely, ghostly atmosphere in which you might encounter doubles or revenants. He is a quiet yet spookily great artist.
• National Gallery, London
Don’t forget
To follow us on X (Twitter): @GdnArtandDesign.
Sign up to the Art Weekly newsletter
If you don’t already receive our regular roundup of art and design news via email, please sign up here.
Get in Touch
If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com
