Hauser and Wirth – Monica Sosnowska (until 10 Feb, 2018)
Polish artist, heavy duty sculptures made from metal and stone/concrete. One, an L shaped girder, bent as if by a giant hand, with a neat fold; a white cylinder of metal, cut and rolled out – it took me a while to realise how it had been done – and a large concrete mushroom, studded with wrought metal rods. See photos below.
H and W – Jakub Julian Ziolkowski; “Ian Moon” (until 10 Feb, 2018)
Round the corner at the other H and W gallery, Ziolkowsky’s crowded cartoon images, reminiscent of Raqib Shaw (if not as accomplished), forming large. colourful, writhing masses on the walls. Like Shaw’s work, a multiplicity of sexual organs are very present; you don’t have to look hard to find them.
There are also a number of painted pots in a similar style. rather like large chamber pots. “Ian Moon” is Ziolkowsky’s alter ego, I believe.
Photographers’ Gallery – Wim Wender’s Polaroids; Instant Stories (until 11 Feb, 2018)
Annoyingly small (well, they ARE polaroids), hundreds of images, mainly of America, many relating to his films. I particularly remember a couple of twilight skyscraper – scapes, New York I think, with spear-like negative spaces in deep blue and a series of shots taken from planes. Dennis Hopper in a cowboy hat is in there too.
Photographers’ Gallery – 4 Saints in 3 Acts – A Snapshot of the American Avant-Garde (until 11 Feb, 2018)
Photos of the all-black cast of Four Saints in Three Acts, a modernist opera, libretto by the (white) Gertrude Stein, music by the (white) Virgil Thomson. Opened on Broadway in 1934. Predictably, the usual exoticism is present, as can be seen from the pictures below; faint shades of Josephine Baker. That’s not to disparage the intentions of the Stein and Thomson, or the quality of the music, neither of which are known to me. In typical old white male style, I forgot to take note of the names of the black cast leaders, thinking the names would be in the info on the leaflet – they’re not. For the record, they are: Edward Matthews (St. Ignatius); Beatrice Robinson-Wayne (St. Theresa 1); Bruce Howard (St. Theresa 2); Embry Bonner (St. Chavez). This was the first time that Christian saints were portrayed by Afro-Americans in the USA.
Photos by Lee Miller and Carl Van Vechten are included in the exhibition.
Peaky Blinders DVD
I avoided watching this when it came out; I didn’t think the trailers looked like Birmingham in the 20s – more like Deadwood, with the smoke and the mud and the Chinese quarter. I thought the accents were dodgy, especially Sam Neill’s Protestant Northern Irishman; I disliked the modern rock theme by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds; didn’t fit with the period. And I find Cillian Murphy’s pale-eyed, sinister/appealing stare annoying. And the detachable collars and big, floppy cloth caps with razor blade accessories. As well as Deadwood, I thought of Les Miserables and even Game of Thrones.
I was given the first three series on DVD for Christmas, however, and having watched the first, I now think it’s brilliant – as long as you forget Birmingham, the 20s and history. The violence is operatic, the stories tight, the acting full-blooded, you could say; it’s in a world of its own. Game of Thrones, even.
I haven’t done much painting over Christmas and New Year, so three so-so lifers to finish with:
Dominic 1,2 and 3
Blackpaint
19.1.18
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