Anish Kapoor, Lisson Gallery review - naïve vulgarity and otherworldly onyx

★★★ ANISH KAPOOR, LISSON GALLERY Duds and gems in mixed show

Duds and gems in mixed show of paintings and sculptures

There are children screaming in a nearby playground. Their voices rise and fall, swell and drop. Interspersed silences fill with the sound of running, the movement and cacophony orchestrated by a boy who leads on the catch tone. It's simultaneously otherworldly and juvenile, adept and improvised  a fitting soundtrack to Anish Kapoor's latest exhibition at Lisson Gallery. 

Sea Star: Sean Scully, National Gallery review - analysing past masters

★★ SEA STAR, SEAN SCULLY AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY The latest encounter between a living artist and the national collection

The latest encounter between a living artist and the national collection

Either side of a doorway, framing a view of Turner’s The Evening Star, c. 1830 (Main picture), Sean Scully’s Landline Star, 2017, and Landline Pool, 2018,  frankly acknowledge their roots.

Dorothea Tanning, Tate Modern review – an absolute revelation

★★★★ DOROTHEA TANNING, TATE MODERN An absolute revelation

An artist with a unique voice eclipsed by her famous husband

Tate Modern’s retrospective of Dorothea Tanning is a revelation. Here the American artist is known as a latter day Surrealist, but as the show demonstrates, this is only part of the story. Tanning’s career spanned an impressive 70 years – she died in 2012 aged 101 – but as so often happens, she was eclipsed by her famous husband, German Surrealist Max Ernst. 

Nolan: Australia's Maverick Artist, BBC Four review – a lust for life in all its aspects

★★★★ NOLAN: AUSTRALIA'S MAVERICK ARTIST, BBC FOUR A lust for life in all its aspects

The gifted painter from Down Under who rocked the art world

Reckless, unstoppable, one step ahead of everyone else, a hell of a lot of fun, utterly charming, street smart – descriptions of the artist Sidney Nolan (1917-1992) poured out from colleagues, rivals, curators, art historians and dealers, not to mention friends and family, in this persuasive film.

'That brick red frock with flowers everywhere': painting Katherine Mansfield

'THAT BRICK RED FROCK WITH FLOWERS EVERYWHERE' How Anne Estelle Rice painted Katherine Mansfield 100 years ago

Anne Estelle Rice painted the New Zealand writer 100 years ago, spinning a tale of love, friendship and artistic kinship

The well-known portrait of New Zealand’s greatest writer, Katherine Mansfield, is exactly 100 years old on 17 June 2018 (main picture). It was painted by the American artist Anne Estelle Rice.

The New Royal Academy and Tacita Dean, Landscape review - a brave beginning to a new era

★★★★ THE NEW ROYAL ACADEMY AND TACITA DEAN, LANDSCAPE Brave beginning to new era

From an institution known for excellent exhibitions to a hub of learning and debate

This weekend the Royal Academy (R.A) celebrates its 250th anniversary with the opening of 6 Burlington Gardens (main picture), duly refurbished for the occasion. When it was dirty the Palladian facade felt coldly overbearing, but cleaning it has highlighted the bands of sandstone and brown marble columns that lend warmth to the Portland stone. Originally built in the garden of Burlington House as the HQ for the University of London, this Victorian edifice turns out to be rather handsome.