The Art of Living

THE ART OF LIVING

MARIANkA SwAIN shares her capital cultural highlights

picK OF the MONth DON’t Miss

THE BIG PICTURE SEEING DOUBLE

“He was so ambitious in reshaping landscapes. Doddington has what looks like one mirror-smooth serpentine river, but it’s actually three different lakes. He also thought about tunnels and arches, to create continuous walks. We’ve only scraped the surface of this total polymath.”

Brown’s success was all the more incredible considering his humble origins. “He’s areal example of social mobility and had akeen business sense, so Kew False Acacia, photographed by Archie Miles when he sold an idea to aclient, he took into account the efficiency of running an estate. He was also atotally holistic designer –itwasn’tjust trees and grass.”

“We wanted to show that his ideas are the origin y of modern landscape thought,” explains Steffie Steffie hopes the exhibition, which also includes Galler Shieldsofanewexhibition dedicated to Lancelot Brown quotations, plans and drawings, gets people “Capability” Brown. As part of the festival marking out exploring, “seeing how far his work stretches – Gnesa his 300th anniversary, co-curators Steffie, author there are surprises round every corner. Lots of the

of newbook Moving Heaven &Earth: Capability parks are open to the public this year, and some are Nicole Brown’s Gift of Landscape,and landscape architect permanently,like Wimbledon.”

Hal Moggridge commissioned leading photographers Eva and Adele, ‘Transformer-Performer Double-Act VIII’, 2015 ourtesy to capture his enduring work. The display also places Brown back in the heart of ©C London, “reminding us there are city views he had a “These aren’t just pretty pictures of country houses big part in. These pictures tell more of astory than Leading British sculptor Richard Wilson is speed. The 50ft-high sculpture certainly won’t fit in –they demonstrate the scale and variety of Brown’s words ever could, and the photographers have loved coordinating this year’s Royal Academy Summer the back of the car, but plenty of the other 1,200 design, the way he told astory with aclear sense of joining together as ateam–they’re normally out Exhibition, and he’s invited 15 international works displayed are for sale and might look right at place at every site.There’s areason why the German there on their own. artistic duos to contribute diverse work. Highlights home in your living room. prince Hermann vonPückler-Muskau called him ‘the include hand-coloured prints from Jake and Dinos Shakespeare of gardening’. He was agreat innovator, “It’s been an uphill journey to convince people an Chapman’s Human Rainbow II series, Heather and but his work’s so natural it’s mistaken for countryside. 18th-century landscape artist has relevance, but Ivan Morison’s suspended kite sculpture, evocative Brown remains an inspiration to designers, and he Chernobyl photographs by Jane and Louise SUMMER EXHIBITION 2016 “We’ve included Chatsworth and Blenheim in the offers immensely practical advice. His great motto Wilson, Boyd and Evans’s transformed landscapes, TO AUGUST 21 exhibition, but also less familiar places, like Gatton was‘Nature’s been truly bountiful and art has done and Pierre et Giles’ playful kitsch. Park,Packington Park near Birmingham, and Alnwick no harm’. We could all learn from that.” Castle, where you can really seehow he wanted you Wilson has also created Spyre,asite-specific Royal Academy, to read the landscape, from the foreground right installation for the courtyard composed of motors, Adult £13.50, under-16s and RA Friends free through to the far horizon. He was the first one to put cogs and slew-rings, all moving at adifferent www.royalacademy.org.uk vistas on plans. LENSES ON A LANDSCAPE GENIUS TO JULY 29 “His spaces are still being used and enjoyed, whether for picnics or outdoor concerts. Alot of damage has been done calling him akitchen gardener – The Building Centre, Bloomsbury WC1 his legacy is so much greater, from landscape Free entry sustainability to flood management systems. Iwas www.thebuildingcentre.co.uk lecturing the Environment Agency recently, and his wayofusing levels still works. y Parr id

Tiffany’s official script is available from July Howare you livening COMMUTER 31. Youcan pre-order now (hardback £20, up your commutee? Kindle £9.99). Letusknowvia Twitter@Move_TTo CORNER Or get an alternative take on everyone from Kathy Burke and Louis Theroux to Sara Pascoe and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood with Adam Buxton’s free podcast.The Pottermania has overtaken London’s West comedian, actor and director proves an End with new play HarryPotter and the engagingly offbeat interviewer, with funny Cursed Child.Struggling to get tickets? Good andrevelatory exchanges punctuated by news –J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John pastiche songs and jingles.

MTTC July Arts 2016.indd1 30/06/2016 15:10