Remember the huge sculptures of hares that sprang up in Bath a couple of years ago? Well, the artist, Sophie Ryder, is back with even more monumental pieces, exhibiting at the RWA in Bristol. There is a distinct multiplicity to Sophie Ryder’s work. This is partly achieved through the use of different media and techniques to represent repeated forms, most notably hares. By including many mediums, attention is drawn to the variety of processes used to make the work. This gives Ryder’s art a memory of what it has been and where it has come from. Within each piece, there are stories to tell, remember and contain. The emphasis on the artistic process is important because it adds to the prominent physical presence of the artist within the work. Ryder is not only the creator but also the subject matter of many pieces because the sculptures are modeled upon her own body. She is simultaneously inside and outside of the artwork. This suggests dualities are constantly at play. The exhibition is full of ‘internal’ echoes in terms of forms, themes, processes and production. Some pieces are repeated with subtle differences while others with dramatic changes to size and scale...

In the autumn of 2013, acclaimed art historian T. J. Clark gave talks about his latest book ‘Picasso and Truth: From Cubism to Guernica’. He concentrated on the artwork Picasso produced during the 1920s, which is considered not to be the artist’s best period. However, Clark wanted to re-address the 1920s because it is neglected and misunderstood – a motive that fits well with his well-known desires to re-address the methodologies and focuses of the History of Art. Clark interprets Picasso’s output in the 1920s as a time marking the end of intimacy and proximity, the end of ‘close-ups’ to things one knows in daily life. This period allows for an exploration into what happens to life after WWI. Clark argues that Picasso turns to monstrosity, giving a monstrous view of the human condition, but which is also combined with tenderness. From this complex and paradoxical position, the 20 th century appears by implication rather than direct reference in Picasso’s paintings. This is mainly manifest in strange and disturbing things being done to, and by, the body in the familiar space of a room. Clark states that the only satisfactory way of looking at these paintings is by drawing...

Wadjda , directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour, is a film that should immediately attract our attention. It is the first to be made entirely in Saudi Arabia. It is also the first of the nation’s films to be created by a female film director. These exciting breakthroughs of Arabian film traditions are mirrored in the subject matter. Certainly, explorations of the relationships between place, gender, and (self) expression play prominent parts in negotiating barriers both within the script and the making of the film. Immediately, Wadjda is depicted as a rebellious schoolgirl, pushing at any boundaries that come her way. She has an entrepreneurial streak of selling homemade friendship bracelets and being apparently indispensable to those around her. Indeed, throughout the film she is seen carrying the messages of others’ in order to make money. However, she stands out not just because of her high spirits and enthusiasm for life, but because she is a high spirited and enthusiastic girl living in Saudi Arabia. The other girls in her class all wear the appropriated black footwear and cover their heads with black scarves. Not Wadjda. She wears converses to school, and is often seen trailing around the city with her...

This September, my sister and I are both going to university. She is starting undergraduate study whilst I will be doing a postgraduate degree. Recently, we have been discussing how we can try and eat healthily whilst we are there. My sister wants to set a good routine going from the start and I am desperately trying to think of ways to break bad eating habits from my undergraduate self-catered days. So I have come up with a list of suggestions that will hopefully make healthy eating at university realistic, varied and fun. 1. Draw up a practical plan From past experience, I know it is easy to fall into the trap of eating the same old things, thus restricting your intake of different vitamins and nutrients. To combat this, i recommend making a timetable of what you plan to eat each week. This does seem a bit regimented, so I suggest just keeping it as a sketch or guideline in your head. This will make you more conscious of whether you are getting enough variety in your meals, as well as making your food shop more focused and therefore cheaper. You will not be buying or wasting food...