Blog — Page 147 of 277

Neo Rauch

Michael Glover

Lund Humphries

Now, here is an interesting one that might not necessarily be on everyone’s radar: Neo Rauch has come to prominence via subtly exposing political unjust and the decline of Western civilisation and alienation by channelling them through his multi-layered, dreamscape like scenarios that are heavily influenced by surrealism.

What I have come to appreciate with Rauch’s art is that there are nuances that are reminiscent of a wide range of archetypical artists, e.g. Dali, Richter, almighty Francis Bacon and Otto Dix. One could go as far as claiming that Rauch’s oeuvre is a smorgasbord of the who-is-who of the current art scene without falling prey to merely copying the originals.

This tome proves to be a great introduction to Neo Rauch with great full-colour reproductions of his major artistic emissions, along with the provision of interpretative elaborations that not only shed light on Rauch’s methodology but enrich and inform the view on Rauch’s idiosyncratic post-communist surrealist approach.

It is fascinating to see the references to the decade of the 1940s and how he weaves them in through the ages and draws on them while depicting contemporary elements, while basing his art on Social Realism, allusion to historical events and iconography that blends in with Romanticist and Baroque elements that have coined his formative years. The kicker with Neo Rauch is that by doing the he borderline created historically relevant moments in themselves.

This monograph provides a thorough examination of the paintings of an artist whose work has been informed by many and varied influences and whose artworks can be found across major museums across the globe.

Le Salon Dada - A Surrealist Dinner and Show

Claire’s Kitchen

It has been close to fifty years since the Rothschild’s much fabled about “Surrealist Ball” was held and attended by a smorgasbord of influential figureheads of the early 1970s – an event that seems to have been more than merely vaguely inspired what Stanley Kubrick channelled via Eyes Wide Shut.

Fast forward to Sydney, Australia and the year 2019, era vulgaris where everything is available at any time at the tip of one’s finger. It becomes increasingly rare to find events that are not only labours of love but orchestrated with a dedication and attention to detail that stand out from the prefabricated mainstream offerings that have infiltrated pretty much every nook and cranny of niches.

Enter Marc Kuzma, who also goes under the guise of Claire de Lune.

Monsieur Kuzma is one deliberately and delightfully weird (and weirdly delightful) curator, conferencier, restaurateur and artists that has created the magical event that goes under the umbrella of “Le Salon Dada - A Surrealist Dinner and Show”.

One feels reminded of a French equivalent to Jeff Goldblum in terms of the host being charismatic, surreal, eccentric and brilliant are adjectives that come to mind when encountering Marc Kuzma in the flesh and one feels tempted to extend them to the evening that is about to unfold once one has entered Claire’s Kitchen.

Taking literally a few pages from the extensive books of artists like Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Marcel Duchamp and René Magritte, six dinner courses are imbedded within an evening of eclectic and immersive entertainment.

I have been sworn to secrecy as to the details of each course, the presentation and the accompanying eclectic and never not surprising performances but rest assured that all your senses will be aptly tickled and tackled from every angle imaginable by what this pop-up event entails.

In essence, imagine paintings coming alive, music becoming synesthetic, food and its presentation being elevated for beyond the level of mere sustenance and you becoming part of the whimsical, lavish, eccentric and imaginative offerings.

Claire’s Kitchen culinary emissions draw heavily on the best French cuisine in terms of sweet and savoury has to offer but the twist that the art on the respective plates are presented with add multidimensional layers to what is not only a literal and visual feast already.

Nothing and everything is as it seems and that is exactly what makes part of the appeal.

An exercise par excellence in a finely curated and near perfectly executed immersive dinner experience that is both inspiring and will stay with you.

Water of Life – Kavalan Solist

Whisky distilleries pop up in the most unexpected regions these days. Unfortunately, often, apart from the novelty factor truly great drops are not commonplace outside the confines of established whisky regions, however, every now and then you come across a gem that pumps out consistent quality expressions.

Case in point, Kavalan Distillery located in Taiwan.

While living in China I embarked a few times to Taiwan and instantly fell in love with the hustle and bustle of the night markets, the temples, Western comfort in terms of highly developed public transport and the local cuisine, however, a whisky distillery was not on my radar.

This has changed now as Kavalan Distillery has established itself as a veritable player in the worldwide whisky game.

After a recent tasting of some of Kavalan’s emissions at The Whisky Show, I was intrigued and having now been exposed to Kavalan’s Solist single cask release, which was matured in ex-bourbon cask at cask strength, I am a believer.

The swanky limited-edition bottling makes an aesthetically nice edition to any liquor shelf and upon uncorking the bottle, the waft of vanilla, sweet nuances reminiscent of cookies and fruity notes evoke instantly a Pavlovian response.

What materialise on the palate is an exquisitely calibrated melange of sweet- and spiciness, unveiling the whole spectrum with dominant waves of pepper coming and going, washing around a shore of apple and pear fruitiness, which is amplified by vanilla and tannins. Sounds delicious? It is. Simply beautiful.

