A Certain Light at the Esoterik Collection

What can I say, I love being of Italian descent and I love all things Italian. So, of course, the Esoterik Collection, specializing in modern Italian art is a place I have come to love to visit. This exhibition was on the work of Antonio Calderara (1903-1978). His early works are called “an expressive, figurative style.”

The landscapes, to me, seem, very real and the depiction of a simple family scene is touching. I love his use of color and light in these early pieces.

Later, he refined his depictions of landscapes, as the Esoterik brochure put it, “to essential geometric shapes, creating images pervaded by silence and suffused with light that teetered on the brink of abstraction.”

As you can see, the top three pictures are about light and, in person, they are stunning. The bottom two, are about color and light. I loved them all. I arrived early and had the two exhibit rooms to myself. Delightful.

All Hair Macbeth, Hail to Thee, Mighty Timelord!

Yes, David Tenant, beloved Doctor Who, stars as Macbeth in this production. He and Cush Jumbo, as Lady Macbeth were well paired in the roles and lived up to their star images. This was a dark (literally and figuratively) and very heavy production. Headphones were provided for the audience. The reason, I think, was the use of voice actors for the three weird sisters, whose voices in stereo through the headphones, added an interesting dimension to the production.

If you are not familiar with Cush Jumbo, as many Americans may not be, check Britbox for any of her film or TV performances available there.

Spending Time with Friends

Every year, my friend James Grant and I try to get together to share a few pints and catch up on each other’s lives. James picked a couple of pubs near the Barbican. Here is an amusing cartoon from “The Hand and Shears,” one of the pubs we visited and an interesting painting, hanging near the bar.

And it wouldn’t be a London Sojourn without catching up with my Oneonta Alumna friend Madeline Guyon Morrow, a wonderful artist and fellow member of the Class of 1975. This year we met at the Royal Academy of Art where Madeline has been a volunteer for many years.

Bond’s the name, James Bond!

After my visit with Madeline, I was walking back toward the Green Park Tube Station, as I walked toward the Burlington Arcade, posh shopping precinct beloved by toffs, since the days of Bertie Wooster, I remembered seeing a piece on TV about copies of James Bond’s iconic cars being on display at the arcade. Here is what I saw:

And finally

I stopped by the National Portrait Gallery and was delighted to see that a portrait by Patrick Heron, one of my favorite artists was on display and my long-anticipated portrait of Queen Camilla with the King was still on display. The Heron portrait is of author A.S. Byatt.

More of Wigmore!

My second visit to Wigmore Hall, this season, was a Monday midday concert. As you can see from the picture on the left, there were fresh bouquets on either side of the stage. You can also see the grand piano and the microphones above it. These Monday concerts are broadcast on the BBC. Alim Beisembaev, a 26-year-old, from Kazakhstan, played pieces by Bach, Chopin, Debussey, and Stravinsky, each more stirring than the other. This is a young man with a bright future. Piano music has always fascinated me. As a child, I remember the piano-infused theme from the old American soap opera, “The Edge of Night.” This was not one of my mother’s preferred “stories,” so I knew little about it, but the music was so sophisticated and the Manhattan settings, started my interest in this instrument. I highly recommend trying to see this young performer if he comes to your community.

Kids Stuff

One morning, I was out and about early and saw these two ambulances. Bloomsbury includes the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and several specialized clinics for sick children.

Such a nice and thoughful way to help little children and their families.

Sir John Soames’ Museum

Sir John Soames, considered one of England’s greatest architects, was also a collector of painting, sculpture, artifacts, etc. In his will, he requested that his house be opened to the public, unchanged so that people could see how a house of the time looked. He died in 1837, and his museum is still with us today. The museum did acquire an adjoining house which now contains the giftshop and rooms for exhibitions by artists.

