John O'Rourke

In the week that we saw the dark side of the moon, it seems apt that we bid farewell to ‘Crossing Into Darkness’ at @carlfreedmangallery in Margate, curated by @traceyeminstudio I really enjoyed making this little film at the start of the year for Carl (available on the gallery’s website and Instagram page) featuring exhibited artists including Tracey, Antony Gormley, @joline_kwakkenbos and @lindseymendick who are showing their work alongside pieces by Edvard Munch, Louise Bourgeois and Francisco Goya. Thank you very much to all involved for having me on board. Go check out this show before it closes tomorrow eve if you can! 🕯️🖤

To mark the publication of ‘The Secrets of Painting’ by @thamesandhudson I have written a series of short films beautifully directed and edited by John O’Rourke (@jorourke72 ). The third film in our series explores the secrets of painting with Egg Tempera. By the 14th Century egg yolk had become the painting medium of choice in the studios of Western Europe. Egg Tempera was sometimes referred to as the ‘putrid paint’ since it could be a smelly, sulphurous technique if your eggs weren’t fresh enough. But the mixture of yolk, water and pigment produced a fluid, fast setting paint, that enabled artists to rework and develop an image with more freedom than ever before. Once dry, the colours of egg tempera attained a satin sheen, and this characteristic was perfectly suited to satisfying the demand for painted altarpieces; images designed to sparkle in candlelit Cathedrals. Each film in this series will be released on my YouTube Channel LachlanGoudieArt and on my website in a widescreen format: The Secrets of Painting can be ordered using the link in Bio�Information, dates and tickets for my UK book tour in Bio �#thesecretsofpaintingbooktour Artworks featured: 1. The panel of the horses, Chauvet cave, France, c. 35,000–31,500 bce.Charcoal and pigment on rock. Photo Arnaud Frich, Centre National de Préhistoire, Ministère de la Culture, France 2. Maestà (Madonna with Angels and Saints), 1308-11, Tempera on wood, Museo dell’Opera Metropolitana del Duomo, Siena 3. Titian, Diana and Actaeon, 1556–59. Oil on canvas, The National Gallery, London 4. Alma Thomas, Blast Off, 1970. Acrylic on canvas, National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC © Estate of Alma Thomas

To mark the publication of ‘The Secrets of Painting’ by @thamesandhudson , I have written a series of short films directed and edited by the exceptionally talented John O’Rourke (@jorourke72 ) The second film in the series explores the weird and wonderful pigments and dyes that artists have used throughout history. Most of these colours were created using minerals dug from the ground and pulverized into powder. But in certain cases, the colour wizards who produced these pigments required a mind boggling (and stomach churning) series of ingredients that included pulverised insects, urine and even ancient Egyptian mummy dust… Each film will be released on my YouTube Channel @LachlanGoudieArt and on my website in a widescreen format: The Secrets of Painting can be ordered using the link in Bio Information, dates and tickets for my UK book tour in Bio #thesecretsofpaintingbooktour Artworks featured: 1. Lime wood Mummy Portrait of a Woman, Roman Period Egypt, AD 160–170, The British Museum London

To mark the publication of ‘The Secrets of Painting’ by @thamesandhudson 2 April 2026, I have written a series of short films directed and edited by the wonderful John O’Rourke (@jorourke72 ) The opening film in the series explores the origins of the first paints and pigments in human history. Each films will be released on my YouTube Channel @LachlanGoudieArt and on my website in a widescreen format: Information, dates and tickets for my UK Book tour can be found here; /news/ Artworks featured: 1. Unknown artist, Portrait of the Boy Eutyches, made in Roman Egypt, c. 100–150 CE. Encaustic on wood, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 2. Manohar and Mansur, Salim Enthroned, from the St Petersburg album, 1600–1. Opaque watercolour and gold on paper, Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg 3. Jan van Eyck, The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434. Oil on wood, The National Gallery, London 4. Berthe Morisot, Summer’s Day, c. 1879. Oil on canvas, The National Gallery, London 5. The panel of the horses, Chauvet cave, France, c. 35,000–31,500 bce. Charcoal and pigment on rock. Photo Arnaud Frich, Centre National de Préhistoire, Ministère de la Culture, France 6. Panel of the negative hand print, Chauvet, Carole Fritz & Gilles Tosello - cnrs - Équipe Chauvet - Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication 7. Lion Panel, Chauvet,Arnaud Frich, Centre National de Préhistoire - Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication

