Cathy's Art Diary

M oving installation on the South Bank to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. I came across this lovely work, sponsored by Ancestry, while walking along the river. It consisted of a long table, laid with vintage China, to resemble a street party. At each of 80 place settings was a plate with the picture and name of a veteran or someone who had helped on the Home Front and above was a short description of what they had done. From listening to assistants on duty I gather in the morning descendants of the people featured had been invited along. I have idea how long the piece was due to be there as I can find nothing online about it but I was so pleased I found it.

Interesting exhibition at White Cube Masons’ Yard of lead works by Antony Gormley. In just a few sculptures the show charts the artist’s experimentations with lead between the 1970s and 1990s. I had seen some of the pieces before over the years. Upstairs were the smaller works but the more striking pieces were the full sized body works shown in the basement which looked impressive in the large white space. I loved that you could walk among them but it was a shame this wonderful standing figure with a girder for a head had to be guarded by four attendants. Closed 8 June 2025 Review Guardian

Surprising exhibition at the Royal Academy of drawings by the author Victor Hugo. I’d gone along on the basis I try to see everything but wasn’t expecting a lot, however I was blown away. There was an odd mix of works of amazing draftsmanship and surprisingly experimental and abstract work. It made me think of William Blake. I think my favourites were the detailed, accurate works including this amazing chain. I also liked the atmospheric castles. I loved that the first work was this cartoon called “The Art Lover” and here we ask were. Closed 29 June 2025 Reviews Times Telegraph Evening Standard  

Confusing exhibition at the Royal Academy, one of a series of three showcasing the work of 2nd year students in the schools. I have found all these shows annoying for the lack of information about the work. It’s often conceptual in nature and needs some explanation. It might cope with that if it was beautiful but on the whole it hasn’t been. This one took the biscuit as they had run out of the handout, not that it is that useful, so I didn’t even know which work was by which student. By checking the website I think I worked out that these striking paintings are by Djofray Makumbu and that possibly the small model is for an animation and is therefore by Zachariah Riley but if so it might have been nice to see one of his animations to put it in context. As for the other work presumably by Katrina Cowling and Joshua Fay who knows which was which. I rather liked a mechanical wave of corn which I thought was quite witty and the fact the arch of the staircase had been encased in fabri...

Interesting exhibition at White Cube Bermondsey showcasing the life and career of the sculptor Richard Hunt. I had not consciously come across Hunt’s work before which surprised me as he had been so prolific in America. The show started with an enlightening timeline of his life and I was impressed at how he broke down many barriers for a black artist. The worked looked good, if a bit sparse, in the large white space. I found it quite graphic in its style so it was interesting to see his drawings shown with the large sculptures. Closed 29 June 2025

Disappointing exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum looking at the role of textiles in history and society. It was disappointing as this was a huge topic to cover and might have worked better as a series of more focused shows on particular materials, eras or geographical areas. In trying to do it all it became muddled. There were some beautiful objects but as the narrative was unclear the labels became very long to describe the item and tie to a topic. It’s a shame as this museum normally presents much more precise shows. Closes 7 September 2025

Stunning exhibition at Eames Fine Art of the complete set of prints by Salvador Dali for Dante’s   Inferno. I think I had seen these once before in Barcelona but it was real treat to find them again on a walk along Bermondsey Street. The works have a real sense of being by Dali but respond sympathetically to the text. Sadly the planned book was never printed but the prints stand as an art work on their own. Closed 18 May 2025

Witty exhibition in the sales gallery of the Photographers’ Gallery of new work by Alma Haser. Haser explores the quirks of German idioms, their origins and often unexpected English translations by creating literal sculptures and collages of the words. These create fun works often with sausage-based translations which do make you think about words. Closed 22 June 2025  

Engaging exhibition at the Photographers’ Gallery showcasing the work of documentary photographer, Peter Mitchell. The work focuses on the transformation of Northern England and was shown here to reflect several series of work. I found the work drew me in and I’d liken it to the work of Martin Parr for its wry look at people and life. I loved a series recording a ghost-ride which visited Leeds every year and a clever set “A New Refutation of the Viking 4 Space Mission” from 1979 comparing urban landscape to the exploration of Mars. I think my favourites were a poignant set recording the demolition of the Quarry Hill Flats in Sheffield. Closed 15 June 2025 Review Guardian    

Intriguing exhibition at the Photographers’ Gallery using AI to interrogate archive photographs. It takes the archive of Cecil Rhodes, the miner and Imperialist, held at the University of Oxford and shows how applying AI learning to them to create single shot films enhances the original prejudices as AI replies on the data it finds in the original source. Planetary Portals (Casper Laing Ebbensgaard, Kerry Holden, Michael Salu & Kathryn Yusoff) is a research group that delves into imperial archives to produce critical cartographies. It made me think more generally about how AI works and how it can distort information rather than clarifying it. Closed 15 June 2025    

Interesting exhibition at the Photographers’ Gallery showcasing the four finalists in this year’s Deutsche Borse Photography Foundation Prize. I always try to get to this show and this year it felt more connected to photography than some years. On the upper floor there was an installation featuring photographs by Cristina De Middel chronicling a journey along the Central American migrant route. They were interesting images and I love this one of a church but I’d have liked to know more about the people and places. Also upstairs was Rahim Fortune nominated for his photo book “Hardtack” looking at the conflicts and nuances associated with the post-emancipation America. These were lovely black and white images of everyday life. On the floor below was Tarrah Krajnak and I was impressed that, although she is mainly a performance artist, she records her work using photography and prints all her images herself. I particularly liked a series where she photographed her hands holding a ...

