Tag: Art

ANOTHER SOJOURN BEGINS

A month has passed since I arrived in London. This blog will cover the highlights of a most unusual August, the dryest and one of the hottest on record.

The trees, flowers and grass in Russell Square Garden had never looked so stressed as they did on August 1st.

But the kids found a way to stay cool in the fountain there.

Marilyn Monroe-The National Portrait Gallery

The exhibition of photographs and portraits of the late, great American superstar were grouped by photographer. She died on August 4th, 1962, at 36 years old. I became increasingly sad as I continued through the exhibition which reminded me of all she accomplished and how very difficult life was for her in an era where her voice was often muted by those who sought to use her beauty and “sex appeal,” mear years before a feminist revolution began which might have changed and saved her life. Here are some of the images.

They will only care when you’re gone. Marilyn

The Donmar Warehouse Presents “The Guilty”

Russell Tovey starred in this atmospheric production about a police officer temporarily assigned to an emergency call room. Americans would call it a ‘911 Center.’ His performance was breath taking. I recommend this production.

The Latest from the Esoterick Collection of Modern Italian Art

One of my favorite small galleries is just two Tube stops away from my temporary home in Bloomsbury. The exhibition of the work of Emilio Isgro was titled “Erasing to Create.” Quite literally he blacked out words in documents, maps, letters, and globes to force us to consider the layers of reality and hidden messages we encounter but never consider. This was a challenging exhibition, but one that reminded me of how important it is for me to be open to different possibilities.

I had to pass on visiting the permanent exhibit because parts of the building were not air conditioned and this visit was on one of the days that felt like the temperature inside was about 400 degrees F. However, I did get these photos of the funky new patio and garden furniture.

Fulham F.C. “Home Opener at Craven Cottage

Fulham, with a new manager and many new players opened their home season with a game kicking off at 8:00 PM, the first evening match I had attended. This was against local rival Chelsea whose home ground is also in the same part of West London, so this was a “London Derby” in local parlance. The “All Whites” made a valiant showing but ended on the wrong side of a 3-2 final score. The long walk back to Putney Bridge Station through a very dark Bishop’s Park was ‘interesting. Fans used the lights from their phones to guide the way along the paths.

Jeeves Takes Charge at the Charing Cross Theatre

I am a big fan of P.G. Woodhouse and his famous duo Bertie Wooster and his butler, Jeeves. Many will recall the series that starredHugh Laurie and Steven Fry. This production was a bit different in that one actor , Sam Harrison played both Wooster and Jeeves and all the other characters (male and female) by altering his voice and posture. He was amazing and the show was side splittingly funny.

James NcNeill Whistler at the Tate Britain

TheTate Britain gathered together an impressive collection of the American born painter’s works, including the famous portrait of his mother that is usually at the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. His paintings explored darkness and light and he used muted colors in interesting ways.

Since I had made the trip to the Tate, I also stopped in to visit the wonderful collection of Henry Moore sculptures. Below are a few examples.

An End to August and the Heat Wave

As August came to an end, so did the heat wave that had hold of the UK for most of the Summer. On the one of the first cooler days, I revisited two favorite places in the local environs, Saint Pancras New Church and the plaza of the British Library where the first rain and cooler temperatures perked up some flowers and a blue sky shone over this lovely part of London.

This ends my August update more regular updates to come. Thanks for your patiences.

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.