Folks – we got back yesterday from a trip to London to go to exhibitions.
20th Drive to London and CA headquarters. Parking good as CA have “taken measures”. Out of CA house again by noon. Off by DLR and underground to Chuen Cheng Ku for greedy lunch but rather surprised to see Swiss Centre has gone – no great loss. Off to Brit Mus. To Babylon Exhibition; found this rather expensive and disappointing.Not much htere of great importance. However the Assyrian Galleries were a delight.
Walked to Oxford Street M&S for bargains and horrible scrum to get tube at Oxford Street. Central Line as crowded as in 1955. DLR a bit of a pain because of escalator work.
Supper at excellent Thai Restaurant in Commercial Road.
21st To Tate Modern by water – very civilised. Installation in turbine Hall rather silly, particularly the alleged back story. Pleased to see the filled in crack in the concrete floor from previous installation.
Loved the Rothko Exhibition but more than most artists he needs prolonged meditation which is hindered by crowds and especially loud party guides. Lunch on top floor restaurant with super view and OK food.
Next Cildo Meireles – an installation artist with some interesting ideas and installations one at least fairly hazardous.
Walked to South Bank and decided Hayward Exhibition of Pop artist too pricey to be worth a try. Into Festival Hall to Jazz concert(free) then walked to National Gallery for “Renaisance Faces” exhibition which Kristin loved but I was less keen on. Walked back to Embankment Pier and home to CA so tired we ate in the clubhouse fairly badly.
22nd To Victoria by a very crowded tube. Most of the underground closed for maintenance so remainder busy. Thence to Queens Gallery which we had not been to before. Super Flemish works as well as the permanent exhibitions of gilt furniture and Faberge items. Very impressed by highly finished mahogany doors on lift and loos.
Walked back to Victoria but found tube crowds frightening so walked back to China Town for more Dim sum – not quite so good as before in different restaurant.
Walked then to Manchester Square to see Osbert Lancaster exhibitionat Wallace Collection – rather good and very enjoyable. Rest of Collection varied from good to ordinary. Walked and tubed to South Bank to eat at Wagamama – again a new experience for us; a queue but not too long, long tables to share to help conversation, enormous noise, fast Japanese food and a moderate bill, recommended. Next to a Jazz concert in Queen Elizabeth Hall. A cerebral jazz pianist and excellent drummer followed by the Taksim Trio (Turkish Jazz) ; zither, sort of clarinet and one stringed guitar. Again rather good but we left early due to tiredness , worry about the tube and a feeling that they were beginning to repeat themselves.
23rd tube to Royal Academy. The Byzantium Exhibition is a biggie, sumptuously staged with wonderful things to see. I particularly liked a Roman funerary portrait of a beautiful young woman in a natural style as well as a 4th c. Silver box – amazing survival. Lighting was low and labelling sparse and difficult to read with a specialist vocabulary. We had lunch and returned for a second go but really should pay another visit.
Upstairs was an exhibition essentially on the Maecht (sic) Art Dealer and his customers Miro, Calder etc. the connections were fascinating. Calders colours influenced by Mondrian and Maecht using the artists work in books and magazines. Not a dramatic show but very illuminationg. This time back to CA House by daylight and a long rest before going out to an Indian Restaurant for a good supper.
24th Up at 5.30 and a hideous journey round the M25 and home.
A good break and some brain stimulus
Roger
