Cathy's Art Diary

Excellent lecture at the National Gallery looking at the clothes in Goya portraits. The lecture was given by Jacqui Ansell and she discussed the changing fashion seen in the pictures from the formal court dress, through a genre for French style and the take up of the national Maja style dress. She had excellent slides both of works in the current exhibition and from other galleries. I always enjoy her quirky take on things to get you thinking such as comparing the dashing full length picture in the exhibition with a chap showing off his excellent leg in white breeches with a picture of Angelina Jolie on the cat walk!

Unexpectedly interesting exhibition at White Cube looking at how the art of making a representational painting was redefined over the past century. I liked the way the show didn’t try to give you a history of the topic it just presented you with images both contemporary and from the last century and just made you think about whether the image worked for you. Around the walls were unattributed quotes about modern art to which stimulated the thought process. Most astonishing was the quality of the work here. There was a Matisse, a Bacon, some Freud’s, and a couple of Picasso’s. They were shown without fanfare just letting them say something about representation alongside less well known artists. I loved a small picture by Ellen Altfest called “Abdomen” of the side of a man against a carpet focusing in so close to his body that it becomes an abstract image. I also liked Francis Picabia’s “Halia” which had layers of image. At first look it was one face over another two ho...

Dreadful exhibition at White Cube of new work by Gilbert and George. This was just too easy a show. It just consisted of three copies of ten banners they had made with the words “Gilbert and George say” in red and a not so inspirational moto underneath. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind some rude words, however I feel I should apologise for the photo in case Facebook or Twitter wants to black list me! I just felt they felt cheap and simple. They did look good on mass in the 9x9x9 room but there seemed to be little skill in making them. Come on boys you are better than this! Closes on 24 January Reviews Telegraph Independent Evening Standard

Colourful exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum looking at the work that these sister designers did for Liberty in the 1960s and 70s to accompany their Liberty in Fashion exhibition. I keep coming across these designers and bought a sketch for a design by them at a show at the National Theatre a few years ago which proudly hangs opposite my bed. This show had a nice mix of display cabinet cabinets with archive material in, articles and ideas of influences alongside mood boards showing the material along with hand painted designs in a big patchwork display. I loved the sections which showed different colour ways for a pattern. I’m always amazed at how different a pattern can look in a different colour. Closes on 28 February 2016

Lovely exhibition  at the Fashion and Textile Museum looking at the role the Liberty shop has had in fashion since it’s foundation 1875. This was a simply but well laid out exhibition. It made good use of raised metal platform with wooden tops with some mannequins standing on the top of them, some standing inside with the top removed and some sitting on them. This gave very simple levels and allowed you to see the individual garments but also created nice ensemble displays. I liked the early section on artist dressing with wonderful late 19th century aesthetic dresses. I loved a navy dress shown against peacock feathers and I so wanted a dark green pleated dress with a lovely cream embroidered yoke. There was a nice section on smocking talking about how the shop revived traditional techniques. It also included dresses by Annabelinda which I remember well from their shop in Oxford when I was a child. I often pressed my nose up against the window and imagined having ...

Super exhibition at the O2 looking at the life and work of Elvis Presley. I must admit I had low expectations as some shows at the O2 have been a bit thin but this was well designed and packed with original objects. I liked the layout of being taken through his early life and career up to the point where he bought Graceland then to space opened out to show larger objects and stage costumes with rooms off covering Graceland itself, his film career and the 1968 comeback concert. Some of the objects were very poignant such as a box of crayons from when he was a child. Others were more significant such as a copy of the first single “That’s all Right”, the result of a jamming break at a recording session for other work. I was interested in the section about Elvis in the army and the use the army seemed to make of him. The film of him getting his uniform and having his hair cut was quite touching. I loved the section on Graceland! He seems to have kept everything so there w...

Small exhibition at the ICA looking at the relationship between architecture, design and night life in post war Italy. OK I admit it I didn’t understand this! There were lots of descriptions but I never really understood why any of this was important! I suppose it said something about architect interior work but little sense of what the themes were or how it changed things. I did like some pictures of molded chairs round a table and there was a fun looking cocktail bar but I think that is the extent of what I gleaned from this show! Closing on 10 January 2015

