Cathy's Art Diary

Fun installation in the Burlington Arcade to mark the launch of the latest Bond film, “No Time to Die”. I’d spotted it a couple of nights’ earlier when it was obviously it’s launch and there was a party so you couldn’t get in so I went back when I was next passing. It consistent of cogs and time pieces hanging from the ceiling and a silver classic gun barrel photo op in the centre in homage to the classic opening of the credits of all the films. All very classy. Some of the shops who had products in the film also had pictures in the windows or displays inside. I particularly like the portraits of two M’s, Robert Brown and Judi Dench, in one of them.    

Nice display at the National Portrait Gallery of portraits of the cast and crew of the new Bond film, Spectre, by Rankin and other photographers. I loved a group of 32 pictures in one frame by Rankin of the crew. A nice way to show them and it gave a sense of individuals yet within a working team. Also one of the director, Sam Mendes, by Anderson & Low, standing on the set of the destroyed MI6 building. Of course there are also wonderful portraits of the stars of which I’d pick out the lovely picture of Danial Craig and Naomie Harris with very shiny legs! Closes on 10 January 2015.  

Fun exhibition at the London Film Museum of vehicles from the Bond films. I’m not a huge James Bond fan. I’ve seen most of the films but I’m not obsessive about them, but I did find this fun! There were lots of iconic vehicles such as Goldfinger’s Rolls Royce. There were also areas on different types of vehicle e such as an underwater section and a motorbike section. Lots of the vehicles were accompanied by video clips of them in action. It was well worth getting the audio tour as it was done by a stunt driver so you got some insight into how the cars had been used in the films, how many versions there were of some of the vehicles and just good stories behind them. I will say though if you are going to have an audio tour don’t also play loud music and film clips with sound as it all becomes too much! Review Evening Standard