While it’s rare (let’s face it, a first) for us to profile two cities from the same country on two consecutive days, it’s also rare we remember Valentine’s Day (okay, the flower deliveries to the office probably nudged us into awareness).  And for those of you who can’t get enough of the candy hearts (either the chocolate-filled boxes or the singles that taste like chalk), tear-away cards, and economy-size bags of red vines (this may not be suitable for the Saudi government), hop on a train to Bristol to catch LOVE, now showing at the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery.

On loan from London’s National Gallery, LOVE is a valentine sent out to the art-loving crowd.  With works from our old-standby guys like Raphael, Chagall, and Vermeer, there are also new flames in some of the UK’s hottest artists (The Singh Twins, Grayson Perry, and David Hockney, to name a few).

It’s not all rosy pictures of cherubic cupids, however.  LOVE explores all facets of the emotion–how do you depict it?  How do you convey complexity?  There are classical takes on art (marble, sculpture) with modern twists (amputees), not out of mockery, but celebration of what is, as the Beatles say, all you need.  And in that spirit, it really is all you need in Bristol: the museums are free.  And speaking of the Fab Four, there’s even an interactive piece by Yoko Ono.

And a special thanks to our new valentine, Heather, for alerting us to this exhibition.


Thanks, _Ant_!

Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
7 Great George Street
Bristol, BS1 1AD
+44 117 922 3571
http://www.bristol.gov.uk