Now, if you think the journey continues in the same manner you are mistaken as things are being taken up a notch: There is still vanilla, yet it is pervaded by bitter grapefruit notes and woody oak makes an appearance.

The Solist proves to be a vehicle that takes one on a wonderfully diverse journey paved with well-calibrated taste sensations that warrants a deep dive into Kavalan’s other expressions.

The Watch – Thoroughly Revised

Thames and Hudson

I used to collect watches and do appreciate a well-crafted timepiece, despite an Apple watch having taken over the real estate around my wrist for quite a while now.

For the uninitiated and the ones merely familiar with the old-guard brands, this beautiful tome does not only contain a section on the major brands accompanied by great photos (some could have been more detailed / would have benefitted from a tad less photoshopping as they miss crowns and other integral parts and it is a shame that some watches are merely mentioned but not pictured), but also depicts emissions from independent watchmakers.

Furthermore, it has additional inspirational sections on the intricacies of collecting, stories from other collectors and a glossary shedding light on the myriad of technical terms.

The Watch – Thoroughly Revisited is not only a feast for the eyes but both a comprehensive and holistic resources in terms of horology that should appeal to both aficionados and neophytes alike as it goes into detail about a microcosm that has never been more popular than in the age of instagraming.

While not being familiar with the first edition of Gene Stone’s The Watch, this Thoroughly Revised version documents the status quo of what the art of watchmaking and the collectors’ craze around it has evolved to.

Needless to say that there is a subjective tinge when it comes to e.g. portraying a selection of fifty brands that are considered to be leaders and that it is to be taken with a grain of salt as it is informed by personal preference rather than an inclusive take of this luxury industry at large.

Summa summarum, a brilliant book for both new and experienced watch fans with great practical information, specifically when it comes to inducting the novice to the art of purchasing pre-owned watches and what to pay attention to.

Water of Life - Port Askaig and Kilchoman

Oh Islay, glorious Islay!

Every time when one thinks that the main distilleries of the island have been covered and the prime expressions have been sample, something comes your way that makes you reassess the state of play in the best way possible.

Case in point: Port Askaig – an elusive “distillery” on the eastern part of Islay. Why the inverted commas? Well, because technically it is not so much a distillery in the traditional sense in the, but it stands for an independent range of whiskies, which is where things get intriguing as the exact sources are not necessarily detailed, yet the fact that the drop is from the island makes it very relevant to my interests.

The straw-coloured Port Askaig Cask Strength is a formidable exercise par excellence in oily smokiness kissed by citrussy nuances. It took me a split second to become infatuated with this expression, i.e. when the zesty, saline, wood fire infused aromas started tickling my nostrils.

Once it hit my palate, there was radio silence for a while as I kept swirling it and found it hard to let this big bodied one go down. There’s char, there’s smoky meats, there’s a bit of spice, just the right amount of smoked fish all laid out on a bed of peat and once the ashy peat takes over, things are being taken to another level by yet another layer of Islay goodness.

Delicioso!

One cannot help but have the guessing game going strong in the back of one’s head – what exact distillery might it be from? Ardbeg, Caol Ila (which seems to be the closest distillery to the little town of Port Askaig) and Lagavulin all come to mind in equal measures.

One delightful mysterious dram that made me wonder why whatever distillery it is sourced from did not release it themselves. Either way, I am glad it found its way to me.

Kilchoman is another independent distillery that we have not covered yet, and somehow had not been on my radar and eclipsed by the other more prominent distilleries. Criminal mistake. How could I?

Having now been exposed to two expression, I can wholeheartedly attest that their on-site aged single malts play in a class of their own in a myriad of ways, let alone the fact that they source their own peat which they use further in their own malting house before they channel their alchemy in small stills that allow for a maximum of alcohol / copper contact, resulting in a light footed spirit.

Exhibit A: Kilchoman Sanaig has just won Gold at the 2018 Whisky World Cup with Best Peated Whisky of the competition. The fact that it has matured in both Oloroso sherry and twenty percent ex-bourbon casks should give a hint at this not merely being an interesting peaty Islay whisky but a fruity one.

What hits the nose are floral and fruity notes that are subtly pervaded by smoke, cinnamon and peat. Needless to say that I was infatuated immediately, and a session of aromatherapy ensued.

The creaminess that materializes on the palate is dominated by the sherry fruitiness of the casks, nice accents of iodine, saline and peaty notes.

A great whisky is nothing without a finish and the moderately long dark fruity well-balanced while still veiled in smoke.

Exhibit B: Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2019

Again, aged in Oloroso sherry casks, this expression is dominated by a delightful dark chocolate and fruity nose, revolving around the centre of smouldering peaty smoke.

Giving the dram a bit of air exposure, saline nuances materialize on the palate that create an interesting melange with citrussy fruit flavour and the dark chocolate the nose promised, which is finds its peak via the elongated spicy finish.

I cannot wait to delve deeper into Kilchoman’s portfolio...

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photo provided