Been there... seen that
A proliferation of invites heralded the month of June and faced me with the arduous task of picking and choosing which event to attend, which to turn down. Much to my chagrin, most often it is simply impossible to accept them all.June opened with an...
A proliferation of invites heralded the month of June and faced me with the arduous task of picking and choosing which event to attend, which to turn down. Much to my chagrin, most often it is simply impossible to accept them all.
June opened with an exhibition by the now renowned artist Jason Lu. His chosen theme, Yanse Unleashed, can seem a mind-boggling concept but it refers to unleashed colour which is used to depict varied abstract forms and materials that all converge to provide an insight into the mind frame of this totally unconventional artist.
One of the best exhibits was The Child Within which shed light on the way life's baggage drowns the voice of childhood innocence. Other social and philosophical themes are tackled with tempered skill. The best fun was trying to delve into Arty Farty and it tickled me pink.
An exhibition of a totally different genre was the Malta Photographic Society's 42nd Annual Exhibition and Competition of Photography held at the Italian Institute for Culture in Valletta. Every year it gets better and better and some of the photographs are exceptional masterpieces. And the best thing about it is that you don't have to be a guru with the lens to appreciate the pictures. From all the winning shots, I particularly preferred A Splash of Colour which won Patrick Genovese an MPS Gold Award.
Back to art - I got to view work by Joseph Casapinta, an unassuming painter who presented his collection of acrylics and pen and ink works at the Hilton, Portomaso. This was Mr Casapinta's second solo to date and afforded an insight into diverse exercises in landscape colours. Top of the favourites in my opinion was his Valletta night-time depiction of bastion walls and harbour waters. I could stand and observe it for hours.
Next on my diary was a collective with a just cause - contemporary painters, sculptors and one lone cartoonist joined forces to support the 34U campaign. Trees and the Environment was set up at St James Cavalier and while it did not afford a wide selection of works, it did incorporate specimens produced by some of the best artists on the islands.
Two book launches were also hemmed in between my invites - one book is a first by its author and a first of its kind - Media and Maltese Society penned by Carmen Sammut and published by Lexington, US. Dr Sammut researched the development of Maltese media over a span of 10 years and packed her book with insightful data. Namely on what newscasters and newsroom journalists experience in their work, and how this confronted with what readers or viewers at the receiving end of the news had to say about its relevancy. The book provides a wealth of information that is of interest not merely to those working in the media industry and journalism, but also to people interested in sociology, politics and island development.
The other book freshly issued by Merlin, is the umpteenth from Trevor Zahra's pen. This time round he has dedicated his energy to produce an intriguing book of enjoyable short stories for adults called Sepja. These finely woven tales take us a few steps back in time and space to relive long-gone experiences from the age of innocence.
As I write I'm eyeing the next lot of activities to be seen - mainly more exhibitions - but since June saw my first plunge in at the deep end, I am strongly tempted to leave you and rush to the shores. Have a splendid summer.
June opened with an exhibition by the now renowned artist Jason Lu. His chosen theme, Yanse Unleashed, can seem a mind-boggling concept but it refers to unleashed colour which is used to depict varied abstract forms and materials that all converge to provide an insight into the mind frame of this totally unconventional artist.
One of the best exhibits was The Child Within which shed light on the way life's baggage drowns the voice of childhood innocence. Other social and philosophical themes are tackled with tempered skill. The best fun was trying to delve into Arty Farty and it tickled me pink.
An exhibition of a totally different genre was the Malta Photographic Society's 42nd Annual Exhibition and Competition of Photography held at the Italian Institute for Culture in Valletta. Every year it gets better and better and some of the photographs are exceptional masterpieces. And the best thing about it is that you don't have to be a guru with the lens to appreciate the pictures. From all the winning shots, I particularly preferred A Splash of Colour which won Patrick Genovese an MPS Gold Award.
Back to art - I got to view work by Joseph Casapinta, an unassuming painter who presented his collection of acrylics and pen and ink works at the Hilton, Portomaso. This was Mr Casapinta's second solo to date and afforded an insight into diverse exercises in landscape colours. Top of the favourites in my opinion was his Valletta night-time depiction of bastion walls and harbour waters. I could stand and observe it for hours.
Next on my diary was a collective with a just cause - contemporary painters, sculptors and one lone cartoonist joined forces to support the 34U campaign. Trees and the Environment was set up at St James Cavalier and while it did not afford a wide selection of works, it did incorporate specimens produced by some of the best artists on the islands.
Two book launches were also hemmed in between my invites - one book is a first by its author and a first of its kind - Media and Maltese Society penned by Carmen Sammut and published by Lexington, US. Dr Sammut researched the development of Maltese media over a span of 10 years and packed her book with insightful data. Namely on what newscasters and newsroom journalists experience in their work, and how this confronted with what readers or viewers at the receiving end of the news had to say about its relevancy. The book provides a wealth of information that is of interest not merely to those working in the media industry and journalism, but also to people interested in sociology, politics and island development.
The other book freshly issued by Merlin, is the umpteenth from Trevor Zahra's pen. This time round he has dedicated his energy to produce an intriguing book of enjoyable short stories for adults called Sepja. These finely woven tales take us a few steps back in time and space to relive long-gone experiences from the age of innocence.
As I write I'm eyeing the next lot of activities to be seen - mainly more exhibitions - but since June saw my first plunge in at the deep end, I am strongly tempted to leave you and rush to the shores. Have a splendid summer.