Cathy's Art Diary

Fascinating discussion at Charleston Farmhouse as part of the Charleston Festival with two members of the activist group Led by Donkeys. Guardian columnist Zoe Williams interviewed James Sadri and Oliver Knowles, two of the founders of the group. Before the talk I hadn't thought I knew their work but as they spoke I realised I had come across it but more from the press than galleries etc. In fact in the introduction they admitted they didn't think of their work as art but more as political statement. However I think it is a type of art so here I am blogging it. There was an excellent rolling display of their projects from the Covid Memorial Wall, through Tweets from politicians turned into billboards and a very moving installation of children's clothes on Bournemouth beach representing children killed in Gaza. They explained their work in a humorous but inspirational way. Just let’s say I've done a lot of Googling since and have followed them online wherever I ca...

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 Oxo Tower Gallery looking at community action in the Blackfriars area of Southwark in the 1970s. I don’t know the area well enough to appreciate this show properly but it did bring back that period to me by looking at objections to property developments in the area against the background of the 1973 property boom and bust. It also looked at campaigns to demolish squalid tenement buildings and rehouse the residents. It used lots of archive material from the time including campaign produced magazines and some great photographs. It was amusing that some of the projects they were objecting to have since become iconic including the redevelopment of the Oxo Tower were the show was being held. Closed 16 January 2022