Note perfect: Ed Atkins's daily Post-it drawings
In 2020, the English artist Ed Atkins started drawing on Post-it notes and sticking them to his daughter's school lunchbox. As well as 'little hellos', they were also, amid the power-down of the pandemic, 'a way for me to achieve something every day', says Atkins. Some of the drawings are cute if a bit creepy – a smiley-faced ghost, a bell lifted to reveal a foetal human underneath – while others involving axes and claws might induce nightmares in adults, let alone children. What began as a private father-daughter ritual has since become integral to Atkins's practice, which uses video and animation to explore how the digital world affects our sense of self. For his forthcoming show at Tate Britain, he wanted the Post-its to take centre stage – and 'to be the legend at the bottom of the map, to teach a way of looking and accepting and feeling that might be useful for everything else'. Ed Atkins runs at Tate Britain from 2 April to 25 August 2025
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The Guardian
29 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Jazz, Paris and war's brutality: the radical watercolours of Edward Burra, British art's great unknown
On any objective reading, Edward Burra occupies a distinguished place in the history of 20th-century British art. His work, especially his watercolours of demi-monde life in interwar Paris and New York, is a distinct and vivid record of the times. His paintings are held in major institutions – as is his extensive archive, which is housed at Tate Britain in London. And yet he remains 'one of the great known unknowns of modern British art', according to Thomas Kennedy, the curator of a new retrospective show at Tate Britain. It is being held more than half a century on from Burra's last show at the Tate in 1973, three years before he died aged 71. There are lots of reasons for Burra's 'unknown' status, explains Kennedy. 'He worked alone, and not being part of a defined group doesn't help to place an artist. But probably more important is the fact he absolutely hated talking about his work.' Kennedy cites some excruciating documentary footage (also from the early 1970s) illustrating Burra's painful reluctance to engage with questions about art. 'He just hated that stuff and would call art 'fart' and things like that. Apparently, he walked through that Tate show as if wearing blinkers, not looking at the work and just wanting to get it over with.' The exhibition runs alongside a parallel show of works by Ithell Colquhoun, another radical British artist who, like Burra, challenged artistic conventions and explored parallel ideas of identity and sexuality in surrealist work that often reflected her occult beliefs. The two defining features of Burra's early life – he was born in 1905 – were the wealth of his family (prominent in banking) and the fact he suffered from extremely poor health. This combination resulted in him later being able to travel – to France and Spain, the United States and Mexico – then return home to Rye in East Sussex, where he spent most of his life, to recuperate after his exertions and paint the things he had seen. His illnesses – rheumatoid arthritis and the blood disease spherocytosis among other conditions – also helped dictate the nature of his art in that it was physically easier for him to work with watercolours flat on a table than with oils at an easel. 'As a watercolourist he pushed the boundaries of a traditionally delicate medium to create bold graphic works, rich in detail,' says Kennedy. His illness also informed his empathy for those on the fringes of society and in his subject matter he engaged with some of the 20th century's most significant social, political and cultural events. 'After Paris in the roaring 20s and the Harlem Renaissance, he sort of pivoted to depict the violence of the Spanish civil war and then the second world war, before taking on British landscapes and reflections on postwar industrialisation and environmental degradation.' While Burra was publicly reticent about his art, the Tate show's exploration of his archives serves to deepen understanding of the man. As well as letters there are his gramophone records – mostly jazz – books and calendars he kept that show his obsessive cinema-going, sometimes seeing several films a day in French and German as well as English. 'Bringing these sources together is quite revealing,' says Kennedy. 'It all adds to the tapestry of his influences and what emerges is a socially conscious art that is warmly satirical while also being willing to confront the darker side of life.' Three Sailors at a Bar, 1930Burra's sexuality is ambiguous, but his work in the 20s and 30s often reflected queer culture and sensibility. While this image of a bar in the south of France is among his more explicitly queer work, it also reflected a general sense of sexual liberation among Burra's circle in the roaring 20s. Minuit Chanson, 1931 (main image above)In this Parisian music shop where you could pay to listen to a gramophone record, Burra's vibrant street scene celebrates its diverse clientele. In characteristic fashion, he deploys a satirical eye to heighten his subject matter rather than to cruelly caricature it. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Beelzebub, c 1937Burra loved Spain and was devastated by the outbreak of the civil war, as he was to be again by the second world war a few years later. In this painting, he transforms historical Spanish conquistador imagery into a grotesque tableau accompanied by an unnerving sexual charge. Cornish Clay Mines, 1970In his later years, Burra's travel was restricted to motoring around Britain, and here he presents a commentary on postwar car culture, featuring ghost-like figures and advertising icons, such as the Michelin Man, all the while acknowledging his own participation in modernity's environmental depredations. Near Whitby, Yorkshire, 1972 One of Burra's final works shows an empty road disappearing into the fog. With lighter applications of watercolour than his earlier graphic style, possibly due to his declining health, the painting's suggestion of moving into the unknown is typical of his later works in which he seems to be searching for moments of quiet reflection. Edward Burra – Ithell Colquhoun is at Tate Britain, London, 13 June to 19 October.