I had not been to the museum in many years, but on a damp and grey morning, I made my way to Lincoln Inn Fields, a lovely square in the Holborn neighborhood. Everyone from the young man who greeted people at the bottom of the entry steps to the docents in each room, could not have been friendlier or more knowledgeable. Because of the sheer number of objects and the interesting architecture and decoration of the house, itself, these docents do make the experience all the more rewarding. Here are some pictures I took:

I mentioned above, exhibit space for art beyond Sir John’s collection. One such artist is British Liberian artist Lina Iris Victor. Here is some of her interesting work:

And so, the seasons are finally changing. As I was returning to the Holborn Underground Station after my visit with Sir John, I passed the church of Saint Anselm and Saint Cecilia. I have visited this interesting urban Catholic church before and discussed its connection with the Italian community in London. As this is the start of Italian American Heritage Month back in the States, I thought I would share a few pictures from this recent return visit to the church.

Return to Wigmore Hall

When last I visited wonderful Wigmore Hall, my mobile phone was stolen on the way there. So, for the first of this year’s Sunday morning concerts, I took a taxi rather than walk. Like my photo above of the stage bouquet, things weren’t quite in top form for the first Sunday morning concert of the Autumn season. The doors remained locked past the stated opening time and when they did open, we were greeted with the news that the box office would not open until just before the performance. The restaurant was open, but, unfortunately the tills were down and only one person on site knew how to operate the coffee machine. It was slightly chaotic. If you think that a bunch of 70 + year old British Classical Music fans would just “keep calm and carry on,” I’ve got news for you. There was some good old English queueing for the refreshments with a great deal of muted sarcasm and griping. But, in true Wigmore Hall fashion, we all got our drinks, the tills came online, and a box office attendant arrived to save the day.

Chiarusco Quartet (Chiaroscuro Quartet | Official Website) performed Mozart’s ‘String Quartet No. 15 in D Minor” and Schubert’s “String Quartet in A Minor.” The musicians played at the high standard I’ve come to expect from Wigmore Hall performances and the audience was very appreciative of their efforts.

Notre Dame de France-Leicester Square, London

Leicester Square is an entertainment site somewhat akin to a blending of the old and newer Times Square in New York City. It is filled with “touristy” attractions, casinos, souvenir vendors, and plenty of suspicious characters, the perfect place to find an unassuming looking Catholic Church.

This turned out to be a very sweet and peaceful refuge in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Leicester Square and bordering China Town.

As you can see, the church is quite plain in design. I was touched by the rustic and simplistic Stations of the Cross. The church is tucked away down a short street, directly across from one of the casinos. It could be easily missed on a visit to Leicester Square.

The British Museum Reading Room

Before the British Library was built with its multiple reading rooms, the British Museum held the book collection and had a magnificent reading room. It has been preserved in the middle of the Great Rotunda of the British Museum. This visit was suggested by my UK besties, Nigel and Gwynne who came up to visit from Kent. The library tells the story of famous users of the reading room. In addition to Karl Marx, these were some of the famous users:

After our visit to the Reading Room, Gwynne suggested we go downstairs and visit the African art exhibit. The exhibit was fantastic. Unfortunately, Nigel and I got to talking and I forgot to take any photos! So, I hope to return before I leave.

Fulham Wins, Fulham Wins, Fulham Wins!

It was another perfect Saturday at Craven Cottage for Fulham’s meeting with Newcastle United. This time I was seated in the Johnny Haynes stand rather than the new Riverside Stand. The great thing about the Johnny Haynes is that you are probably going to be surrounded by hardcore fans who know the players and know the game. Fulham topped Newcastle 3-1 after a fierce second half. A funny thing happened on the way to Craven Cottage. As I walked through the beautiful Bishop’s Park, adjacent to the stadium, I overheard a pair of fans just behind me discussing the Michael Jackson statue that had been placed in front of the stadium by former late owner of Fulham FC, Mohammad al Fayed, who had been in the news recently, not for good reasons. One of the two fans was explaining where his friend would see the statue, I turned and gave the two a smile. The one who had told his friend of the statue asked me if the statue of Michael was still there. I explained that it had been gone for over 10 years. The two and I had a good laugh.