Art
Another month, another blog. I’m using WordPress Version 2.6 for the first time (although 2.7 is out already?!), and I’m not too impressed! Instead of each picture taking less than 10 seconds to add here (that includes changing the dimensions and hyperlinking to a bigger version), it now takes around 30 seconds (I timed it because I’m sad like that) as this process now involves three separate windows, and a lot of scrolling. Argh! What is with all these silly WordPress updates! Fix up, WordPress.
Taken around my beloved Brick Lane.
Redchurch Street in East London is home to some really small, quirky art galleries. This one literally had no one inside, and some uninspiring, but no doubt expensive, paintings:
This one was called Brown Noise, and contained some ‘interesting’ pieces to do with the 7/7 London bombings:
I guess it was an attempt at controversial art.
This is apparently Ian Curtis’ actual headstone:
I have to say, this was a bit of a bizarre but nevertheless amusing gallery. The fact that it was manned by a rather tipsy guy who tried to drunkenly explain what everything meant, made it all the more interesting.
He told us that the gallery next door was better, before he went back to the pub:
That was the only picture I took, but judging by some of the other pieces there, I think you have to be seriously stoned to appreciate it.
I love everything about this picture:
Grownups playing penny up outside one of my favourite record shops:
Full view:
I agree.
There was some random installation in Trafalgar Square which projected images of people onto the shadows on the ground.
On the way home I took this:
Basically, there’s a dog grooming shop on my high street which is really old and never has any customers. It seems to be occupied by an old lady and her dozen or so poodles. I’ve tried to take a picture of her before but she seems strangely unavailable and doesn’t open the door.. :/
Back to some art. Exciting stuff! Two weekends ago I went to an installation in Southwark by Roger Hiorns called Seizure. It was ending on the day I went and there was a queue stretching all around the derelict estate that it was held in.
It seemed intriguing but hanging around in sub-zero temperatures for an hour really isn’t a lot of fun! Still, I figured it was worth waiting for, even though the faces of those leaving should have been a sign to forget it. Anyway, after waiting for wellington boots (yes, you had to wear these to enter the building – which made me more curious), we were finally in!
Contrary to what these pictures might lead you to believe, it really wasn’t worth the hour’s wait.
It consisted of two small rooms covered in these blue crystals so the whole thing took about 5 minutes to see.
I think if they’d just opened up the whole estate (which is going to be demolished anyway), that would have been more interesting!
The highlight of this whole thing was at the end when a random guy helped me pull of the wellingtons which I couldn’t get off myself while everyone else looked on and laughed. Fun times.
You do have to wonder why there’d be a random pair of jeans on a bench..
The Tate Modern was up the road – a lovely escape from the cold!
It never fails to impress. This is the latest installation of the Unilever Series by Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster.
I’m not sure what any of it means. No doubt there is some deep and meaningful explanation of all this.
I’d love for there to be a day when nobody buys a thing.
I still have some India pictures left to post – maybe next time. In the meantime, I think I’ll start using my Nikon EM again – I miss film.
On another note, scenes like these seem to becoming more and more common. I’m not sure why, when the photojournalists involved appear to be completely harmless!
Ciao for now. I hope it snows soon!
If you’re on Facebook and like what you see here, please join my Blog network that I just created! http://apps.new.facebook.com/blognetworks/blogpage.php?blogid=96521
