To Margate to Margate to visit the Turner…and collect my work from the Harbour Arm Gallery.
Dropped in to see my work in situ before it all came down. I thought it looked a bit bland, although I am told it doesn’t. I’m rather confused. It has just had a double oak frame on it and the space and light couldn’t have been better for it really. Odd. Needs thinking about.
Spent some time in the Turner with the new Alex Katz show. I do find this type of flat ‘fashion shoot’ art problematical…I feel the lack of emotion, poetry and darkness keenly. Even in the more painterly recent works – of water – they seem to lack some form of integrity that would have made me happy. Oddly in his choice of other artists – Sickert, Stubbs, Kleine… and so many dark, 1950’s brown oils it was as if their darkness atoned for the lack of it in his works in the next room.
Best bits…a couple of wonderful Marlene Dumas and a John Hoyland crouched glowing in one corner. and a Turner hung so low that you could really study the way he held his brush.
In the foyer Maria Nepomunceno’s woven installation had everyone clambering over it and lying in the hammock. It seemed so un-English to invite everyone to play in it; she is Brazilian.
In the town Bob and Roberta Smith’s banners.
Then on to the Pushing Print exhibition run by friends of mine. Gets better and better every year. Really contemporary work out there. Enough to make me want to print again.
No new making going on here yet.
Daren’t look at that or I will panic.
Having read Ruth Geldard’s blog I shall take up a bit of leaf darning I think… maybe that will lead to something…..
