Cathy's Art Diary

Delightful talk   from the Victoria and Albert Museum on the life of Audrey Withers, editor of Vogue in the Second World War.   Withers biographer, Julie Summers, gave an affectionate outline of her life bringing out many fascinating anecdotes such as the fact she had a long correspondence with the artist Paul Nash, despite a 16 year age difference and worked as the membership secretary of the SDP for 10 years at the end of her life.   The bulk of the talk focused on the war years and talked about how she employed some of the most influential photographers of the time to bring the war into the pages of Vogue including Cecil Beaton, Normal Parkinson and Lee Miller. She also talked about her work on the post-war Britain Can Make It exhibition at the V&A, the Festival of Britain and the Coronation Committee.   Summers talked with affection for her subject as well as being knowledgeable and addressing the questions in a lovely and open way .

Stylish exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery to mark the centenary of London Vogue. There is a room on each decade and it is arranged so that you back in time around the show but move forwards to the present day again at the end with a magazine from ever year of the century. I thought this worked well expect that in the early rooms it mentioned the influence of earlier photographers who you hadn’t yet seen in the show. You did need some knowledge of the history of fashion photography to get the most from it. I liked that each room had a different style to them which recognised the times but also gave the show great variety. The labelling and commentary was very good telling you about photographers, sitters and clothes but the whole stylish presentation of the show somehow put you off reading the detail. I would say that it wasn’t so much style over substance but style mugging substance. He substance was all there you just got diverted from it. The show was as m...