_-__-_ meet me at the Barbican

Saturday was a day with friends

Gina travelled over from Essex 

and we surprised her with a magical mystery

tour of exhibitions and wanderings

after coffee in Shoreditch

we walked to ABP Autograph

to see Zanele Muholi's first solo UK exhibition 

Hail the Dark Lioness 

beautiful striking self portraits

taken across Africa, Europe and America

using materials found 

connections made

we walk through Brick Lane 

and onward to Tayyabs

for a delicious vegetarian punjabi lunch

messaging friends to co-ordinate a 

meet up for a cocktail at Osteria

{free wifi is something else I have missed!}

great views and good company

some had never met each other

and some I'd not seen for too many years!

then onwards to meet a lady

I had not met in real life

but had followed her work for a while

luckily she was part of a group show at the

Strand Gallery

so cool to meet Alison Rylands

and hear about her journey so far 

she allowed me to take this piece 

after we'd rearranged her interactive work!

before waving goodbye 

we passed a bustling alleyway

and found Gordon's Wine Bar

an amazing subterranean space

that served us a chilled bottle of Picpoulet

which we enjoyed outside

as we watched people passing by with 

huge platters of charcuterie, cheese, baguettes

and pickles

a little taste of France in London

!! overload my senses

there are things I miss

so I took advantage of cheap flights

and stayed with my daughter in London

just for a weekend

immediately into the hubbub 

crowded tube trains

noise, cars, pollution

the need to be hyper linked to everything 

all the time

no I don't live in Outer Mongolia

but I would have to drive for ten minutes

to get to the only bus that would take

me to Pamiers

there I could get a train to Toulouse

London is very connected

and it's marvellous 

I missed that

I also miss going to galleries

Gregory Crewdson at The Photographers Gallery 

was out first stop

Cathedral of the Pines is a large body of work

his signature grand landscapes

muted palettes and light

(detail The Barn)

as usual we want to ask questions

I'm glad I got to see them but ....

honestly?

the nudity over took the stories 

it seemed unnecessary 

even this young person thought so 

to my amusement 

after amazing lunch pad thai and green curry 

at Rosa's Soho

and a spot of shopping 

we visited Beetles & Huxley

I love this little gallery

it didn't disappoint

(red curtains)                   (holding the blue)

a collection of images by Cig Harvey

partially hidden subjects

self portraits and in glorious colour

and so to the Southbank 

the record label Erased Tapes are celebrating

their tenth birthday

we delighted in a free concert by the artist 

Douglas Dare

a beautiful hour spent listening to new and old songs

with like-eared people 

afterwards ~ fresh dosa by the river

and a bus ride home

door to door

and that was just Friday!

∏∏ subversion

I follow the artist Ai WeiWei on

Instagram

he documents his travels

taking photos of everything,

everyone and his son

having never seen his work

we took a visit to the Royal Academy 

his work is impressive

I imagine he employs an army of people

to source the beautiful materials

for his installations

each piece has a background

a history

a story

it's not all pretty

'Straight' is a seismographic 90 tons of iron bars

that once held up buildings

highlighting the corruption which made school buildings 

vulnerable in the Sichuan earthquake, 2008

he makes known the authorities who try to 

destroy inconvenient histories

cao {grass} each blade and their hexagon bases

taken from the same quarry, the same marble used for 

Mao's mausoleum in Tiananmen Square

like these tightly packed marble grasses

the gallery spaces were very busy

everyone wants to see what the fuss is about

WeiWei is news

"Today is very different. I still have the internet and I can still manage to organise exhibitions with established institutions. In today’s condition, I do not think that anybody can stop the exchange of ideas."

** ** 140 years of style

this weekend I took a trip to the

Fashion & Textiles Museum

to see the Liberty in Fashion exhibition

"I was determined not to follow existing fashion

but to create new ones"

Arthur Lazenby Liberty

sumptuous fabrics

oriental influences

generous cuts

sweet detail

collaboration

sketchbooks

Liberty has lasted by moving with changing trends

but keeping it's unique identity

a nostalgic trip through the eras of designs 

we recognise and love

the exhibition runs until February 2016