Beautiful exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery of late 19th century portraits by Stanisław Wyspiański better known as a playwright, poet and the originator of modern Polish theatre. I loved the expressive nature of these works which were an interesting comparison to the Munch exhibition which was on in the gallery at the same time. I had a real sense of seeing and getting to know Wyspianski’s friends and family and seeing a cross section of intellectual Polish life at the time. Closes 13 July 2025 Review Times

Intriguing small exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery looking at a photographers’ studio in London run by women and specialising in photographing women. The studio was set up at the end of the 19th century by Lallie Charles and run with her sisters Rita and Isabella Martin until Rita set up her own studio.   Charles specialised in photographing society ladies for the magazines which were becoming popular. The show featured the photographs alongside the features they were used in. Martin concentrated on stars of the stage and screen and there was a delightful selection of her work. Needless to say my favourite was a picture of the actress Gertie Miller with her dog Chum. As well as showcasing the work of these photographers the show also reflected the changing role of women in the early 20th century. Closes 19 October 2025  

Impressive iteration of this annual exhibition at Somerset House showcasing images from the last year. I try to get the this show every year and was impressed that this year they changed the layout slightly, setting a defined route through what can be a confusing space. The themes were a lot clearer too. Overall the professional submissions with a series of images were in the rooms and the open, one off images, along the corridor. My favourite section was the Surfaces one, which highlighted pictures of the built and natural environment often devoid of people. There were some striking images such as    Yu Ting Lei’s image of an old building surrounded by urban development work and Márton Mogyorósy image of a church from above. As ever the show was full of interesting and moving stories from Japanese toilets to Belfast street kids. However I think my favourite picture was this one by Michael Dunn of two Bolivian ladies playing golf which just made me smile. Last year’s ...

Charming exhibition at Charleston in Lewes of newly commissioned work by San Francisco artist Koak. This was a mix of paintings, sculpture and installations which cleverly mirrored the themes in the Vanessa Bell show downstairs. I could see echoes of Bloomsbury art in it. I think my favourite was the large sleeping woman which looked so bold in the space but I also liked the take on a pond.    Closes 21 September 2025

Lovely exhibition at Charleston in Lewes focusing on Vanessa Bell. As you know I’m a big Bloomsbury fan so I was so excited to see this show, which I’d not managed to get to when it was is Milton Keynes, and it didn’t disappoint. I loved that a lot of space was given to Bell’s earlier, groundbreaking work and that a big section looked at her design work. Most of the show was arranged by place, reflecting the importance of place to Bell, plus giving it a rough chronological structure. I liked the mixing of portraits and landscapes as places as are as much about the people in them as the space itself. I found lots of old friends but there was also a great selection of works from private collections and regional galleries. Closes 21 September 2025  

Interesting exhibition at the Museum of London Docklands looking at mudlarking and the objects uncovered. The first section looked at how the found objects can tell the story of London and its people. The items were grouped together into themed displays. At first, I thought these would be chronological but they then became more subject orientated. They were all set into a model of the foreshore. The gave glimpses of past lives. They were shown with contemporary art inspired by mudlarked finds. The second section looked at the practice of mudlarking, how people find objects, identify them and catalogue them.   I liked the works shown in a display resembling museum storage. There was a slightly random but interesting section on an area of the Thames around London Bridge renowned for its Roman finds. The exhibition then ended with an installation of the Moon by Luke Jerram and soundscape by Felix Taylor to represent the tides. I’d seen the Jerram piece before but it made quite ...

Fun public sculpture trail around London of decorated eggs to mark the Easter holidays. The trail was organised by Elephant Family to raise money for their conservation work and had a total of 147 eggs scattered around the city. It was accompanied by a good app on which you could log your egg sightings and learn more about the designers and sponsors. The map was a bit difficult to read at times particularly in locations on various levels but that adds to the sense of it being a hunt. The eggs seem quite delicate as quite a few had been taken away for repair. I collected 46 mainly over four sites Covent Garden, Marylebone, Battersea Power Station and Canary Wharf. I’d hoped to do Sloane Street which seemed to be packed with them but I ran out of time. It was a good excuse to have a wander round these areas and some of them took you into strange locations like pharmacies and hotels. I think my favourite was this shell egg in Covent Garden by interior design company Campbell-Rey ...