I was a little antisocial over the Xmas break this year, plunging into an endless pile of accountancy admin that needed to be done before January’s deadline. When I saw this fellow (‘Portrait of a Man doing his Sums’ (1529) by Barthel Beham) at Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum on the 29th, I wondered if QuickBooks and ChatGPT were really such an improvement on his chalk-on-the-table method. The rest of the images are the obligatory photo dump after twelve more madcap months of adventures near and far. Happy New Year to one and all - there’s lots of fun stuff cooking in the kitchen in 2026 - more about that very soon!

PART II: Lindsey Mendick ‘Wicked Game’ at Kenilworth Castle — a film by John O’Rourke Lindsey Mendick’s Wicked Game is an epic new commission by English Heritage, featuring larger-than-life ceramic fragmented sculptures positioned as though in the middle of a strategic game of chess. Mendick’s installation is her most ambitious work to date. More than a dozen scenes, painstakingly created in ceramic, capture the nature of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, her “battle of wits” and the complex political games she played to maintain her authority during her 45-year reign. Watch the full video through the link in our bio! Installation by @lindseymendick Commissioned by @englishheritage Film by @jorourke72 Courtesy of @carlfreedmangallery

Wild Atlantic ways

Part 3: We are pleased to share a new film by John O’Rourke, stepping inside Lola Stong-Brett‘s Margate studio ahead of her first solo show For That, I’ll Always Smile at @CarlFreedmanGallery . The preview is this Saturday 28 June from 6–8 pm. 📍Exhibition runs from 29 June – 31 August 2025. @Lola.StongBrett @JORourke72 #LolaStongBrett

Part 2: We are pleased to share a new film by John O’Rourke, stepping inside Lola Stong-Brett‘s Margate studio ahead of her first solo show For That, I’ll Always Smile at @CarlFreedmanGallery . The preview is this Saturday 28 June from 6–8 pm. 📍Exhibition runs from 29 June – 31 August 2025. @Lola.StongBrett @JORourke72 #LolaStongBrett

Part 1: We are pleased to share a new film by John O’Rourke, stepping inside Lola Stong-Brett‘s Margate studio ahead of her first solo show For That, I’ll Always Smile at @CarlFreedmanGallery . The preview is this Saturday 28 June from 6–8 pm. 📍Exhibition runs from 29 June – 31 August 2025. @Lola.StongBrett @JORourke72 #LolaStongBrett

I'm still a bit stunned this was turned around so quickly... but tonight on BBC Two, for one last time, is Alan Yentob's final interview, shot in Vienna in March this year. It's part of a whole evening of programmes dedicated to Alan's career, including films about David Bowie (Cracked Actor), Salman Rushdie, Ella Fitzgerald, Tom Stoppard, and of course, Mel Brooks (including a little introduction I filmed with Alan last year about his life-long friendship with the comedian). Thanks to Tanya, Fran, @kristyjane_edits , Sara and the whole team - I really hope that we did the great man proud ❤️ When Alan Yentob met Jenny Saville, 10.15pm, BBC Two, Sunday 8th June

Antony Gormley's exhibition 'Witness' closes today at White Cube Mason's Yard. I had a lot of fun back in April, making a little film with him all about the show, and it's available to watch on both the White Cube and AG studio websites. Thank you to @celesteweatherhead @joe_eatherden Rachel, and the whole team for making it happen 🖤