Scottish Sun
42 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Mum slammed for moaning about breakfast selection in Tunisia & gets told ‘if you want a full English go to Blackpool'
The mother has since responded to the backlash GIVE ME A BREAK Mum slammed for moaning about breakfast selection in Tunisia & gets told 'if you want a full English go to Blackpool' A BRIT mum has been ordered to ''go to Blackpool'' after she moaned about the breakfast options at her all-inclusive hotel in Tunisia. Mum-of-two Lauren Hudson came under a barrage of criticism just a day after a Brit nan Susan Edwards, 69, was less than impressed with the grub on offer in Corfu. Advertisement 2 The mother-of-two was ordered to 'go to Blackpool' after moaning about the brekkie options in Tunisia Credit: TIKTOK/@laurenhudson19 2 Lauren later told viewers she was 'fussy' Credit: TIKTOK/@laurenhudson19 Lauren jetted off to Tunisia with her family earlier this season and has regularly been sharing snaps on TikTok, sharing the sunny weather and poolside views. However, after inspecting the breakfast options at the hotel, the mother said she wasn't ''enjoying the food''. The buffet menu consisted of a huge variety of dishes from the local cuisine, with heaps of veggies, scrambled eggs and more. ''God knows what it is,'' Lauren could be heard saying in the video, as she walked viewers through the huge collection of meals. Advertisement Right next the different types of cereal Lauren also spotted eggs, a hearty porridge, a dish consisting of sausages and veggies. ''Doesn't look very nice,'' the Brit mum moaned. Hungry holiday-goers also had the option to kickstart their day with a range of healthy fruit, including watermelon, dates and a pile of apricots. Those keen to add more vitamins and minerals to their diet could also opt for a juice or indulge by the salad bar, with a range of dressings to choose from. Advertisement The all-inclusive hotel had also provided guests with several spreads, pastries and cornbread - to name a few. In the end, Lauren went for one croissant, as well as fried egg, as she told viewers: ''I'm not enjoying the food.'' Holidaymaker slammed as she says it's 'totally normal' to bagsy sunbeds before breakfast 'Go to Blackpool next time then' Since sharing her thoughts online, Lauren has faced backlash, with her video racking up 260k views and more than 1,300 people flooding to comments where they slammed her. One person reminded the mum: ''Different country different cultures, we don't offer Tunisian breakfast in English hotels, see how this works?'' Advertisement Another agreed, writing: ''You are in another country with other cultures - not sure travel is for you if you can't adapt - embrace it you will discover new favourites.'' ''Yeah, if you are just wanting full English breakfasts stay in England or go to Benidorm. You won't like many other place,'' a third advised. ''Go to Blackpool next time then,'' someone else urged. ''Looks like a lot of different options there. What else did you need?'' a baffled viewer wondered. Advertisement Hitting back at the critics, Lauren responded: ''I'm just fussy I guess.'' Experts weigh in on whether you should reserve your sunbed with a towel on holiday EVERY summer, hotels become the sites of frantic battles, as guests try to reserve the best loungers with their towels first thing in the morning. But etiquette and elegance expert Katarina, who shares her expert opinions about manners on TikTok at @ says people need to be less selfish and more considerate of other hotel guests. In the footage, she said: "If you're staying at a hotel, avoid blocking the sunbeds if you're not planning on staying. It's disrespectful toward other guests. "Unless the hotel has a reservation system in place, only occupy the sunbeds when you're staying by the pool." Renowned etiquette expert, William Hanson, believes there is a 30-minute grace period on poolside reservations. This is where hotel guests can use a towel or a book to reserve a spot for no longer than half an hour. William told the Sun Online Travel: "In the morning, at the start of the day, and you're by the pool after breakfast, then it's fine at 8.30 to put your towel on the bed to reserve your spot. "But later on in the day after you've used the lounger, and go off for a massage, for example, which is going to be an hour, then you can't use a towel to reserve the sun lounger." If you're grabbing some grub at lunchtime, William said holidaymakers are allowed to eat at the hotel bar or restaurant providing you're not gone longer than 30 minutes. He said: "It also gives your towel time to dry off." William said despite the grace period, "You can't hog the sun lounger for the entire day." Meanwhile, Laura Akano, the Principal Coach and Trainer at Polished Manners doesn't believe holidaymakers have a right to reserve a lounger at all. She told the Sun Online Travel: "I think it should be a first come first serve basis - if the resort doesn't have a booking system." 