Effective new public sculpture at Canary Wharf made by artist/architect duo Jason Klimoski & Lesley Chang (StudioKCA). The work is a large leaping whale made from plastics from the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean sourced by the Hawaiian Wildlife Fund. It looks very effective in emerging from Wood Wharf and dominating the space. I love the fact the concert base is made from old coffee grounds from cafes around Canary Wharf but I would question the environmental impact of bringing the waste plastic from across the Atlantic. The gesture might have been more meaningful if more local waste plastic had been used, maybe from the nearby Thames? Permanent but new

Comprehensive online lecture from the National Gallery looking at the life and work of Velazquez. Jo Walton led us clearly through the subject with excellent illustrations and an emphasis on works owned by the gallery itself. She started with his early street work which I love and talked about the symbolism in it as well as emphasising the delightful still-lives he included. We then talked about how he went to Madrid and became the court painter and we looked in detail at the work he did for them. Alongside this we looked at his mythical and historic works as well, of course, looking in more detail at the Rokeby Venus and Las Meninas.

Interesting online lecture from the Victorian and Albert Museum introducing their exhibition on the jeweller, Cartier. Helen Molesworth, Senior Jewellery Curator and Rachel Garrahan, a project curator and writer for Vogue, did a fun double act to guide us around the themes of the show and to point out key pieces. They outlined the early history of the firm and how it was developed by the grandsons of the founder outlining the roles each of them took. Then looked at the design choices of company was well as how they worked with clients to develop new pieces. They finished by showing us some of the 18 tiaras which close the show. I haven’t manage to go to the show yet but its definitely on the list and I can’t wait!

Charming exhibition at the national Gallery highlighting two cartoons for frescos by the Carracci Brothers. These two preparatory cartoons by Anibale and Agostino Carracci were used in the decoration of the Palazzo Farnese is Rome and had been owned by Joshua Reynolds before being acquired for the National Gallery. The show displayed them at eye level although the frescos were for a ceiling and accompanied them with good explanations of the art of fresco explaining how they were cut into sections for use but have been stuck back together. They were delicate drawings and I particularly liked a dog in one which seemed quizzical about what was happening to his pack leader. Closes 6 July 2025    

Fascinating online lecture from the London Art History Society looking in detail at a 14th century psalter. Michelle Brown from the British Library introduced us to his amazing work commissioned by Sir Geoffrey Luttrell which includes unique illustrations in the margins reflecting the life and issues of the time. She took us through what a psalter was and how it would have been used by a family before taking us briefly though the history of the Luttrell’s and Geoffrey’s place in the events leading to the Wars of the Roses. We then looked in detail at the illustrations, what they meant and how they reflected the family. She concluded that the work shows a world in flux in troubled times.

Disappointing exhibition at the Wallace Collection of new work by Grayson Perry to mark his 65th birthday. I loved the art works in the show but found the narrative of it over engineered. As well as responding to the collection Perry had invented an artist called Shirley Smith who herself as an   alter ego – the Honourable Millicent Wallace, rightful heir to Hertford House, where the Wallace Collection is housed. Add in a strange introductory section on two outsider artists and I for one was a bit confused. The pieces would have worked well without this added layer just as responses got the collection. My favourite was a tapestry bringing together images from the collection in bright colours. Sadly there was no place you could stand and photograph the whole but have this section from it instead. As ever there were some interesting ceramics with fascinating commentary from Perry on the ideas behind them. I loved the big bold carpet in the last room and his take on a medieval ew...

Clever exhibition at the Francis Crick Institute looking at how the human and animal brain works. The show explained complex information relatively simply in a series of booths with a mix of pictures and av material. Each section also had QR codes to link to more detailed research going on at the Institute itself. I particularly interested in the section on sleep and how it is a time for your brain to repair and build memories. Closed 20 June 2025

Fun outdoor exhibition in Granary Square of pictures highlighting the lives of ordinary women by artist Hanna Benihoud. The 16 works were mounted on benches around the square and each featured a picture of a woman juggling life with a caption. The pictures are based on conversations the artist had with various women and many of them make you smile with the truth of them. I’d love it if you could get cards of them to send to friends. My only moan is that because they are on benches and it was a lovely sunny day there, there were often people sitting on them so it was hard to see the image. Maybe the picture could be a bit higher. Closed 20 April 2025    

Disappointingly small exhibition at Queer Britain on the singer Jimmy Somerville and his role as an activist while in Bronski Beat. The show was well done and made good use of archive material and loans and gifts from Somerville. I only say disappointing as I’d have liked more and possibly to see the show move into the Communard years. It was however a good excuse to go to this newish   museum looking at the history of LBGT+ lives and activism. Great to see one of Duncan Grant’s erotic drawings included. I knew the space when it was previously the House of Illustration and it would be nice to see this museum expand into the large gallery beyond the shop in the future which might give more scope for exhibitions. Closed 25 May 2025

Interesting small exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery of works on paper by Austrian and German 20th century artists. The show explained these works and the links between artists well and went into some detail on the techniques. There was also a section on the cultural anxiety of around the changing role of women. I think my favourite work was a portrait of Reinhard Piper by Peter Trumm which mimicked the effect of wood grain. I was also interesting to see a printing block made by Kandinsky. Closed 22 June 2025