Tag: Art

Antiquities, Post Impressionism and Thoughts on No Kings Day

A quiet Autumnal afternoon found me back at the British Museum revisiting the ancient worlds of Egypt and the Mediterranean. As we move further into a digital modern age and world of artificial intelligence, sometimes it good to reflect on the incredible ingenuity and creativity of those who came long before us.

Egyptian funerary art remains a mystery. In today’s world, so many have dismissed faith in a supreme being or an afterlife, that we can only imagine how Egyptians came to create and develop their belief systems.

The care and artistry that goes went into these items is remarkable and thought provoking.

Ancient Rome and its predecessor communities gave us such an amazing variety of artistic achievement.

Sculpture, pottery, mosaics, representations of mythical creatures and emperors, So much from this relatively small corner of the world.

I guess I should say that it is this time in my London sojourns, as the days dwindle down to a few, how much I love living so close to the British Museum and being able, on a whim to spend some time there.

Oh, Did I Forget to Mention More Late Bloomers?

The local parks continue to give us late blooms, as we head into the second half of October.

Helene Kröller-Muller and Her Post-Impressionist Collection

Helene Kröller-Muller was a German philanthropist whose impressive collection of Post-Impressionist Art was on display at the National Gallery in London’s Trafalgar Square. A dear friend, Rhonda with whom I share the honors of being a graduate of Oceanside, NY Senior High School and SUNY Oneonta, suggested we visit the exhibit during our day out during her brief visit to London. There isn’t a superlative that can capture this exhibit. The picture at the beginning of this blog is also from the exhibit.

Rhonda and Me in front of the National Gallery, with George Washinton (headless) behind us.

Bonus Photos

Two Interesting Bloomsbury Rooftops.

No Kings Day

It seems strange to be away from the USA on such an auspicious day. I sat this morning in the plaza of British Library on Euston Road, looking up at the Ann Frank Tree, grown from a sapling taken from the tree that sat outside the window of the Frank families hidden refuge in Amsterdam.

It seems impossible to me that 80 years after the world fought to end authoritarian rule by the German Fascist government that millions of Americans would be taking to the streets to peacefully protest what they see as a growing threat to our Constitution and our democracy. Can millions more Americans not see what is happening and can they not see the attempts to ignore and erode the rule of law? Young Ann and millions more died simply because a leader hated who they were. He did not have a system of checks and balances to stop him. Where are the checks and balances in our democracy today. Did our fathers and grandfathers fight and die in vain? I pray that the protests today remain peaceful and that we see all three branches of our Federal government acting within the law and according to our Constitution.

Here, There, And Everywhere-Museums, Public Art, Trees

Public Art

It was a quiet day and I was just out walking to get my steps in. In the course of my walk, I ventured onto the campus of University College London (UCL) and found these two sculptures.

The first is Thiruvalluvar, a Tamil Poet and Philosopher. The second is “The Green Man,” a figure from British folklore.

Tree Talk

I can never pass the The Brunswick Plane Tree (aka, the Great Plane of Brunswick Square) with stopping to admire it and to stand in awe of this great tree which dates back, at least as far as 1796.

These photos do not do it justice, but if you are ever near Brunswick Square in Bloomsbury London, stop and visit.

Back at the National Portrait Gallery

On another day where my scheduled day did not go to plan, I decided to hop on the Picadilly Line and begin my farewell tour of favorite places. First Stop, the National Portrait Gallery. OK, I admit it, I’m still looking for them to install an individual portrait of Queen Camilla, the Queen Consort. I took a few photos of some of the pieces I really like.

Lee Miller Exhibit at the Tate Britain

My dear friends Nigel and Gwynne came up from Kent and we agreed to meet at the Tate. Unfortunately, they went to the Tate Britain and I went across the river to the Tate Modern! After a bit of travel on my part, we met up for the Lee Miller exhibit at the Tate Britain. Lee Miller (1907-1977) started out as a fashion model. She moved to Paris and became a fashion and fine art photographer who took some stark pictures of the aftermath of World War II.