Bemusing exhibition at the ICA of work by artists emerging from UK art schools. The show could do with a bit more commentary on the works. I found few of them aesthetically pleasing but I was willing to read a bit more about them to try to engage but there was little more than titles. Just give me clue! I quite liked Scott Lyman’s “Folly/Monument” which looked like a mini triumphal arch in pale pink but I have no idea why a video of the “Swimming Pool Library” was being shown inside it. I also liked Conor Rogers beautiful miniatures on unusual objects such as a dog looking out from under a gate on the back of a cigarette box. Most noticeable was reference to some strange materials being used! I give you testosterone powder on one work. Any ideas? Also one work described as “heat manipulated crocheted yarn and concrete”, yes please let’s have more of that! Closes on 24 January 2016. Review Evening Standard

Nice exhibition at the Mall Galleries of contemporary paintings of Britain’s churches by members of the Federation of British Artists. I thought this was a lovely idea for an exhibition and there were some really good pictures. I’d pick out the dreamy pastel coloured pictures by Peter Vincent particularly the one of St Mary the Virgin, Glynde. Also Peter Folkes watercolours with a great sense of colour. I’d pick out his picture of a church door with fantastic colours in the surrounding brick. The most unusual picture was of scaffolding in the dome of St Paul’s, an interesting innovative view by Roy Wright. These pictures were shown with a display in the centre of the room of sketches by Ronald Maddox for a set of stamps on village churches from 1972. Closed 20 December 2015.

Lovely selling exhibition at the Mall Galleries of work from members of the Society of Designers Craftsmen. I always enjoy their exhibitions but it was nice that this time the crafts people were at their stalls so you got a chance to talk to them about their work. I had bought a vase by Kathryn Bonson at a show in 2014 so it was really nice to meet her. Other nice ceramics included Margaret Gardiner’s lovely blue glazed work. There was some notable wood work around. I confess to a bias as a friend Richard Shock was exhibiting for the first time there and his wood turning with inlay was catching people’s eyes as we stood and talked. I also liked Simon Jewell marquetry work on boxes. I look forward to the next show in August which I hope will go back to the traditional exhibition format which gives more space for looking at the work however it’s great to have both styles! Closed 20 December 2015.  

Interesting exhibition at the Guildhall Art Gallery looking at the publishing company and bookshop of Jessica and Eric Huntley and the circle of artists that grew up around them. The show was quite cleverly displayed with archive material from the publishers, Bogle-L’Ouverture Publications, in cases down the middle of the first room with the pictures hung around them. There were some interesting works such as the self-portrait by Paul Dash but I found some of the more political work a bit impenetrable. I loved the second room which reproduced the Walter Rodney Bookshop with the walls papered with pictures of shelves of books and displays for the archive material set into them. This was a really imaginative way of showing quite dry material. It really recreated the feel of radical bookshops of the time and I felt quite nostalgic! Closes 24 January 2016.

Charming exhibition at the Royal Academy of the work of Jean-Étienne Liotard, an 18th century pastel painter. From the lovely picture of his daughter holding a doll in the first room you discover a charming selection of people who Liotard paints with a sense of character not position. I love the powdery finish on the pastel works. The show included one of the loveliest sets of pendant portraits I’ve ever seen, of Isaac and Julie de Thellusson-Ployard. They both look very happy and have beautiful clothes but most touching was that he wears a ring with a small miniature of her on it and she wears a bracelet with his picture on it, a delightful piece of painting. I also fell for a picture of Lady Anne Somerset in a rather low cut number! The last room included some lovely still lives and it was interesting to think that had collected Dutch still lives. He had a similar sense of heightened realism. Closed 31 January 2016. Reviews Times Telegraph Ev...

Stunning exhibition at the Royal Academy to show this cartoon by Daniel Malise for his picture of the Battle of Waterloo in the House of Lords. This cartoon was huge, taking up 10 panels and was shown in a curved display so you felt surrounded by all the faces and action. The quality of the drawing was stunning. Everywhere you eye landed there was something else to see. It was also good that you could get up close and look at the detail such as a tourniquet on an arm. Malise had drawn this when the battle was still in living memory so he had interviewed veterans and taken a lot of care to make it historically accurate. It was shown with some French prints of the time including a set with a similar feel by Rospina showing a frieze of the Feats of Napoleon. This was a fitting last Waterloo piece to see in this anniversary year! Closes on 3 January 2016 Review Telegraph

Fantastic exhibition at the Royal Academy looking at the work of contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. From the first room of this show I was completely engaged by it and I hadn’t expected to be. I’d seen a few Ai WeiWei pieces before but not really understood them. This show, particularly the audio tour, really explained what the works mean, how they were made and the inspiration for them. In that first room was a wonderful low wooden structure called “Bed” which resembled a Chinese bed with ridges across it but the edges made the contours of the landscape of China. A huge piece of work but with a simple idea. I loved his reuse of items from the past, old furniture, wood salvaged from temples and even the rubble from his own studio complex commissioned by a local council but ordered to be demolished by the government. I was a bit unsure about the repainting and breaking of ancient vases. I worry when an artist destroys an old work to make a new one! I get the meaning of ...