'No English food' Brit nan Susan Edwards, from Westerhope, Newcastle upon Tyne, jetted off in May with three cousins and her daughter for a seven-night stay at the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel on the Greek island. They were looking forwards to a week of relaxation, but the ordeal was "horrendous from the minute they got there," Susan said. She told Chronicle Live there was "no English food" on the all-inclusive menu and she was "sick to death of looking at rice" by the end. Advertisement The grumbling gran was also dismayed at only being offered chips "one day out of the whole lot" during her £750pp week-long stay. Now the hotel's manager, Makis Triantafyllos, has hit back - alleging Susan's complaints were a ruse to claw money back. He told The Sun: "From the very beginning of her stay, [Susan] demonstrated clear intent to fabricate complaints in pursuit of financial compensation, going as far as to complain about the weather." He alleged she demanded to know from the staff: "Why is it raining?" Advertisement The manager claimed Susan's attitude had been "sarcastic and dismissive" to staff who did their best to accommodate her. The hotelier also fiercely defended the menu, saying the food service is "generous and diverse, offering fresh salads, fruits, hot and cold dishes daily". He fumed that Susan's account of the food was "entirely false and disrespectful to our culinary staff". And as for the "no English food" dig - Makis said the Sun Hotel offers "world-renowned and beloved Mediterranean cuisine" with other options tailored to guests' preferences - including those from the UK.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Corfu visitors hit back after gran's Greek holiday rant on 'no British food' at hotel
Susan Edwards, who shared her frustration that Lido Corfu Sun Hotel on the Greek island didn't serve English food, s wil vows never to book a holiday with TUI again A holiday row has erupted after a British gran slammed a Corfu hotel after not serving enough "proper English food." Susan Edwards, 69, from Westerhope, Newcastle, blasted the Lido Corfu Sun Hotel for its Mediterranean menu, claiming there weren't enough chips and she became "sick to death of looking at rice", reports the Mirror. However, regulars at the hotel have hit back at the British gran, taking to Tripadvisor and Google Reviews to defend their beloved resort and insisting that Ms Edwards' criticism is unfair. The hotel boss also defended the menu, describing the offerings as "generous and diverse", and said "fresh salads, fruits, hot and cold dishes" are served daily. One guest became so enraged they left their first-ever Tripadvisor review to brand other guests as "pathetic chavs". The account, created only this month seemingly in response to the row, rated Lido Corfu Sun Hotel as five stars out of five. The review reads: "Don't listen to pathetic chavvy Brits and Poles who bought the cheapest 'all Inclusive' package in existence and demanded type of service only the most entitled and uncouth would. It's a fine, charming little place. Close to water, nice food and clean facilities. Thankfully, no British food!" Another reviewer also left a small dig at Ms Edwards', insisting that the Greek food is delicious. They, seemingly tongue in cheek, praised the offerings for Scottish guests in the critique, left hours after Ms Edwards' story emerged. The tourist wrote: "Phenomenal hotel, very comfortable and well located for a relaxing holiday, we are regular visitors. Excellent all inclusive food and drink package, they really go out their way to cater for Scottish visitors. "We enjoyed draught Tennant's lager, Irn Bru was on tap (diet and full fat), square sausage on a roll at breakfast, scotch pies and bridies at lunchtime, and there was always a choice of haggis or mince 'n tatties at dinner. Tunnock's tea cakes and shortbread were available all day, along with Scottish Blend tea. The staff are lovely and cannot do enough for you. The Greek dishes are also immense, which is a bonus, as Corfu is in Greece." Meanwhile, the Lido Corfu Sun is raking in five-star reviews on Google. Plenrty of these top reviews have been shared since the drama erupted. One reads: "The food is delicious. The service is great. We arrived at 4am and at 8am we got a room and wristbands and we could use everything. On the day of departure after adding the key to the transfer itself we could use all the facilities and food. We sincerely recommend." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The glowing praise is a far cry from Mrs Edwards' experience, from Westerhope, Newscastle, who described her holiday as "horrendous" from the moment she arrived with her daughter, two cousins and second cousin. TUI offered the guests £100 in holiday vouchers, with a spokesperson saying they were "sorry to hear" about her experience. They said: "Our priority is to ensure customers have the best possible holiday experience, so we are sorry to hear that Ms Edwards felt dissatisfied with her holiday. We have been in touch directly with Ms Edwards to come to a resolution."