Fashion

Moving into Fine Art

The War

Famous Friends

Lee Milller’s career was prolific. Her photos are quite memorable. See this exhibit if it comes to a museum near you.

Extra Photos from my Uber Ride

As we drove through Westminster, we were stopped at a traffic light. Here are two partial views of Westminster Abbey.

Thanks for stopping by.

Bowie, the V&A East Storehouse, and Trees

David Bowie at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) East Storehouse

Its a journey to the V&A East Storehouse (aka the V&A Annex) from the part of London where I am based. The Annex is located not too far from the Olympic Stadium in East London that is now the home to the West Ham Football Club. This part of the Borough of Hackney is largely filled with new buildings constructed since the last London Olympics. The David Bowie Centre is the home for David Bowie’s archive. I understand that the exxhibit will be a rotating one showing the huge quantity of Bowie costumes, photos, mass media, music, and memorabilia.

After entering the centre, you will see a display of Bowie albums and magazines featuring him.

Next you enter a large rectangular space that includes a huge screen playing Bowie videos. On all sides are display cases of memorabilia.

The whole Bowie experience is condensed in a small space that is still overwhelming to the visitor. The expanse of his career and influence is displayed. There is also a study center adjacent to the exhibit space and a section where museum experts can be seen working and curating the huge collection.

A Taste of the Rest of the V&A East Annex

The Annex is huge “working museum” and serves as a place to store and curate the museum’s huge collection of items that are not currently on display at the V&A in South Kensington, London. As one walks the floors of this building, one sees items like these.

Part of a carved ornate celing from Torrijos, Spain

It is amazing to imagine all of these pieces on display in the main museum. The museum’s collection is rotated from time to time.

Trees

I am obsessed with the huge and mighty trees in two parks near my London abode. There is something very special about sitting under them and enjoying the peace they bring in the middle of a bustling city.

Reminders of “An Early Frost,” A Dog Day Afternoon, And September in Bloomsbury

A Visit to the Whitechapel Gallery

My friend Tom who is bravely living with Parkinson’s has often urged me to visit this small but interesting gallery in the Aldgate area of London. The current exhibit was titled “Hamad Butt: Apprehensions.” The exhibit included three installations Butt created, as well as a series of drawings and paintings he created during his short career. He died at 32 in 1994 from complications of AIDS.

As the exhibit began, it included a discussion of the AIDs crisis as a historical evevent of the 1980s and 90s. It was strange for me to read of the events as a part of history that many alive today cannot recall. Butt, chose a conceptual rather than an activist approach to respond to the crisis.

The exhibit began with three istallations pictured below.

These three sculptures are called “Familiars.” They take three hallogens: bromine as liquid, iodine as solid crystals and chlorine as gas. They threaten the environment if released, symbolicly representing AIDS as it was perceived in the early days.

Much of his later work was untitled. Below are some examples.

I guess that I can say I left the exhibit saddened that so much artistic talent was lost to a disease that seemed to come out of nowhere and caused so much human destruction. In the artists work one can see so much passion, so much possibility

I am also reminded of the activism of those affected either directly or indirectly by HIV and AIDS. I wonder where that kind of courage has gone in our current world. We need to remember that the way to stop a scourge is to fight, to stick together and to work to save what is important as those who crusaded to find a cure for AIDS did.

Doggy Day Afternoon

After such a poignant topic, I turn now to a joyful one. Each September, the Brunswick Centre, a brutalist monument to the architecture of the 1960s that includes apartments and a shopping centre, holds “Doggy Day” where dogs and their people come in droves to see and be seen and to win prizes. This is one of my favorite events of my time in London. I have collected photos of some of my favorites. Indulge me.

Italian Greyound I fell in love with this one.

September in Bloomsbury

I took a stroll through two local parks today, the ones in Russell Square and neighboring Brunswick Square. There were so many late blooming flowers that I thought I should capture them.