Interesting exhibition at White Cude Mason’s Yard looking at the symbolism of textiles in art and craft practice. Upstairs was a lovely room of Amish quilts displayed along a low platform overlapping to create a colourful collage of patterns. I always love quilts as they show an artistic outlet for women. Downstairs were assorted contemporary works. I liked the Rudolf Stingel pictures of flock wallpaper using oil and enamel. Also rather stunning were Sterling Ruby’s large canvases made with fabric, glue and bleached canvas. I liked Mona Hataum skeleton rugs and would love one for the lounge! However my friend did stand in front of an abstract work with a couple of coloured blobs on and with great disbelief just said “but it’s knitted”! Which I’m afraid did corpse me and sort of summed up the show! Closes on 9 January 2016.  

Beautiful exhibition at the David Gill Gallery of sculpture by Michele Oka Doner. We popped in because our eyes were drawn to some wonderful branch like works with candles on them in the window. We immediately thought of these as burning bushes and lo that turned out to be their title, although the girl who showed us round didn’t seem to quite understand the meaning of that! At the back was a long table of wonderful small sculpture and objects. Many of these were usable as vases, name place settings for dinners and table centre pieces. I was allowed to hold a lovely silver handbag which was surprisingly light. Even the large circular table with an incorporated bench in the main space turned out to be by the artist! Closed on 18 December.  

Fascinating exhibition at the Photographers’ Gallery looking at how photography and film has been used as factual evidence in courtrooms. It takes eleven cases studies starting with the invention of metric photography of crime scenes in the 19th century. This is a protocol for representing crime scenes using an overhead camera on a tripod which takes an image of the whole body of the victim as well as how it lies in its environment. These were grisly pictures but drew you in. It then looked at Rodolphe Reiss who introduced the idea of taking close up pictures of evidence which allows you to look in more detail at the object and often shows things which can’t be seen by the naked eye. Reiss went on to be the first chair of forensic science. Most moving was a series of pictures from the Great Terror in Russia from 1937-38 in which 750,000 were killed and 7000,000 were deported. These pictures were mug shots taken against a neutral background of those who were found guil...

Strange exhibition at the Photographers’ Gallery of new work by Noemie Goudal. Her work places specially created structures in specific landscapes and spaces using photographs, stereoscopes and an architectural installation. I liked her pictures which appeared to be of the sun or moon but when you looked carefully the round disc is manmade and carefully hung for its illusionary effect. I liked the very large version taking up one wall which incorporated the optical illusion of steps going down to a beach. It was interesting to see a modern use of stereoscopes as Victorian versions have featured in at least four exhibitions I have been to this year! However any show which includes the quote “the exhibition explores the intangible nature of celestial space as a mirror of terrestrial turmoil” in the leaflet deserves a bit of a slap! Closes on 10 January 2016.

Excellent morning at the National Gallery looking in detail at the lovely nativity scene by Gossaert “Adoration of the Kings”. The lecturer Aliki Braine, took the innovative approach to begin with of giving us a print of the picture and making us fold it up to help us look at the symmetry of the work. We then looked at the detail of it and the iconography. She then took us through the technique used taking Messys St Luke as an example of how an artist worked. She showed us a Van de Goes with a similar composition but cut down. We also looked at the Durer print which featured the dog in the foreground. We also talked about what is known about Gossaert the man. We spent some time at the picture sharing our thoughts and observations. Aliki also talked us through some of the other contemporary pictures in the room to show us the diverse nature of art at the time. I’d not realised that an Adam and Eve in the same room with a very sculptural look was also by Gossaert. The t...

Fascinating lecture at the Science Museum by the curator of the Cosmonauts exhibition, Natalia Sidlina. It turned out she is an art historian not a scientist and had approached the show with an eye to the art of the objects and the art it has inspired. I hadn’t really understood the last room of the show which just had one a wooden mannequin in it on a platform in a red and blue room but she talked us thought the significance of it. The red represents Mars and the blue the sky. The mannequin was designed to take around the moon before man went to test space’s influence on organic matter which was placed in small cavities in the body. It hadn’t needed to be in the shape of a man or to have the face of Yuri Gagarin but it showed how the philosophy and science of space were entwined together. She went into a lot of detail on the early philosophy of space in Russia. I’m not sure I understood all of it but I could see how it came from the same sources as the influences on m...

