Friday 24 January 2014

LS ARTS: Doug Allan – Attenborough’s Man Behind the Camera


Doug Allan is stood on stage wearing a shark t-shirt welcoming the audience to the final date on his tour.

LS ARTS: Portrait Salon 13 – Salon des Refusés, or ‘Exhibition of Rejects’

Salon des Refusés is French for ‘exhibition of rejects’, and has been a method of showing work since the 1830’s.

LS ARTS: Pyrotechnics, Candyfloss and Dennis Oppenheim



Photo courtesy of Henry Moore Insitute


For the first time American artist Dennis Oppenheim, famed for his illustrious work with pyrotechnics and his constant assault of the limits of sculpture, has been the focus of an exhibition away from the watchful eye of his widow and protector of his legacy, Amy Plumb.

LS BLOG: Lazy Afternoons w/ Outlaws Yacht Club & Mrs Atha's


On paper Outlaws Yacht Club looked like it fitted the bill for a long lunch in some new surroundings and a few celebratory post hand-in drinks.

LS BLOG: Belgrave Music Hall

Photo courtesy of The Culture Vulture

Isn’t it satisfying finding somewhere new before everyone you know does?

LS BLOG: Adjusting Focus

Tom Stoddart has been there to photograph some of the most pivotal moments in the recent history of the world. He saw, amongst other things, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the unrelenting famine in Sudan and the siege of Sarajevo first hand. Few people can say the same, and seeing images of such world transforming events brought together over two rooms at the White Cloth Gallery on Aire Street is both heartbreaking and awe inspiring.
(Photo courtesy of Leeds List)

Stoddart’s work is heavy going, his photographs have the ability permeate even the thickest skin, whether it’s through the shocking subject matter of his work, the clarity and honesty that he has captured it with, or the impossibly delicate handling of the various themes. He has managed to depict the staggering levels of cruelty humans are capable of inflicting on each other and juxtaposed it with  images of the intimacy, triumph and all consuming love that humans are still capable of even when forced to the very edge of survival.

There’s music playing in the exhibition. It wasn’t noticed immediately, but it’s there and I’m yet to find out why. It is uncomfortably cheerful and ill fitting with the overall content. It seems frivolous and disrespectful, although perhaps it’s meant as a sort of cushion between the viewer and the content; to prevent the bombardment of images of human suffering from leaving the audience reeling as they step back out on to the street.

It’s a humbling experience, wandering around between the two rooms of the gallery. The simple method of hanging the photographs in their crisp mounts suspended by wire and bulldog clips against white walls and charcoal ceilings and floors allows the viewer to focus on just the image, which is why it is so effective. I read somewhere that Stoddart’s work was also present at More London during the 2012 Olympics in a show called ‘Perspectives’ where he said:  "The idea is to keep in perspective that when everyone is in London having a great time, there are people elsewhere who lack essential things such as water, medicine and human rights." White Cloth is also a bar and event space, so as you make the transition back through the galleries towards the hustle and bustle of daily life, the chatter of the people enjoying themselves and their surroundings washes over you, drenching you in the reality of our comfortable lives. 


Originally written for Leeds Student

LS BLOG: Bibis Italianissimo

You’ve probably seen Bibis Italianissimo if you’ve spent any time at Cockpit of an evening or driven from the south into the city centre; it’s the place you’re wishing you could go to instead, as you queue for an eternity in the rain under a bridge (sorry, Cockpit).

Tuesday evening, ravenous and freezing cold after a night of enthusiastic sparkler waving and lackluster fireworks, we made a reservation at Bibis which was to be the very last leg of a fabulously indulgent birthday celebration. Having started the post-firework party with a few glasses of Aperol Spritz, out we stepped into what felt like the coldest night in Leeds of the year so far and into a cab. 



We were a little apprehensive about Bibis, unsure whether it was the type of place that had spent up on a fancy front facade and failed to deliver on the inside, but were thrilled when we breezed through the door into flawless decadent and sleek art deco surroundings and were greeted by charming Italian waiting staff. 

This term has already left me wondering why there aren’t more hours in a day and why only two of those days make up the weekend, most final year students can empathise here I’m sure. Work is piling up and I’m spending more and more time with my glasses on, face lit up by the backlight of my laptop, left hand clamped around a cup of coffee, right hand typing furiously. However, going out for dinner has become my main form of procrastination. Gone are the days of Homeland marathons and guiltily scrolling up and down the Daily Mail’s online ‘news’ offering, and here to stay are those of group Whatsapps deciding where to hit next under the pretense of ‘seeking nourishment‘ or ‘not having time to shop for food’.

Bibis Italianissimo serves the Italian classics; however the menu has been adapted to a more British style of dining. There is of course the option of anti pasti, first course (prima) main/second course (secondi), salad and then dessert, but after much deliberation and ogling of the pizzas on the next table, we voted unanimously in favour of heading straight for secondi. Between 6 of us we made it through three classic chicken parmigiana with potato gratin, one veal valdostana with heaps of mozzarella, tomato sauce and tomato salad, one chicken chorizo skewer with peppers and piquant sauce, one slow cooked Angus beef with parmesan mash, two bottles of good house wine, one banana split and one la piantina, paid no more than £25.00 each, and were forced to hang around a little longer due to being too full to move. A resounding success. 

Now, I must warn you that Bibis is no Zizzis or Pizza Express, there’s no money off vouchers or dough balls and it doesn’t come cheap, but there is chocolate soil in a miniature plant pot, pizzas galore and a veal valdostana the size of your face.
All information can be found here and their tweets about when they’re serving the entire Italian rugby team can be found here

Buon Appetito!


Originally written for Leeds Student




LS BLOG: Let Them Eat Cake

This week saw much loved BBC Two big-hitter Great British Bake Off come to a sugar coated, multi tiered end which saw potential candidate for loveliest woman on the planet, Frances Quinn, take the much coveted GBBO engraved cake stand and title.

LS BLOG: Goater Leeds Gallery


There’s no such thing as a free lunch; supposedly.

LS BLOG: New Friends on New Station Street

Like Roald Dahl’s pig in ‘The Pig’, we’ve all tried to puzzle out what life was really all about.

LS BLOG: Back to the Future

I don’t need to tell you that in the past few years Leeds has exploded with newness and the city has upped it’s game offering some of the best shopping in the North