White Sound: An Urban Seascape
I just had to go and see White Sound: An Urban Seascape outside the Wellcome Collection on the Euston Road.
Unusual and definitely worth a visit.
Tom Hunter and Piero di Cosimo
Tom Hunter is a well-known artist based in Hackney. A friend had invited me to a talk at the National Gallery by Tom to discuss a painting by Piero di Cosimo called A Satyr Mourning a Nymph. Tom had used it as an inspiration for one of a series of large format photographs based on a series of headlines in the Hackney Gazette. There is more about the talk here.
It was all very enlightening and enjoyable. It made me think that why don’t museums and galleries do this sort of talk and discussion more.
The National Gallery had just set up several ranks of folding chairs in front of the Piero di Cosimo painting and admission to the talk was free.
In this case the discussion was quite deep and some new insights into the painting seemed to have come forward. My friend even felt that the nymph was pregnant, which was a view supported by others and according to one of the curators of the gallery had not been proposed before.
In some ways it was slightly surreal for me, as I’d just featured in a headline in the Hackney Gazette. I can’t find it on-line, but it was about my 92 Clubs trip.
Why Not?
I found this telephone cable cabinet behind Waitrose in the Barbican.
A Painted Telephone Cable Cabinet
Perhaps all of these cabinets, which are always getting damaged by metal thieves should be painted in other designs. After all, it would make them very traceable, if they were stolen.
Overground Art
I had gone to see the non-opening of the DLR extension to Stratford International this morning and coming back, I came back via Haggerston station, rather than the more usual Dalston Junction station, as I wanted to get a paper on the way home.
It wasn’t the first time I’d used the station, but it was the first time I’d seen this artwork.
The Elliptical Switchback by Tod Hanson at Haggerston Station
And here’s the explanation.
Art Inspired by Edmond Halley
There should be more art like this on the Overground. I wonder what Sir Edmond would have thought!
Hackney WickED
It was the Hackney WickED Festival this weekend and I went to see some of the artists, who were having an Open Studios in the area.
It was well worth it.
Afterwards I walked past the locks at Old Ford.
Old Ford Locks
And then under the Northern Outfall Sewer on a newly restored towpath on to the Olympic Park.
Sunday on the Greenway
It was good to see so many people about on the Greenway.
Amazingly, the blackberries were out and people were picking and eating them.
What Are We To Do With Lancaster House?
Lancaster House is one of London’s most prestigious buildings, but it is treated like the way many of my parents generation treated the front room; for special occasions only. And you don’t let those outside the great and good in. Although to be fair, it is used for quality films.
So the news this morning in The Times, that the Government is thinking of transferring the property to the National Trust, is to be welcomed.
It would appear that the Trust would still allow it to be used for films, such as The King’s Speech, in addition to being open to the public, but also they would use the house to display some of the important works of art in government collections.
After all, Somerset House has undergone quite a transformation in the last few years, since C used to go there to the Principal Registry, which has now moved to an anonymous block in Holborn. It is now a gallery, half is part of King’s College and there is an ice rink in the winter, to name just some of its important uses. It is also used as a film set.
So a good precedent has been set.
If we do the right thing with Lancaster House, we should follow that with sorting out Marlborough House.
The Other Side of the Olympics
Tonight, I went to a preview day of an art exhibition at the ViewTube.
It was a series of drawings about the building of the various Olympic stadia by Jeanette Barnes, who lives close to the main Olympic Park.
In this picture the artist is shown with some of her art.
Jeanette Barnes and Some of Her Olympic Drawings
Here is a larger image of one of drawings.
The Aquatic Centre by Jeanette Barnes
And a collection of smaller ones.
More Drawings by Jeanette Barnes
I like her work and hope the exhibition goes well. Certainly, the Pimms they were serving was excellent.
Her work wasn’t the only art on show tonight.
Children's Art at the ViewTube
This was created by the local kids.
And of course starting to tower above it all is the ArcelorMittal Orbit.
ArcelorMittal Orbit
It’s rising fast.
You Can’t Get Away From Suffolk
I was at the Olympic Park yesterday and saw this artwork created by the children at a school in Lowestoft, displayed at the ViewTube.
Art at the ViewTube
It was actually rather good. In fact, if you are in that area, there does seem to be a constantly changing set of artistic displays, which always seem to be worth visiting.
I just can’t seem to get away from the county where I spent nearly fifty years of my life.
Carrots on the Train North
Yesterday, I went to see Ipswich play at Burnley and took the 7:30 Virgin train from Euston, changing at Preston.
I was surprised to see a large police presence on the station at Preston and as I had arrived there on time at the early time for football fans of 9:38, it seemed rather odd, unless Preston were playing one of the usual suspects in a lunchtime derby.
On asking one of the many police on the station, I was told it was members or should that be carrots of the English Defence League going to a protest in Blackburn.
There was no trouble on the train and they all got off at Blackburn and the carriage was rather empty as we crossed to Burnley.
I don’t like those who hate others and I’m rather glad that the EDL protest passed without any serious trouble. But that protest was rather put in proportion by the murder of a Catholic policeman by probable Republican terrorists in Northern Ireland.
Bazalgette Honoured with Olympic Sewage Pumping Station
The Olympic Park will create a lot of sewage and to pump it into Joseph Bazalgette‘s Northern Outfall Sewer, an elegant pumping station has been designed, which depicts Bazalgette’s Abbey Mills Pumping Station.
The new pumping station is described in the Architect’s Journal. There are also some good pictures here.
I think he would have approved of the new pumping station, as he was a man to always use the best of the technology available at the time and he merged suprb engineering with very good art. The new station appears to follow these rules.
The Anonymous Widower 