Lovely small exhibition at the Science Museum looking at the life and work of Ada Lovelace, daughter of Byron and pioneer of computing. The room was dominated by a wonderful portrait of her by Margaret Carpenter, appropriate that a woman who is now seen as an icon for women scientists was painted by another woman. It’s a lovely image of an attractive fashionable young woman. There were interesting cases on her early life when her mother, who had separated from Byron when Ada was 7 months old, had introduced her to engineers, scientists and medics. Her tutor was a mathematician. In 1842 Ada translated an article by Babbage, the computer pioneer, into English adding her own notes section to it as a commentary. It was the first article to articulate the significance of an analytical engine to use numbers to abstract their use. It was lovely that a model of Babbage’s machine was to one side of the portrait. There were lots of letters by and to Ada and I loved a descr...

Nice exhibition at the Science Museum to mark the bicentary of the birth of the photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. It deconstructed an album she’d given to Sir John Herschel in 1864 containing one year of her work with more added three years later. It had most of the iconic photographs in it. It has been described as the “finest album of Victorian photos ever created”. In the early 80s the book and photos was conserved and in this exhibition the pictures are hung in the order they were found in the book with Cameron’s original annotations. The cover is included which Cameron had had especially carved from wood. I love the over serious whimsy of many of the pictures such that of two women recreating a scene from the Elgin Marbles. Her poor maid Mary Ann Hiller appears in a number of these! There are lots of lovely pictures of Virginia Woolf’s mother Julia Jackson with her wonderful large eyes.   And of course my favourite was there, an Iago using an Italian model from...

Interesting exhibition at the Science Museum of four photographic projects by Alec Soth. All four looked at different aspects of America. I think my favourite was the earliest from 2004 “Sleeping by the Mississippi” where he travels along the river with a large format camera and recorded people and places he found there. Many of the pictures were of the boyhood homes of famous Americans such as Lindberg’s home in pale blues with cool light. All the pictures were very clear and distinct and there was a good mix of people and place. “Niagra” from 2006 looked at the reality and myth of Niagra Falls mixing photos of the falls themselves in the tradition of American sublime landscapes with pictures of couples who come to get married there. There were sad pictures of the motels in the area where people often stay the night before their weddings. “Broken Manual” from 2010 turned a sympatric lens on hermits in America exploring the desire to run away and withdrew from civiliz...

Fantastic exhibition at the Science Museum looking at the story of Russia’s relationship with space. The show was visually stunning with lots of fantastic objects and stories. It was brilliantly laid out with good vistas through the displays and there was always something ahead to catch the eye! I was fascinated that it not only looked at the science but also at the philosophy of space in Russia. The 1917 revolution encouraged people to think of new worlds on earth and the Cosmos. Soon after the revolution clubs grew up which encouraged people to exchange ideas of space and there looked at the imaginative possibilities. A philosopher called Tsiokovsky imaged the science and he was followed by Korolev, who developed the science off the back of missile research. It told the stories of the people so well with a great section on the early Cosmonauts with a particular look at Yuri Gagarin and how he was chosen for his character as well as his abilities as they realised the...

Small exhibition at the Foundling Museum looking at some of the performers in Handel’s works in his life time. It took me awhile to find this display. It was billed as something significant on the website but it was just a couple of display cabinets in the Handel Room upstairs using the usual layout so it was hard to spot. It needed better signage including a sign outside to pull you in. The main display focused on two singers. Anastasia Robinson was an English soprano whose voice dropped to contralto as she ages so Handel reworked some of his arrangements for her. The other singer was Senesino, the castrato, who was a more turbulent character. However their stories were not told well. There were few images of them so it was mainly told by the music they sang. I know I moan about noise in galleries but it might have been nice to be able to listen to the pieces. I know there wouldn’t have been recordings of these singers but it just seemed to be lacking that dimension. ...

Fascinating exhibition at the Foundling Museum about how the Victorian concept of the Fallen Woman was depicted in the art and literature of the time and contrasting that with reality as seen through the museum’s archives. The first section concentrated on images in art while telling the history of the idea. It pointed out that the 1836 Marriage Act had made marriage in registry offices easier so that it was easier to be respectable! It talked about how the growth in urban life made many women more vulnerable. I loved a picture called “Breakfasting Out” by Robert Dowling which showed a shop girl buying a coffee from a stall on her way to work and a gentleman eying her up, as my grandmother would have said! Beware Starbucks girls! In an extra room upstairs they had, of course, borrowed “Found Drowned” by Watts which has to appear in any show on this topic or Victorian morality generally. It was shown by a petition to the hospital from a mother who said that the father o...