The Works：Two young local artists: Onion Peterman, Comma Leung, pianist Igor Lipinski & John Berger

We’re welcoming in the new year by introducing works by two young local artists who say they find their inspirations in their everyday life. They are Onion Peterman, the founder and illustrator of an independent publication, “Zine”, and designer Comma Leung.
In the late 18th and 19th centuries in Britain and the USA, many audiences were enthralled by shows that combined magic, piano playing and exhibits of animated objects. One performer who excelled in this in the 19th century was Robert Heller, who was both a musician and a magician. Pianist Igor Lipinski has reached back into the past to revive the old combination, merging the virtuosity of concert piano performance with humour, both verbal and musical, improvisation in the style of various composers, and a touch of magic.
Finally this week, the art world has lost one of its most insightful commentators with the death in Paris on the second day of the New Year of art critic, novelist, and poet, John Berger. It’s no exaggeration to say Berger revolutionised ways of looking at art, with his 1972 book and TV series “Ways of Seeing”. The book, a staunch critique of the conservative view of art that dominated at the time has never been out of print, and has been required reading for generations of art students and writers. An outspoken Marxist, John Berger was also a champion – sometimes even in poetry - of the exile, the peasant, and the working man. We’ll be looking at his life and work in more detail in next week’s show.